Biodiversity Foundation Project: Margins for Biodiversity
- Type Project
- Execution 2021
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing Biodiversity Foundation
- Project website Web proyecto (Fundación Biodiversidad)
The project has determined that planting flower borders in agricultural fields significantly increases biodiversity.
The conclusion is that it is possible to reconcile conservation and production by establishing a balance between the commitment of the agricultural sector and improving environmental sustainability through increased biodiversity.
The initiative has provided farmers with detailed information so they can select different species to make up their biodiversity margins.
- Bibliographic review of species to be implemented from an ornithological, entomological and agronomic point of view.
- Selection of species to be planted and determination of trials that combine different plant mixtures, planting times, and planting systems.
- Selection of the areas where the experiments will be carried out, considering different climatic and productive conditions.
- Training sessions for territorial technicians.
- Selection of the farms that will collaborate and signing of collaboration agreements with the farmers.
- Implementation of margins for biodiversity.
- Monitoring the interaction of the tested margins with the insect population.
- Monitoring the interaction of margins with the bird population.
- Agronomic monitoring of margins and their interaction with commercial crops.
- Analysis of results and dissemination of the project.
In Spain, agriculture is a key activity in the management of natural resources and the protection of biodiversity and the environment. However, according to the Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers (UPA), significant declines in wild species populations have been recorded in our agricultural areas in recent decades, particularly in pollinators and birds. Maintaining biodiversity in these environments is especially important due to the multiple services it provides, such as pollination, biological control, and nutrient mobilization.
For this reason, according to the organization, the implementation of landscape elements that contribute to diversity is presented as a way to foster suitable habitats for wild fauna and flora and maintain the provision of services necessary for agricultural activity. This project has sought to advance knowledge of the use of multifunctional margins as tools for promoting biodiversity in agricultural systems.
The main objective of the project was to identify and assess the different plant species mixes to be installed on margins, vegetation islands, and multifunctional corridors based on their impact on biodiversity, as well as to define management criteria for these species.
The specific objectives have been the following:
- Obtain existing information related to the field of study.
- Analyze and evaluate the different mixtures of plant species in the population of pollinating insects.
- Analyze and evaluate the different mixtures of plant species with respect to their interaction with the bird population.
- Analyze the implementation of multifunctional margins from an agronomic perspective.
The Biodiversity Margins project sought to identify and assess the different plant species mixes to be installed on margins, vegetation islands, and multifunctional corridors based on their impact on biodiversity, and to define management criteria for these species. After two years of work, it was concluded that planting flower margins in agricultural fields significantly increases their biodiversity. Following the implementation of the initiative, it was concluded that it is possible to reconcile conservation and production, allowing for a balance between the agricultural sector's commitment to society to provide sufficient, high-quality food and improve environmental sustainability through increased biodiversity.
During its implementation, the project has provided detailed information to farmers so they can select different species to compose their biodiversity margins based on the type of crop they grow. In addition, specific recommendations have been provided that will help the agricultural sector increase the success of implementing flower margins. Furthermore, the project has produced useful conclusions and recommendations at a time of change in the Common Agricultural Policy, which will be useful to administrations and the agricultural sector to more confidently address the improvement of biodiversity in Spanish fields. The main results achieved are as follows: Pollinators present in margins are 13 to 18 times greater than in cereal crops. Auxiliary insects increase by 5.5 times compared to cereal crops. The presence of pests is reduced in margins compared to cereal crops. Up to 458 species of pollinators and 174 species of auxiliary insects have been identified in biodiversity margins.
Of this total, 12 wild bee species and two butterfly species are protected and included in the IUCN Network, in addition to 16 Iberian endemic species. According to the organization's results, the choice of plant species is essential to ensure, on the one hand, an appropriate habitat for insects, but also to ensure the productivity of farms, avoiding interference with it and, if possible, attracting auxiliary insects that can become allies against pests.
Finally, it is also concluded that the biodiversity of the margins compared to margins affected by severe attacks of annual grass weeds is 10 times higher in pollinating species and 5 times higher in auxiliary insect species.
- Unión de pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos (UPA)
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