In-between spaces in agricultural landscapes
The Norwegian agricultural landscape is very important for food production and security. However, in between the fields there are small areas that are also very important in general.
“We’re referring to roadside verges, stream banks, field islets, fallow meadows, the edges of grazing fields, sections of fields, vegetation lines and freestanding trees. These small spaces are important for ecosystems and the species that live there,” explains NIBIO researcher Christian Pedersen.
However, years of monitoring the agricultural landscape show that these spaces are disappearing and several important pollinators along with them. Bumblebees and wild bees therefore have to compete for a constantly diminishing resource.
Managing the spaces
NIBIO has recently completed the three-year project “Status and change in the agricultural landscape’s spaces”. The researchers have been concerned with finding out how to manage the spaces so that we can not only benefit more from what we already have, but make better use of everywhere else as well.
“One question has been whether these areas should be cut, and they probably should,” explains Head of Dpartment Wenche Dramstad. In the past few decades we have had increasingly fewer areas that have been cut without being in intensive agricultural production. On the other hand, we have a lot of land that grows back.
It is important not to cut too early. The insects must have access to nutrients throughout the summer months and not all areas should be cut at the same time.
Increased focus on spaces desirable
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has done a good job with roadside verges, but there is generally not much knowledge about what exists in the other spaces.
The management of spaces is currently more often than not focused on preventing the spread of undesirable organisms into the soil, or to prevent overgrowth. In future we should also focus on management that promotes biodiversity and contributes positively to the landscape.
Contacts
Purpose
To identify which changes have taken place in the diversity of vascular plants since 2002 and provide advice on how the diversity of plants and pollinating insects can be taken care of using “spaces” in the agricultural landscape.
Funding The Norwegian Agriculture Agency