The impact and design of field margins in promoting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes

Heterogeneous agroecosystems with diverse natural areas are more resilient than homogeneous landscapes. One way of achieving this is by creating field margins in order to establish a network of semi-natural vegetation across the landscape. Field margins support biodiversity within agricultural systems, offering a range of ecosystem services. This chapter reviews the ways field margins benefit biodiversity, their design, management and enhancement with seed mixes, as well as economic aspects.