Farmland, Grassland and Heathland

Arable Field Margins

Objectives

To maintain the biodiversity of appropriate cereal field margins within the county.

Targets

To create and maintain 600km of 2-metre field margin strips and beetle banks within arable fields by 2010.
To create and maintain 500km of 6-metre field margin / wildlife buffer strips within arable fields by 2010.

Total achievements to date (November 1998 - March 2001)

327.5km of 2-metre strips and beetle banks have currently been created and are maintained.
196.9km of 6-metre field margin / wildlife buffer strips have currently been created and are maintained.

Current Action

Protection and Policy

Some compounds have statutory label exemptions preventing their use on the outermost six metre strips of crops to prevent over-spraying of watercourses and protect non-cropped habitats.
Under the Food & Environment Act 1985 it is currently illegal to spray directly into hedge bottoms unless they have off-label exemptions.

Management, Research and Survey

Funding for arable field margin enhancements is available under the Countryside Stewardship scheme.
RSPB have set up a bird aid project, looking at food sources within arable field margins for farmland birds.
Arable Field Margins has been listed as a costed, key habitat in the UK Steering Group Report.

Poppy Field

Action Plan

UK Lead Organisation:

DEFRA

County Lead Organisation:

N/A

Policy

Lobby for positive conservation incentives and further grant aid for the creation and sympathetic management of field margins. (SWT, RSPB and other NGOs)
Seek to encourage the placement of 2-6 metre field margins along streams and brooks adjacent to or within arable fields. (DEFRA, FWAG)

Management

Seek to restore and create further areas of arable field margins in appropriate areas. (DEFRA, FWAG, FoM, TNF)
Seek to focus restoration in areas of high biodiversity (e.g. barn owl sites) to increase the network of field margins. (DEFRA, FWAG)

Monitoring and Research

Determine key areas (e.g. barn owl sites) for improvement of field margins. (SWT, RSPB, WMBC)
Seek to monitor the creation, restoration and management of this habitat throughout the County. (SWT)

Advisory

Seek to ensure that all landowners are aware of any management grants that may be available for arable field margins e.g. Countryside Stewardship. (DEFRA, FWAG)
Promote the biodiversity and landscape value of arable field margins to the public and landowners. (SBAP Partnership)

Complementary Plans