1. Ecological enhancement of agricultural
land in the Upper Rhine Plain
11. September 2012
Richard Bleil - Jessica Gelhausen - Dr. Rainer Oppermann
Arno Schanowski - Dr. Volker Späth
Supported by

2. Background
Germany:
16.8 Mio ha agricultural area
→ At least 1.75 Mio ha of crops that
profit from insect pollination
wikimedia
Ecological enhancement of agricultural land in the Upper Rhine Plain
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3. Ecological
enhancement measures
Flower strips and areas
Effect on
pollinators?
Ecological enhancement of agricultural land in the Upper Rhine Plain
11. Septemeber 2012 3

4. The project area
The farm in Rheinmünster:
Enhancement area
Control area
Ecological enhancement of agricultural land in the Upper Rhine Plain
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5. The project area
Crops in 2010
… in the planned enhancement area
Corn
Cereals
Fallow
Other
Ecological enhancement of agricultural land in the Upper Rhine Plain
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6. Sampling 2010
Determination of status quo
sweep-netting and observation on transects
grass ways and flower rich meadows / marginal structures
May - August
Wild bees
Butterflies
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7. Ecological
enhancements in 2011
Tübinger Mischung
10 % Flower strips
Visselhöveder
Insektenparadies
MEKA 1
Kultur-Natur-blüht-auf
Ecological enhancement of agricultural land in the Upper Rhine Plain
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8. Ecological
enhancements in 2011
Bee banks and nesting aids
Ecological enhancement of agricultural land in the Upper Rhine Plain
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9. Sampling 2011
• Observation and sweep-netting on transects
• Focus on flower strips, June – August
• Observation of behaviour (foraging / egg deposition)
• Search for nests in bee banks
Ecological enhancement of agricultural land in the Upper Rhine Plain
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10. Results
Butterflies Rheinmünster Dettenheim
Total number of species (2010) 16 16
Species in flower strips (2011) 12 14
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11. Results
Wild bees Rheinmünster Dettenheim
Species in flower strips 48 54
Total number of species 2010 55 58
Individuals in flower strips 4000 3992
Individuals 2010 234 244
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12. Results
Butterflies
• No substancial increase in species richness
• Flower strips predominantly used for foraging
• Almost exclusively ubiquitous species
Inachis io Gonepteryx rhamni
Pieris rapae
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13. Results
Wild bees
• No substancial increase in species richness
• Few rare species and specialists use the flower strips
• Enormously increased individual numbers
• Bee banks are used as nesting sites
Bombus lapidarius Bombus terrestris Oxybelus trispinosus
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14. Conclusions
• Flower strips are intensively used and constitute effective
means of supporting local pollinator populations
• Floristic diversity and resource availability early in the year are
crucial for the promotion of faunal diversity / specialists
Ecological enhancement of agricultural land in the Upper Rhine Plain
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15. Prospect
• Diverse perennial mixtures have been chosen and sown
considering needs of endangered species
• Control areas will be examined in detail for comparation
• This year‘s data are being evaluated
Enhancement
area
Control area
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16. Thank you very much for
your attention
11. September 2012
Richard Bleil - Jessica Gelhausen - Dr. Rainer Oppermann
Arno Schanowski - Dr. Volker Späth
Supported by