Biodiversity and the provision of multiple ecosystem services in current and future lowland multifunctional landscapes
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Biosciences
Abstract
Biodiversity underpins many ecosystem services - the benefits that people gain from the natural world, such as clean water, storage of greenhouse gases, crop pollination, and a pleasant and fulfilling environment. Yet the way in which biodiversity affects different services is poorly understood scientifically, especially when considering the real world rather than small-scale studies. Lowland agricultural landscapes are particular 'crunch' points, where food security needs to be balanced with the provision of other ecosystem services against the backdrop of a changing climate. Many of these services are in conflict, such as crop production, climate regulation and cultural services. Already, agricultural landscapes show signs of degradation, with consequences for their biodiversity and the provisioning and resilience of services.
The 'Wessex-BESS' project will address the fundamental challenge of the BESS program in linking biodiversity change with the delivery of ecosystem services across landscapes and into the future. We will do this by integrating experiments with large-scale biodiversity and environmental gradients existing in the Wessex Chalk landscape. This contains arable, grassland and riverine ecosystems, and offers a unique opportunity to exploit large-scale 'natural experiments'. Specifically, Salisbury Plain contains large areas of unfragmented semi-natural habitat and shares the topography and deeper chalk soils of surrounding intensive farmland, making comparisons possible. Furthermore, the area contains many ecological restoration programmes that we will use as experimental platforms for large-scale biodiversity manipulations. To allow the broad characterisation of biodiversity-ecosystem service relationships, and a framework for other researchers to exploit, research will encompass: a wide range of ecosystems from terrestrial to freshwater; taxonomic groups from bacteria to birds; multiple biodiversity measures from genetic and species diversity to landscape heterogeneity; and regulating, provisioning and cultural services. Collaboration with other initiatives using this landscape (incl. NERC 'Macronutrients Cycle', Defra 'Test Catchments', Natural England 'Nature Improvement Areas') will add scientific value and impact, and partnership with a large number of conservation and land/water management organisations will ensure the research and findings have applied and policy relevance.
We have a consortium comprising international leaders in biodiversity and ecosystem service research. Project partners will ensure that scientific outcomes influence best practice and policy. The collaborative approach (with partners involved in ecosystem service provision) represents a cost-effective way to understand the scaling of biodiversity-service relationships. The Wessex Chalk Area is an excellent test bed for possible futures as it faces imminent threats from both climate and land use change (e.g. agricultural intensification), which are already being addressed using large-scale restoration. We will focus on the contrasting services of crop production, climate regulation, water quality, and cultural services.
The 'Wessex-BESS' project will address the fundamental challenge of the BESS program in linking biodiversity change with the delivery of ecosystem services across landscapes and into the future. We will do this by integrating experiments with large-scale biodiversity and environmental gradients existing in the Wessex Chalk landscape. This contains arable, grassland and riverine ecosystems, and offers a unique opportunity to exploit large-scale 'natural experiments'. Specifically, Salisbury Plain contains large areas of unfragmented semi-natural habitat and shares the topography and deeper chalk soils of surrounding intensive farmland, making comparisons possible. Furthermore, the area contains many ecological restoration programmes that we will use as experimental platforms for large-scale biodiversity manipulations. To allow the broad characterisation of biodiversity-ecosystem service relationships, and a framework for other researchers to exploit, research will encompass: a wide range of ecosystems from terrestrial to freshwater; taxonomic groups from bacteria to birds; multiple biodiversity measures from genetic and species diversity to landscape heterogeneity; and regulating, provisioning and cultural services. Collaboration with other initiatives using this landscape (incl. NERC 'Macronutrients Cycle', Defra 'Test Catchments', Natural England 'Nature Improvement Areas') will add scientific value and impact, and partnership with a large number of conservation and land/water management organisations will ensure the research and findings have applied and policy relevance.
We have a consortium comprising international leaders in biodiversity and ecosystem service research. Project partners will ensure that scientific outcomes influence best practice and policy. The collaborative approach (with partners involved in ecosystem service provision) represents a cost-effective way to understand the scaling of biodiversity-service relationships. The Wessex Chalk Area is an excellent test bed for possible futures as it faces imminent threats from both climate and land use change (e.g. agricultural intensification), which are already being addressed using large-scale restoration. We will focus on the contrasting services of crop production, climate regulation, water quality, and cultural services.
Planned Impact
Today, ca. 80% of the Earth's land surface shows evidence of human intervention. Radical action is needed to sustain well-functioning ecosystems and biodiversity, which together assure the delivery of ecosystem services at the level needed for a healthy planet and thus our own existence. These ecosystem services are benefits humans obtain from nature, and they underpin human well-being, by providing such essential goods as clean water, climate regulation, improved crop yield, hazard prevention, and a pleasant environment. By examining the provision of services for a particular landscape - the Wessex Chalk -and the underpinning role of biodiversity, this project will benefit society as a whole by demonstrating essential ecosystem services in the UK and by determining mechanisms to maintain services in a changing environment.
To consider more specific benefits. Local to the Wessex Chalk landscape, we have engaged with a wide range of end-users from the conception of the proposed research. They have actively helped to develop the proposal and guide the research by identifying their individual needs. The social science research in the project will broaden out form these specific contacts to consider benefits and involvement of a wider range of members of society, involving individuals as well as organisations. Thus, the research will provide real benefits and utility to local people and organisations. More broadly, the research will underpin policy efforts to focus activities on maintaining and enhancing ecosystem services. International activities include: Council of Europe - 2010 'A headline target of halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020"; the Nagoya 2010 new CBD 2020 targets including resilience of ecosystem services; the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, including Aichi Biodiversity Targets; the Inter-governmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) ; and TEEB (the ecology and economics of biodiversity). UK activities include: the UKNEA aiming to enhance understanding of the state of ecosystem services; Lawton review 'Making Space for Nature' and the linked Environment White Paper. These efforts are against a background of the need for increased food security, climate change and other major drovers of change. By linking mechanistic research with a detailed analysis of policy and societal needs, we will provide scientific evidence to inform future decisions
To consider more specific benefits. Local to the Wessex Chalk landscape, we have engaged with a wide range of end-users from the conception of the proposed research. They have actively helped to develop the proposal and guide the research by identifying their individual needs. The social science research in the project will broaden out form these specific contacts to consider benefits and involvement of a wider range of members of society, involving individuals as well as organisations. Thus, the research will provide real benefits and utility to local people and organisations. More broadly, the research will underpin policy efforts to focus activities on maintaining and enhancing ecosystem services. International activities include: Council of Europe - 2010 'A headline target of halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020"; the Nagoya 2010 new CBD 2020 targets including resilience of ecosystem services; the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, including Aichi Biodiversity Targets; the Inter-governmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) ; and TEEB (the ecology and economics of biodiversity). UK activities include: the UKNEA aiming to enhance understanding of the state of ecosystem services; Lawton review 'Making Space for Nature' and the linked Environment White Paper. These efforts are against a background of the need for increased food security, climate change and other major drovers of change. By linking mechanistic research with a detailed analysis of policy and societal needs, we will provide scientific evidence to inform future decisions
Publications
Allen-Perkins A
(2022)
CropPol: A dynamic, open and global database on crop pollination.
in Ecology
Dicks L
(2012)
Identifying key knowledge needs for evidence-based conservation of wild insect pollinators: a collaborative cross-sectoral exercise
in Insect Conservation and Diversity
Garratt M
(2018)
Insect pollination as an agronomic input: Strategies for oilseed rape production
in Journal of Applied Ecology
Gill R
(2016)
Ecosystem Services: From Biodiversity to Society, Part 2
Hutchinson L
(2021)
Using ecological and field survey data to establish a national list of the wild bee pollinators of crops
in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
Knapp J
(2019)
Pollinator visitation to mass-flowering courgette and co-flowering wild flowers: Implications for pollination and bee conservation on farms
in Basic and Applied Ecology
Knapp JL
(2017)
Courgette Production: Pollination Demand, Supply, and Value.
in Journal of economic entomology
Knapp JL
(2019)
Bombus terrestris in a mass-flowering pollinator-dependent crop: A mutualistic relationship?
in Ecology and evolution
Knapp JL
(2017)
Re-evaluating strategies for pollinator-dependent crops: How useful is parthenocarpy?
in The Journal of applied ecology
Osborne JL
(2012)
Ecology: Bumblebees and pesticides.
in Nature
Description | The impacts of biodiversity on ecosystem services in farmland have been assessed by surveying beneficial insects in oilseed rape fields. Biodiversity was assessed at the landscape scale (in terms of distance to grasslands of different biodiversity levels) and the local scale (biodiversity around fields). The results indicate that different groups of beneficial insects respond to biodiversity at different scales. For pollinators we found that large amounts of mass flowering crops led to dilution of important pollinator groups such as bees, whereas flies were less sensitive to landscape effects. The amount of mass flowering crop in the landscape also resulted in a change in the importance of different biodiversity components for pollination service provision. High biodiversity grassland was important for increasing the species richness and abundance of some natural enemy groups in particular ground beetles. In an additional study we showed how increased drought stress on a diversity of plants can reduce the nectar rewards they produce for insect pollinators. With climate change predicted to increase, these findings could affect plant-pollinator food webs, and the success of pollination in plant communities. |
Exploitation Route | These results will be of use to land managers and policy makers. They are being used for assessing the impact of changes in land use at the landscape level on ecosystem services by collaborators at CEH. Data gathered have been used in meta-analyses of the impacts of biodiversity on ecosystem services. The results relevant to farmers will be disseminated to them in short reports and we aim to get in touch with agronomists to share information on the impacts of block cropping on beneficial insects in crops. |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
URL | http://wessexbess.wixsite.com/wessexbess |
Description | Throughout the project we have been highlighting the importance of pollinators for ecosystem services. We have built on the general increased interest in bees by talking about solitary bees as well as bumblebees and honey bees, and highlighting the importance of other insect groups such as flies. We have used data and resources to create public engagement materials and school activities. A talk created during this projects has since been used as the basis for an education pack developed by collaborators which is now advertised and used as part of an annual Solitary bee week (https://www.solitarybeeweek.com/ed-pack). We have also tried to raise interest and awareness among farmers about the contributions of both pollinators and natural enemies of pests. We have used the opportunity of working on farms during the neonicitinoid moratorium to extend data collection to investigate this change in policy. |
First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Education,Environment |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | Implementing National Pollinator Strategy Workshop: Silwood Park March 2015 |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | Workshop to develop a tool for rapid assessment of pollination services provided by protected areas: TESSA |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
URL | http://tessa.tools/ |
Description | Impacts of neonicitinoid moratorium on farmer behaviour |
Amount | £20,897 (GBP) |
Organisation | C.B. Dennis British Beekeepers' Research Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2015 |
End | 05/2017 |
Description | South West Partnership for Environment and Economic Prosperity (SWEEP) |
Amount | £4,108,113 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/P011217/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2017 |
End | 07/2023 |
Title | Impacts of experimental drought on floral resource availability to pollinators |
Description | These data are based on experimental sown plots set up to measure the effects of plant functional diversity and drought on various ecosystem functions and services. This dataset records the floral resources (number of flowers, flower diversity and for three focal plant species, proportion of flowers with nectar and nectar amount and quality) in relation to plant community functional diversity and experimental drought. The number of pollinator visits to selected experimental plots were also recorded. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | These data are used in a publication Phillips BB, Shaw RF, Holland MJ, et al. Drought reduces floral resources for pollinators. Glob Change Biol. 2018;24:3226-3235. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14130 |
URL | https://doi.org/10.5285/eb2bc7a2-4bd8-455d-8f0d-7d379540e967 |
Title | Natural enemies in oilseed rape fields in relation to local plant diversity and landscape characteristics |
Description | This dataset covers the number and type of natural enemies of crop pests found in winter-sown oilseed rape fields (Brassica napus L.) in relation to local plant diversity (in crop and field margin) landscape characteristics. Natural enemies and pests were collected using two methods (suction sampling and pitfall traps). Local plant diversity was assessed using quadrats in field margins and in cropped area. The presence of hedges was also recorded. Landscape characteristics included the presence of patches of grassland of different biodiversity levels and the amount of grasslands and other semi natural habitat with up to a 3km radius of the collection points. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | This dataset is being used in a paper in preparation. |
URL | https://doi.org/10.5285/6e2be4d6-a681-4ae5-8abf-0c3fc150365d |
Title | Pollinator effectiveness in oilseed rape in relation to behavioural and morphological characteristics. |
Description | This dataset includes the number of pollen grains delivered to stigmas in a single visit by flower visitors (from insect orders Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera) to oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Behavioural and morphological data were also recorded for a subset of visits to understand common traits which led to improved pollen delivery. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | This data has been published in following paper- Phillips, B.B. ,Williams, A., Osborne, J.L., Shaw, R.F. (2018) Shared traits make flies and bees effective pollinators of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) Basic and Applied Ecology, 32, 66-76 |
URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/documents/ee145769-2853-4a89-8aa6-c4a5149d07c0 |
Title | Pollinators in oilseed rape fields in relation to local plant diversity and landscape characteristics |
Description | This dataset includes the number and type of pollinators in winter-sown oilseed rape fields (Brassica napus L.) in relation to local plant diversity (in crop and field margin) and biodiverse grasslands in the landscape. Pollinators were collected using two methods (pan traps and transects). Local plant diversity was assessed using quadrats in field margins and in cropped area. The presence of hedges was also recorded. Landscape characteristics included the presence of patches of grassland of different biodiversity levels and the amount of grasslands and other semi natural habitat with up to a 3km radius of the collection points. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | This data set is in a paper under submission to Landscape Ecology. |
URL | https://doi.org/10.5285/6128a4f7-d2ac-43c5-b492-af4c654e89b8 |
Title | Yield of winter-sown oilseed rape plants in relation to insect pollination |
Description | This dataset includes yield data on winter sown oilseed rape plants, in relation to pollination by insects and in relation to the ecosystem services provided by beneficial insects. Data includes yield assessed for entire field, whole plant and within different parts of the plant (per raceme and per pod). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Part of this dataset has been used in associated publication Garratt M, Bishop J, Degani E, et al. Insect pollination as an agronomic input: Strategies for oilseed rape production. J Appl Ecol. 2018;55:2834-2842. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13153 |
URL | https://doi.org/10.5285/fc219733-a8e8-4ec0-a34e-e0e8115f0d68 |
Description | BESS collaboration: Developing a molecular method to assess parasitism levels of a key oilseed rape pest, the brassica pod midge Dasineura brassicae. |
Organisation | University of Plymouth |
Department | Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We made a joint application to the Sealy Haynes Educational Trust to develop a molecular method for identifying parasitism in Brassica pod midge. We contributed the initial idea, and samples of pod midge to be used in the analysis, and techincian time for method development and sample processing. |
Collaborator Contribution | Our collaborators at Plymoouth identified the funding source and had the molecular expertise needed to supervise and complete the project. The University of Plymouth received funding for materials and additional technician time. |
Impact | The molecular technique is working well and parasitised larvae can be identified, which has been impossible to do by eye. We aim to publish a joint paper from this project in October 2017. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | BESS collaboration: Impact of drought on floral resources available for pollinators |
Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | We carried out additional data collection on an experiment set up by University of Manchester and CEH, investigating how drought affected the floral resources provided to pollinators and if any effects could be traced through to pollinator visit rates.This was an opportunity to add data to the original experiment by looking at additional ecosystem services. |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators at the University of Manchester had set up a field scale experiment with experimentally sown plant communities, looking at the impact of functional diversity on ecosystem services (particularly regulation of climate change through carbon storage). Then then used a drought treatment to test the resilience of different plant communities under climate change. |
Impact | We aim to publish one joint paper led by us and contribute data to a further paper led by colleagues at University of Manchester. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | BESS collaboration: Impact of drought on floral resources available for pollinators |
Organisation | University of Manchester |
Department | KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We carried out additional data collection on an experiment set up by University of Manchester and CEH, investigating how drought affected the floral resources provided to pollinators and if any effects could be traced through to pollinator visit rates.This was an opportunity to add data to the original experiment by looking at additional ecosystem services. |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators at the University of Manchester had set up a field scale experiment with experimentally sown plant communities, looking at the impact of functional diversity on ecosystem services (particularly regulation of climate change through carbon storage). Then then used a drought treatment to test the resilience of different plant communities under climate change. |
Impact | We aim to publish one joint paper led by us and contribute data to a further paper led by colleagues at University of Manchester. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Factors affecting oilseed rape yield, University of Reading |
Organisation | University of Reading |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We contributed data and comments to a paper looking at the impacts of different factors on yield of oilseed rape |
Collaborator Contribution | CAER led on the data collection and paper writing. |
Impact | Publication in press |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | BES AGM Liverpool - Rosalind Shaw |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw gave a talk called "Impacts of landscape biodiversity and local biodiversity on natural enemy communities and ecosystem services" at the British Ecological Society AGM in Liverpool. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | BES AGM Liverpool Ben Phillips |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Ben Phillips gave a talk called "Effects of drought on floral resource availability and pollinators". Questions were received about the specific methodologies and the translation of the study into practical guidance. Several academics made further enquiries about the project after the talk, leading to exchange of contact details for potential future collaboration. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | BES-BESS Symposium, Cardiff 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw gave an invited talk at the BES-BESS Symposium called Biodiversity and ecosystem services: beneficial invertebrates in crops. The talk was attended by approximately 100 academics and practitioners from a wide variety of disciplines. This advertised the research carried out and requests were made about when the data might become available. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | British Ecological Society AGM |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw gave a talk called "Impacts of landscape biodiversity and local biodiversity on natural enemy communities and ecosystem services" at the British Ecological Society AGM |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Ecosystem Service mapping and prioritisation workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Type Of Presentation | workshop facilitator |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Workshop with Cornwall and Isles of Scilly stakeholders as part of an Exeter NERC Impact Accelerator Award; to discuss mapping and prioritisation of ecosystem services on the peninsula, in collaboration with K Gaston (i.e. across BESS projects) Prioritisation and action document |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Farmer Participant Update Report, Feb 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Fourteen farmers who have allowed WP4 to carry out studies in their oilseed rape fields were sent a preliminary report containing information from the 2013 field season on the natural enemies that had been found in their fields. Several farmers were interested in discussing the results from the report and many were not aware that natural enemies such as parasitoid wasps existed (photos were included). All farmers still involved with farming or growing the required crop were happy for the project to continue. Some requested more information on what area the insects were collected from which will be included in future reports. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Host: South West Bee Disease and Husbandry Day May15 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Busy and full day of training sessions, workshops and talks delivered by Bee Inspectors. My Research Team showed posters and hosted the event, explaining research from various projects to 65 beekeepers Much better awareness of our research group at the ESI, Penryn. And our research team have better knowledge of regional beekeepers |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Invited talk: Entomological Society of America Conference, Nov 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw gave an invited presentation on Wessex BESS called "Biodiversity and ecosystem services: beneficial invertebrates in crops". |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Penryn Town Fair 26th August 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw and Grace Twiston-Davies took public engagement activities to the Penryn Town Fair, including colour a bumblebee, spot the difference between bees and hoverflies, HABEETAT card game and a microscope with some examples of insects that provide ecosystem services to the Penryn Town Fair. Approximately 40 members of the general public passed through the village hall and interacted with the activities. We met two of the local town councilors. We also trialed a method based on Open Farm Sunday Pollinator Surveys to engage people with counting pollinators in pollinator friendly habitat in Penryn. While the method worked the stand was not ideally placed to take advantage of people passing by. The local council is keen for the University to be involved in improving pollinator habitat in Penryn. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | RES AGM 2016 Ben Phillips |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Ben Phillips gave a talk called "Effects of drought on floral resource availability and pollinators" at the Royal Entomological Society AGM, Harper Adams University |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | RES South West Group AGM |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw gave a talk called "Biodiversity and ecosystem services: beneficial invertebrates in crops" to an audience of RES members who are a mixture of students, academics, practitioners and people with a general interest in insects. There was a short discussion after about the requirements of solitary bees in farmland. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Royal Cornwall Show 8th-10th June 2017, University of Exeter Stand |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | We were part of a public engagement stand at the Royal Cornwall show where we took a display case with plants and a live bumblebee colony, a video explaining research into honeybee behaviour, pollination research, and ecosystem services provided by pollinators and children's activities including colour a bumblebee, spot the difference between bees and hoverflies and a microscope with some examples of insects that provide ecosystem services. Members of the research group including Peter Kennedy, Rosalind Shaw and Juliet Osborne prepared the materials and attended the show. The show was present for 3 days during which large numbers of children and adults passed through the tent. Children and adults particularly enjoyed the live bumblebee colony where the bees could be seen both in the colony and then flying out and visiting plants in the display cage, many people commenting that they hadn't seen a bumblebee colony before. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | School Lesson packs for Secondary Biology Key Stage 4 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Creation of National Curriculum resources (GTD lead, RS and JK) which was funded by the University of Exeter using the bee-groups research. Creation of 2 double science lesson school packs with resources, PowerPoints and lesson plans. One on "Interdependence in Ecosystems, and the role of pollinators in farmed landscapes" and one on "Land Campaign- what factors can influence decisions about allocating land usage and what is the environmental impact of this". The purpose was to link the bee-groups research to the National Curriculum by providing high quality and relevant resources for inspiring and engaging Biology lessons. Results were that 2 high-quality lesson boxes were created, translating the bee groups research to the National Curriculum as downloadable and loanable resources. "Interdependence in Ecosystems" consisted of a lesson plan, PowerPoint, worksheets, 7 minute video on the bee groups work on plants, pollinators and the environment with interviews from JO, GTD, RS and JK. This resource showcased the Beescout and Bumble-BEEHAVE model and its practical implications as well as the groups work in BESS (RS) and with agricultural companies (JK). This pack also contained "HABEETAT"- an educational card game that showcases the challenges of managing landscapes for pollinator conservation and pollination for food production (created by GTD) and highlights the complex relationship between pollinators, their habitats and the crops they pollinate. "land campaign" included a lesson plan, PowerPoint, worksheets and evidence packs including summarised information from the following JO papers; Carvell et al 2015, Basic and Applied Ecology; Osborne 2012, Nature; Vanbergen et al 2013, Frontiers in Ecology and Environment and Osborne et al. 2008, Journal of Applied Ecology. The impact was that there was a great deal of interest in using the boxes for a range of activities. GTD and JK ask to deliver "Interdependence in Ecosystems" as a short STEM workshop for Penrice Academy on 2nd March reaching 150 pupils. Used to showcase at teacher events and as the flagship lesson plan resource for the Next Steps South West widening participant program.Copies of both packs requested for outreach in Devon and Somerset delivered by Exeter Streatham Campus. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
URL | https://www.nextstepscornwall.co.uk/info-and-resources/for-teachers-and-advisers/lesson-resources-fr... |
Description | Science in the Square Aug 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw took part in the University of Exeter outreach event, "Science in the Square", using invertebrate samples and photos from Wessex BESS to show children of all ages the differences between hoverflies and wasps and other invertebrates. Many children expressed surprise that hoverflies were flies and that insects other than bees were pollinators. This led to an increase in their understanding of pollinator biodiversity. By taking in photographs of different types of equipment being used, along with some pieces of equipment, this emphasised the different form and function of beneficial insects and increased the awareness that insects provide ecosystem services other than pollination. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Talk 2015: Enys Bee Fayre |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk sparked lively discussion - |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Talk at Newton Abbott Bee Keepers Association |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw gave a talk called "Bee research in Salisbury and beyond" including results from Wessex BESS WP4 looking at pollination in oilseed rape, and with a section on the BEEHAVE model. Fliers about BEEHAVE and how to download it were distributed. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Talk: At duchy College Symposium at Eden Project, Mar 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw was invited to give a talk at a Duchy College organised symposium on pollinator declines. This talk included how valuable pollination is to agriculture as well as information on how diversity in the environment affects pollinators, creating a link between the two. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Talk: Even the Plants Do It |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Talk and interactive learning games, to Mullion Secondary school pupils, EcoSoc Enthusiastic school children |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Talk: Learning from Nature: Bees and Pollination |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Talk and Workshop to Year 6 students at Dartmouth Academy Very enthusiastic participatory school children gained knowledge. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Talk: Redruth Cafe Scientifique Nov2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk and discussion at local Café Scientifique sparked interest and many questions |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Talk: Royal Entomological Society Annual Meeting, Dublin Ireland, Nov 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw (WP4) gave a presentation on Wessex BESS called "Wessex BESS: Data and analytical approaches". |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Talk: Salisbury beekeepers Association, March 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw (WP4) gave an hour talk to Salisbury Beekeepers Association about Wessex BESS and other bee research. The group was keen to invite WP4 back to present the final results of the project. They also agreed to circulate the participatory GIS questionnaire being carried out by WP1. This talk raised awareness of the different ecosystem services provided by high biodiversity grassland in Wessex. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Talk: to Sou'wester Farmer group visiting ESI, Oct 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Rosalind Shaw (WP4) gave a short (10 min) talk called 'Biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services in farmland' to landowners and soft fruit growers who are part of the Sou'westers Horticultural Growers Group. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Talks at COAST (Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentations on 1) valuing natural and environmental capital and b) how to create a have for bees. Given at the joint event of COAST and Exeter University Environment & Sustainability Institute as part of a series of "5 mini master class in joining the (green) dots . COAST is a network of local businesses involved in sustainable tourism None to date |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Tregothnan Cornwall Bee Summit - expert panel member |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Lively debate and discussion after summit. Sarah Newton, MP, hosted debate in House of Commons (Oct 2014) the week afterwards citing the summit conclusions as evidence of Need for national Pollinator Strategy |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | https://tregothnan.co.uk/about/news/ |
Description | Wellcome Trust Charette: Designing Food Programme for schools |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Charette event of experts to design an outreach/education programme for schools and families relating to food, health and diet |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Wessex-BESS Stakeholder Event, March 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Wessex-BESS ran an end of project stakeholder event to inform stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds about the outcomes of the project. Rosalind Shaw gave a presentation on the outcomes of WP4 called Biodiversity and ecosystem services: beneficial invertebrates in crops. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | West Cornwall bee Keepers AGM Ben Phillips |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Benjamin Phillips gave a talk called "Climate Change & Pollinators in the UK" including details of the WP2 Drought experiment, and relevance of the findings to beekeepers. Received several questions and positive feedback from multiple audience members, encouraging further research and acknowledging their perceived importance of the research, demonstrating understanding and engagement. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |