Die Auswirkungen von biologischem und konventionellem Landbau auf Flora und Fauna

Translated title of the contribution: Effects of organic and conventional farming on flora and fauna

U. Ammer, H. Utschick, H. Anton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

1. Vegetation surveys were conducted on conventionally and organically farmed but otherwise fully comparable wheat fields. They have shown a plant species spectrum which is about twice as broad on the organic than on the conventional field. Degree of plant cover and height development on the former bring about a spatial structure which makes plausible the low susceptibility of the cultured plants to fungal and animal pests. 2. The animal-ecological findings derived from measurement quadrats, net and Barber trap catches illustrate the importance of the accompanying agricultural flora for bees, butterflies and bumblebees; but also for other hymenopterans, leaf beetles and weevils, mites, and others. If the use of agrochemicals is stopped-together with more careful soil management and more extensive fertilizer application in organic farming-also other animal species living on and above the soil surface (as for example spiders, carabids, crickets, millipedes, and collembolans) will then occur in large numbers, both in terms of species and individuals. Transition to chemical-oriented farming will not only cause faunal losses of at least 30 percent to 50 percent as compared with the species recorded on the organic plot; it will also favor one-sidedness and mass gradations because there are no natural enemies. 3. The investigations show that large-scale returning to methods of organic farming will not only prevent a decline of wild herbs but also may stop dramatical losses of the above-ground fauna. Together with a program of re-establishing tree groves, hedges, earthen walls, natural field-border zones, and other peripheral biotopes, such a concept would be superior to any system geared to nature reserves that is used as an alibi for an ever more intensified and chemicla-oriented agriculture. It also would have the invaluable advantage of keeping important resources such as soil and especially water in sound condition, and over-production of agricultural commodities would cease.

Translated title of the contributionEffects of organic and conventional farming on flora and fauna
Original languageGerman
Pages (from-to)274-291
Number of pages18
JournalForstwissenschaftliches Centralblatt
Volume107
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1988
Externally publishedYes

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