#22 How agroforestry improves farm biodiversity and impacts insect dynamics with Tom Staton

There are many claims that agroforestry can benefit ecosystem services and biodiversity. Delving into the nuance of this subject, we start our journey with Tom Staton, PhD student at Reading University, who has been conducting research in the UK at some of the farms who's farm managers we have interviewed on the show. Tom has been measuring insect populations (of predators, pollinators and pests) in silvoarable vs arable systems. To our pleasure, this conversation helps us understand the pros and cons, and brings us closer to understanding the potential of agroforestry for the transition of our agricultural system. This is the first of many episodes where we hope to understand how agroforestry can improve ecosystem services, and in turn how these can benefit the farm economy. We hope you enjoy! 

• TABLE OF CONTENTS

01:40 Introduction to Tom and his research

09:05 Pollinator dynamics and the importance of wild bees

14:50 The economic benefits of functional diversity

19:10 Agroforestry vs flower strips: an economic case

23:20 Description of experiments

26:35 Connection between biodiversity and pest populations

34:15 The economics of agroforestry

39:40 Management of tree line understory

47:20 Type of herbaceous plants and insects

54:40 Can a farmer expect the same results in his context?

59:35 Impact of frequency of tree lines and width of agroforestry alleys

01:02:10 Challenges in agroforestry research

• RESOURCES

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tom-Staton

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