Havens Of Biodiversity

exploring what apple plantations have to offer

Recently, I have spent two weeks working on an apple plantation. As the type of work there varies a lot from season to season, I will keep working there occasionally. In this way, I will learn more in depth about the of growing apples, those fabulous fruits. But even in these two weeks, I got to know the ground, the trees, the people and the nature there quite well.

It is no wonder I did… When you are alert to your surroundings, there is a treasure of experience and wisdom to absorb! As I announced in my last article, I wanted to find out whether wildlife still thrives on this farm. Apple plantations are by definition monocultures. A monoculture is a field on which year after year, the same crop is growing. Since apple trees reach an age of up to 30 years, there is no possibility of crop rotation (growing different crops year after year). But after observing and working in it, I wouldn’t want to call this plantation a monoculture anymore. Let me show you around the plantations and its many inhabitants!

First,

admire the hedges, shrubs and trees bordering the plantations. These “wild” spots are very popular among the birds. In spring, they can nest here and in autumn, they can feed on the berries and leftover apples. Between the blocks of different apple varieties, there are alleys of birches interrupting the “monoculture” of apples. There are nesting boxes hanging on the trees. On the ground, mounds of stones inviting reptiles and insects to rest. Special insect nests provide a habitat for bees, wasps and other insects.

Follow me…

to the meadows abundant in all kinds of plant species. Here, bees find a source of food when the apple blossoms are long gone. Bees’ honey is by no means only a by-product of apple orchards. Without the bees pollinating the flowers in spring, there would be little, if any apples at all, to harvest in autumn. For this reason, farmers and beekeepers collaborate. Beekeepers “harvest” delicious honey from the blooming trees and meadows, and farmers get good and healthy fruit yields.

Then,

let’s look at the ground. Between the rows of apple trees, an array of plant species is growing, from different kinds of grass (there is no such thing as one “grass” species!), herbs and flowers. These lawns are mown several times a year. The mown grass, along with cut-off branches, is left in the plantations as mulch, thus fertilizing the soil.

Look…

at this incredible variety of insects! Working in the plantation is not the best idea for anyone with a phobia of spiders. On the leaves, in the branches, between apples and on the ground, countless spiders have crossed my way. The many ladybugs here help ensure that aphids don’t take the upper hand. Butterflies and dragon-flies flutter around the air. Sadly, a little creek has been destroyed during construction work in the neighbourhood. Such waters are important living spaces for many species.

The diversity of insects is especially important considering the rapid decline they have faced during the last few decennies. According to different scientific studies, insects have decreased by more than 75% since the 1990ies! (1)

Now come…

and pluck an apple with me. Try out all the different varieties you can find. From old cultivars such as Prince Albrecht to more recent ones like Idared, there is an array of taste and colour awaiting you. It is not only wild species that are disappearing from our landscape, but cultivated ones, too. I will write more about this in another article!

Last,

look at the birds, amphibians, mammals and other animals thriving here. Golden oriol, common swift, crane, sea gull, falcon, buzzer, sparrowhawk, goldfinch… those are just some of the birds that live here, while their population numbers are decreasing worldwide. Between the rows of apple trees, deers are finding refuge, too. Some 200 deers live in the plantation throughout the whole year. You can equally find frogs and lizards crawling over the ground.

This farm is a certified organic one. Many people think that this means that no pesticides are applied. While no synthetic substances are used in organic farms, chemicals are still applied. They may be natural or organic substances, but they are still poisenous. Fungi are most often combated with copper and sulphur. Other insects that cause harm to the apple trees are controlled by different organic compounds. But all of these substances are less harmful to the environment than the ones used in conventional farming. In addition, a diverse plantation is less prone to infections, meaning that less pesticide treatments are necessary in the first place.

The panda logo

In addition to being organic, the plantation is cooperating with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). To fulfill the standards of organic, the farm has to sow meadows with wildflowers, plant bordering hedges and trees and provide nesting opportunities. But to carry the WWF panda logo, farms have to create even more space for wildlife. 3% of the total farm area is covered by meadows, ponds or forests. So, if you buy products carrying this logo, you can be sure that the farms involved care particularly about the wild species living there.

Created for dependency

You may ask: why do these spiders, deers, herbs and falcons matter? Because they, together with us humans, form a huge network called ecosystem. Ecosystems are constantly striving to establish harmony. This means balancing the growing and the withering, the living and the dying, big and small species, predators and prey. It is only a diverse ecosystem (i.e. that is resilient) that is able to withstand change. And only in a world rich in species and habitats can we thrive as humans, too. All of nature points to this interdependence. Humans are no exception. They are created to be dependent. Dependent upon each other, upon nature and wildlife and ultimately, upon the Creator.

Every day, around 200 species become extinct. (2) One major reason is that habitats get lost or destroyed. It is in these plantations, hedges, stonewalls, gardens, forests, ponds, rivers and oceans that biodiversity still can thrive. These are havens of biodiversity that feed us and the Earth’s species.

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Sources:
(1) https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185809
(2) http://wwf.panda.org/our_work/biodiversity/biodiversity/