Bigger, better hedgerows - assessing hedge structure and landscape context for pollinating insects

更大、更好的树篱——评估传粉昆虫的树篱结构和景观环境

• 批准号: 2890065
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Reading
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2890065
• 关键词: Bigger; better; hedgerows; assessing; hedge

Biodiversity is in decline, including key insect taxa such as butterflies and other pollinators. Hedgerows are important semi-natural habitats in agricultural landscapes, providing resources and refuges for animals and plants, and supporting ecosystem services including pollination. The role of hedges in enhancing biodiversity is recognised in the 25-year Environment Plan. A substantial increase in hedgerow extent has been proposed by government, to mitigate biodiversity loss and increase carbon sequestration but we do not know the best places to plant these hedgerows to maximise the benefits they can deliver. In addition, hedgerow condition is important for many taxa, including butterflies and other pollinators. Less than 50% of hedges are in good condition in terms of their size and gappiness8, suggesting a potential missed opportunity for current hedges to effectively support biodiversity.This project will address the challenge of understanding the relative importance of location, habitat quality, extent and age of hedgerows for pollinators and butterflies, to inform management and policy for improving the UK hedgerow network and delivery of biodiversity benefits. Research objectives:1) Using national Citizen Science datasets, measure how pollinating insects including butterflies respond to hedgerow size and extent, and how this is modified by surrounding landscape context. 2) Collect new field data to test whether local habitat quality (hedgerow structural condition, woody species composition) is more important than hedgerow extent in the surrounding landscape for pollinating insects.3) Assess how hedgerow age affects their utilisation by mobile insects, and how long after planting hedges become a useful biodiversity habitat.

生物多样性正在下降，包括蝴蝶和其他授粉昆虫等关键昆虫类群。植物篱是农业景观中重要的半自然生境，为动植物提供资源和庇护所，并支持包括授粉在内的生态系统服务。25年环境计划确认了树篱在促进生物多样性方面的作用。政府已经提议大幅增加树篱的范围，以减轻生物多样性的丧失和增加碳固存，但我们不知道种植这些树篱的最佳地点，以最大限度地发挥它们的效益。此外，树篱条件对许多分类群都很重要，包括蝴蝶和其他传粉者。就其大小和空隙8而言，不到50%的树篱处于良好状态，这表明当前的树篱可能错过了有效支持生物多样性的机会。本项目将解决理解位置、栖息地质量、范围和树篱年龄对传粉者和蝴蝶的相对重要性的挑战，为管理和政策提供信息，以改善英国绿篱网络和生物多样性效益的实现。研究目标：1）使用国家公民科学数据集，测量授粉昆虫（包括蝴蝶）如何对树篱的大小和范围做出反应，以及如何通过周围的景观环境进行修改。2)收集新的实地数据，以测试当地的栖息地质量（绿篱结构条件，木本物种组成）是否比绿篱范围更重要的授粉昆虫在周围的景观。3）评估绿篱年龄如何影响他们的利用移动的昆虫，以及多久后种植绿篱成为一个有用的生物多样性栖息地。