Headlands around SRC plantations have potential to provide new habitats for plants and butterflies on farmland.

Abstract

We compared flora and butterflies in headlands around 12 commercial SRC plots with 12 paired arable controls in central/northern England over four years. SRC headlands had a significantly greater diversity of plant species than the controls. As the young SRC plantations matured, their headlands tended to contain more stable perennial plants and fewer annual weed species. The percentage cover of forbes and grasses in headlands around the SRC sites was greater than in the arable controls. Butterflies were monitored three times at each site in each of the four years. White species and aristocrat species were equally common on both plot types. Browns and skippers were more common around SRC plots, particularly wider ones, benefitting, we suggest, from the greater abundance of grasses and sheltered conditions. Headlands around tall biomass crops like SRC and miscanthus have potential to provide exceptional habitats for plants and insects on farmland and good headland design and management practice should be encouraged by including options in Environmental Stewardship specifically for these crops.