Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/K007696/1
[ECOSYSTEM] Landscape scale synergies between agri-environment schemes and protected sites
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Dr J Hodgson, University of Liverpool, Institute of Integrative Biology
- Grant held at:
- University of Liverpool, Institute of Integrative Biology
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- None
- Abstract:
- Agri-environment schemes (AES) can potentially help populations of wild species in a variety of ways, contributing to a variety of ecosystem functions and services. Some species will be able to use the AES areas as "core" habitat, for others they may be sink habitat or allow dispersal but not reproduction, and for others they may have no value. Thus there is uncertainty about the most effective role for AES in the overarching goal to create a functioning ecological network. Organisations like Natural England have some choice about whether to target AES activity to already intensive landscapes, landscapes with large amounts of semi-natural habitat remaining, or intermediate landscapes. The optimal choice will depend on how many species benefit and in what way. Improved evidence to support this decision-making is especially important given the current direction of agri-environment policy towards "payment for ecosystem services": if AES are making landscapes permeable to a large proportion of species that would otherwise be functionally isolated, and thus making whole ecological communities resilient to climate change,then, crudely speaking, we should be prepared to pay a lot for this service. This CASE project will ask: Where can agrienvironment schemes deliver the highest landscape-scale benefit to wildlife population stability and resilience, and for what types of species? The main objectives are 1 Using a spatially explicit individual-based model, test hypotheses about which targeting strategy would work best for which type of species. 2 Survey Lepidoptera species' abundance at different distances (including zero) away from unimproved grassland patches, on farmland participating and not participating in HLS. 3 Survey for specific Lepidoptera larval host plants at the same sites as above 4 Demonstrate how decision-makers could use model outputs, weighted by the frequency of observed species responses, to better target AES We will focus on Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) for two main reasons. Firstly, they are known to be sensitive to habitat alteration and climate change, and over half of the species are declining at a national level, thus they are useful indicators of the pressures on ecosystems. Secondly, compared to other invertebrate groups they are very well studied in terms of their geographic distribution, habitat specialism, and dispersal behaviour, which makes it feasible to build individual-based models that are at least indicative of their population viability. Landscape level benefits will be predicted by models in terms of population stability and resilience.The fieldwork will allow us to classify species according to their reliance on semi-natural habitat, and to distinguish between species that are using agricultural habitats purely for dispersal, and those that use them as breeding habitat. Combining this information with modelling results, we will be able to predict which land-use strategies would be best for all species combined. Outcomes This project constitutes novel science which will be publishable in high impact journals: it is novel to get such a mechanistic insight into the landscape responses of a whole taxonomic group (previous studies have either looked in detail at one or two species, or have measured community properties such as species richness, from which mechanistic responses cannot be derived). It is also novel to use these kinds of spatially explicit population models to solve practical problems of agrienvironment scheme targeting. The outcome for society and the economy will be more efficient use of agri-environment funds to support biodiversity now and in the future under climate change. It will provide crucial evidence to underpin a "payment for ecosystem services" system. It will also help to refine and set realistic goals for the emerging European Union policy on "green infrastructure"
- NERC Reference:
- NE/K007696/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Open CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £83,018
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Other Costs | Total - Fees | Total - Student Stipend | Total - RTSG |
|---|---|---|---|
| £11,248 | £13,978 | £49,193 | £8,599 |
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