Arable Margin Highways for Farmland Biodiversity
What are the challenges?
Modern intensive farming practices have eliminated both cultivated and uncultivated field margins, eliminating habitats for pollinators, skylarks and grey partridges.
The loss of arable margins has fragmented agricultural landscapes, disrupting wildlife corridors that once enabled species to disperse and thrive.
Why it matters:
Arable margins provide essential habitat for pollinators, which are crucial for crop pollination and the wider food chain.
They support predatory insects, such as ladybirds and beetles, which naturally control crop pests, reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.
Water Retention & Quality – Arable margins help absorb rainwater runoff, preventing agricultural chemicals (nitrates and phosphates) from polluting water sources.
Carbon Sequestration – These habitats store carbon in their roots and soils, contributing to climate mitigation.
When well managed and healthy, this habitat achieves the following:
Reversing Biodiversity Loss
Habitat for rare or endangered species
Cultural Heritage
Water Quality
Carbon Sequestration
Soil Health
Supports pollinators & food production
Nature Based Solutions:
Establish an interconnected arable margin highway across farm boundaries to create continuous corridors for farmland wildlife.
Restore buffer strips with arable plants, native wildflowers, install beetle banks, and plant pollinator and bird seed mixes to enhance biodiversity.
Implement low-input farming techniques to improve soil health, supporting the return of insects and other key species.
Statistics & Facts:
Over 80 species of arable plants in the UK are classified as nationally rare or scarce, including Cornflower and Narrow-fruited Cornsalad, both dependent on arable margins.
Key Species:
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) & Narrow-fruited Cornsalad (Valerianella dentata) – Once common arable plants, now endangered due to agricultural intensification.
Skylark (Alauda arvensis) & Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) – Farmland birds that rely on arable margins for nesting, food, and shelter.
