25 years of research at a Leicestershire farm have provided a fascinating insight in to the effects of farmland management on wildlife. Among a vast number of interesting findings, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s (GWCT) Allerton Project has revealed the intricate connection between farm management, pollinators and birds; and shown the interaction between tree removal, deer and wildflowers. Head of research Chris Stoate discusses the GWCT’s work and summarises the project’s key findings.
New agricultural and agri-environmental policies in Britain could have a substantial impact on the farms that produce our food and influence the abundance and diversity of our wildlife. The way farmland is managed influences our water, the control of flood risk, the character of our landscapes and the impacts on climate change, as well as wildlife and the quantity and quality of the food we eat.