Habitat fragmentation is considered one of the main causes of the current crisis of global biodiversity. The processes responsible for this fragmentation are diverse. The widespread phenomenon is the modification of it by man agricultural and livestock purposes and that, over the years has generated dramatic changes in native habitats. To get an idea, more than half the surface of our planet has been devoted to the practice of agriculture, livestock or planting of artificial forests.
The expansion of these agroecosystems is bringing serious consequences in terms of diversity is concerned, creating biogeographic islands which remain a number of species alarmingly lower than in native ecosystems. One way to alleviate to some extent these problems the creation "Field Margins" .
WHAT ARE THE FIELD MARGINS?
"Field Margins" English: Field = Campa, land and Margins = Margins, borders.
feral Field Margins are areas around the perimeter of crop fields and livestock, managed with the aim of providing new areas for the local flora and fauna and thus minimize the impact of livestock and agriculture may have on the environment in addition to increasing its diversity.
Field Margins These consist mainly of two parts: linear hedgerows and meadows.
hedgerows
The "hedges" besides fulfilling the role of boundary, are created in such a way that they form natural corridors for micro true mammals, and invertebrates. Also become an attraction for birds that nest inside and forts to be true predators to be composed by approximately sixty percent of thorny species such as hawthorn, blackthorn, dog rose etc. Clarify that always use native species that previously have found that locally grown naturally.
These hedges together add value to the ecosystem that individual trees can not. Are clear examples of Sustainable Development to become the representative elements of biodiversity conservation collated with the use of land, in our case livestock.
Photo: Manu Océn
Other advantages of hedges:
1 .- absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
2 .- protect the land from wind erosion.
3 .- They provide shelter and shade for livestock.
4 .- improve the look of the landscape.
wild Lobito ( Phyronia Tithonus ). Mariposa common in our hedgerows.
Photo: Manu Océn
After 8 to 15 years we will evaluate the possibility of rejuvenating these hedges using the technique called " Hedgelaying ." This technique generates impregnable barriers against livestock, is largely developed in countries such as Ireland and the UK.
HedgeLaying from Irish Video on Vimeo .
Some of the plants are left to develop up to mature trees in order to increase the ecological value of the hedge and enhance the landscape.
PRAIRIE LINEAR
hedgerows Parallel to reserve a strip of two to six meters wide that acts as a prairie. These strips contain grassland species of wildflowers and grasses can not compete with crops or are devastated by farming practices. The strips are used extensively by a great diversity of wildlife and become valuable habitats for many beneficial insects for farmers and as pest controllers. Our purpose is to manage these new habitats created as wildflower meadows. Its surface has been declining drastically worldwide due to agriculture, livestock, etc. urbanization in general.
Text: Iñigo Urrutia.
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