The network nature reserve built by farmers on arable land
© John Secker Supporting nature in a productive farmed landscape is the goal for a like-minded group of farmers in East Anglia, having come together to protect and enhance the biodiversity that surrounds them.
With 57 farms covering more than 45,000ha on predominantly light and sandy soils, the Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network has grown since its inception 12 years ago, when the founders were inspired by biodiversity audit work done by the University of East Anglia.
This work documented the species that were found in the Brecks and grouped them according to the management required for them to thrive – going on to become the foundation of the activity undertaken.
See also: Video: Why cows and trees are part of Essex arable business
Soil disturbance finding
A key finding was that more than 600 of the species needed soil disturbance to complete their life cycle, which is why cultivated margins have since become a focus for the group.
Put in the right place and managed correctly, these margins support a range of plant, insect and bird species, as well as providing the connectivity between different sites.
“Arable plants are the fastest declining group of plants in the UK,” explains group adviser Lucy Hatcher.
“Arable fields have a diversity of habitats which tend to be undervalued, so we set out to get all the group members doing cultivated margins and measuring their success.”
Before that, a lack of understanding meant that some farmers were establishing grass margins, she recalls, rather than looking for more bespoke advice that would deliver the region’s conservation goals.
“It’s not just about the plants,” she stresses. “Cultivated margins also provide habitat for rare invertebrates, supply pollen and nectar and produce food and habitat for farmland birds.”
Heat maps
To this end, heat maps – which came from the groups’ participation in a Defra test and trials initiative – were produced for members.
Based on the original research, these show the optimum locations for establishing margins, both in terms of delivering for wildlife and for connectivity.
“The heat maps have been invaluable,” adds Lucy. “We have been able to target where the margins will perform best. Every farm in the group has its own bespoke heat map.”
Monitoring the margins is also being done, explains group co-ordinator Pip Goodwin.
Based on a well-established ecological principle, the scheme uses a set of eight indicator species that are easy to identify and are good predictors of habitat suitability.
It involves walking a 50m transect through the centre of the margin in the summer, recording information in 5m intervals via a mobile app. The collected data will show biodiversity changes over time, as well as ways to improve margin management.
Evidence-led advice
“Guidance is provided on how to identify the indicator species,” adds Pip. “It’s unlikely that all of them will be found together – just having one of them shows that the margin is doing well.”
Looking ahead, they plan to continue using evidence-led initiatives to deliver nature recovery at scale.
Already, the network collaborates with other farmer groups in East Anglia, as well as with researchers and industry conservation projects.
Expert advice is sought where necessary, while collaboration with the Thetford Open Habitat Map has meant that an ecological link has been established between 10 sites of special scientific interest and 118 priority sites within the forest and beyond.
What is it about the Brecks?
Well-known for its diversity of food production, the Brecks is also critically important for biodiversity and is home to more than 2,000 priority species – with 72 of them having a stronghold in the area, including 21 species that aren’t found anywhere else in the country.
Spanning the west of Suffolk and south Norfolk and considered to be one of the driest places in the UK, some 40% of the farmland is designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).
Even so, high-value vegetable crops and outdoor pigs are produced, while other parts of the area are Forestry Commission or Ministry of Defence managed.
As the Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network’s lead farmer, Richard Evans explains they are all living and working in an astonishing area, so there is a common will to do the right thing.
“We are creating a network nature reserve in an arable landscape,” he says.
“That means working with our neighbours so that we have corridors and chunks running across farmland, through the forest, over heathland and linking SSSIs.
“It’s rewarding to recreate habitat. Currently, our group covers two-thirds of the agricultural land in this unique part of the country – we would really like to see that increase.”
Top tips for cultivated margins
- Choose a sunny south or south-west aspect to support the highest number of plants
- Cultivate annually in spring or autumn
- Aim for a 50/50 split of spring and autumn cultivations
- Undertake cultivation as per normal field operations and cropping patterns
- Aim for a fine, firm, level seed-bed – ploughing is often better than discing
- Leave margins to regenerate naturally and do not sow seed mixes
- Fixed margin locations allows nutrient depletion and makes them easier to manage
- High topping of problem weeds such as thistles prevents them from setting seed
- Do not apply any fertiliser
- Avoid weedy sites such as long-term fallows or winter bird food plots
- Avoid locations where there is a risk of erosion and run-off
- Do not use cultivated margins for access
The Countryside Stewardship option AB11 (cultivated areas for arable plants) is available in both Higher Tier and Mid Tier agreements and pays £552/ha.
In its current form, the Sustainable Farming Incentive does not support cultivated margins.
What else is being done?
Informed by the Brecks Biodiversity Audit, the following habitats are also being prioritised.
All make a major contribution to the recovery of at least one threatened or iconic species as well as promoting the conservation of other important species:
- Grass heath habitat – supports 209 priority species including woodlark, stone curlew and common curlew
- Scrub mosaic habitat – supports 153 priority species including turtle dove
- Complex species-rich fallows – supports 263 priority species including the rare plants Spanish catchfly, tower mustard, fingered speedwell and spring speedwell.
The restoration of five chalk streams is also taking place, with the help of naturalised floodplains, enhancement of wet grassland meadows and the reversion of arable land adjacent to watercourses.
Together, these habitat actions could benefit nearly half of the priority species in the Brecks.
Landscape Recovery pilot project
A two-year Landscape Recovery project, which started in April, includes 27 of the farms in the group and covers more than 33,000ha.
Ranging in size from 122ha right up to 5,570ha, all farming sectors are represented – from arable, field vegetables and horticulture to livestock and mixed enterprises.
The aim is that it will deliver specific habitats and enhance the environmental value of the land, so providing a sustainable and long-term income for the farms involved – helping to replace vanishing BPS payments, deliver nature recovery and leave a legacy for future generations.
Richard Evans, who is a member of the Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network, is in no doubt that if the money is right, farmers will want to participate in delivering for nature.
“These are long-term agreements so there needs to be some flexibility retained and the payments will have to be competitive, but they are all things that are within our gift to achieve in Landscape Recovery.”
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