Effects of Flower-Enriched Ecological Focus Areas on Functional Diversity Across Scales

摘要: Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) to benefit biodiversity became mandatory in intensively farmed landscapes after the reform of European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2013. The implementation EFAs as uncropped field margins has been criticized ineffective but created a window opportunity test if augmenting them with annual flower strips can biodiversity. In this study, we investigated on benefitted functional landscapes. To end established eleven seed mixture targeted for both natural enemies and pollinators, areas were farmers had planned EFAs. We determined effects aphids their cereal fields close six strips, solitary bees wasp surroundings all strips. found that abundance hoverfly larvae possibly also bees. However, there neither any significant (other than larvae), nor difference pest control shown by lack differences aphid numbers parasitation rates. Abundances wasps surrounding unaffected, although was tendency more bee cells closer suggest critical issue leading mostly negative results is permanent structures sustain populations arthropods turn from Hence, future agri-environmental policies need carefully consider how measures should be implemented managed agricultural landscapes, e.g. combining structures.