The utilization of two-metre Countryside Stewardship Scheme grass margins by the gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus (L)

Published source details Field R.G. & Mason C.F. (2005) The utilization of two-metre Countryside Stewardship Scheme grass margins by the gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus (L). Journal of Natural History, 39, 1533-1538.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Pay farmers to cover the costs of conservation measures (as in agri-environment schemes or conservation incentives) Action Link
	Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields Action Link
	Plant new hedges Action Link
	Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields Action Link

Pay farmers to cover the costs of conservation measures (as in agri-environment schemes or conservation incentives)

A replicated, controlled study in 1996–2000 on three arable farms in Essex, UK (Field & Mason 2005, same experimental set-up as Field et al. 2005, Field et al. 2006, Field et al. 2007a, Field et al. 2007b) found that the number of gatekeepers Pyronia tithonus on sown grass margins which farmers were paid to create increased over four years, and was higher than on cropped field edges at one of three farms after 2–4 years. Gatekeeper abundance on 2-m-wide agri-environment scheme grass margins increased from 2.2 individuals/km to 12.9 individuals/km over four years after the margins were sown. However, abundance was significantly higher in grass margins than in cropped margins at only one of three farms after 2–4 years (grass margin: 9.1 individuals/km, cropped edges: 0.7 individuals/km; other farms grass margin: 6.8–11.9 individuals/km, cropped edges: 1.9–17.3 individuals/km). Thirteen grass margins (2 m wide, 141–762 m long) were established in October 1996–2000 by sowing one of three seed mixtures, containing 4–6 grass species, according to Countryside Stewardship Scheme requirements. Three field edges without margins (one on each farm, 133–343 m long) were used as controls. Gatekeeper abundance was monitored weekly along each grass margin and cropped edge in July and August 1997–2000.

(Summarised by: Andrew Bladon, edited from Farmland synopsis)
Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields

A replicated, controlled study in 1996–2000 on three arable farms in Essex, UK (Field & Mason 2005, same experimental set-up as Field et al. 2005, 2006, 2007a, 2007b) found that the number of gatekeepers Pyronia tithonus on sown grass margins increased over four years, and was higher than on cropped field edges at one of three farms after 2–4 years. Gatekeeper abundance on 2-m-wide grass margins increased from 2.2 individuals/km to 12.9 individuals/km over four years after the margins were sown. However, abundance was significantly higher in grass margins than in cropped margins at only one of three farms after 2–4 years (grass margin: 9.1 individuals/km, cropped edges: 0.7 individuals/km; other farms grass margin: 6.8–11.9 individuals/km, cropped edges: 1.9–17.3 individuals/km). Thirteen grass margins (2 m wide, 141–762 m long) were established in October 1996–2000 by sowing one of three seed mixtures containing 4–6 grass species. Three field edges without margins (one on each farm, 133–343 m long) were used as controls. Gatekeeper abundance was monitored weekly along each grass margin and cropped edge in July and August 1997–2000.

(Summarised by: Andrew Bladon, edited from Farmland synopsis)
Plant new hedges

A replicated, controlled study in 1996–2000 on three arable farms in Essex, UK (Field & Mason 2005) found that gatekeepers Pyronia tithonus were more abundant on grass margins and cropped field edges next to hedgerows than on grass margins without hedgerows. Gatekeepers were more abundant on sown grass margins next to hedgerows (11.9 individuals/km) and on cropped field edges with hedgerows (0.7–17.3 individuals/km) than on sown grass margins without hedgerows (0.2 individuals/km). Eleven grass margins (2 m wide, 141–762 m long) were established in October 1996–2000 by sowing one of three seed mixtures containing 4–6 grass species next to 100–467 m of existing hedgerow. Two grass margins (2 m wide, 285 m long) were established on field edges without hedgerows. Three further field edges without margins (one on each farm, 133–343 m long) had 100–300 m of existing hedgerow. Gatekeeper abundance was monitored weekly along each grass margin and cropped edge in July and August 1997–2000.

(Summarised by: Andrew Bladon, edited from Farmland synopsis)
Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields

A replicated, controlled study in 1997-2000 in Essex, UK (Field & Mason 2005) found that numbers of the gatekeeper butterfly Pyronia tithonus increased in sown grass margins one year after establishment and were significantly higher in 2000 than in 1997. Although more gatekeepers were recorded in grass margins than in control sites (without margins) during most visits (except for one farm in 1998), abundance was significantly higher at only one farm. More gatekeepers were observed on grass margins with adjacent hedgerows and on control sites with hedgerows than on the grass margins without hedgerows. Grass margins (2 m wide, 141-762 m long) were established in October 1996-2000 by sowing three different grass seed mixtures (eight margins: 4-5 species, mainly Dactylis glomerata; one margin: 6 spp., mainly Festuca rubra). Three field edges without margins (one on each of three farms, 133-343 m long, 100-300 m hedgerow) were used as controls. Gatekeeper abundance was monitored weekly along transects in July and August. This study is part of the same experimental set-up as Field et al. 2005, Field et al. 2006, Field et al. 2007a, Field et al. 2007b.