6762f1b5-2bcc-4062-bff6-e560d902b593 English ISO/IEC 8859-1 (also known as Latin 1) dataset dataset NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg Lancaster LA1 4AP UK info@eidc.ac.uk https://eidc.ac.uk/ EIDC website The Environmental Information Data Centre (EIDC) is the UK's national data centre for terrestrial and freshwater sciences. information pointOfContact 2026-01-09T12:21:34 UK GEMINI 2.3 WGS 84 Abundance of weeds in lowland arable fields, 2006-2009 - RELU Management options for biodiverse farming 2013-07-23 publication 1374597694599 CEH:EIDC: https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/6762f1b5-2bcc-4062-bff6-e560d902b593 This data collection results from abundance surveys of seven species of weeds in ca. 500 lowland arable fields in 49 farms over three years. Each field was divided into large grids of 20x20 metre cells, and the density of seven species was estimated three times a year. The study is part of the NERC Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) programme. In the context of changing external and internal pressures on UK agriculture, particularly those associated with the ongoing reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, it is imperative to determine whether all of the various dimensions of sustainability - including the relevant economic and environmental objectives as well as social and cultural values - can be integrated successfully at the farm and landscape levels. Although the ways in which economic, technological, and regulatory changes are likely to affect the profitability and management of farms of varying size are reasonably well understood, there is not the knowledge or understanding to predict the resulting effects on biodiversity. For example, the effect of changes in arable farming practices on field weeds and, in turn, on habitats and food supply required to sustain farm birds is a case in point. This knowledge is critical, however, if we are to understand the ecological consequences of changes in agricultural policy. Furthermore, it is also important if we are to design and justify changes in farming methods that can not only enhance nature conservation, but do this is ways that are practical and appealing from a farmer's point of view. This understanding is essential if we are to achieve an agriculture that is sustainable in both economic and environmental terms and is widely perceived to have social and cultural value. A consistent theme in all components of this research project is to understand the behaviour (of farmers, weeds or birds) and then use this information to produce predictive models. Whilst there have been a number of models of economic behaviour, weed populations and bird populations - including many by the research team here - the really novel component of this research is to integrate these within one framework. Farmer interviews on economic attitudes and preferences associated with and importance of different land-use objectives to lowland arable farmers are available at the UK Data Archive under study number 6728 (see online resources). Further documentation for this study may be found through the RELU Knowledge Portal and the project's ESRC funding award web page (see online resources). Sutherland, W. University of Cambridge w.sutherland@zoo.cam.ac.uk principalInvestigator Freckleton, R. University of Sheffield r.freckleton@sheffield.ac.uk author Queenborough, S. University of Sheffield s.a.queenborough@sheffield.ac.uk author Queensborough, S. University of Sheffield s.a.queenborough@sheffield.ac.uk pointOfContact NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre info@eidc.ac.uk custodian NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre info@eidc.ac.uk publisher notPlanned Land Use theme GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 publication agricultural land agricultural policy weed land use nature conservation bird biodiversity arable farming modelling GEMET - Concepts, version 4.1.3 2019-01-28 creation Norfolk Bedfordshire Lincolnshire Rural Economy and Land Use Programme environmental conservation farming systems otherRestrictions Registration is required to access this data otherRestrictions This resource is licensed from UK Data Archive (a department of the University of Essex and not a separate legal entity) and made available under the RELU data licence terms and conditions textTable 20 English utf8 environment farming 2006-09-01 2009-12-31 -0.991 1.763 51.781 53.826 Text NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre info@eidc.ac.uk distributor https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/data/6762f1b5-2bcc-4062-bff6-e560d902b593 Download the data Download a copy of this data download https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/sd/6762f1b5-2bcc-4062-bff6-e560d902b593.zip Supporting information Supporting information available to assist in re-use of this dataset information dataset dataset Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 Research funded by Economic and Social Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. Award Number: RES-227-25-0025 Survey of arable weeds in ca. 500 fields in 49 farms over three years. Each field was divided into large grids of 20x20 m cells, and the density of seven species was estimated three times a year. Categorical abundance (0, low, medium, high, very high) of 7 weed species in 20x20 m grid cells in 20x20 m grid cells in 2-4 ha per field. The area was picked to maximise efficiency in order to decrease between-field transit time. The samples are random in the sense that nothing was known about their weed density beforehand.