FRESHH

Arable ecosystems are mosaics of terrestrial and aquatic biomes that are intimately interlinked and must be considered together for robust conservation and restoration. Intensive land use, and use of agro-chemicals in particular, have led to a significant degradation of the biodiversity and ecosystem services in both terrestrial and freshwater biomes. FRESHH aims to counteract this by reducing the need for herbicide applications via weed seed regulation by carabid beetles. The key constraint in the adoption of carabids is uncertainty in effectiveness and the acceptability of biological weed control for farmers. Agro-chemicals such as herbicides are a staple of farm management and reductions in their use is a cause of considerable concern to farmers, despite the potential benefits to the environment.FRESHH sees the agricultural landscape as a combination of three layers: farmed fields; semi-natural habitats; and freshwaters. Herbicides applied in fields may runoff into freshwaters. The installation of semi-natural habitats can intercept this herbicide runoff and also support carabids that reduce the need for herbicide applications in field. FRESHH will work to understand the costs and benefits, and opportunities and constraints of supporting weed seed feeding carabids to reduce reliance on herbicides.