Benefits of organic farming to biodiversity vary among taxa
-
Published source details
Fuller R.J., Norton L.R., Feber R.E., Johnson P.J., Chamberlain D.E., Joys A.C., Mathews F., Stuart R.C., Townsend M.C., Manley W.J., Wolfe M.S., Macdonald D.W. & Firbank L.G. (2005) Benefits of organic farming to biodiversity vary among taxa. Biology Letters, 1, 431-434.
Published source details Fuller R.J., Norton L.R., Feber R.E., Johnson P.J., Chamberlain D.E., Joys A.C., Mathews F., Stuart R.C., Townsend M.C., Manley W.J., Wolfe M.S., Macdonald D.W. & Firbank L.G. (2005) Benefits of organic farming to biodiversity vary among taxa. Biology Letters, 1, 431-434.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
| Action | Category | |
|---|---|---|
|
Use organic farming instead of conventional farming Action Link |
 |
-
Use organic farming instead of conventional farming
A replicated, paired sites study in 2002–2003 on 65 pairs of farms in England, UK (Fuller et al 2005) found that organic farms had higher bat activity and a greater number of bat species than conventional farms. A greater number of bat passes and bat species were recorded on organic farms (abundance index 6–75% higher; species density 8–65% higher) than conventional farms (numbers not reported). Organic farms with >30 ha of arable land were paired with nearby conventional farms matched by crop type and cropping season. Habitat data collected across all 130 farms showed that organic farms had a higher density of hedgerows, a greater proportion of grassland than crops, smaller fields, and wider, taller hedgerows with fewer gaps than conventional farms. Each of 130 farms was surveyed using bat detectors along a 3 km triangular transect in June–August in 2002 and 2003.
(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)
