Värdet av örtrika kantzoner i jordbruket

Sammanfattning: Within the agricultural landscape, food production has been rendered more efficient through mechanization and the use of pesticides and fertilisers. These developments has had a negative impact on the biodiversity and the ecosystem services that a high biodiversity contributes to. The establishment of field margins can improve the biodiversity and ecosystem services such as pollination and biological pest control. The aim of this study was to examine if flower rich field margins contribute to a higher amount of pollination and biological pest control than grassy field margins. The aim was also to evaluate the effects of the field margins economically, making a monetary assessment of the value of pollination and biological pest control presented in Swedish krona. A literature review was performed together with an evaluation of the monetary value of pollination and biological pest control based on two case studies. The economic value of pollination and biological pest control was then calculated based on their impact on crop yield. The results showed that flower rich field margins contributed to a higher amount of pollination and biological pest control, within the agricultural field, than grassy field margins. The average income of pollination services were calculated to 48 kr per meter and year established flower rich field margin and 10 kr per meter and year established grassy field margin. The average income for biological pest control were 1.24 kr per meter and year established flower margin and 0 kr per meter and year grassy field margin. It was concluded that flower rich field margins contribute with a higher amount of pollination and biological pest control than grassy field margins within the adjacent field. Further studies at a larger scale would be needed to determine their impact within the lager agricultural landscape.