The Agri-Environment Sample Exam Questions

Agri-environment scheme

Agricultural grant schemes, under which farmers receive payments for environmental enhancements 

Annual weed

Pest plant species with yearly (or less) life cycles

Arable land

Land cultivated on an annual basis to grow crops for human consumption

Artificial fertilisers

Chemical fertilisers derived from inorganic sources by industrial processing

Beetle bank  

Grass strip planted in or at the edge of an arable field to encourage beetles and other invertebrate generalist predators  

Bracken  

Invasive native species of fern, often problematic on hill ground, may be toxic to stock and carcinogenic. Its spread had been associated with a decline in hill cattle  

CAP  

Common Agricultural Policy  

CCW  

Countryside Council for Wales, Government conservation agency for Wales  

Cereals  

Annual grass species cultivated for their seeds, e.g. wheat, oats barley etc.  

Common grazing

Area of usually unimproved hill ground over which several farmers have rights to graze

Conservation headland  

Outer strip of arable land cultivated in a way to encourage, uncompetitive weeds, non-pest invertebrates and birds  

Coppice & Coppicing  

Method of harvesting trees for young stems by cutting to ground level on a rotational basis. Associated with elevated light levels and thus increased botanical diversity  

Corncrake  

Rare species of ground nesting birds, whose decline has been linked to silage making  

DEFRA  

Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Government department)  

Dry stone wall & dry stone dyke & dry stain dyke  

Field boundary constructed of stones without mortar. Several regional variants of structure and name. Considered important habitat for many species and of cultural / landscape importance  

EN

English Nature, Government conservation agency for England  

ESA  

Environmentally Sensitive Area, early agri-environment scheme, restricted to target areas. Now defunct in Wales and Scotland  

Field margin

The edge of a field, usually considered as the grass strip at the edge of an arable field  

Flood meadow  

Term frequently misused. A traditional form of encouraging spring grass growth for lambs, by flooding meadows in late winter  

Fodder  

Any plant material grown to be feed to livestock

FRCA

Farming and Rural Conservation Agency. Was the non-privatized rump of ADAS that dealt with conservation rather than production. 

Gorse (Whins in Scotland)

Shrubby yellow flowered legume species of the genus Ulex. May be invasive, may be of conservation value  

Grouse & grouse moor

Game bird of the uplands, moor managed by cyclical burning and grazing to encourage heather growth for grouse  

Habitat  

Place where an organism lives  

Heather & heather moor / moorland  

Dwarf shrubby species of the genus Calluna or Erica may be most abundant species in upland unimproved land  

Hedge & hedgerow 

Field boundary typically comprising of a row of thorny short trees such as hawthorn and blackthorn

Herbicide  

Chemical applied to control pest plant species  

Hill farming  

Upland agriculture typically associated with extensive grazing of sheep and beef. With the trend being for increased sheep and decreased cattle numbers  

Hill fence or hill dyke

The field boundary which separates hill ground from inbye land

Hill ground or outbye

Large expanse of rough grazing, which is open ranched

Improved grassland  

Grassland whose composition has been altered to favour more productive & palatable species of grass and legumes. This may occur by reseeded, and or applications of fertiliser and lime and or grazing management

Inbye

Lower enclosed ground (usually improved) surrounding the farm buildings. (Northern / Scottish term) opposite to hill ground or outbye

Insecticide

Chemical applied to control pest invertebrates

Land drain & drainage  

Pipe buried in agricultural land to improve the drainage  

Ley

Typically relatively short term improved grass or grass / clover pasture  

Lowland heath  

Heather dominated vegetation in the lowlands associated with nutrient poor soils. May be dry in the east, wet in the west or coastal  

Machair  

Species rich, low input, grass / arable agricultural system associated with the sand rich soils of the coastal strip of the western isles of Scotland  

Manure & FYM  

Farm Yard Manure, solid waste products of stock, including faeces, urine and bedding, used as organic fertiliser  

Meadow  

Grass or grass / herb vegetation, usually cut for hay or silage in summer and grazed at other times

Monoculture

The cultivation of a single species of crop within a field. Does not mean growing the same crop year after year, although this may occur

Mowing & topping  

Cutting grass field typically for winter feed or to remove rank stems or unwanted species  

Muirburn

Management of heather moorland by burning (mostly Scottish term)

Natural regeneration

Process of vegetation succession typically involving the invasion of scrub and trees  

Pasture

Grass or grass / herb vegetation, usually seasonally grazed  

Pollard  

Method of harvesting trees for young stems by cutting to head height on a rotational basis. Thus preventing stock from grazing the regrowth  

Rhos pasture

Welsh term for wet rushy area of ground

Rough grazing

Unimproved grassy vegetation, dominated by non-agricultural species, frequently found in the uplands  

SAC  

Special Area of Conservation. European designation of legally protected land because of its conservation value

Scrub  

Area of land covered with low growing trees and shrubs, such as gorse, hawthorn or juniper  

Semi-improved grassland

Grassland that has received some application of fertiliser or lime, but whose composition is more diverse than just ryegrass and clover. May also be derived from a reverting improved pasture

Set-aside  

Land taken out of arable production, receiving CAP funding to reduce production  

Silage

Method of storing fodder for winter feed, without drying  

Slurry  

Semi-solid animal waste products. Produced during housing stock  

SNH  

Scottish Natural Heritage, Government conservation agency for Scotland  

SSSI

Site of Special Scientific Interest, UK designation of legally protected land because of its conservation or geological value

Spray drift  

Unintentional drift of agrochemical into non-target area  

Stewardship scheme & Countryside stewardship scheme  

Agri-environment schemes in England and Scotland  

Stubble  

Residues of stems and spilt grain following harvesting an arable crop  

Supplementary feeding  

The feeding of extra fodder to stock while grazing fresh pasture  

Tir gofal  

Agri-environment schemes in Wales  

Weeds & weed killers  

Undesirable plant species and the method of their chemical control  

Wetlands  

Area of impeded drainage, often of conservation value. May also be important as flood defence  

Wildflowers  

Within an agricultural context, these typically include perennial species of unimproved grasslands and moorlands plus some annual species of arable fields

Wildlife corridor  

Linear feature crossing agricultural land such as stream or hedge which is said to encourage the movement of wildlife across open fields