UK meadow project grows greater biodiversity

(30 Jun 2023)

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4441446

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cambridge, United Kingdom - 15 June 2023
1. Close of poppies, cornflowers and daisies
2. Wide of meadow and King's College Chapel
ANNOTATION: A newly-established wildflower meadow on the grounds of King's College Cambridge has become an outdoor laboratory for scientists.
3. Various of Matt Wilkinson, zoology department, Cambridge University, holding sample jars containing invertebrates collected in study
ANNOTATION: A recent study of the meadow found invertebrate biomass to be 25 times higher compared to a nearby grass lawn.
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Matt Wilkinson, zoology department, Cambridge University:
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"Even though it's really quite small, there's still a big difference that we're still getting. There's 25 fold difference in mass. There's three fold difference in diversity going from the lawn to the meadow in basically the same space. So I think it really does make that point that you don't need vast acreage to be able to do this sort of thing."
5. Various of cornflowers
ANNOTATION: Scientists say the meadow is also more drought tolerant and requires less maintenance and fertiliser compared to the nearby grass lawn.
That could potentially save an estimated 1.36 tonnes of greenhouse gases per-hectare, they say.
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Steven Coghill, head gardener, King's College:
"This has got somewhere in the region of about 15 kilograms of wildflower seed that went in in sort of 2019 to give us this amazing sward now. And basically, what we've done is to create an ancient meadow in the space of about four years flat."
7. Mid of swan on banks of River Cam
ANNOTATION: Meadows are gaining popularity in the UK, some Cambridge residents want to see more planted across the university city.
8. People punting on River Cam

STORYLINE:
A wildflower meadow established at a picturesque Cambridge University college is providing a boost to local biodiversity and to the mental wellbeing of students and staff.

The newly-established wildflower meadow in the grounds of Kings College Cambridge has become an outdoor laboratory for scientists based at the prestigious university city.

A recent study found invertebrate biomass in the meadow is 25 times higher than an adjacent grass lawn.

The scientists also found that, in spite of its small size, the wildflower meadow also supports three times as many species of plants, spiders and bugs.

It's more tolerant to drought and needs less maintenance and fertiliser, saving an estimated 1.36 tonnes of greenhouse gases per-hectare compared to the lawn, says scientists.

The project began in 2019, but the meadow first bloomed in 2020. It's now in its third year.

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