Introduction to Wildlife Conservation in Farming

319 Pages·2010·35.548 MB·English

by  Stephen Burchett, Sarah Burchett(auth.)

Introduction to Wildlife
Conservation in Farming
Introduction to Wildlife Conservation in Farming Stephen Burchett and Sarah Burchett
© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-69935-5
Introduction to Wildlife
Conservation in Farming
Stephen Burchett
and
Sarah Burchett
A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication
Thiseditionfirstpublished2011©2011byJohnWiley&Sons,Ltd.
Wiley-BlackwellisanimprintofJohnWiley&Sons,formedbythemergerofWiley’sglobalScientific,Technicaland
MedicalbusinesswithBlackwellPublishing.
Registeredoffice: JohnWiley&Sons,Ltd,TheAtrium,SouthernGate,Chichester,WestSussex,PO198SQ,UK
EditorialOffices: 9600GarsingtonRoad,Oxford,OX42DQ,UK
TheAtrium,SouthernGate,Chichester,WestSussex,PO198SQ,UK
111RiverStreet,Hoboken,NJ07030-5774,USA
Fordetailsofourglobaleditorialoffices,forcustomerservicesandforinformationabouthowtoapplyfor
permissiontoreusethecopyrightmaterialinthisbookpleaseseeourwebsiteatwww.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell.
TherightoftheauthortobeidentifiedastheauthorofthisworkhasbeenassertedinaccordancewiththeUK
Copyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inany
formorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise,exceptaspermittedbytheUK
Copyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988,withoutthepriorpermissionofthepublisher.
Designationsusedbycompaniestodistinguishtheirproductsareoftenclaimedastrademarks.Allbrandnamesand
productnamesusedinthisbookaretradenames,servicemarks,trademarksorregisteredtrademarksoftheir
respectiveowners.Thepublisherisnotassociatedwithanyproductorvendormentionedinthisbook.This
publicationisdesignedtoprovideaccurateandauthoritativeinformationinregardtothesubjectmattercovered.It
issoldontheunderstandingthatthepublisherisnotengagedinrenderingprofessionalservices.Ifprofessional
adviceorotherexpertassistanceisrequired,theservicesofacompetentprofessionalshouldbesought.
LibraryofCongressCataloguing-in-PublicationData
Burchett,Stephen.
Introductiontowildlifeconservationinfarming/StephenBurchettandSarahBurchett.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-0-470-69935-5(cloth)/978-0-470-69934-8(paper)
1. Agriculturalconservation.2. Wildlifeconservation.3. Landuse,Rural–Environmentalaspects.4. Agricultural
ecology. I.Burchett,Sarah.II.Title.
S604.5.B872011
639.9–dc22
2010020658
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
Thisbookispublishedinthefollowingelectronicformats:ePDF9780470670101WileyOnlineLibrary
9780470670095
Setin11/13ptMinionbyLaserwordsPrivateLimited,Chennai,India
FirstImpression 2011
Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgements xi
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Conservationonfarmland–why? 1
SpeciesBox1.1: StarfruitPlant(Damasonium alisma) 3
1.2 Historicalrelevanceofon-farm conservation 4
1.3 Legislationandpolicy 6
1.4 Impactofagriculturalpolicyontheenvironment 7
1.5 Furtherafield 14
References 17
2 Mixed farming 19
2.1 Introduction 19
2.2 Conventionalcerealcropproduction 20
2.3 Lifecycle 21
2.4 Cropestablishment 21
2.5 Nutrient requirements 23
2.6 Diseaseandpestcontrol 26
2.7 Weedcontrol 28
2.8 Harvestandcropqualitycriteria 29
2.9 Organicagriculture 30
2.10 Organicconversion 30
2.11 Soilfertility andcroprotations 31
2.12 Summary 33
CaseStudy2.1: DownFarm 34
SpeciesBox2.1: CirlBunting (Emberizacirlus) 38
SpeciesBox2.2: Skylark(Alaudaarvensis) 44
SpeciesBox2.3: CornMarigold(Chrysanthemum segetum) 47
vi CONTENTS
2.13 ArableFlora 48
SpeciesBox2.4: Night-Flowering Catchfly(Silenenoctiflora)and
Small-FloweredCatchfly(Silenegallica) 49
2.14 Elvedenestate 51
SpeciesBox2.5: Stone Curlew(Burhinusoedicnemus) 52
CaseStudy2.2: STEEPProgrammeinthe PacificNorth West 53
CaseStudy2.3: CholdertonEstate 63
CaseStudy2.4: BlueberryHill Farm,Maryland,US 71
2.15 Chaptersummary 73
References 74
3 Grasslands 77
3.1 Introduction 77
3.2 Cultivatedgrasslandsforgrazingdomesticstock 78
3.3 Breedselection 79
3.4 Makingmore ofnative grasslands 99
CaseStudy3.1: Prairies 100
SpeciesBox3.1: Prairie Chicken(Tympanicuscupidus) 103
SpeciesBox3.2: Pronghorn (Antilocapraamericana) 104
CaseStudy3.2: Switchgrass(Panicumvirgatum) 106
SpeciesBox3.3: GoldenPlover(Pluvialisapricaria) 111
SpeciesBox3.4: Lapwing(Vanellusvanellus)–AlsoKnownasthe Peewit 112
CaseStudy3.3: UKUplands 113
SpeciesBox3.5: Bee Orchid(Ophrysapifera) 126
3.5 Grasslandecosystemsaroundthe world 126
3.6 Temperategrasslands 128
CaseStudy3.4: ShelteringRock-TuckawayFarm 129
SpeciesBox3.6: PlainsWanderer(Pedionomustorquatus) 135
References 138
4 Forestry and conservation 141
4.1 Introduction 141
4.2 Forestmanagement 144
4.3 Forestmanagementtechniques:the UKmodel 145
4.4 Coppice 146
4.5 Coppiceandwildlife 148
4.6 Woodpasture 153
4.7 Commercialforestry 154
4.8 Highforest 155
4.9 Planting 155
INTRODUCTIONTOWILDLIFECONSERVATIONINFARMING vii
4.10 Harvesting 156
4.11 Sustainableforestmanagement 158
CaseStudy4.1: SunartOakwoodsInitiative 159
SpeciesBox4.1: RedSquirrel(Sciurusvulgaris) 179
CaseStudy4.2: LongleafPine 180
SpeciesBox4.2: LongLeafPine(Pinuspalustris) 185
SpeciesBox4.3: RedCockadedWoodpecker(Picoidesboralis) 189
SpeciesBox4.4: FoxSquirrel(Sciurusniger) 192
CaseStudy4.3: NewHampshireWoodlands 193
Case Study 4.4: Malaysian Tropical Forests, Forestry Industry and Enrichment
Planting 196
SpeciesBox4.5: Dipterocarpaceae 197
SpeciesBox4.6: BorneanCloudedLeopard(Neofelisdiardissp.borneensis) 199
4.12 Summary 215
References 215
5 Farming and the aquatic environment 219
5.1 Water 219
5.2 Waterframeworkdirective 219
5.3 Part1:Onfarm ponds,watercoursesandriparianstrips 220
SpeciesBox5.1: Curlew(Numeniusarquata) 230
CaseStudy5.1: KuenzlerFarmWetlandRestorationProgramme 231
SpeciesBox5.2: BobWhite Quail(Colinusvirginianus) 232
SpeciesBox5.3: NorthernCricketFrog(Acriscrepitans) 233
5.4 Part2:Fens,marshesandwetlands 234
SpeciesBox5.4: LargeCopperButterfly (Lycaenadispar) 236
SpeciesBox5.5: EuropeanBittern (Botaurusstellaris) 237
5.5 Part3:Estuaries,coastalandmarine 238
SpeciesBox5.6: NatterjackToad(Epidaliacalamita–FormallyBufo calamita) 239
5.6 Part4:Aquaculture/fishfarming 240
CaseStudy5.2: DragonFeedsLtd 243
CaseStudy5.3: LochDuart LtdScotland 246
CaseStudy5.4: Offshore FisheriesinNewHampshire,US 252
References 259
6 The future of farming and its implications for conservation 261
6.1 Introduction 261
6.2 Industrial-scalefarmingandmonocultures 261
6.3 Scienceandtechnology 263
6.4 Precisionfarming 263
viii CONTENTS
6.5 Biotechnology 264
6.6 Tissueculture 268
6.7 Implicationsofreducedcropandstockdiversity 269
6.8 Subsistencefarmingandemergingeconomies 270
6.9 Sustainableuseofwater,energyandwaste 271
6.10 Agri-environment schemes 274
6.11 Conclusion 276
References 276
Acronym list 279
Species tables 283
Glossary 293
Index 297
Preface
At the beginning of the 21st C the human population stands at around six billion
people and is currently rising at an alarming rate in many regions such as Africa
and South East Asia. Globally, the number of human beings is expected to reach
nine billion by 2050. This continued increase in human population necessitates
the expansion of agricultural systems and agricultural technology to ensure food
production can meet future demands. Such increases will inevitably be in direct
conflict with natural ecosystems, for instance tropical rainforests, and consequently
withwildlifeconservation.Indeedacrosstheglobepeoplearebecomingincreasingly
aware of the need to protect the environment from the excesses of commercial
agriculture,butitisoftendifficultforemergingeconomiestoalignfoodproduction
systemswithconservationeffortsasthesenationsstrivetosecuretheirfoodsupplies
andtocompeteinthefiscaleconomyofthe‘globalvillage’.
Asmankind’sactivitiescontinuetoshrinkanddegradenaturalhabitats,politicians
andpolicymakershaverealisedthatthefarmedenvironmentformsanintegralcom-
ponent in the conservation of biodiversity. Consequently these parties have started
to redefine agricultural policy with a view to mitigating the excess of agricultural
pollutionandimprovethefarmedenvironmentfornumerousspecies.Indeed,Euro-
pean Union (EU) politicians have now started to rewrite the Common Agricultural
Policy (CAP) following the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in order to meet
Europe’s obligations on the conservation of biodiversity. The simple fact is that
farming practice encompasses 47% of the European landscape and in the UK this
figure is closer to 70%. These early developments in EU policy have made a start
atrealigningfarmingpracticeandenvironmentalprotection andhasachievedsome
significantgainsinthe protection of watercourses,farmlandhabitats andassociated
endangeredspecies,onegoodexampleistheincreaseinthenumberofcirlbuntings
in South Devon. However, this is a long and rocky road and not all of these devel-
opmentsinpolicyhaveresultedinimprovementstobiodiversity,inparticularsome
arable reversion projects have resulted in losses to rare and vulnerable arable flora.
These losses are often the consequence of rigid application of poor policy decisions
that fail to recognise the historical co-evolution of species with traditional farming
practices.Thede-stockingofuplandareasoftheUKisonesuchexample.Ecologically
problems arose from overstocking due to headage payments paid to farmersduring
x PREFACE
the 1970s and 1980s, these payments encouraged such overstocking; however the
current policy of de-stocking has gone too far and is now having a direct, negative,
impact on the composition of upland flora, as invasive species such as bracken and
gorse out-compete smaller and diminutive native upland vegetation. It should not
be forgotten that the UK upland habitats that exist today are actually the result of
centuriesoftraditionalfarmingpractices.
FurtherafieldgovernmentsarestartingtofollowEurope’sleadandtherearesome
positivedevelopmentsaimedatprotectingtheenvironmentandtheconservationof
biodiversity. However, developing nations are expandingcrop systems across virgin
forests at frightening rates and consequently contemporary developments in policy
are often too little and too late as well as being very difficult to enforce. Politicians,
ecologists, agricultural scientists and farmers have to continue to work together to
improvefoodproductionsystemstoensurefoodsecurityforthefuture,andtoprotect
theenvironmentatthesametime.
This volume aims to introduce the concept of wildlife conservation within the
farmed environment, and is structured into six chapters that explore key issues and
present real life case studies of farmers, ecologists and researchers working together
to improve farming practice and conservation of biodiversity. Chapter one sets the
scope of the topic while chapters two, three, four and five review the key farming
systems(arable,grassland,forestryandtheaquaticenvironment,respectively).Each
chaptergivesanoverviewofthesetopicsaswellaspresentingaseriesofcasestudies,
thatarecomplementedwithmaps,speciesboxesandtablesoforganismsprotectedby
theapplicationofgoodfarmingpractice.Chaptersixlookstothefutureandreflects
ondevelopingtrendsinfarmingpracticeandtechnology,andthenevaluatessomeof
theshortfallsineducation.Whatbecomesapparentisthatattheprimaryschoolage
groups, children areactivelyencouragedtolook atthe countrysideandengagewith
wildlife,butthatthisallcomestoanabrupthaltatsecondarylevel.Thatis,thatthe
development of conservation science lacks rigour for students in the 11 to 18 year
oldcohort,anissuethathastobeaddressedatafundamentallevelasstudentsenter
highereducationwishingtostudyenvironmentalandconservationsciences.
Applying conservation methodologies within farming practice has a long way to
go.Howevertheauthorshavehighlighted,usingrealexamples,manywaysinwhich
farmers,withthesupportofpoliticiansandscientists,canmakeapositivecontribution
towildlifeconservationatbest,andmitigateenvironmentaldamageattheveryleast.
This book is aimed at undergraduate students, conservation groups, policy makers
andconscientiousfarmersinthehopeofinspiringfuturepractitionersof:
WILDLIFECONSERVATIONINFARMING
StephenBurchett
SarahBurchett
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the following people who have helped us in
ourresearchandpreparationofthemanuscript.
FromtheUK:SandraHughesforherartwork,JillSutcliffeoftheInstituteofEcology
andEnvironmentalManagement(IEEM)foradviceonmanuscriptpreparation.
UKacademicandfarmingcontacts:RichardandJudyFossofDownFarm,South
Devon.AlisonandIanSamuelfordiscussionsonorganicfarminginSouthDevon.Sue
PeachofDrywallFarm,Widecombe,Devon.JimRudderhamandLindsayHargreaves
fromElvedenEstate.JamieBlackettfromArbiglandEstateinDumfriesandGalloway.
Henry Edmunds of the Cholderton Estate, Hampshire. David Robertson from the
Forestry Commission for an informative visit around the Sunart Oakwoods. Mark
WoodsofLochDuartSalmonFarm,Scotland.TonySmithofDragonFeeds,Wales.
FromtheUS:MichaelWisniewskifromtheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture
(USDA)forhelpandadviceonfarminginWestVirginiaandmanuscriptpreparation.
JulianHoekstraandJeffAdolphsenforinformativediscussionsontheUSEasement
Programme.
USacademicandfarmingcontacts:KevinWilliamsoftheUSDAExtensionService
inNorthCarolinafororganisinginformativevisitswithlongleafpineforestowners.
Art Williams of Kalawi Farm, North Carolina. Brent Bogue (USDA), John Ann
Shearer of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and land owner Jutta Kuenzler for
an excellent wetlands restoration visit in North Carolina, plus Matt Kinane, Gerry
Cohn of the American Farmland Trust and farmer Larry Perry in North Carolina,
farmers Michael and Chrissie James in Maryland. Malin Clyde and Matt Tarr from
University of New Hampshire Extension Service, who arranged many interesting
and informative visits for us in New Hampshire, and Richard Langan for taking us
outtoseeoffshoreaquacultureoperations.NedTherrienforshowingusaroundhis
woodlandlotinNewHampshireandfarmerChuckCoxalsoinNewHampshire.Eric
SidemanfromtheMaineOrganicFarmers&GardenersAssociation(MOFGA).
Fromtherestoftheworld:GlenReynoldsfromDanumValley,Sabah,Borneo.Bill
Spencer and Paul Troy of Hawaii Oceanic Technology™. Dr Shamsudin, Forestry