Nudges, social norms and permanence in agri-environmental schemes

The permanence of land management practices adopted under Agri-environmental schemes (AES) is often questioned. This paper investigates the drivers of farmers’ decision as to whether to maintain “pro-environment” practices beyond the duration of a contract, and in particular the effect of social norms. Our results, based on the stated intentions of 395 French farmers, show that both pecuniary and non-pecuniary motivations drive farmers’ decision, which is also significantly influenced by information about a social norm. Therefore “nudging” farmers, by conveying information to them on other farmers’ pro-environmental practices, appears as a means of maintaining the long-run benefits of AES.PostprintPeer reviewe

The RSPB Centre for Conservation Science: developing evidence-based solutions to address the biodiversity crisis

We live in an era thought by many to represent the sixth mass extinction event, but the first driven by human activity alone: the ‘anthropocene’ (Johnson et al. 2017). There is growing recognition that the fate of nature and humankind are closely interlinked, and that nature underpins our economies, our health and social wellbeing. Against the backcloth of biodiversity in crisis, the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science was established in 2014. Its aim is to identify, provide and interpret the scientific evidence needed to help the RSPB and others to make informed decisions on biodiversity conservation and the environment. This paper, presented originally as the Bernard Tucker Memorial Lecture in 2018, highlights the work of the Centre and introduces its adopted model of conservation. The paper is illustrated with examples of conservation action and science from the UK and overseas

The role of politics in the life of a conservation incentive: An analysis of agri-environment schemes in Hungary

State-financed financial incentives are an increasingly popular tool for conservation on private lands. From policy and conservation perspectives, questions remain around the sustainability and longevity of behavioural changes associated with undertaking conservation work in exchange for payment. Further under-examined factors include inquiry into the role of the state as regulating agency, primary negotiator and enforcer, and how its politics and street-level relations influence participation. During 2015–6 a unique opportunity arose to investigate these issues as the Hungarian government unexpectedly cancelled its national agri-environmental programme to farmers. Through agricultural land use data, interviews and surveys (n = 260), we analysed the consequences of the cancellation of cash payments on i) land use change, ii) farmers' maintenance of conservation activities and iii) farmers' relations with conservation actors. We demonstrate that withdrawal of conservation payments resulted in farmers cropping more intensively, with consequences for conservation agencies' relationships with farmers. Many farmers maintained a number of individual conservation rules despite not receiving payment. Measures associated with highest financial burdens and least apparent benefits were most likely to be broken, and several socio-ecological factors, including land use type (grassland or arable), farm size, and additional legal obligations (other subsidies and land leases) influenced farmers who desisted with specific conservation rules. Adherence arose from technological lock-in, perceived surveillance by state agencies, fear of retrospective sanction, and intention to re-apply. The Hungarian context underscores the relevance of accounting for the ways in which multi-level politics influence farmer-public agency relations in the day-to-day management of conservation incentive schemes

State of nature 2023

This is the fourth State of Nature Report. It provides a comprehensive overview of species trends across the UK, including specific assessments for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and for the UK’s Overseas Territories

An interdisciplinary approach to mapping soil carbon

At the global scale, soils are the primary terrestrial reservoir of carbon and therefore have a major influence on the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Soil organic carbon stocks are estimated to have decreased by an average of fifty two percent in temperate regions since 1850. Land use change and management practices are the primary drivers of this decrease. Temperate upland regions have been identified as important for climate regulation, both in terms of current stocks of soil carbon and future sequestration potential. Therefore, appropriate on-farm management of soil carbon stocks in these regions has the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation goals. This thesis is a contribution to ongoing efforts to improve on–farm soil carbon management. It does so through the development of mapping practices that incorporate both ecological and social data. The ecological aspect of the research identified a role for existing farm survey data in accurately predicting soil carbon distribution without the need for time and labour-intensive field work. The engagement with social science methods acknowledges a societal bias towards scientific ways of representing soil carbon and the marginalisation of alternative, often experiential, knowledge. The research demonstrated a way for different knowledges to be incorporated into soil carbon mapping practices and identified a role for under-utilised scientific and non-scientific knowledge of soil carbon for improving spatially-explicit management plans. The mapping methods were developed around three case study farms in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria. This region is an upland landscape which has been identified as an important space for carbon management in the UK. The research offers a distinct and timely approach to assessing the potential of interdisciplinary mapping to improve the management of soil carbon at the farm scale and has wider implications for the management of ecological systems

Farmer participation in England’s Facilitation Funds

Participatory processes are relevant to large-scale environmental projects, which require knowledge sharing, decision making and action from a range of stakeholders including farmers, who are the focus of this research. A review of participatory models is used to build a conceptual framework which disaggregates key components of the process: the organisational driver, facilitators’ role and nature of farmers’ participation. Two English initiatives are analysed using primary and secondary data: large-scale environmental projects and the Facilitation Fund scheme (government-resourced farmer groups). Since 2010, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have dominated the delivery of large-scale environmental projects. Farmers were generally framed as the subjects of the project interventions rather than active participants within it. Facilitation Funds provide an opportunity for farmer group creation, but are related to England’s current AES, over which groups have no control. The affiliation of the facilitator (organisationemployed or independent farm advisor) has an impact on farmers’ participation which may be related to group size. There was a spectrum of farmer participation: 17% of members did not attend any events and 57% attended less than a quarter of events. Generally, farmers were not motivated to join the group by environmental aims. Most did not change their farming practice as a result of group membership because of practical barriers, such as the cost of new equipment. A revised conceptual framework is proposed for future research into farmer participation with a focus on ensuring transparency within project initiation and resourcing, and an emphasis on individuals within the process. Further research is suggested to investigate the proposed link between participation in pro-environmental action and the influence of farmers’ agency and socioeconomic position. Lastly this research reinforces the importance of collaborative action within large-scale environmental projects, and, related to this, codesign of AES

Agri-environment scheme enhances breeding populations of some priority farmland birds in Northern Ireland

<p><b>Capsule:</b> The abundance of Tree sparrow <i>Passer montanus</i>, House Sparrow <i>Passer domesticus</i> and Yellowhammer <i>Emberiza citrinella</i>, three priority farmland birds, increased over a 5-year period in response to a targeted agri-environment scheme (AES).</p> <p><b>Aims:</b> To assess the effects of a targeted AES on the abundance of a suite of farmland bird species over a 5-year period.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> We compare temporal changes in abundance of 12 farmland bird species of conservation concern on 33 AES and 22 control farms in County Down, Northern Ireland. Five of these species were designated targets for conservation action under the Countryside Management Scheme (CMS).</p> <p><b>Results:</b> CMS management was associated with more positive changes in abundance for three of the five target species and more negative changes for one target species (albeit caused mainly by a large reduction at a single farm). CMS management had little influence on the abundance of non-target species or on avian species richness. Farm-scale changes in abundance were generally unrelated to the extent of local CMS provision, the only exception involved House Sparrow and seed-rich winter habitats.</p> <p><b>Conclusion:</b> This study demonstrates that generic AES land management can improve the population status of target farmland birds on farms with AES management.</p

Influence of land sharing and land sparing strategies on patterns of vegetation and terrestrial vertebrate richness and occurrence in Australian endangered eucalypt woodlands

Native vegetation placed under an agri-environment scheme (AES) is purported to support greater biodiversity than vegetation managed for intensive livestock grazing, and conservation reserves are purported to support greater biodiversity than land sharing under AES. These predictions underpin financial incentive delivery programs that enable landholders to adopt environmentally friendly agricultural practices. To evaluate these predictions, we established a biodiversity monitoring program in endangered temperate eucalypt woodland communities in southern Australia. We compared vegetation variables and vertebrate species richness and abundance among sites under different land management between 2010 and 2014. Our sites included: (1) woodland remnants on private property recently placed under an AES land management agreement (land sharing), (2) woodland remnants in State conservation reserves as reference areas (land sparing), and (3) woodland remnants used for intensive livestock production as controls. We used hierarchical generalized linear models to examine patterns of biodiversity among management classes and over time. We found conservation reserves were structurally more complex and floristically richer compared to production sites, and AES supported greater cover of native perennial grass. Reptile and amphibian species richness and abundance, and total bird species richness did not differ significantly among management classes, although AES and reference sites supported more birds of conservation concern. Arboreal marsupials were significantly more species rich in conservation reserves than AES. Temporal patterns in vertebrate species richness were related to post-drought climatic conditions. Our findings suggest that strategies involving land sharing under AES are as effective as land sparing (e.g. conservation reserves) for bird conservation, but alternative strategies may be required to enhance habitat for less mobile species such as frogs and reptiles, or species dependant on old growth vegetation such as arboreal marsupials.This study was funded by the North East and Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authorities, the Australian Research Council and the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative