Conservation and crop protection unite to save the endangered Barberry Carpet moth

普通的小檗是遍布英国的原生树篱植物。然而，在19世纪末和20世纪初，它被从许多地方移除，因为它与茎锈病感染对小麦作物造成的有害影响有关。最近，英国几十年来首次在小檗上发现了茎锈病，这表明小檗仍然对西欧的小麦和大麦生产构成威胁。然而，对普通小檗的大规模砍伐对生物多样性产生了连锁影响，依赖小檗繁殖和生存的物种数量下降。其中一个物种是Barberry Carpet (Pareulype berberata)，这是一种本地飞蛾，也是英国生物多样性行动计划中的优先物种。随着小檗种植的减少，这限制了当地人口的数量，这些人口仍然很少，因此很容易受到当地灭绝的影响。该研究项目的主要目的是开发有关巴伯利地毯的新知识，以优化重新种植策略，从而改善其栖息地，同时最大限度地降低新巴伯利种植可能对谷物锈病多样性升级造成的风险，包括：(i)评估巴伯利地毯的替代食物来源，（ii）确定合适的植物物种混合以增强栖息地的生物多样性，以及（iii）制定最佳的巴伯利重新种植策略，以支持德雷顿庄园巴伯利地毯的释放计划。

Common barberry is a native hedgerow plant throughout the UK. However, in the late 19th and early 20th century it was removed from many sites as it was linked to deleterious effects on wheat crops caused by stem rust infection. Stem rust was recently found on barberry in the UK for the first time in many decades, demonstrating that barberry still poses a risk to wheat and barley production in western Europe. Large-scale removal of common barberry has, however, had a knock-on impact on biodiversity with declines in species that are dependent on it for reproduction and survival. One such species is Barberry Carpet (Pareulype berberata), a native moth and Priority Species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. As barberry plantings declined this limited the number of local populations, which remain small and are therefore vulnerable to local extinctions. The main aim of this studentship is to develop new knowledge on Barberry Carpet to optimize re-planting strategies and thereby enhance its habitat whilst also minimizing the risk new barberry plantings could pose to escalating cereal rust diversity including: (i) evaluating alternate food sources for Barberry Carpet, (ii) identifying suitable plant species mixes to enhance habitat biodiversity, and (iii) developing an optimal barberry re-planting strategy to support a release programme for Barberry Carpet at Drayton Manor.