Creating new habitats on intensively used farmland, the ‘Pappelhof’ in Saarland: A project supported by the German government

Published source details Reck H. (1993) Entwicklung naturnaher Biotope auf bisher landwirtschaftlich genutzten Flächen am Beispiel des Pappelhofes im Saarland: Ein E+E-Vorhaben. Natur und Landschaft: Zeitschrift fur Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege, 68, 394-403.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Increase or maintain the proportion of natural or semi‐natural habitat in the farmed landscape Action Link
	Reduce field size (or maintain small fields) Action Link

Increase or maintain the proportion of natural or semi‐natural habitat in the farmed landscape

A before-and-after study in 1987–1991 on an arable farm in Saarland, Germany (Reck 1993) reported that increasing the area of meadows and field margins, and the length of field edges, increased the species richness of butterflies and burnet moths. Results were not tested for statistical significance. Four years after the semi-natural habitat was created, 24 species of butterflies and burnet moths were present on the farm, compared to 20 species before creation. Marbled white Melanargia galathea were present at eight survey sites in 1991, compared to one site in 1987. In 1987, on an intensively managed 30-ha farm with large fields, semi-natural meadows and field margins were created by sowing regional plant species including rosebay willowherb Epilobium angustifolium, danewort Sambucus ebulus, heather Calluna vulgaris and regional meadow seeds. The length of field edges was increased from 7,200 m to 17,420 m. From May–August 1987–1988 and 1991, butterflies and burnet moths were surveyed at sample sites (number not specified) across the whole farm.

(Summarised by: Anne-Christine Mupepele)
Reduce field size (or maintain small fields)

A before-and-after study in 1987–1991 on an arable farm in Saarland, Germany (Reck 1993) reported that reducing field size (by increasing the length of field edges), in combination with increasing the area of meadows and field margins, increased the species richness of butterflies and burnet moths. Results were not tested for statistical significance. Four years after field edges were increased and meadows and field margins created, 24 species of butterflies and burnet moths were present on the farm, compared to 20 species before creation. Marbled white Melanargia galathea were present at eight survey sites in 1991, compared to one site in 1987. In 1987, on an intensively managed 30-ha farm with large fields, the length of field edges was increased from 7,200 m to 17,420 m. Semi-natural meadows and field margins were created by sowing regional plant species including rosebay willowherb Epilobium angustifolium, danewort Sambucus ebulus, heather Calluna vulgaris and regional meadow seeds. From May–August 1987–1988 and 1991, butterflies and burnet moths were surveyed at sample sites (number not specified) across the whole farm.

(Summarised by: Anne-Christine Mupepele)