British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Field margins definition

Definition: Field margins can either be around fields in a farm, or between farm boundaries, consisting of bushes in a row down the middle. Often the bushes will be full of small animals like birds, spiders, insects and worms. Having the bushes there is good for the wildlife – sometimes the crops that are growing in the fields nearby are monocultural, the same crops year after year, like wheat or corn. The bushes can be protection for the small animals that live there over the winter, then when spring comes, they can feed on the pests that invade and destroy the crops in the fields. Such pests might be caterpillars, grasshoppers, or locusts. Having the bushes nearby harbouring the natural predators of these pests is beneficial to the farm and ensures a successful crop for consumption.