Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 3.24 An insect 'hotel' (source: Arnaud 25,
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Insect_
hotels_001.JPG?uselang=en-gb. This fi le is licensed
under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike
3.0 Unported licence)
Figure 3.25 Blue tit at a bird feeder
example, feed largely on caterpillars. Unless the
garden can supply these foods (or the gardener
is prepared to provide them artificially) birds
may breed earlier in the year but their broods
may not survive. It has also been suggested that
feeding birds may also increase the spread of
disease and may affect natural selection through
influencing reproduction and behaviour,
enabling birds which are weaker genetically
to survive. Therefore, while encouraging
birds into the garden undoubtedly has many
benefits for both birds and humans, ecological
principles remind us that this is no substitute
for also providing natural food sources, shelter,
roosting, cover and nesting places too.
to the soil, recycling nutrients, providing warmth and
shelter and protecting the soil from erosion.
X There is no need to overcultivate as this can
damage soil structure and organisms.
X In a small garden where natural vegetation
is limited, insect hotels can be provided
(FigureĀ 3.24). By using a range of materials, solitary
bees, butterfl ies, predatory insects and other
invertebrates can be provided with shelter and
refuges especially over winter.
See companion website for information on the RHS
wildlife pages.
Garden birds
Further reading
One of the most visible forms of wildlife in the
garden are birds and for many people this is
one of the key benefits of a wildlife-friendly
garden. Over half the the adults in the UK feed
birds in their gardens according to the RSPB.
Measures taken to encourage birds with feeders
(Figure 3.25) and nest boxes undoubtedly attract
birds to the garden, and help to support their
numbers. Winter feeding can often lead to
earlier laying and increased breeding success
and for some species, such as song thrushes,
breeding populations in gardens are now better
than those of farmlands. Adult birds of other
species will feed on supplementary sources of
food such as peanuts but their fledglingsrequire
a high protein diet of invertebrates such as
spiders and worms. Blue tit fledglings, for
Baines, C. (2000) How to Make a Wildlife Garden.
Frances Lincoln.
Buczacki, S. (2010) Garden Natural History. Collins
New Naturalist Library. Collins.
Buczacki, S. (1986) Ground Rules for Gardeners.
Collins.
Mackenzie, A., Ball, A.S. and Virdee, S.R. (1991)
Instant Notes in Ecology. Taylor & Francis.
Owen, J. (2010) Wildlife of a Garden. A Thirty Year
Study . Royal Horticultural Society.
Owen, J. (1991) The Ecology of a Garden: The First
Fifteen Years. Cambridge University Press.
Ricklefs, R.E. (2000) The Economy of Nature . W.H.
Freeman.
Thompson, K. (2006) No Nettles Required. Eden
Project Books.
Townsend, C.R., Begon, M. and Harper, J.L. (2008)
Essentials of Ecology. Blackwell.
Please visit the companion website for further information:
www.routledge.com/cw/adams
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