Close to the edge: Spatial variation in plant diversity, biomass and floral resources in conventional and agri-environment cereal fields

Laura Sutcliffe discusses her latest study where, alongside colleagues, she investigated the spatial distribution of vascular plant species richness and their contribution to the food web via biomass and flower units in conventional and agri-environment cereal fields. The study: Arable plants Arable plants are usually simply referred to as weeds, reflecting their low status in society and also in biodiversity research. Whilst there is a … Continue reading Close to the edge: Spatial variation in plant diversity, biomass and floral resources in conventional and agri-environment cereal fields

Editor’s Choice 60:1 Weed communities are more diverse, but not more abundant, in dense and complex bocage landscapes

Associate Editor Pieter De Frenne talks us through a new research article by Boinot et al which found that the weed communities in bocage landscapes were functionally more diverse, creating important implications for the management of agricultural bocage landscapes. One of the cornerstones of many national and international agricultural policies, such as the EU Green Deal, is to transition to a sustainable food system and … Continue reading Editor’s Choice 60:1 Weed communities are more diverse, but not more abundant, in dense and complex bocage landscapes

Diversity robustly suppresses weeds in intensive grassland systems – with multiple translations

John Connolly and team comment on their recent article, Weed suppression greatly increased by plant diversity in intensively managed grasslands: a continental-scale experiment. As well as this English summary, the team have provided a number of translations. Read the text in German, Dutch, Spanish, French, Icelandic, Italian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Catalan or Polish here . How can we get more from less use of natural resources in … Continue reading Diversity robustly suppresses weeds in intensive grassland systems – with multiple translations