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Habitat and biodiversity differences between matched pairs of organic and non-organic farms containing cereal crops in lowland England were assessed by a large-scale study of plants, invertebrates, birds and bats. Habitat extent, composition and management on organic farms was likely to favour higher levels of biodiversity and indeed organic farms tended to support higher numbers of species and overall abundance across most taxa. However, the magnitude of the response varied; plants showed larger and more consistent responses than other taxa. Variation in response across taxa may be partly a consequence of the small size and isolated context of many organic farms. Extension of organic farming could contribute to the restoration of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.

2018. Selecting methods for ecosystem service assessment: a decision tree approach.Contact CEH NORA team at noraceh@ceh.ac.ukThe NERC and CEH trademarks and logos ('the Trademarks') are registered trademarks of NERC in the UK and other countries, and may not be used without the prior written consent of the Trademark owner. Highlights Guidance is needed for selecting ecosystem service assessment methods  Stakeholder participation was the key reason for selecting many methods  The decision context and ecosystem services at stake were also important reasons  Decision trees can help structure and rationalise the selection of ecosystem service assessment methods  Linking decision trees with other forms of guidance addresses a broader range of user needs

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