Wessex BESS WP4 ecosystem services provided by beneficial invertebrates in farmland

These datasets contain information on the ecosystem services provided by beneficial insects in farmland in relation to the biodiversity of surrounding grasslands, collected as part of the Wessex BESS project (NE/J014680/1). Wessex BESS was a 4 year project (2012-2016)collecting information on how biodiversity impacts ecosystem services using a natural gradient in grassland biodiversity in southern England. These datasets relate to part of this research project (work package 4) investigating the impact of invertebrate biodiversity at multiple spatial scales on crop production. The datasets include information on populations of beneficial insects in grasslands and in crop fields (using oilseed rape as a test crop) and how this relates to yield. Plant biodiversity was assessed on a landscape scale using data derived from large scale spatial datasets supported by National Vegetation Community surveys and on a local field scale using quadrat surveys of field margins and in crop plant diversity. Measurements within crop fields were collected at the field, transect and plot level and can be linked by consistent codes for FieldID, TransectID and PlotID.

Wessex BESS was funded by NERC under the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability programme.