Farming with the Environment : Thirty Years of Allerton Project Research

This book examines, discusses and shares over 30 years’ worth of research from the Allerton Project, a research and demonstration farm in the UK which has been carrying out applied interdisciplinary research to explore and explain the need to adapt the management of farmland for environmental protection and to provide public benefits.Designed to provide guidance, feedback and recommendations to farmers, practitioners and policymakers, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Allerton Project is an exceptionally well-documented case study of lowland agricultural land management which has the purpose of meeting multiple objectives. This book draws on the wealth of knowledge built over the past 30 years and unveils and clarifies the complexity of a number of topical debates about current land and wildlife management at a range of spatial scales, explores the underlying historical context and provides some important pointers to future directions of travel. Topics include soil health and management, farmland ecology, development of management practices to enhance biodiversity, natural flood management, water quality and aquatic ecology. Most importantly, the book demonstrates how the findings from this project relate to agricultural and conservation policy more broadly as well as how they are applicable to similar projects throughout Europe.This book will be of great interest to professionals working in agricultural land management and conservation, as well as researchers and students of agrienvironmental studies and agricultural policy. "This book examines, discusses, and shares over thirty years' worth of research from The Allerton Project, a research and demonstration farm in the UK which has been carrying out applied interdisciplinary research to explore and explain the need to adapt the management of farmland for environmental protection and to provide public benefits. Designed to provide guidance, feedback and recommendations to farmers, practitioners and policymakers, the Allerton Project is an exceptionally well documented case study of lowland agricultural land management which has the purpose of meeting multiple objectives. This book draws on the wealth of knowledge built over the past thirty years and unveils and clarifies the complexity of a number of topical debates about current land and wildlife management at a range of spatial scales, explores the underlying historical context, and provides some important pointers to future directions of travel. Topics include soil health and management, farmland ecology, development of management practices to enhance biodiversity, natural flood management, water quality and aquatic ecology. Most importantly, the book demonstrates how the findings from this project relate to agricultural and conservation policy more broadly as well as how they are applicable to similar projects throughout Europe. This book will be of great interest to professionals working in agricultural land management and conservation, as well as researchers and students of agri-environmental studies and agricultural policy"-- Provided by publisher This book examines, discusses and shares over 30 years’ worth of research from the Allerton Project, a research and demonstration farm in the UK which has been carrying out applied interdisciplinary research to explore and explain the need to adapt the management of farmland for environmental protection and to provide public benefits. Designed to provide guidance, feedback and recommendations to farmers, practitioners and policymakers, the Allerton Project is an exceptionally well-documented case study of lowland agricultural land management which has the purpose of meeting multiple objectives. This book draws on the wealth of knowledge built over the past 30 years and unveils and clarifies the complexity of a number of topical debates about current land and wildlife management at a range of spatial scales, explores the underlying historical context and provides some important pointers to future directions of travel. Topics include soil health and management, farmland ecology, development of management practices to enhance biodiversity, natural flood management, water quality and aquatic ecology. Most importantly, the book demonstrates how the findings from this project relate to agricultural and conservation policy more broadly as well as how they are applicable to similar projects throughout Europe. This book will be of great interest to professionals working in agricultural land management and conservation, as well as researchers and students of agri-environmental studies and agricultural policy. This book examines, discusses and shares over 30 years’ worth of research from the Allerton Project, a research and demonstration farm in the UK which has been carrying out applied interdisciplinary research to explore and explain the need to adapt the management of farmland for environmental protection and to provide public benefits. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 List of illustrations 8 List of boxes 14 Preface 16 1 Introduction 18 2 The long view 27 3 Soil: the life support system 53 4 Wildlife and our food 73 5 Developing new approaches to wildlife management 97 6 Reflections on water 123 7 Understanding and accepting complexity 152 8 The view from the farm 183 9 A way forward 208 Index 230 Life,Support,System;,Wildlife,Management;,Complexity;,Reflections;,Soil Life Support System,Wildlife Management,Complexity,Reflections,Soil