Managing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes Conservation, restoration and rewilding

Description

Despite recent efforts, agricultural production continues to threaten biodiversity, disrupt delivery of key ecosystem services and contribute to climate change. A more regenerative approach is required to enable farmers to restore and work with the ecosystem services that underpin sustainable farming and food production. Biodiversity lies at the heart of this process.

Managing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: Conservation, restoration and rewilding considers the range of techniques that can be implemented to improve biodiversity in farmland. It synthesises current research on the best ways to plan, implement and monitor ecological restoration projects as well as the role of government agri-environment schemes. The book also assesses what we know about the use and impact of individual conservation practices, such as field margins and hedgerows, and ways of successfully rewilding farmland.

Table of contents

Part 1 Principles

• 1.Key concepts for conserving biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: Andrew F. Bennett, Angie Haslem, Frederick W. Rainsford, Alex C. Maisey and James Q. Radford, La Trobe University, Australia
• 2.Biodiversity for agriculture: the role of integrated farm management in supporting agricultural production through biodiversity: G. R. Squire and C. Hawes, James Hutton Institute, UK
• 3.Engaging local voices: farmers, rural communities, and ecological restoration: Theodore Alter and Kayla Faith Laddin, Pennsylvania State University, USA; and Lauren Hull, Michael Reid and Heidi Kleinert, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Victoria, Australia
• 4.Implementing sustainable land use change programmes: Liz Lewis-Reddy, ADAS Policy and Economics, UK

Part 2 Farmland and conservation practices

• 5.Soil health and ecological restoration: Alice Day, The University of Manchester, UK; Ezekiel M. Njeru, Kenyatta University, Kenya; and David Johnson, The University of Manchester, UK
• 6.The impact and design of field margins in promoting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: Jane Morrison, Bishop's University, Canada
• 7.The impact and management of hedgerows in promoting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: Ian Montgomery and Neil Reid, Queen’s University of Belfast, UK

Part 3 The role of government and the private sector in promoting on-farm conservation practices

• 8.Stick your wellies on: messy development and co-design processes with England’s new Environmental Land Management (ELM) policy: Jennifer Dodsworth and Rachel Lasko, University of Oxford, UK; and Ruth Little, University of Sheffield, UK
• 9.Developments in agri-environment schemes (AES): North America: Gordon Rausser and David Zilberman, University of California, Berkeley, USA
• 10.Developments in agri-environment schemes (AES): Australia: Dean Ansell, Andrew Macintosh, Don Butler and Marie Waschka, Australian National University, Australia

Part 4 Habitat and animal rewilding

• 11.Restoring peatlands in European landscapes: Rudy van Diggelen and Tobias Ceulemans, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Camiel Aggenbach, KWR Watercycle Research Institute, The Netherlands; and Willem-Jan Emsens, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp and University of Antwerp, Belgium
• 12.Rewilding grasslands and rangelands: Thomas A. Jones, Forage and Range Research Laboratory – U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service, USA
• 13.Lessons from reforestation of agricultural landscapes in South-Eastern Australia: David Lindenmayer, David Smith, Daniel Florance, Clare Crane, Eleanor Lang, Angelina Siegrist, Michelle Young and Ben C. Scheele, The Australian National University, Australia
• 14.The future of animal rewilding in agricultural landscapes: Kiarrah J. Smith, Iain. J. Gordon, Belinda A. Wilson and Adrian D. Manning, The Australian National University, Australia
• 15.Animal rewilding in theory and practice: Australia and New Zealand: Christopher R. Dickman, Aaron C. Greenville and Glenda M. Wardle, The University of Sydney, Australia

Part 5 Looking ahead

• 16.Biodiversity and agricultural landscapes: where are the gaps?: Nick C. H. Reid, University of New England, Australia; and David C. Paton, University of Adelaide, Australia