Farm management implications of providing wet habitats to improve biodiversity.

Abstract

Wet habitats are considered a potentially important component of the farmed landscape for biodiversity, including provision of a range of resources for declining farmland bird species. The Wetting Up Farmland for Birds and other Biodiversity (WUFFB) project in England is examining a number of small constructed wet features based upon their practicality, cost and potential to provide some of the resources required by farmland birds. Initial results from the project suggest that there may be significant costs associated with the establishment of such features, however, their impact on the farming system is minimal. In terms of environmental benefit, the short term nature of the project does not provide concrete results, although the features are successful in increasing the quantity of the wet habitat resource. Given time, it is also likely that an increase in farmland bird food resources and farmland birds would be evident.