Study

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.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Use organic farming instead of conventional farming

Action Link
Bat Conservation
  1. 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)

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