A diversity of wild plants and flowers growing near cultivated fields helps promote natural control of agricultural pests and attracts pollinating insects so essential to our food system.

Next time you drive past a roadside verge take a close look. Do any wild flowers grow there? Has that little patch of nature escaped the attention of men with motorised scythes (or herbicides) often seen in use on our highways and byways?

If you are in the countryside, near agricultural land, take flowering roadside plants as a good sign. A recent Maltese study has found that a diversity of wild plants growing near productive fields has a beneficial effect on the crop. Allowing wildflowers and plants to flourish on roadside verges near cultivated areas also promotes control of agricultural pests using only what nature provides.

Anyone using nature in this way, to find solutions which lead us to more sustainable development, is taking a leaf right out of the EU biodiversity strategy.

Soil, air, water and all living things make up the world’s natural assets, providing services which make human life possible. This natural capital is not always recognised for its true worth.

Ecosystems make an essential contribution to both human well-being and economic prosperity “so that catastrophic changes caused by loss of biodiversity are avoided.” This is the strategy’s vision for 2050.

Ecosystem services are the benefits which we derive from ecosystems, such as food, fresh water, buffers against natural disasters and other contributions to human wellbeing such as enjoyment of nature.

Speaking at an Mcast seminar last month, Mario Balzan presented a study on nature-based agri-cultural practices which are healthier for both our food and for environment.

Revolutionary techniques have been making farming easier and increasing crop yields worldwide since the 1960s. Yet this has not come without a price. The environmental costs of intensive farming with use of pesticides and fertilisers have brought many problems – greenhouse gases, degraded water quality, salinisation of soil and loss of biodiversity to name a few.

Yet, when ecosystems are allowed to exist alongside agriculture they provide important services for free. Among these are carbon sequestration and control of disease in plants. A service provided by nature which we may be taking for granted is pollination.

Over the past five years, in Malta and other countries, much research has been done on how to design agricultural systems with increased productivity while providing other services based on what nature supplies us with for free.

Modifying the environment by allowing or introducing a wider range of local wild plants will increase the abundance of certain beneficial insects and attract pollinators so important for our food source.

In greenhouse experiments, a type of flower has been found helpful against moths which attack tomatoes. A local plant, similar to the wild carrot, has a huge impact on biodiversity as it attracts insects important for biological pest control.

Modifying the environment by allowing or introducing a wider range of local wild plants will increase the abundance of certain beneficial insects

In a study carried out by Dr Balzan on biodiversity in habitats surrounding agricultural land, a rich mix of wild species was found to be beneficial to crops growing in nearby fields.

Opening the seminar on nature-based solutions for sustainable development, Mcast principal and CEO Stephen Cachia said that the environment was increasingly a critical factor for the well-being of society today. The college’s Institute of Applied Sciences is engaging in research on these environmental issues and on ways of using nature to develop actions along sustainable lines.

This is no “blue sky” research without a clear goal. It is research which is linked to practical issues and relevant to the real world, providing tangible solutions for industry.

The institute is keen to identify local needs and strengthen networks within the fields of water, energy, agriculture, health and tourism. The aim is to create new links within industry, academia and government and aim for viable commercial projects.

Nature-based solutions are living solutions, inspired and supported by nature, which offer economic, social and environmental benefits. Among the benefits of ecosystem services are better air and water quality, flood protection, eco-tourism, recreation, agri-cultural production and climate adaptation.

Planting of trees in open areas near buildings has been found to have a positive cooling effect on communities bordering such a site. Davide Geneletti, University of Trento, spoke on nature-based solutions for urban challenges such as climate change effects in built-up areas.

Speaking on an approach to planning based on ecosystems and their services, Prof. Geneletti referred to a measure promoting the use of vegetation adapted to local climate and drought conditions. This would ensure sustainable watering of green spaces.

A University of Trento study toward a better understanding of exactly who benefits from ecosystem-service solutions was carried out. Buildings adjacent to a green area were found to be cooler in summer. The research looked at the number of beneficiaries and identified categories such as schools and the elderly.

The Italian study was aimed at determining how this type of information could be used to support the planning process in the city of Trento and influence the environmental impact process. Still to come is the complete assessment of key urban ecosystem services for integration into a new urban plan.

An EU Horizon 2020 action entitled Esmeralda (Enhancing Ecosystem Services Mapping for Policy and Decision Making) coordinates and supports member states to meet a core target of Europe’s biodiversity strategy. Mapping of ecosystem services and the actions that follow this phase will enable member states to comply with the strategy. Twenty-five partners are on board with some small and medium enterprises included.

Case studies will be tested and feedback gathered to develop more tailored and flexible solutions before project results are put into practice and fact sheets published. Guidelines from the testing phase are expected out in 2018. Among those to be consulted over methods testing are urban planners and water agencies.

A variety of environmental conditions is present across different member states. The action will look at the entire natural capital of the EU including marine areas. A specific case study is dedicated to the Azores, as one of Europe’s outermost regions.

Edwin Lanfranco, botanist and ecologist from the University of Malta’s Institute of Earth Systems and Department of Biology spoke on the cultural value of plants.

A student at the institute, Annrica Zammit, gave details of research done on attitudes toward cultural ecosystem services in the landscape. The study attempted to set a value to non-material benefits which ecosystem services provide – aesthetic experiences, cognitive development, recreation and spiritual enrichment.

http://biodiversity.europa.eu/maes