Enhancing Biodiversity in Traditional Fruit Orchards
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2017 Enhancing biodiversity in traditional fruit orchards RED APPLE: ECOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY BUREAU JELGER ELINGS, GODLOVE KIRIMBO, XUQING LI, PALASH MANDAL, TIM VAN SCHELT, JORGE VILLA Contact details: Commissioner Rob le Rutte Stichting IJsselboomgaarden p/a Kievit 16, 7423 DC Deventer @: [email protected] T: 570 652171 or 06 52401684. www.ijsselboomgaarden.nl Secretary Jelger Elings ACT Team 1860 Droevendaalsesteeg 79 6708 PR, Wageningen @: [email protected] T: 06 51774115 Disclaimer This report (product) is produced by students of Wageningen University as part of their MSc-programme. It is not an official publication of Wageningen University or Wageningen UR and the content herein does not represent any formal position or representation by Wageningen University. Copyright Copyright © 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form of by any means, without the prior consent of the authors. ii Preface In front of you lays the product of 8 weeks of hard work. We started the project with 6 individuals from all over the world and ended with a real team that can not only deliver an academic report but can also have a good time with each other. We learned a lot during this project about orchards and especially the biodiversity in them. Especially the non-Dutch speaking team members have a way better view of this traditional element in Dutch cultural heritage. We want to thank the commissioner Rob le Rutte for his trust in us a team and for his time to help us in the process. Furthermore, we would like to thank our coach Jim van Laar for all his help guiding the team process. We got a lot of useful tips and although the meetings took a bit longer than planned, they were always joyful. In addition to that we would like to thank our academic advisor Hens Runhaar for his feedback and help with content questions. Last but not least we would like to thank the experts that we have interviewed and the owners of the orchards that have filled in the survey. We hope this report and toolkit will be useful and is the start of a biodiversity monitoring program in orchards. The biodiversity in orchards can be really something special and we care deeply about it and we hope this project is a small attribution to protect it. iii Executive Summary Many flora and fauna species inhabit traditional fruit orchards. Owners of this traditional landscapes often fail to realize the benefits obtained from biodiversity, and practice inadequate management activities on their land that deteriorate habitat quality, and ultimately reduces biodiversity levels. To eliminate this lack of knowledge, a toolkit was developed, by the “Red Apple: Ecological Consultancy Bureau”, to guide landowners in how to implement adequate management practices, and monitor the levels of biodiversity within traditional fruit orchards. The present document compiles the scientific background for the construction of the toolkit, as well as it describes the systematic process performed to design this ‘reference tool’. Important scientific literature was boarded to define concepts like biodiversity, habitat quality, landscape management practices, and ecosystem services. The relation between these elements is boarded on the basis that human well-being needs a balance between human development and the environment. To reach this balance by a correct management of traditional fruit orchards, biodiversity monitoring methods are analysed as a tool that helps to achieve this goal. Biodiversity monitoring methods are studied focusing on four subjects present in traditional fruit orchards, which are: plants, insects, mammals, and birds. The variety of methods studied were combined with the advice of experts in the field, through semi-structured interviews, to produce a useful monitoring system for traditional fruit orchards. Good management practices are recommended in the final product. They were studied from several written sources and complemented with knowledge on the current state of management practices in traditional fruit orchards. This information was provided by landowners through elaborated questionnaires. The conclusion states the importance of good management practices in traditional fruit orchards to maintain and improve biodiversity, and therefore the importance of biodiversity monitoring methods to measure the correct implementation of these practices and their effects in the future. iv Table of Contents Preface iii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. iv 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 2. Methodology ........................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Literature review and Interviews ................................................................................ 3 2.2 Survey among owners .............................................................................................. 3 3. The link between management and Ecosystem Services ................................................ 4 4. Review of possible monitoring systems ....................................................................... 6 4.1 Orchard Species List ................................................................................................. 6 4.2 Insect monitoring .................................................................................................... 6 4.2.1 Literature review ..................................................................................................... 6 4.2.2 Interview on insect monitoring ................................................................................... 8 4.2.3 Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 9 4.3 Plant monitoring ...................................................................................................... 9 4.3.1 Literature review ..................................................................................................... 9 4.3.2 Interview on plant monitoring .................................................................................. 10 4.3.3 Conclusions .......................................................................................................... 11 4.4 Birds monitoring .................................................................................................... 12 4.4.1 Literature review ................................................................................................... 12 4.4.2 Interview on bird monitoring ................................................................................... 12 4.4.3 Conclusions .......................................................................................................... 13 4.5 Mammal monitoring ............................................................................................... 14 4.5.1 Literature review ................................................................................................... 14 4.5.2 Interview on mammal monitoring ............................................................................. 15 4.5.3 Conclusions .......................................................................................................... 16 5. Management Practices to Increase Biodiversity........................................................... 17 5.1 Overview on Management Activities .......................................................................... 17 5.1.1 Tree cavities ......................................................................................................... 17 5.1.2 Insect hotel .......................................................................................................... 18 5.1.3 Hedgerows ........................................................................................................... 18 5.1.4 Nesting boxes for birds ........................................................................................... 19 5.1.5 Canopy openness ................................................................................................... 20 5.1.6 Grazing ................................................................................................................ 20 5.1.7 Fruit species diversity ............................................................................................. 20 5.1.8 Pest Control .......................................................................................................... 21 5.1.9 Dead wood and trees.............................................................................................. 21 5.1.10 Log piles ............................................................................................................... 22 5.1.11 Fallen fruit ............................................................................................................ 23 5.1.12 Beekeeping ........................................................................................................... 23 v 5.1.13 Water Bodies ........................................................................................................ 23 5.2 Analysis on Current Management Practices ................................................................ 24 5.3 Conclusions on Management Practices .....................................................................