Supporting beneficial insects with wildflowers in gardens and vineyards

Land-use change and habitat destruction have reduced biodiversity to the extent that 60% of ecosystem services are considered degraded. Ecological habitat management aims to regulate ecological functions, including ecosystem services such as pest control and pollination. My research has focused on the planting of wildflowers as habitat management for beneficial insects in allotments, gardens and vineyards, as intensively managed, lesser-studied landscapes. The estimated 400,000 ha of UK gardens provide considerable potential pollinator habitat, although a commonly perceived barrier to wildlife gardening is lack of space. Using citizen science, I investigated the effectiveness of a small 4 m2 wildflower patch in recruiting beneficial insects, allocating participants to one of three treatment groups (two wildflower mixes and control) who sampled insects in their private gardens and allotments. Small wildflower patches provided resource-rich habitats, with different treatments attracting different taxa. To assess the ability of a wildflower to attract pollinators to a crop and increase pollination services, I introduced bee-friendly borage as a companion plant co-located with a strawberry plant. In this citizen science project, I found that strawberries companion planted with borage produced significantly more fruit, and fruit of higher aesthetic quality. Verification of the results of both citizen science projects allowed the analysis of effective sampling methods and possible bias in projects conducted in private urban spaces. UK agri-environmental schemes have yet to make vineyard-specific recommendations to support biodiversity in viticulture, despite it being one of the fastest-growing sectors of English agriculture. By conducting insect and floral surveys in a British vineyard, I tested five inter-row treatments (three wildflower mixes, natural regeneration, and mown grass) on their potential in supporting beneficial insects. Sown and spontaneous wildflowers significantly increased insect abundance and richness, with no loss of space for grapevines. I engaged directly with British viticulturists through a survey to understand current management practices and barriers to adopting wildlife-friendly approaches. The majority of respondents reported reliance on synthetic pesticides, having grass-only inter-row cover and frequent summer mowing. Based on the findings in my thesis, I encourage the establishment, management and restoration of floral plantings in vineyards, gardens and allotments. Wildflowers can attract beneficial insects in these environments, enhancing biodiversity, benefiting ecosystem services and contributing to a sustainable future of viticulture and urban agriculture.