Differing effects of fallow type and landscape structure on the occurrence of plants, pollinators and birds on environmental fallows in Finland

Published source details Toivonen M., Herzon I. & Kuussaari M. (2015) Differing effects of fallow type and landscape structure on the occurrence of plants, pollinators and birds on environmental fallows in Finland. Biological Conservation, 181, 36-43.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Restore arable land to permanent grassland Action Link

Restore arable land to permanent grassland

A replicated, site comparison study in 2013 in 40 grasslands in southern Finland (Toivonen et al. 2015, same experimental set-up as Toivonen et al. 2016) found that long-term restored grassland fallows had a greater abundance and species richness of butterflies than recently established meadow fallows. In ≥8-year-old sown grasslands, the abundance (55–85 individuals/site) and species richness (7–12 species/site) of butterflies was higher than in 3–4-year-old sown meadows (abundance: 34–52 individuals/site; richness: 7 species/site). Forty fallow grasslands (0.3–5.8 ha) established under the Finnish Environmental Fallow agri-environment scheme were selected. Twenty long-term grassland fallows (≥8 years old) were either former set-aside areas or production grasslands, originally established by sowing conventional, competitive, perennial grassland mixtures. Twenty short-term meadow fallows (3–4 years old) were established by sowing low competitive meadow plants (see paper for details), which required re-establishment every 4–5 years. All sites were mown at least every three years, and no pesticides or fertilizers were applied. From June–July 2013, butterflies were surveyed four times (two weeks apart) along a 200-m transect in each fallow.

(Summarised by: Andrew Bladon)