Ecosystem Themes - Agricultural Biodiversity

Information resources

• Inter-institutional initiative for biodiversity conservation,Pampas Region,Argentina
• The expansion and intensification of the agriculture and livestock industry have had destructive impacts in the pampas landscape and ecosystems. In order to minimise these environmental impacts, it was necessary to design environmentally sound agricultural and cattle-raising practices.
• Living with the Sea
• To promote: Understanding of long term (30-100 year) coastal change resulting from sea level rise Sustainable integrated coastal management policies Ownership of shared issues and common solutions To develop: Mechanisms for delivering Habitats Directive compliant flood and coastal defence schemes e.g. Coastal Habitat Management Plans (CHaMPs) Practical ways of demonstrating habitat creation at work e.g. North Norfolk Flood Defence schemes Working partnership between engineers, conservationists and landowners
• Determining the nature and function of crop associated biodiversity for sustainable intensification of rice-based production systems
• The purpose of this project is to ensure sustainability of intensified crop production through understanding and managing the way in which crop-associated biodiversity responds to elements of intensification. In south-east Asia the intensification of rice production has been associated with a loss of local genetic diversity accompanied by an increase in the use of agrochemicals, irrigation and multicropping which further disrupt natural ecosystem function and traditional farming technologies. Sustainable solutions are needed not only in south-east Asia but in other areas of the world where intensification has begun. Funded by the UK Department for International Development and undertaken by Imperial College and CABI Bioscience at Silwood Park, the intended outputs of this project include: Improved ecological understanding of the relationship between biodiversity and agroecosystem function. Better understanding of the impacts of intensification on the rice ecosystem. Predictions of pest management risk associated with intensification. Prototype methodologies of functional agrobiodiversity. Associated institutes are the West Africa Rice Development Association, the International Rice Research Institute, the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Vietnam and the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.
• Tamar 2000 SUPPORT Project
• The Tamar 2000 SUPPORT (SUstainable Practices Project On the River Tamar) Project represents an holistic, catchment-wide approach to the restoration and rehabilitation of the River Tamar and its catchment. The River Tamar is located along the Cornwall-Devon border, in South-west England. The catchment covers an area of 928km2, included in which are three major reservoirs. It is predominantly a rural catchment and as a result of the high rainfall and large proportion of poorly drained soils occurring in the region, the predominant land use is grassland for cattle and sheep used in the dairy and meat industries. Changes in land use, farm management, cropping patterns, fertiliser usage and combined drainage operations over the last 30 years have resulted in widespread habitat destruction, degradation and pollution, affecting the water resources and associated species diversity and density within the catchment. The Tamar 2000 SUPPORT project encourages the use of a variety of techniques to enable the reduction of nutrient inputs to aquatic systems and for the restoration and rehabilitation of rivers and lakes. The main objectives of the project are to: • Reduce erosion and the sedimentation of salmonid spawning gravels. • Reduce diffuse pollution and improve river and reservoir water quality. • Conserve and restore wetlands and their functions. • Restore river corridor habitats. • Sustain local communities that maintain the river. Funding for the project comes from a variety of sources including, charitable trusts, company sponsorship and private contributions, although the majority of the funding is from M.A.F.F. and E.U. sources. It is co-ordinated by the Westcountry Rivers Trust, a charitable organisation involved in the protection of rivers in South-west England, with the support of the Environment Agency. The project is implemented through a team of advisors trained in water resources and integrated land management planning, who have visited over 300 individual farms within the catchment. For each farm a management plan is produced, in which recommendations are made for implementing best management practices associated with the land uses, and an appraisal of options to improve land use, reduce costs, improve returns and meet specific conservation needs, all of which are beneficial to aquatic environments. This allows catchment-wide identification of problems, enabling the development of integrated solutions. Land owners are encouraged to undertake any necessary work themselves and financial support is provided where necessary from either SUPPORT funds or from grant aiding agencies. Confidentiality is a vital component of the approach, through which the support and co-operation of landowners is obtained. The project is ongoing, and some of the techniques for restoration of the riverine environment practiced to date include: • Fencing of river banks vulnerable to erosion: Approximately 50km of riverbank have been protected from erosion by livestock through the erection of fencing. This has been carried out in conjunction with the establishment of alternative drinking sources for livestock. • Establishment of riparian buffer zones: Approximately 25km of riverbank has been planted with trees in order to establish permanent riparian buffer zones. This is often in association with the riparian fencing. • Coppicing: Riparian woodland along 9km of the river has been coppiced to improve fish habitat and promote woodland regeneration. • Existing wetland buffer zones: Over 20 existing wetland buffer zone sites into which nutrient rich water potentially could be diverted have been identified and agreed with landowners. • Ditch management: Agreements have been made to manage more than 15km of ditches in a manner such that they may behave as linear wetlands and consequently help improve water quality. • Gravel washing: Silt has been cleaned from salmonid spawning gravels at more than 80 sites by raking or the use of high pressure hoses. Through the education and co-operation of the local people it is hoped that the uptake and maintenance of these techniques will be maintained throughout the catchment, and consequently the quality of the rivers and reservoirs will improve. Preliminary results generally show an increase in river water quality and a reduction in the number of pollution incidents since the start of the project, but the long term impact of the project is yet to be assessed. However, the large number of landowners involved in the project and their enthusiasm towards its objectives indicates the long term success of the project is likely to be high.
• Coffee and Biodiversity Conservation in El Salvador
• Shade coffee farms are fundamental to the conservation of biodiversity in El Salvador, as over 80% of El Salvador's forest cover is natural or cultivated shade cover for coffee. The aim of this work was to promote the conservation of biodiversity by providing the tools, training and information necessary to empower local people to monitor and assess the biodiversity of the forests associated with shade coffee farms in El Salvador. This project was conducted from May 1999 to April 2002, and involved: • The generation of biodiversity data on selected taxa. • Ensuring these data are widely available in El Salvador. • Provision of user-friendly monitoring tools (text in Spanish). • Targeted training courses. It was a collaboration between the Natural History Museum, Jardín Botánico La Laguna, Universidad de El Salvador, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, and Procafe.