Challenges for Arable Biodiversity Workshop: threats & opportunities

The biodiversity of arable land throughout Europe is still in  decline, despite the efforts of farmers and scientists and the help from  agri-environment schemes. This conference hopes to investigate some  ways forward for our arable wildlife. The conference is hosted by Fir  Farm.

Programme (subject to change)

Day 1

Introduction sessions: 9.45-10.30 Phil Wilson/Jane Parker: Introduction to Fir Farm and the aims of the meeting Marian Spain, CEO Natural England: The future of farmland biodiversity Jonathan Storkey: Changes in agriculture and impacts on biodiversity

Status & Trends 10.45-12.30 Phil Wilson: Trends in distribution and diversity in the UK’s arable flora Gavin Siriwardena, BTO: Farmland birds UK Julie Ewald, GWCT: Sussex study and invertebrates Bob Haycock: Welsh farmland birds

12.30-12.45 Field walk introduction Louis Fell Fir Farm

12.45-14.00 Lunch

14.00-15.00 Field walk – Hill Barn Phil Wilson, Nick Adams

15.30-17.00 Case Studies Ed Cross: Abbey Farm, Norfolk Vaclav Zámečník: Czech partridges Scott Brown: Cotswolds National Lanscape

17.15-18.15 Stefan Meyer: Arable flora of the Aegean Islands

Day 2

9.30-10.45 Threats and opportunities – towards integrated land management planning Hannah Gibbons: National Trust properties in SW England Kelly Jowett: Pollinators Santi Mañosa: Catalan birds Denise Dostatny: Poland – arable plant conservation Stefan Meyer: 100 Fields for the Future – strategic networks in Germany

11.15-13.00 Emily: Communicating biological information Clive Hurford: What happens when an agri-environment scheme fails University of East Anglia: Paul Dolman, University of E Anglia Niamh McHugh/Lucy Capstick, GWCT: Farm clusters

13.00-14.00 Lunch

14.00-15.30 Discussion groups

15.30-16.30 Conclusions from discussion groups