European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism

Summary 1. Environmental change and impact continue to create a major need for the application of ecology. We attempted to ascertain whether authors in the Journal of Applied Ecology made relevant contributions at appropriate spatio‐temporal scales to the problems that result. 2. A review of 84 papers published in the Journal during 1999 indicated that all carried information of direct value in environmental management, and 46% made explicit management recommendations. 3. The techniques used most frequently by applied ecologists were correlational (48% of all papers; including ordination) or anova‐style comparisons between replicated locations that were either purposely manipulated or contrasted on a priori criteria (38%). Models (13%), laboratory experiments, mark–recapture studies and observational work – involving for example stable isotopes – also figured. This breadth reveals how classical and novel approaches in ecology are brought to bear on real environmental problems. The journal continues to publicise innovative new techniques with applied relevance. 4. In keeping with the widespread use of correlation and a priori contrasts, 34% of published studies in 1999 involved time scales exceeding >5–10 years. Similarly, 40% of studies approached problems in large, regional contexts. Applied ecologists are clearly providing leadership in developing methods to tackle challenging questions at spatio‐temporal scales beyond the capabilities of manipulative ecological experiments. We will augment this area of the Journal's work with a special issue on large‐scale processes in 2000. 5. Only 20% of the papers published explicitly state clearly testable hypotheses, but nearly all state clear aims or questions being addressed. 6. Overwhelmingly, papers approach applied ecology by seeking to assess the effects of anthropogenic factors on ecological systems, and a minority assess the effects of organisms on human activity. Few studies, by contrast, use anthropogenic impacts to test or develop ecological theory. We suggest this is an area ripe for development. 7. Points 2, 3 and 4 above demonstrate how the Journal of Applied Ecology communicates the value and utility of ecology to society at large. We prompt leading ecologists to maintain their involvement with the application of ecology to problem solving. We urge authors to emphasize further the generic value in their work. We predict that applied ecology will continue as a vital tool in detecting ecological problems and informing environmental management. It will emerge also as an arena for advancing the fundamental nature of our discipline.

SUMMARYThe recent trend in the European Union for environmental objectives to be incorporated into agriculture policy is not simply because policy‐makers in Brussels have been convinced of the important biological value of farmland. Environmental payments to farmers have become a mechanism for supporting farmers whilst at the same time not generating increased production. There are two important reasons why production must be controlled: (i) because former production policies have been so successful, many sectors have over‐produced (for example, there are currently 700 000 tons of beef held in EU intervention stores) and this cannot continue; (ii) because the EU has agreed with its world trading partners (through GATT) virtually to remove production subsidies to farmers by the turn of the century. The danger, already apparent, is that environmental objectives will be misused to provide financial support to farms that are of intrinsically low biodiversity and nature conservation value. This will not be admissible under GATT and there is a danger that the misuse of environmental payments will cause major problems in the next round of GATT negotiations. There are therefore good political as well as ecological reasons for much better targeting of environmental support for farmland. Ecological studies that help us to understand the biological processes on farmland may therefore have to be used, not only for developing a more targeted environmental policy but also in the GATT negotiations.

SummaryGood progress has been made in bringing the importance of high‐nature‐conservation‐value farming systems to the attention of a wider audience. However, simply having a broad appreciation of which farming systems are good for certain species or species assemblages is of little use without a detailed understanding of how each particular farming system functions and integrates with the species reliant upon that system as a whole.Many species have intimate and complex interactions with the annual farming cycle, and their presence on any one piece of farmland is determined not only by the farm management occurring at that time but also by the management practised over the previous weeks and months. Since their exact farm management requirements are not fully understood, it would currently be difficult (if not impossible) to put in place the exact set of conditions necessary to ensure the continued occurrence of many desired species.Consequently, a detailed understanding of the ecological relationships involved is essential before advice can be provided on how best to develop any individual farming system (and the associated policies) so that the ecological characteristics of the system of value to the wildlife assemblages are maintained.These issues are highlighted and illustrated with reference to the findings from research into the ecology and requirements of the choughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxand the effects of farm management practices on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and leatherjackets (Diptera: Tipulidae), which together can form important prey items for birds associated with grassland habitats.