Effects of Multifunctional Margins Implementation on Biodiversity in Annual Crops
Manuel Moreno-García,
Miguel Ángel Repullo-Ruibérriz de Torres,
Rosa Carbonell-Bojollo,
Javier López-Tirado,
Luis Óscar Aguado-Martín,
Antonio Rodríguez-Lizana,
Rafaela Ordóñez-Fernández
Affiliations
Manuel Moreno-García
Area of Agriculture and Environment, IFAPA, Centre Alameda del Obispo, Avd. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14080 Córdoba, Spain
Miguel Ángel Repullo-Ruibérriz de Torres
Area of Agriculture and Environment, IFAPA, Centre Alameda del Obispo, Avd. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14080 Córdoba, Spain
Rosa Carbonell-Bojollo
Area of Agriculture and Environment, IFAPA, Centre Alameda del Obispo, Avd. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14080 Córdoba, Spain
Javier López-Tirado
Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, Campus of Rabanales, Celestino Mutis Building (C4), 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Luis Óscar Aguado-Martín
Andrena Iniciativas y Estudios, Calle Gabilondo, 16, 47007 Valladolid, Spain
Antonio Rodríguez-Lizana
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Fluid Mechanics, Area of Agroforestry Engineering, University of Seville, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1, 41013 Seville, Spain
Rafaela Ordóñez-Fernández
Area of Agriculture and Environment, IFAPA, Centre Alameda del Obispo, Avd. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14080 Córdoba, Spain
The most suitable land for agricultural use has been gradually occupied by crops around the world. Large, uninterrupted croplands have been created, while disproportionate amounts of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides are applied on them. As a result, agricultural activity has a negative impact on biodiversity the ecological intensification of cultivated lands has become necessary. Multifunctional Margins (MFM), the establishment of native flora margins adjacent to croplands, provide a semi-natural habitat for food and wildlife refuge. Three different species mixtures sown in MFM were studied in this paper. The large capacity of six species used in MFM (Borago officinalis, Glebionis coronaria, Coriandrum sativum, Sinapis alba, Trifolium resupinatum and Vicia sativa) was determined. Reductions of up to 65% in the appearance of weeds and increases of 36% in pollinator biodiversity in sown MFM with respect to the MFM of spontaneous flora were observed. The biodiversity of the epigeal fauna increased by 15% in the MFM of spontaneous flora and by 32% in sown MFM, with respect to annual crops.
