Arable Fields

Badger

Bats

Brown hare

Grey partridge

Song thrush

Skylark

Tree sparrow

Associated Habitat action plans

Arable Field Margins and Beetle Banks

Hedgerows

1.1 Definition

Arable fields comprise those farmland areas cultivated for foodstuffs like cereals, roots, legumes, oil seeds, etc. whether for human or livestock consumption.

One third of all agricultural land is arable and 40% of that is cultivated for winter wheat. European Community food surpluses have resulted in the adoption of measures cut production. In particular, the area under arable crops has been reduced by putting land into set-aside. Countryside Stewardship is an agri-environmental scheme administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). Although not particularly relevant to arable fields, the scheme makes payments to farmers and landowners for the management of field margins and boundaries and for tree planting and management. Arable Stewardship is a pilot scheme in Cambridgeshire and the Staffordshire/Shropshire border, to test whether certain arable farming methods can help to recreate and enhance wildlife habitats.

Its objectives are to provide feeding and breeding sites for certain bird species that have declined, to improve plant diversity; and to contribute towards food sources, and provide habitats for mammals, insects and spiders, many of which are predators of crop pests.

1.2 Biological Status

The structure of arable fields changes, at times quite rapidly, as crops are sown, grow and are harvested and the soil ploughed. Their suitability for various plants and animals therefore changes through the year.

Traditionally, fields were overwintered as stubbles and ploughed and sown in the spring. However, the development of hardier varieties, especially of cereals, has led to a shift towards autumn ploughing and sowing, and a resultant lack of winter stubbles and their associated food sources.

Increasing fertiliser and pesticide applications also have negative impacts on the populations of non-crop plants and animals, some of which have long been associated with arable fields.

Many species of farmland wildlife have failed to adapt to the radical changes in farming practice, and food and breeding sites for animals have been lost. Indeed, long-term monitoring data has shown substantial declines of many groups of plants and animals.

Analysis of bird survey data has revealed that many of Britain's farmland birds have suffered long-term population declines. Furthermore, farmland species have undergone larger declines in population sizes and ranges than have species associated with other habitats, e.g. grey partridge, turtle dove, skylark, linnet, tree sparrow and corn bunting.

Birds are good indicators of overall environmental quality, as they require a range of ecological resources e.g. habitat structure, food availability and breeding sites. Furthermore, they are readily visible, popular and easy to study successfully. Therefore, it may be concluded that other, less well studied, groups of species have also been in decline.

Many polyphagous invertebrates (feeders of a range of foods) breed in crops, overwintering on field margins, hedges and other features. Some 2,000 species of invertebrate (not even counting soil invertebrates, micro-organisms and transients) are commonly found in arable fields. Field margins support invertebrates of economic, ecological and aesthetic value, and certain predatory species potentially increase crop yields without the use of pesticides.

Some 300 species of plant may occur in arable fields. Many of these are of conservation concern because of enormous national declines in their distribution and abundance. Nationally threatened and important species that used to occur in Birmingham and the Black Country include shepherd's needle, cornflower and corn cockle. As such species decline, invertebrates that depend upon them also decline.

Set-aside is not a habitat normally associated with farmland, rather it is the consequence of taking land out of production. Although it may not be a primary factor associated with species diversity, it does offer valuable habitat for a range of plants and animals.

Set-aside, especially rotational, may be used by a wide range of species in preference to other field types. The structure of set-aside land seems to influence the numbers of skylarks, granivorous passerines (e.g. tree sparrow and corn bunting) and gamebirds (including grey partridge). Those with a mosaic of bare patches and green cover may be particularly preferred. Such conditions are often found on rotational set-aside and in the earlier years of non-rotational set-aside. However, skylarks and granivorous passerines seem to be less abundant of farms where spraying takes place in May.

Links do exist between bird communities of farms and environmental variables: species such as skylark and grey partridge are associated with arable and species such as carrion crow and mistle thrush with grassland; and, in general, farms with smaller fields and a greater diversity of crops have more bird species that farms with larger fields and a less diverse cropping pattern - although set-aside itself will have contributed to the diversity of field types on a farm.

Rotational set-aside in winter closely resembles a traditional winter stubble, long recognised as a major feeding habitat for granivorous birds. Several species show a strong preference for set-aside in winter e.g. linnet and corn and reed buntings. Set-aside is an important habitat for birds and may actually be having the beneficial effect of slowing down the declines of at least some farmland bird species. However, in its current format it can never be seen as providing a permanent replacement for lost habitats.

Most bird species have little agronomic impact and some may be considered useful by feeding on invertebrates and weed seeds, but crows and pigeons are perceived as agronomic pests. However, the latter tend to be found on set-aside land in preference to other crops, and it seems that any problems arising from bird pests are not presently being increased markedly by set-aside.

1. To protect areas of farmland with current high biodiversity and to enhance biodiversity elsewhere.

2. Extension of Arable Countryside Stewardship into our area.

3. Maintenance of the area of land set-aside, increase of the area through voluntary agreement; more positive management for wildlife.

4. An increase in the amount of winter stubble by a switch from autumn to spring sowing.

5. An increase in the amount of appropriate grant aid acquired within the region and the availability of advisers to cater for the above.

6. To maintain and increase information held on farmland ecology and on the distribution and abundance of wildlife species on farmland within the region.