At the turn of the 20th Century in France, many flowering trees, such as hawthorn and whitebeam, were protected by law.
This was because the authorities knew that birds, which relied on the energy-rich autumnal fruits, would lay seige to springtime insects, which would otherwise damage crops.
Natural approach that delivered a safe, simple and cheap biological control.
France has had the right attitude towards trees for more than a century, yet in the UK the battle to recognise the importance of trees goes on.
Filed under: twiglet Tagged: | berries, biodiversity, biological control, birds, ecology, food chain, france, hawthorn, insects, pests, tree protection, whitebeam
[...] for more than a century, yet in the UK the battle to recognise the importance of trees goes on. http://takecover08.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/twiglet-trees-are-farmers-best-friends/ – Posted to http://forestpolicyresearch.org via gmail to posterous and also to [...]