?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Comparative+review+of+the+effects+of+organic+farming+on+biodiversity+(OF0149)&rft.creator=Gardner%2C+Sarah+M.&rft.creator=Brown%2C+R.+W.&rft.creator=R+%26+D+Associates%2C+&rft.subject=+Farming+Systems&rft.subject=+Research+communication+and+quality&rft.subject=+Biodiversity+and+ecosystem+services&rft.subject=+Crop+husbandry&rft.description=This+is+the+final+report+of+Defra+project+OF0149%0D%0A%0D%0A1.%09The+report+reviews+the+impact+of+different+farming+regimes+and+makes+a+comparative+study+of+their+influence+on+the+biodiversity+of+arable+farmland.%0D%0A%0D%0A2.%09Within+this+review%2C+the+evaluation+of+impacts+on+biodiversity+focuses+on+species+and+habitats%2C+and+includes+both+the+number%2C+abundance+and+activity+of+species+(section+1.3).%0D%0A%0D%0A3.%09Five+farming+regimes+are+defined+and+discussed%2C+namely+Conventional+Arable%2C+Conventional+Mixed+Lowland%2C+Organic+and+two+integrated+production+regimes+-+LEAF+(Linking+Environment+and+Farming)+and+IFS-Experimental+regimes++The+main+differences+between+the+regimes+in+relation+to+the+use+of+external+inputs+and+other+agricultural+practices+are+discussed.++The+review+draws+on+both+UK+and+European+information+(section+1.4).+%0D%0A%0D%0A4.%09The+effect+of+each+farming+regime+on+biodiversity+is+assessed+according+to+the+agricultural+practices+adopted+and+to+the+occurrence+and+management+of+uncropped+land+present.++Agricultural+practices+are+reviewed+within+the+following+categories%3A+cultivation%2C+crop+production%2C+crop+protection+and+post-cropping+practice+(section+2.1).%0D%0A%0D%0A5.%09Among+the+agricultural+practices+examined%2C+those+associated+with+crop+protection+and+the+artificial+inputs+associated+with+crop+production+were+seen+as+the+most+adverse+for+biodiversity.++Several+practices+were+seen+to+benefit+the+biodiversity+of+arable+land.++These+included+set-aside%2C+crop+rotations+with+grass+leys%2C+spring+sowing%2C+permanent+pasture%2C+green+manuring+and+intercropping+(section+2.7).%0D%0A%0D%0A6.%09Uncropped+areas%2C+such+as+sown+grass+strips+(beetle+banks)%2C+grass+margins+and+conservation+headlands%2C+were+seen+as+critical+for+the+maintenance+of+biodiversity+on+arable+farmland.++Changes+in+the+balance+of+cropped+to+uncropped+land+within+some+farming+regimes%2C+linked+to+increase+in+field+size%2C+have+had+a+major+impact+on+the+diversity+of+flora+and+fauna+associated+with+those+regimes+(section+3.4).%0D%0A%0D%0A7.%09Based+on+the+evaluation+of+agricultural+practices+used%2C+the+occurrence+of+uncropped+land+and+the+extent+of+the+farming+regime+within+England+and+Wales%2C+it+was+concluded+that+Conventional+Arable+regimes+act+effectively+to+maintain+the+impoverished+status+of+biodiversity+on+arable+land.++Extreme+examples+can+be+found+of+intensively+managed+farms+that+further+deplete+biodiversity+and+sympathetically+managed+farms+that+try+to+enhance+it.++Increased+adoption+of+agricultural+practices+such+as+direct+drilling%2C+use+of+farmyard+manure%2C+set-aside%2C+use+of+crop+rotations+with+leys%2C+or+an+increase+in+the+incidence+and+sympathetic+management+of+uncropped+areas+may+well+assist+biodiversity+on+farms+within+this+regime+(sections+4.3+%26+4.4)%0D%0A%0D%0A8.%09Organic+regimes+were+shown+to+have+an+overall+benefit+for+biodiversity+at+the+farm+level%2C+both+in+terms+of+the+agricultural+practices+adopted+and+in+the+occurrence+and+management+of+uncropped+areas+(sections+4.3+%26+4.4).++%0D%0A%0D%0A9.%09Conventional+Mixed+Lowland+and+LEAF+regimes+were+both+seen+to+have+the+potential+for+enhancing+biodiversity+on+arable+land.++Here%2C+adverse+impacts+associated+with+crop+protection+and+crop+production+may+be+mitigated+by+beneficial+effects+associated+with+post-cropping+practices%2C+the+occurrence+of+permanent+pasture+and+uncropped+land.++At+present%2C+the+extent+to+which+enhancement+may+be+achieved%2C+may+well+depend+on+the+extent%2C+condition+and+management+of+uncropped+land+present+within+these+regimes+(sections+4.3+%26+4.4).%0D%0A%0D%0A10.%09IFS-experimental+regimes+were+seen+to+have+a+beneficial+effect+on+biodiversity%2C+due+to+the+stringent+procedures+used+for+targeting+herbicides+and+pesticides+and+for+establishing+and+managing+uncropped+areas.++At+present+these+regimes+occupy+a+tiny+area+of+the+national+resource+of+arable+land+and+thus+their+impact+on+national+biodiversity+is+likely+to+be+insignificant+at+the+present+time+(sections+4.3+%26+4.4).%0D%0A%0D%0A11.%09A+number+of+areas+are+highlighted+for+further+consideration.++These+include%3A%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09monitoring+of+biodiversity+on+farms+pre-+and+post-+conversion+to+organic+farming%2C%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09comparative+studies+that+focus+on+the+effectiveness+of+different+regimes+or+agricultural+practices+in+enhancing+biodiversity+on+species-impoverished+intensively+managed+arable+land%2C%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09manipulative+experiments+to+determine+the+optimal+balance+of+cropped+to+uncropped+areas+for+enhancing+biodiversity%2C%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09manipulative+experiments+to+examine+the+separate+impacts+of+rotational+regimes+and+agricultural+inputs+on+biodiversity%2C%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09an+economic+assessment+of+the+costs+and+benefits+in+both+production+and+biodiversity+terms%2C+of+conversion+to+organic%2C+integrated+production+or+uptake+of+available+agri-environment+schemes.&rft.date=1998&rft.type=Report&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F8088%2F1%2FOF0149_536_FRA.pdf&rft.identifier=Gardner%2C+Sarah+M.%3B+Brown%2C+R.+W.+and+R+%26+D+Associates%2C+(1998)+Comparative+review+of+the+effects+of+organic+farming+on+biodiversity+(OF0149).&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F8088%2F