The importance of field boundaries for whole-farm biodiversity conservation.

Abstract

Field boundaries are widely recognised to be important sources of biodiversity within the agro-ecosystem. The contribution which post and wire and hedgerow field boundary habitats make to farm-scale invertebrate biodiversity was determined using emergence trapping. Emergence of Carabidae and Staphylinidae beetles was recorded and species richness, abundance and diversity measured. The diversity of Carabidae but not Staphylinidae was higher in hedgerow compared to post and wire field boundary habitat. In contrast, the abundance of Staphylinidae was higher in post and wire boundaries but similar for Carabidae between the two boundary habitat types. Conclusions were drawn regarding the importance of field boundaries for the maintenance of farm-scale biodiversity.