Green treasures: Investigating the biodiversity potential of equine yards through the presence and quality of landscape features in the Netherlands.
Authors: Wolframm Inga A, Heric Lara, Allen Andrew M
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary With biodiversity loss accelerating across Europe, equestrian facilities represent a significant yet largely underutilised opportunity for ecological restoration, particularly given that equine yards occupy substantial portions of rural and peri-urban landscapes. Researchers in the Netherlands employed citizen science methodology, recruiting 87 commercial and 420 private yard owners to document the presence, type and dimensions of landscape features (such as hedgerows, tree rows, fruit orchards, flowering strips and buffer zones) on their properties, then used hierarchical multivariate regression analysis to determine which yard characteristics predicted landscape feature coverage. Commercial yards proved significantly larger but markedly less biodiverse, with landscape features covering only 9% of property area on average, whilst private yards achieved approximately 12% coverage—a difference the model attributed to variables including total yard size, number of landscape features, presence of wild hedges, tree rows and embankments, with these factors collectively explaining 47% of the variation observed. The findings demonstrate substantial untapped potential for the equestrian sector to contribute meaningfully to agro-ecological transition, though realising this potential will require tailored engagement strategies that account for competing pressures around horse health, welfare requirements, financial viability and owner knowledge. For practitioners designing or advising on yard development, the research underscores that even modest increases in targeted landscape features—particularly hedgerows, flowering strips and buffer zones—can meaningfully enhance biodiversity whilst remaining compatible with equestrian operations.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Private yard owners already incorporate more biodiversity features than commercial operations — this presents an opportunity to share best practices and demonstrate that habitat features are compatible with horse management.
- •Specific, actionable features like tree rows, hedges, flowering strips, and buffer zones can meaningfully increase biodiversity coverage without requiring major operational changes to yard management.
- •When designing or redesigning equine facilities, consider that landscape features covering 10–15% of property area are achievable and can support ecosystem services while maintaining functionality for horses and handlers.
Key Findings
- •Commercial yards averaged only 9% landscape feature coverage compared to 12% on private yards, indicating substantially different land management approaches.
- •Yard size, tree rows, fruit orchards, wild hedges, flowering strips, buffer strips, embankments and cluttered corners were significant variables explaining variation in landscape feature coverage.
- •The hierarchical model explained 47% of variation in percentage property coverage of landscape features across 507 yards surveyed.
- •Equine properties represent substantial untapped potential for biodiversity enhancement and agro-ecological transition in European rural and peri-urban landscapes.