Agriculture and nature
By farming and stockbreeding many species of animals and plants of the open countryside were protected in Central Europe. They inhabited the fields, the meadows, their edges as well and formed own living communities. These animals and plants fulfill an important function in the natural balance, like pollination (bees, bumble-bees a.o.m.) and decomposition of organic material (for ex. dung-beetles, flies, earthworms).
Lasting for centuries in Thuringia farming was done without using chemicals or biocides. Nowadays they are used in high quantities in order to produce more and more on the existing area.
In the Federal Republic of Germany 3,5 million tons of fertilizer and 54.000 tons of active substance of pesticides are brought upon the productive land every year. That means on average 295 kg fertilizer upon one hectare (by statistics).
The using of pesticides is not exactly recorded, but only indicated in spent DM per hectare. It is estimated, that about 90 litres concentrate of "pesticides" (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides) are brought upon the cornfields in 8 - 10 sprayings every year. The using of toxics (in cases of need) against rodents is not included as well as the using of seed-disinfectants or of stem-stabilizers isn't.
We neither know, how the residues of the chemicals will act on human beings, animals and plants, nor what their long-term-effect on soil, water and food will be.
The lifelike farming better knows how to handle the natural raw materials - soil and water- than the industrial farming does. But currently less than 1% of the whole area under cultivation is used in that way.
Edges of fields - lots of species in a bordering area
The edges of fields are living spaces within arable land.
They developed along the fields among various agricultural crops and as a claim - border. The 3 metres wide strips of that land were mowed once a year.
Bothersome fieldstones were stocked in "Karns", that increased the structure of the living space (biotope) in connection with the planted fruit-trees.
Lots of species of animals established in these small strips.
The richness of flower plants, that offer food all the year round, served as the basis for that. 20 species of butterflies often live in a 100 metres long and 3 metres wide edge of the field. Upto 8 species of bumble-bees can reproduce there without interference.
Such species of birds like the Partridge and the Wheatear find the food and the necessary protection for rearing the offspring there.
By clever linking of the fields with the edges, the fieldwooods and the meadows the use of biocides could rapidly be reduced.
Many species of animals, that also subsist on "pests", live in the edges of the fields.
This nearly unnoticed living space with its community of species really must be preserved and promoted.