DOI: 10.5061/dryad.8n2c0
title: Data from: Supporting local diversity of habitats and species on farmland: a comparison of three wildlife-friendly schemes

description: Restoration and maintenance of habitat diversity have been suggested as
 conservation priorities in farmed landscapes, but how this should be
 achieved and at what scale are unclear. This study makes a novel
 comparison of the effectiveness of three wildlife-friendly farming schemes
 for supporting local habitat diversity and species richness on 12 farms in
 England. The schemes were: (i) Conservation Grade (Conservation Grade: a
 prescriptive, non-organic, biodiversity-focused scheme), (ii) organic
 agriculture and (iii) a baseline of Entry Level Stewardship (Entry Level
 Stewardship: a flexible widespread government scheme). Conservation Grade
 farms supported a quarter higher habitat diversity at the 100-m radius
 scale compared to Entry Level Stewardship farms. Conservation Grade and
 organic farms both supported a fifth higher habitat diversity at the 250-m
 radius scale compared to Entry Level Stewardship farms. Habitat diversity
 at the 100-m and 250-m scales significantly predicted species richness of
 butterflies and plants. Habitat diversity at the 100-m scale also
 significantly predicted species richness of birds in winter and solitary
 bees. There were no significant relationships between habitat diversity
 and species richness for bumblebees or birds in summer. Butterfly species
 richness was significantly higher on organic farms (50% higher) and
 marginally higher on Conservation Grade farms (20% higher), compared with
 farms in Entry Level Stewardship. Organic farms supported significantly
 more plant species than Entry Level Stewardship farms (70% higher) but
 Conservation Grade farms did not (10% higher). There were no significant
 differences between the three schemes for species richness of bumblebees,
 solitary bees or birds. Policy implications. The wildlife-friendly farming
 schemes which included compulsory changes in management, Conservation
 Grade and organic, were more effective at increasing local habitat
 diversity and species richness compared with the less prescriptive Entry
 Level Stewardship scheme. We recommend that wildlife-friendly farming
 schemes should aim to enhance and maintain high local habitat diversity,
 through mechanisms such as option packages, where farmers are required to
 deliver a combination of several habitats.
description: Random buffer habitat
 diversityThis file contains the
 Shannon diversity index on habitat categories in buffers around random
 points.1_Hardman_random_buffers.txtPlant species richnessThis file contains the plant species richness and the habitat diversity of buffers around plant sampling points.2_Hardman_plants.txtPollinator species richnessThis file contains the bumblebee, butterfly and solitary bee species richness and the habitat diversity of buffers around pollinator sampling points.3_Hardman_pollinators.txtSummer bird species richnessThis file contains the summer bird species richness and the habitat diversity of buffers around summer bird sampling points.4_Hardman_summer_birds.txtWinter bird species richnessThis file contains the winter bird species richness and the habitat diversity of buffers around winter bird sampling points.5_Hardman_winter_birds.txtFarm level species richness all taxaThis file contains the species richness of all taxa sampled at each of the 12 farms, summed at the farm level.6_Hardman_farm_sprich.txt