Grete Stokstad
Senior Adviser
Abstract
The Norwegian monitoring programme for agricultural landscapes has been running for 25 years, collecting data on status and change in agricultural landscapes. The programme is based on mapping of a thousand 1 x 1km squares from aerial photographs, with field work to record birds and plants at around 10 % of the squares. In 2021, the programme introduced field recording of butterflies and bumblebees along a 1 km transect at ten monitoring squares. In spite of the low number of sites, we found a clear trend between landscape spatial structure and number of pollinators. Both the number of individuals and number of species increased with increasing landscape heterogeneity. This mirrored patterns that have been detected in the monitoring of farmland birds. Much is known about how to improve farming landscapes for pollinators. In Norway, agri-environmental subsides are available to encourage the management of flowery pollinator zones adjacent to arable land. First, farmers received payment to sow nectar-rich plants such as the non-native Phacelia tanacetifolia in field margins. Then higher subsidy rates were introduced for using seed mixes of regional plant species. The latest development is payment for managing zones adjacent to the crop, typically woodland edges. This saves agricultural soil for food production, whilst expanding the role of farmers in contributing to pollinator-friendly landscapes.
Abstract
This report provides an overview of resources for feed production from Norwegian bioresources. We look at present use of agricultural land, outfield pasture, forestry production and processing and present harvesting of bioresources from the ocean, as well as cultivation of marine organisms. We also look alternative uses of resources to produce feed.
Authors
Grete StokstadAbstract
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