Do not ditch birds

For higher yields industrial agriculture has been removing all landscape diversity such as ditches and hedges, which has led in the long run to many adverse impacts such as loss of plant and animal diversity, soil erosion, water pollution, and, paradoxically, loss of plant nutrients. Agronomists Dollinger et al. review the major ecosystem services provided by ditches, e.g. flood regulation, water purification, pesticide retention and wildlife conservation. A striking example is that the occurrence of ditches can double the number of bird species in crop fields.

 

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.