Biodiversity on BASE Ireland farms extends beyond the field and below the soil surface — it shapes the wider farm environment and landscape. Above-ground biodiversity includes plants, insects, birds, mammals and the habitats that support them, all interacting with the farming system.
Well-managed farmland can provide a mosaic of habitats that support wildlife while also delivering practical benefits to the farm. Hedgerows, field margins, wetlands, scrub, trees and grass margins offer shelter, regulate water flow, reduce wind impact and provide homes for pollinators and natural predators. These features are not wasted space; they are working assets that contribute to farm resilience.
Crop and sward diversity also supports environmental biodiversity. Flowering plants in multi-species swards, cover crops and companion cropping systems provide forage for pollinators and beneficial insects throughout the year. Diverse rotations reduce pest and disease pressure
naturally, lowering the need for chemical intervention and allowing beneficial species to thrive.
Grass-based livestock systems can enhance biodiversity when grazing is managed to create variation in sward height and structure. Rotational and adaptive grazing can provide nesting areas for birds, habitat for insects and a continuous supply of plant material for soil organisms. In arable systems, maintaining green cover and minimising bare ground helps protect wildlife and reduce nutrient loss to watercourses.
Biodiversity at the environmental scale also supports climate and water resilience. Healthy vegetation and soils slow water movement, reduce runoff and improve infiltration. Trees and hedgerows store carbon, buffer weather extremes and increase landscape stability.
For BASE Ireland farmers, environmental biodiversity is not about reducing production or stepping away from farming. It is about designing farm systems that try to work with natural processes, hoping to creating landscapes where farming, wildlife and environmental protection support one another. By strengthening biodiversity across the whole farm environment, farmers build systems that are more resilient, more adaptable and better suited to the challenges ahead.