Nature-friendly farming boosts biodiversity and yields but may require new subsidies

Comprehensive on-farm trials investigated financial viability of agroecological methods

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

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An in-field wildflower strip planted as part of the trials.

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Credit: UKCEH

Farming methods that support nature improve both biodiversity and crop yields but more extensive measures may require increased government subsidies to become as profitable as conventional intensive agriculture. That is the finding of the first comprehensive on-farm trials of their kind in the UK, which were led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and Rothamsted Research.

This four-year study across 17 conventional, commercial farms in southern England not only trialled various agroecological methods but also – for the first time – the financial viability for businesses.

It showed that incorporating nature-friendly practices within farming – agroecology – increases biodiversity, pollination by bees, natural pest control and numbers of earthworms. This boosted crop yield, but the cost of creating the habitats and the loss of some productive land on which to create these habitats affected the profitability of these systems. New subsidies may therefore be required to support farms’ transition to sustainable agriculture.

Trialling agroecological methods

Scientists at UKCEH and Rothamsted worked with farmers to co-develop the trials using simple management practices within three different agricultural systems on each of the farms:

1) Business-as-usual – typical intensive agriculture and no nature-friendly farming.

2) An ’enhanced’ ecological farming system which involved planting wildflower field margins to provide habitat for bees, beetles and spiders, and sowing overwinter cover crops to capture carbon and retain nutrients in the soil.

3) A ‘maximised’ ecological system’ which added to the enhanced system  by also planting in-field strips of wildflowers – ‘stripey fields’ – to provide ‘runways’ for beneficial insects to get further into crops, and the addition of organic matter in the form of farmyard manure to improve soil health.

Benefits for nature and farmers

The study found that in the enhanced and maximised ecological systems, there were increased populations of earthworms, pollinators such as bees and hoverflies, as well as natural predators of crop pests such as ladybirds, lacewings and spiders. This reduced populations of pest aphids and snails, and increased the seed numbers and thereby yield of flowering crops like oilseed rape.

There was also higher soil carbon and overall increased crop yields on the farmed area due to healthier soils, greater pollination and natural pest control. The study also found the enhanced ecological system was as profitable as intensive farming, but only due to agri-environmental subsidies.

While the various benefits for biodiversity, soil carbon and yield were greater in the maximised ecological system – which included planting in-field wildflower strips and buying in farmyard manure – the study found that the average farm would require increased subsidies to make it as profitable as intensive farming. Though the additional cost can be offset in certain situations because, for example, mixed farms already have free and easy access to manure.

Future-proofing farms

UKCEH ecologist Dr Ben Woodcock, who led the study, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, explained: “Without the introduction of new financial incentives, many farmers will be deterred from adopting agroecological farming practices and systems. This could leave them locked into high input, intensive farming systems and more exposed to the impacts of pesticide resistance, declining soil health and climate change.

“While farmers run businesses that need to be profitable, there is an increasing awareness that more sustainable systems can help ‘future-proof’ their farms in terms of soil health, less reliance on pesticides  and climate change.

“Agroecological methods are good for biodiversity, food security and, in the long-term, provide more secure farm incomes but habitats can take several years to establish, so agri-environment subsidies are essential to helping farmers transition to these more sustainable systems.”

The study authors say demonstrating the effectiveness of agroecological practices to farmers could be a critical step breaking farmers free from 'intensification traps'.

Professor Jonathan Storkey, an ecologist at Rothamsted Research, said: “This study confirmed that managing land on farms for wildlife is not in direct conflict with food security but can support sustainable production by increasing yields and reducing pest pressure. These ‘ecosystem services’ could potentially substitute for chemical fertilisers and pesticides which negatively impact the environment.

“However, our analysis has shown that realising these benefits will require additional support for farm businesses that currently operate on very narrow profit margins. As input costs increase, however, these agroecological approaches may become more attractive.”

Training improves habitat quality

Furthermore, training and increasing experience will enable farmers to get the most out of measures that support nature like wildflower field margins, for the types of habitats needed to support beneficial insects have very different requirements to crops.

Previous UKCEH research has shown that training farmers in the establishment and management of wildlife habitats improves their quality and effectiveness in supporting beneficial insects like bees.

The agroecological trials (2018-2021) were part of a long-term collaboration involving UKCEH and Rothamsted, partners in research, government and industry, and farmers to develop sustainable, resilient agricultural systems that boost biodiversity and crop production. Work has been funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council.

You can find out more about the research from scientists at UKCEH’s stand (DF C36) at the Groundswell regenerative agriculture festival in Hertfordshire on 2 and 3 July 2025.

- Ends -

Media enquiries

For interviews with one of the scientists or Julian Gold, farm manager of the East Hendred estate, which took part in the trials, or further information, please contact Simon Williams, Media Relations Officer at UKCEH, via simwil@ceh.ac.uk or +44 (0)7920 295384

Alternatively, please come along to the UKCEH stand at Groundswell. Dr Ben Woodcock will be there Thursday 3 July.

Notes to Editors

Woodcock et al. 2025. Agroecological farming promotes yield and biodiversity but may require subsidy to be profitable. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.70079. Open access.

The study involved scientists from UKCEH, Rothamsted Research, the Czech Academy of Sciences, the National Trust and the Wildlife Farming Company. It was part of the former ASSIST programme, since succeeded by the AgZero+ programme.

About the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)

The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) is a leading independent research institute dedicated to understanding and transforming how we interact with the natural world. 

With over 600 researchers, we tackle the urgent environmental challenges of our time, such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Our evidence-based insights empower governments, businesses and communities to make informed decisions, shaping a future where both nature and people thrive.

ceh.ac.uk / BlueSky: @ukceh.bsky.social / LinkedIn: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

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Journal

Journal of Applied Ecology

DOI

10.1111/1365-2664.70079 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Agroecological farming promotes yield and biodiversity but may require subsidy to be profitable

Article Publication Date

1-Jul-2025

 

Study: What we learned from record-breaking 2021 heat wave and what we can expect in the future

Portland State University

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The deadly, record-breaking heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest in June 2021 continues to be the subject of intense interest among scientists, policy makers and the public. A new study from some of the region's top climate scientists synthesized more than 70 publications addressing the causes and consequences of the extreme heat wave and the potential for similar high-heat events to happen in the future.

"It's still the event of interest for anyone who studies heat waves or the atmospheric patterns that cause them," says Paul Loikith, associate professor of geography in Portland State's School of Earth, Environment and Society and a co-author of the study.

Researchers in the Pacific Northwest and around the world agreed that the heat wave was caused by a rare and complex combination of meteorological factors. The primary driver was a persistent, extraordinarily strong ridge of high pressure — often called a "heat dome" — that trapped hot air over the region. Other contributing factors included moisture from the tropical Pacific Ocean, high solar radiation, low pressure offshore, sinking air over land and unusually dry soils.

Loikith says there's no consensus that ridges of high pressure similar to the one that drove this event will become significantly more common, but as the climate continues to warm, the temperatures experienced during the 2021 heat wave, such as 108, 112 and 116 degrees Fahrenheit over three consecutive days in Portland, will become more frequent.

"Essentially, you don't need a high pressure ridge of that magnitude to create a heat wave of that magnitude," Loikith said. "As you get into a warmer climate, you could have a weaker feature in the atmosphere lead to the same temperatures because the overall background climate is getting hotter."

He says the likelihood of reaching 116 degrees Fahrenheit in Portland again is increasing over time, but the probability is still fairly low.

"By the end of the 21st century, a heat wave of this magnitude potentially could be experienced once a decade or maybe even more frequently under a higher emissions scenario," Loikith said.

Whether the region experiences another heat wave of equal magnitude this summer or next summer can't be predicted more than one or two weeks in advance.

"Portland summers have warmed by a lot over the last 80 years — four, even five degrees Fahrenheit — but the 2021 event was almost 40 degrees Fahrenheit above average," Loikith said. "Putting that into context, we're seeing this steady, gradual warming. We will still have some cooler summers and warmer summers. The cooler summers are warmer than cooler summers were in the past, and the warmer summers are warmer than the warm summers in the past."

The researchers say that there is still much to learn about the atmospheric drivers and long-term impacts of these extreme weather events.

The 2021 heat wave had compound effects on human health and ecosystems. Mortality, heat-induced illness and the number of visits to emergency departments were anomalously high, with the greatest impact among older adults, individuals living alone, those with lower incomes, and those without working air conditioning. Browning or scorching of tree leaves and needles following the heat wave was extensive, although the extent of long-term tree mortality is not yet clear. 

Following the heat wave, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia established new initiatives to reduce the risk of heat-related illness, including workplace regulations and new programs to provide cooling devices to populations at greatest risk, but the researchers anticipate it will be several years before the effectiveness of these new interventions is known.

"This is an example of why we need to study these things so that we can better understand them and better predict what their likelihood is going to be in the future," Loikith said. "The studies that we reviewed in this paper help us understand things as basic as atmospheric theory, like things that we still don't fully understand about the atmosphere, all the way to impacts on ecosystems and on people and everything in between. We are still learning, and that's making us more prepared."

The study was published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Loikith was joined in the study by Oregon State University's Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute and lead author; David Rupp, an associate professor and researcher with OCCRI; Larry O'Neill, Oregon's state climatologist; and Karen Bumbaco, Washington's deputy state climatologist.

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Journal

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

DOI

10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0188.1 

Method of Research

Literature review

Article Title

Synthesis of Publications on the Anomalous June 2021 Heat Wave in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada

 

Illegal shark product trade evident in Australia and New Zealand

University of Adelaide

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A bull shark jaw.

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Credit: Josephine Lingard

Research from the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences and Wildlife Crime Research Hub has highlighted evidence of shark products entering both Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand, including clear patterns in flows between the two countries.

According to the study, published in Pacific Conservation Biology, the products identified were carried in personal luggage and postage, likely transported for personal use, as trophies, or for resale or consumption.

Most products seized upon entry to Australia came from Asia, and the most seized commodity was fin products. Trophy items, such as preserved specimens, were more likely to originate from the United States of America.

“Over one third of chondrichthyan species, which includes sharks and shark-like rays, are currently threatened with extinction, with all threatened shark species also overfished,” says Josephine Lingard, a PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide.

“Shark species are widely sought after for fins, and many used for shark fin soup, a delicacy and status symbol primarily consumed in Southeast Asia.

“While the global trade in shark meat has been steadily increasing since the early 2000s, the trade of legally collected shark fins – where sharks are brought to land with fins still attached to the body – has been decreasing.”

Asia was also the most common region of origin for products entering Aotearoa/New Zealand, but Oceania followed closely, with Australia being the most dominant country of origin in both passenger and mail seizures.

“We did not expect Australia to be a dominant country of origin for seizures in Aotearoa/New Zealand, given Australia showed a decline in the number of seizures over time and Aotearoa/New Zealand’s seizures increased,” says Lingard.

“However, we suspect the occurrence of seizures from Australia may be due to Aotearoa/New Zealand’s geographic position and international flight connections.

“But it also may be the case that sharks are potentially being caught and products processed and/or purchased in Australia and taken to Aotearoa/New Zealand, or simply that Australia is listed as the country of origin but is merely a stopover location for passengers travelling from elsewhere.”

Lingard’s study drew on border seizure data from Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand to investigate where shark products originated from and whether there were country-specific differences in the products traded through time.

The study also found there was inconsistent data on the species of shark used in intercepted products, meaning the impact of these products on threatened and endangered species is unclear.

“Less than 1 per cent of seizures from both countries contained species-specific information, but 14 of the 18 seized species that were identified were listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species,” says Lingard.

“The lack of species information across the datasets we reviewed matches general shark fisheries data where species are often grouped using harmonised system codes, which impedes conservation management of species and makes the monitoring of threatened species increasingly difficult.

"Increased efforts to investigate and record accurate species information across wildlife seizures will greatly assist understanding the patterns and drivers of the illegal wildlife trade, and help deliver real-world actions to help conserve threatened species.”

The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia are joining forces to become Australia’s new major university – Adelaide University. Adelaide University will open its doors in January 2026. Find out more on the Adelaide University website.

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DOI

10.1071/PC25006 

 

New model extracts sentence-level proof to verify events, boosting fact-checking accuracy for journalists, legal teams, and policymakers

Boosting factuality accuracy by 2.5 points and exact-match by nearly 5 on standard benchmarks

Higher Education Press

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Imagine reading a long article or a thick legal contract and knowing, with confidence, exactly which lines prove that an event happened—or did not happen. That is now possible thanks to a research team at Soochow University. They have built a new neural network that not only determines if an event described in a document is real but also highlights the exact sentences that led it to that conclusion. In head-to-head comparisons with earlier approaches, this new model improved overall fact-checking accuracy by 2.5 points and exact-match accuracy by almost 5 points on a standard benchmark.

“We aimed to open the black box of AI decision-making,” says Prof. Zhong Qian, the lead researcher. “By showing exactly which sentences support our model’s verdict, we make its reasoning as clear as stepping through a well-explained proof.”

Why This Makes a Difference

In our fast-paced digital world, false or misleading claims can spread rapidly. Journalists racing to cover breaking stories need tools that do not simply raise a flag but also explain their reasoning. Legal teams reviewing lengthy contracts cannot afford to miss a single misleading clause. This model’s ability to pinpoint the precise text that supports—or contradicts—an event’s truth helps professionals across fields see exactly why a claim stands or falls. It is a step toward AI systems that feel less like inscrutable black boxes and more like transparent partners.

A Tool for Many Fields

This innovation goes far beyond the newsroom. In the media, it could slash the time needed to verify eyewitness accounts or viral online claims by highlighting the most telling sentences. In law, it could breeze through pages of dense text to mark where a statement is grounded in fact or where it may be speculative. Even scientists and developers of future AI systems will benefit from a clear example of how to strike a balance between accuracy and interpretability. In every case, the result is greater trust and faster, more reliable decision-making.

What the Tests Showed

When the team applied their model to an English corpus used by researchers worldwide, it achieved a factual-accuracy score of 66.9%—up from 64.4%—while exact matches rose to 42.9%, nearly five points higher than the previous best pipeline approach. The gains were most dramatic in cases involving speculative language or outright negatives—areas where earlier models often struggled. The model even maintained its edge when tested on a Chinese version of the same dataset, demonstrating its ability to adapt across languages.

How It Comes Together

At the heart of the new approach is a method of examining a document from multiple angles simultaneously. The system builds a web of connections among words, sentences, and special cues such as “not” or “perhaps.” It then homes in on the exact stretch of text that carries the weight of the truth decision. Finally, it blends those pinpointed clues with the overall story of the document to arrive at a final verdict. The result is both precise and coherent, with no loose ends.

This work appears in the June 2025 issue of Frontiers of Computer Science. The authors plan to share their code and detailed annotations, allowing others to build upon their outcomes. As AI becomes a crucial part of our daily lives, innovations like this one promise to keep machines honest, transparent, and valuable—whether we are checking the latest news, reviewing a contract, or simply reading for pleasure.

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Journal

Frontiers of Computer Science

DOI

10.1007/s11704-024-3809-6 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

A multi-view heterogeneous and extractive graph attention network for evidential document-level event factuality identification

 

Bond behavior of FRP bars in concrete under reversed cyclic loading: an experimental study

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The study investigates the cyclic bond behavior of FRP bars from four key parameters—bar diameter, embedment length, concrete strength, and rib geometry—leading to the development of a unified bond stress–slip constitutive model and hysteresis framework. Validated through systematic pull-out tests, the model accurately captures interfacial degradation mechanisms under cyclic loading and provides a reliable foundation for simulating FRP-concrete interaction in seismic applications, enhancing the precision of performance-based structural design.

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Credit: Bo Li/Beijing University of Technology, Dong Li/Beijing University of Technology, Fengjuan Chen/Beijing University of Technology, Liu Jin/Beijing University of Technology, Xiuli Du/Beijing University of Technology

Published in Smart Construction, this study investigates the cyclic bond behavior of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars—an area vital to seismic design yet previously underexplored. By examining carbon (CFRP), glass (GFRP), and basalt (BFRP) fiber reinforced polymer bars under reversed cyclic loading, the research quantifies how bar diameter, embedment length, concrete strength, and rib geometry influence initial bond stiffness, unloading strength, frictional resistance, and energy dissipation. A unified bond stress–slip constitutive model and hysteresis framework are developed to capture interfacial degradation mechanisms under cyclic loads. These contributions offer key insights for improving the seismic performance and reliability of FRP-reinforced concrete structures in earthquake-prone regions.

This study uses physical test methods to systematically study the evolution of bonding performance of different types of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars under cyclic loading. Through positive and negative cyclic pull-out tests on three types of FRP bars, carbon fiber (CFRP), glass fiber (GFRP) and basalt fiber (BFRP), the effects of bar diameter, anchorage length, concrete strength and surface rib shape on bonding stiffness, unloading strength, friction and energy dissipation capacity are comprehensively analyzed.

1. Experimental design

1. Material type: Three representative FRP bars, CFRP, GFRP and BFRP, are selected to study the differences in their bonding behavior under cyclic loading.
2. Control parameters: Multiple groups of bar diameter, anchorage length, concrete strength grade and rib shape feature combinations are set to systematically examine the effects of various factors on bonding performance.
3. Loading method: Apply positive and negative cyclic displacement loading to obtain a complete load-slip hysteresis curve to characterize the degradation characteristics of bonding performance.

2. Key Parameter Analysis

The effects of key influencing parameters—bar diameter, embedment length, concrete compressive strength, and surface rib geometry—were investigated through reversed cyclic pull-out tests to evaluate the bond behavior between FRP bars and concrete. Bond performance indicators such as initial stiffness, unloading strength, frictional resistance, and energy dissipation were analyzed. Main findings include:

1. Bar diameter: An increase in diameter generally reduces bond stress due to a lower specific surface area, resulting in decreased frictional resistance and energy dissipation under cyclic loading.
2. Embedment length: Greater embedment length enhances anchorage capacity and improves unloading stiffness, but after a threshold, the bond performance gain becomes marginal.
3. Concrete compressive strength: Higher concrete strength improves initial stiffness and peak bond strength, while also delaying interface degradation during cyclic loading.
4. Rib geometry: Well-defined surface ribs significantly enhance mechanical interlock, improving cyclic bond performance; however, overly aggressive ribs may lead to stress concentration and early interface damage.

3. Constitutive Model and Hysteresis Framework

This study reveals that the bond–slip behavior between FRP bars and concrete under cyclic loading is governed by complex interfacial degradation mechanisms, including frictional loss, stiffness reduction, and progressive slip accumulation. Through systematic reversed cyclic pull-out testing, the evolution of bond performance across different FRP types and influencing parameters was quantified.

To capture these mechanisms, a unified bond stress–slip constitutive model was proposed, incorporating distinct loading, unloading, and reloading branches. The model reflects nonlinearity in initial stiffness, residual strength after unloading, and energy dissipation via slip-dependent degradation rules. A corresponding hysteresis framework was developed to describe the full cyclic response, including pinching effects and strength decay over multiple load cycles.

The proposed model significantly improves prediction accuracy for bond behavior under seismic-like loading and serves as a foundational tool for nonlinear simulation of FRP-reinforced concrete structures. It also lays the groundwork for integrating interfacial damage mechanics into performance-based seismic design. Future work will focus on extending the model to full-scale structural elements and validating it against dynamic loading conditions.

This paper “ Bond behavior of FRP bars in concrete under reversed cyclic loading: an experimental study” was published in Smart Construction.

Li B, Li D, Chen F, Jin L, Du X. Bond behavior of FRP bars in concrete under reversed cyclic loading: an experimental study. Smart Constr. 2025(2): 0013, https: //doi. org/ 10. 55092/ sc20250013.

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Journal

Smart Construction

DOI

10.55092/sc20250013 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Bond behavior of FRP bars in concrete under reversed cyclic loading: an experimental study

21ST CENTURY ALCHEMY

Researchers uncover new mechanism of ion transport in nanofiltration membranes

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters

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Preference of Negatively Charged Membranes in Magnesium and Lithium Separation by Nanofiltration

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Credit: LIU Lulu

A research team led by Prof. WAN Yinhua from the Institute of Process Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has uncovered a surprising new mechanism that fundamentally alters our understanding of ion transport in nanofiltration (NF) membranes and provides critical insights into improving lithium recovery from high-magnesium brines.

The findings were published in Nature Communications on July 1.

For years, scientists believed that positively charged NF membranes should be more effective at separation of lithium (Li⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions than negatively charged membranes based on the principles of co-ion competition and Donnan equilibrium, which describe how ions are repelled by a like-charged membrane. These theories suggested that Li⁺, being smaller and singly charged, would pass through a positively charged membrane more easily than Mg²⁺, which is larger and carry a double charge.

Yet, in practice, negatively charged NF membranes often exhibit superior Li⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivity—an observation that existing theories failed to fully explain.

To understand this inconsistency, the researchers combined molecular dynamics simulations with experimental measurements to examine ion transport dynamics in mixed salt systems. They found that highly negatively charged NF membranes with small pore sizes simultaneously achieved high Mg²⁺ rejection (>90%) and remarkably low Li⁺ rejection (–53.2%), indicating an unusual selectivity mechanism.

To explain this phenomenon, the researchers proposed a "counter-ion competition mechanism." Under this mechanism, strongly hydrated Mg²⁺ ions accumulate near the membrane surface due to charge attraction, promoting dehydration of the weakly hydrated Li⁺ ions at the pore entrance. This dehydration reduces the size of Li⁺ and strengthens its electrostatic interaction with the membrane, ultimately enhancing its transport across the membrane.

"Our findings provide a mechanistic foundation for designing next-generation NF membranes with tailored ion selectivity," said Prof. LUO Jianquan, corresponding author of the study. "This work not only advances the theoretical understanding of the NF process but also opens up new possibilities for efficient lithium extraction from challenging brine resources."

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Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-025-61336-6 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Preference of negatively charged membranes in magnesium and lithium separation by nanofiltration

Article Publication Date

1-Jul-2025