Protecting Farmland Pollinators

It includes all living organisms (animals, fungi, microbes, and plants), the genetic diversity within and between them, as well as the ecological communities of which they are part. We are dependent on biodiversity; it is the critical foundation of the Earth’s life support system. Biodiversity provides us with many ecosystem goods and services including clean water, food, fuel, medicine, and contributes to our health and well-being. 

The National Biodiversity Data Centre works to make biodiversity data and information more freely available to help us better understand and assist in the protection of Ireland’s biodiversity. Ireland has around 31,500 species living in over 117 habitats. The biodiversity that is found on this Island is spectacular. However, biodiversity loss is a problem, not just here but globally. Worldwide up to one million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction and in the next 50 years this figure is expected to rise. Land-use change, habitat fragmentation, overexploitation of species, agriculture, pollution, invasive species, and climate change are noted as the greatest threats to global biodiversity.

In Ireland, one third of our 101 bee species are threatened with extinction. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (AIPP) was launched in 2015. Since its launch it has engaged with businesses, councils, farmers, gardeners, local communities, and schools across the whole Island to help them take action to help pollinators. By taking action to help pollinators you help wider biodiversity. The Plan clearly explains what actions people can take to protect pollinators and how these actions are beneficial. 

Protecting Farmland Pollinators is a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project, is an initiative of the AIPP and is co-ordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre. By working closely with a group of 40 farmers chosen to reflect differing farm types, intensity levels, sizes, and incomes, this project has identified actions that will allow biodiversity to coexist within a productive farming system. The project aims to help farmers to provide small habitats that will offer food, safety, and shelter on their farms for pollinators (wild bees, hoverflies), and other biodiversity. A whole-farm pollinator scoring system based on evidence-based actions has been developed. In consultation with farmers, we have created a scorecard that allows each farm to receive pollinator points each year and, each year farmers receive a results-based payment that relates to the points. The scorecard has eighteen actions and is based on providing food, shelter, and safety for pollinators on the farm. 

There are pollinator friendly actions for hedgerows, trees, fields, and other flowers. There are also pollinator friendly pesticide options (points are received for not using pesticides). Farmers receive points depending on the quantity and quality of the following habitats:

• Flowering Hedgerow
• Other pollinator friendly field boundary
• Pollinator friendly flowering trees
• Native wildlife/hay meadow
• Flowering clover pasture
• Flowering mixed species sward
• Flowering bird cover
• Flowering pollinator-friendly catch, companion or cover crop allowed to flower
• Non-farmed areas (e.g., around farmyard, lanes, road margins) unmanaged to allow grass and wildflowers to grow naturally

This results-based method helps farmers to understand how pollinator friendly their farm is and identifies what simple low-cost actions they can take to work towards improving their score in a way that does not negatively impact on the farm as a business. 

Because of this project, farmers have created, maintained, and restored small wildlife habitats on their farms for biodiversity, they have taken action to help pollinators. If you try to help pollinators on your farm you will help all biodiversity. 

As part of the project, farmers were required to create solitary bee nesting sites for Ireland’s above ground cavity nesting and below ground mining bees. Some of these sites were checked for occupancy in 2020. Within the first 4 months, the exposed areas of bare soil were already successfully colonised by mining bees, and one-third of nest sites were occupied (27 out of 81 sites). Across nineteen farms, a total of nine different ground nesting mining bees were observed.

Figure 2 Active nests created by the farmers. Left: Nest box for above ground cavity nesting bees. Right: Bare soil for below ground mining bees.

An easy way to help biodiversity on the farm is to alternate the cutting of hedgerows. Cutting hedgerows every two years allows more flowers on your farm. Cutting hedgerows every three years will allow even more. The more flowers you have, the more pollinators you will get. More pollinators mean more pollination which will lead to more fruit and more birds. If you decide to cut your hedges on a two-year rotation, pick half to cut this year and cut the rest next year. Likewise, if it is a three-year rotation, group the hedgerows into thirds, ask the hedgerow cutter man or woman to only cut one third this year. This management system will ensure that at least one hedge will have flowers each year. 

In taking action to protect pollinators, we start a chain reaction that has positive benefits for the general health of our environment, our mental health, and the well-being of future generations. We want to help make the landscape a place where pollinators and wider biodiversity can survive and thrive.

Dr Saorla Kavanagh works in the National Biodiversity Data Centre and is the Project Manager of the Protecting Farmland Pollinators EIP.

Protecting Farmland Pollinators is a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. Aspects of the Project are subject to change in response to participant feedback and project monitoring.

Is tionscadal EIP (Comhpháirtíocht Nuálaíochta Eorpach) é an Protecting Farmland Pollinators atá á riaradh ag National Biodiversity Data Centre. Tá an Tionscadal maoinithe ag Maoiniú Ionstraim Téarnaimh an AE faoin gClár um Fhorbairt Tuaithe 2014-2022.

More information is available at: www.biodiversityireland.ie/farmland

To keep up to date join the monthly newsletter by emailing [email protected]