Data from: A trait-based approach to plant species selection to increase functionality of farmland vegetative strips

Farmland vegetative strips are a proven source of support for ecosystem
services and are globally used to mitigate effects of agricultural
intensification. However, increasing pressures on agricultural land
require increases in their functionality, such as supporting multiple
ecosystem services concurrently. The plant species sown in a vegetative
strip seed mix determine the establishment, plant community, and ecosystem
services that are supported. Currently, there is no clearly defined or
structured method to select plant species for multifunctional vegetative
strips. Plant traits determine how plants support ecosystem services.
Also, the establishment and persistence of plant communities is influenced
by key internal and external factors. We propose a novel,
evidence‐informed method of multifunctional vegetative strip design based
on these essential traits and factors. This study had three distinct
stages. The first identified plant traits that support water quality
protection, pollinators and/or crop pest natural enemies, using existing
research evidence. We then identified key factors affecting plant
community establishment and persistence. Finally, we applied these
standardized methods to design a multifunctional vegetative strip for a
specific case study (UK lowland farmland). Key plant traits identified,
included floral display size, flower color, nectar content, leaf surface
area, leaf trichome density, percentage fine roots, root length, rooting
depth, and root density. Key internal and external establishment factors
included life history, native status, distribution, established
competitive strategy, associated floristic diversity, flowering time and
duration, and preferred soil type and pH. In the United Kingdom case
study, we used five different plant traits and all of the identified
factors to design a seed mix for a multifunctional vegetative strip. We
present a transferable method of vegetative strip design that can be
adapted for other ecosystem services and climates. It provides landowners
and advisors with an evidence‐informed approach to increase field margin
functionality while supporting farmland biodiversity.