Sown Wildflower Strips – A Strategy to Enhance Biodiversity and Amenity in Intensively Used Agricultural Areas

Haaland, Christine; Gyllin, Mats

doi:10.5772/25076

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…This involves the introduction of non-crop vegetation with the aim of providing beneficial arthropods with shelter, overwintering sites, alternative prey and food resources (Landis et al 2000;Gurr et al 2017). Over the last decades, the use of flower strips in cultivated fields in order to enhance plant diversity has attracted growing interest from researchers, farmers and practitioners (Haaland and Gyllin 2011;Penvern et al 2019;Aparicio et al 2021). Annual and perennial flower strips have been shown to increase beneficial arthropod diversity and biological pest control (Fiedler et al 2008;Tschumi et al 2016;Cahenzli et al 2019;Albrecht et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using flower strips to promote green lacewings to control cabbage insect pests

et al. 2021

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Habitat management improves biological control by increasing the abundance and fitness of natural enemies through the provision of floral resources along field edges or between crops. Among the natural enemies reliant on flower resources, green lacewings often stand out due to their abundance, predation capacity and polyphagy. We evaluated the impact of tailored flower strips on the enhancement of natural enemies, especially green lacewings, in three organic cabbage (Brassica oleracea) farms in Southern Sweden. Insects were sampled from the flower strips, and cabbage pests and predators were visually recorded in the crop. In a laboratory assay, the pollen feeding preferences of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens, 1836) were evaluated in a dual-choice test. The pollen consumed by the Chrysopidae was extracted from laboratory and field specimens, then quantified and identified. Flower strips were found to attract predators and parasitoids, whose abundance increased as flowers bloomed. Cabbage plants next to the flower strips showed lower pest infestation as compared to cabbage plant control, although no significant differences were observed in the number of predators. Chrysopidae used flower strips as feeding, reproduction and shelter sites and mainly consumed pollen from Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth. Under laboratory conditions, C. carnea showed a preference for P. tanacetifolia and Coriandrum sativum L. pollen over Borago officinalis L. and Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. We show that tailored flower strips could be an efficient tool for enhancing beneficial arthropods and should be considered in integrated pest management for cabbage crops.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using flower strips to promote green lacewings to control cabbage insect pests

et al. 2021

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“…The increase in the vegetation cover could be related to the precipitation variability between years, since the rainfall was higher in the autumn/winter of 2017/2018. The decrease in diversity and evenness of sown species is expected over time (e.g., Haaland and Gyllin, 2011;Angelella et al, 2019); however, in these seed mixes, it started shortly after the intervention (2 nd spring), which may indicate the need to readjust the seed mix proportions. Despite the similarities between mixes, in the 2 years monitored, plots sown with mix 1 registered: (a) a higher percentage of sown species present in the floristic community, (b) a lower cover of spontaneous species, and (c) a steady percentage of sown species that germinated (about 43%) in both springs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The effectiveness of wildflower meadows as a biodiversity promotion measure is related to the composition of the seed mix and its adaptation to local conditions, since this affects the number of species, flower abundance, plant species diversity, and vegetation structure in the sown areas (Haaland and Gyllin, 2011). Promoting a wide range of species in the urban grasslands increases life forms and survival strategies, favoring biodiversity promotion, and improving the establishment capacities of the floristic community (Bretzel et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sowing wildflower meadows in Mediterranean peri-urban green areas to promote grassland diversity

Fernandes

Matono²,

Almeida³

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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IntroductionThe increase of urban areas and their infrastructure network is homogenizing the landscape and threatening biodiversity and ecosystems functions and services. Wildflower meadows have a high biodiversity value and can prosper in degraded areas dominated by nitrophilous species, making them suitable to be used in peri-urban and urban areas to promote local flora, create habitat for pollinators and other small fauna, and increase overall biodiversity. Moreover, the application of wildflowers seed mixes suitable for rehabilitating anthropized environments should be restricted to native species of regional origin, and the results properly monitored. However, thorough monitoring of seed mixes evolution is uncommon. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a seed mix of wild native species developed to promote grassland diversity in Mediterranean peri-urban areas.MethodsThe study was divided into two sequential phases. Firstly, a preparatory phase consisted in developing two seed mixes and sowing them (autumn 2016) in ex-situ plots (three plots of 5 × 2 m2 per mix) at an experimental field to choose the one with the best performance. The second phase consisted of the in-situ application (autumn 2018) of the chosen seed mix by sowing 14 plots (10 × 2 m2) in pocket parks distributed along pedestrian trails of South Portugal. All plots were monitored through floristic surveys for two springs (ex-situ trials: 2017 and 2018; in-situ trials: 2019 and 2020).ResultsAll sowed species germinated in the in-situ plots over the first 2 years. The seed mix application positively contributed to the floristic community, generating a significant increase in the total species richness, diversity, evenness, and vegetation cover. The seed mix establishment did not require watering nor soil fertilizing and the mowing frequency was low (once in late spring), contributing to sustainable and low-cost management of these green areas.DiscussionThe tested seed mix promoted native flora diversity rapidly and seems suitable for use in peri-urban context under identical climate conditions. Given the small number of native seed mixes tested in the Mediterranean, this study represents a contribution toward improved management standards of native flora diversity in Mediterranean green urban and peri-urban areas.

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“…Plant species selection is important for the establishment of reliable wildflower meadows. The effectiveness of wildflower meadows in increasing biodiversity is related to the composition of the seed mix and its adaptation to the local conditions, which depends on the number of species, flower abundance, plant species diversity, and vegetation structure (Haaland and Gyllin, 2011). Using a wide range of species in urban wildflower meadows with different life forms and survival strategies favors biodiversity and improves the establishment capacities of the plant community (Bretzel et al, 2016;Schröder and Kiehl, 2020).…”

Section: Selecting Wildflower Species and Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Establishing wildflower meadows in anthropogenic landscapes

Bretzel,

Vannucchi,

Pezzarossa

et al. 2024

Front. Hortic.

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In anthropized sites, the establishment and management of sustainable and nature-based wildflower meadow solutions exclude fertilization, weeding, and watering, and reduce the frequency of mowing. Once such inputs have been reduced, the ecosystem services generated by the vegetation result in an increase in biodiversity in terms of plant and animal species, an improvement in soil quality and biota, the mitigation of air pollutants and carbon sequestration, as well as a reduction in soil temperature. Environmental education and citizen science are also some of the benefits of this type of vegetation, especially in urban areas. Herbaceous meadow-like communities, which are composed of forbs only or a combination of graminoid and forb species, are usually established by sowing. The seeds are available for purchase from specialized seed producers as single species or in a mix, some companies offer mixes composed of garden species with botanical species. Donor meadows are the sources of the genetic material and the template to reproduce the meadow herbaceous community at different sites through seed harvest, hay harvest, and the displacement of soil with its seed bank. Management techniques, such as soil preparation, determining the appropriate sowing and mowing time, can help in establishing and maintaining the most desirable species. The suspension of urban turf mowing allows the growth of the natural seed bank, which in unproductive soils facilitates the appearance of many pollinator-friendly herbaceous species. With the appropriate pedological conditions and management, the natural urban herbaceous vegetation thus provides beautiful and rich plant communities, which are also easy to maintain. This review identifies the best practices through a qualitative selection of case studies related to the various methods to establish wildflower meadows in the urban infrastructure and the main constraints such as the lack of a suitable seed market.

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Sown Wildflower Strips – A Strategy to Enhance Biodiversity and Amenity in Intensively Used Agricultural Areas

Cited by 8 publications

References 46 publications

Using flower strips to promote green lacewings to control cabbage insect pests

Using flower strips to promote green lacewings to control cabbage insect pests

Sowing wildflower meadows in Mediterranean peri-urban green areas to promote grassland diversity

Establishing wildflower meadows in anthropogenic landscapes

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