Rob H. Field

Benefits and costs of ecological restoration: Rapid assessment of changing ecosystem service values at a U.K. wetland.

Restoration of degraded land is recognized by the international community as an important way of enhancing both biodiversity and ecosystem services, but more information is needed about its costs and benefits. In Cambridgeshire, U.K., a long-term initiative to convert drained, intensively farmed arable land to a wetland habitat mosaic is driven by a desire both to prevent biodiversity loss from the nationally important Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve (Wicken Fen NNR) and to increase the provision of ecosystem services. We evaluated the changes in ecosystem service delivery resulting from this land conversion, using a new Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment (TESSA) to estimate biophysical and monetary values of ecosystem services provided by the restored wetland mosaic compared with the former arable land. Overall results suggest that restoration is associated with a net gain to society as a whole of

Land-use correlates of breeding performance and diet in Tree Sparrows Passer montanus

199 ha−1y−1, for a one-off investment in restoration of

The challenges of integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services monitoring and evaluation at a landscape-scale wetland restoration project in the UK

2320 ha−1. Restoration has led to an estimated loss of arable production of

Conservation tillage encourages early breeding by Skylarks Alauda arvensis: Capsule Increased crop residue on the soil surface, left as a result of conservation tillage, encouraged earlier nesting in winter wheat fields.

2040 ha−1y−1, but estimated gains of

Rapid assessment of ecosystem services provided by two mineral extraction sites restored for nature conservation in an agricultural landscape in Eastern England

671 ha−1y−1 in nature-based recreation,

Influence of agri-environment scheme options on territory settlement by Yellowhammer (Emberiza citronella) and Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)

120 ha−1y−1 from grazing,

Influence of crop type and Agri-Environment management on the use of over-winter stubbles by farmland birds in England

48 ha−1y−1 from flood protection, and a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worth an estimated

Effect of plot type, age and date on seed depletion and bird use of Wild Bird Seed Mixtures in England

72 ha−1y−1. Management costs have also declined by an estimated

Benefits of coastal managed realignment for society: Evidence from ecosystem service assessments in two UK regions

1325 ha−1y−1. Despite uncertainties associated with all measured values and the conservative assumptions used, we conclude that there was a substantial gain to society as a whole from this land-use conversion. The beneficiaries also changed from local arable farmers under arable production to graziers, countryside users from towns and villages, and the global community, under restoration. We emphasize that the values reported here are not necessarily transferable to other sites.

Making explicit agricultural ecosystem service trade-offs: a case study of an English lowland arable farm

Capsule Chick diet varies seasonally and between wet and dry habitats, and there is little evidence for a link between habitat type and productivity. Aim To examine the influence of habitat composition and diversity on Tree Sparrow productivity and nestling diet in a wide variety of locations across the UK. Methods Productivity, chick diet and habitat data were collected from Tree Sparrow nestbox colonies by volunteer bird-ringers in 2002. Nestling diet was assessed by identification of invertebrate remains in faecal sacs. Results Clutch size was significantly higher for Tree Sparrows breeding in farmland than for those in wetland colonies. This did not translate into increased productivity. There was no other evidence of any effect of habitat or nestling diet composition on annual productivity. Diet composition varied seasonally, with habitat type and between individual sites. Conclusions Tree sparrows are capable of successful breeding in a range of habitats, where they utilize a wide range of invertebrate prey types. Lack of evidence for a relationship between habitat composition and productivity within this study may be the result of Tree Sparrows on farmland being restricted to areas providing adequate invertebrate food resources. To reduce the probability of Tree Sparrow populations on farmland being limited by chick food invertebrates, conservation measures aimed at population recovery should include the provision of habitats to support a range of high value invertebrate taxa throughout the protracted breeding season. Mechanisms to provide such habitats are already available within existing UK agri-environment schemes.