European wildlife is inextricably linked with agriculture, with 75% of animal and plant species associated with farmland. Conservation of this biodiversity is essential for maintaining ecosystem services e.g. pollination of food crops, soil integrity. Land use in the UK and France is legislated by the Habitats Directive (1992) hence recent proposals to increase UK cultivation of flax to levels similar to those in Normandy, NW France, must be accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Our study represents a preliminary EIA of vertebrate bio-indicators. We tested the hypothesis that flax should be a crop favoured by nesting songbirds because it is spring-sown and less dense than conventional crops. We investigated bird and mammal occupancy of flax and other crops in Normandy, species, to inform UK best practice for flax cultivation.

Statistical analysisWe used Generalised Linear Modelling (GLM) and Mixed Modelling (GLMM) to determine the impact of crop type (‘Crop’) on skylark and hare occupancy, controlling for differences between seasons, years and survey squares. Crop significantly predicted skylark numbers (GLM, df=11, % deviance explained = 66.821, p<0.001), but flax was significantly less likely to be occupied than other crops. Crop significantly predicted brown hare numbers (GLM, df=11, % deviance explained = 54.360, p<0.001), but significant variation in square, season and year was also detected (% deviance values 27.34, 15.52, and 2.78 respectively).

Example of 1km² survey square. Squares were spaced > 4km apart to ensure spatial independence of the data

The effect of widespread flax (Linum usitatissimum) cultivation in Normandy, France, on farmland wildlife

Introduction

Exterior

¹School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences; ²Plumpton College, ³CNRS, Rouen, 4 Linière de Bosc Nouvel

Bryony Tolhurst¹, Iain Allan¹, Deborah Glass², Paul Atkins², Becky Taylor², Claudine Morvan3, Béatrice Potez4, and Sergey Mikhalovsky¹

Results so far...

Agricultural landscape, Normandy, June. Inset = flax

plants in the fields

MethodsWe used the Brown and Shepherd (1993) grid transect survey method. 12 grid squares, each containing large flax fields, were surveyed on foot 1 hour after sunrise, twice yearly. Individuals/breeding territories of brown hare and skylark.

The Flax project has been selected as part of

the INTERREG IV A France (Channel) –

England cross-border European cooperation

programme, part-financed by the ERDF)

These species were chosen because they are declining rapidly across Europe.

UK

Flax

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etitiven

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of U

K fib

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trial use

. DE

FR

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005; B

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pherd

, 199

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for cen

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ird

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3) 40

, 189

-195

ConclusionsOur data show the opposite effect of that predicted; i.e. there appears to be selection against flax by both species. Although crop type predicts occupancy , skylarks and hares are more likely to be recorded in other crops, e.g. sugar beet ,than in flax. This may be related to the short growing season of flax (100 days), with at least one pesticide/ herbicide application, potentially affecting insect and arable weed food abundance. The study is ongoing, hence further data may elucidate the findings.

No. of hares recorded in different crops * includes stubble

No. of summer skylark territories in different crops

0

50

100

150

200

Sugar beet

Unim

proved grassland

Winter

wheat

Barley

Maize

Flax

Improved

grassland

Num

ber o

f sky

lark

s

Crop Type

Winter 2009

Winter 2010

No. of over-wintering skylarks in different crops

0

5

10

15

20

25

Sugar beet

Semi-im

proved grass

Potatoes

Unim

proved grass

Winter w

heat

Maize*

Wheat*

Flax

Barley*

Improved grass

Beans

Other

Num

ber o

f har

es

Crop Type

WinterSummer

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Whe

at

Bean

s

Suga

r bee

t

Mai

ze

Barle

y

Peas

Flax

Uni

mpr

oved

gr

assl

and

Oils

eed

Rape

Oat

s

Num

ber o

f sky

lark

terr

itorie

s

Crop Type

Summer 2010

Summer 2009

Plumpton College