GM Crop Farm-Scale Evaluations:
Research Contractors
Institute of Terrestrial Ecology
The Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (ITE) is a component Institute of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. It carries out research and consultancy studies on terrestrial ecosystems. Priority is placed on developing and applying knowledge in the following areas:
- the factors which determine the composition, structure, and processes of terrestrial ecosystems, and the characteristics of individual plant and animal species; the dynamics of interactions between atmospheric processes, terrestrial ecosystems, soil properties and surface water quality;
- the development of a sound scientific basis for monitoring, modelling and predicting environmental trends to assess past, present and future effects of natural and man-made change;
- the securing, expansion and dissemination of ecological data to further scientific research and provide the basis for impartial advice on environmental protection, conservation, and the sustainable use of natural resources to governments and industry.
ITE has substantial specific experience in the evaluation of agriculture on wildlife, in the context of larger changes in the countryside.
Countryside Survey 2000. The Countryside Survey is a repeated survey of land cover, habitats, landscape features and vegetation on a sample of 1 km squares across GB. The survey started in 1978, and was repeated in 1984 (land cover and landscape features only), 1990 and 1998-9. The results from the most recent survey will be published in 2000, and will be used to quantify changes in biodiversity and landscape in the wider countryside.
Agricultural and Environmental Evaluation of Set-aside: In this project, breeding birds, plants and some invertebrates were monitored on up to 200 farms with set-aside. The results showed conclusive benefits of set-aside to farmland birds compared with winter cereal crops. The detailed results have been used to inform management guidelines for the pilot Arable Stewardship Scheme.
Organic Farming Study: This was a paired farm project, comparing butterflies and other wildlife indicators on organic and conventional farms; other groups investigated plants, soil processes and environmental economics. It was found that organic farms did indeed have biodiversity benefits, but mainly from the choice of rotation and the management of field margins, rather than from the absence of pesticides. This work is currently being developed further in collaboration with BTO and Oxford University.
Ecological evaluation of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme: This work involves a survey of around 500 Countryside Stewardship agreements, to assess the ecological quality of land under agreement compared with land in the wider countryside, as revealed by Countryside Survey data.
Biological Records Centre: The ITE Biological Records Centre is one of the major depositories of ecological data in Britain, and is also the centre for many analyses of changes of plants and animal species and their habitats.
Risk assessment of genetically-modified crops. Research has so far concentrated on quantifying the risks of gene transfer from genetically modified crops to wild relatives, by investigating the genetic structure of the wild cabbage and sea beet.
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Page published 13 August
1999;
Page last modified
10 August, 2002