Field margins: diagnosis and management through a territorial approach

Abstract

Field margins represent interface zones and are essential areas for the preservation of wildlife and biodiversity in general. They are ecologically interesting habitats for natural flora, numerous arthropods, and small fauna. The interest of field margins for this biodiversity is linked to the stability of these environments, to their surface within the useful agricultural surface of the farms, as well as to the management that is applied to them. The Agrifaune national technical group on field margins has been experimenting and disseminating tools to support managers (mainly farmers and rural advisors) on this topic for about ten years. They have developed a diagnostic and management advice tool: the typologie des bords extérieurs de champs (Typology of field edges), which is based on criteria of structure and plant communities to support changes in practices. Among the solutions, the Agrifaune mixture composed of wild flowers allows the revaluation of non-functional lines of land with a narrow width or a high cover of weeds that are problematic for crops. Nevertheless, a local and punctual action alone cannot answer the viability of the ecosystem services supported by the edges of fields. The challenge lies in taking into account these linear areas on a landscape scale and therefore in their management on a territorial scale and in the coordination of stakeholders (farmers, communities, etc.). Territorial programs on field margins are emerging in metropolitan France and are led by Agrifaune coordinators who help federate the various managers around biodiversity issues; create cooperation on the territory and support communication and awareness-raising actions to enhance the value of these initiatives to the general public.