Wildlife suffers as set-aside land is lost

One of the most threatened groups of UK plants that will suffer from the loss of set-aside land are arable weeds such as these corn marigolds. The EC this year reduced set-aside land to zero Photograph: Dante Munns/RSPB/PA

Camomile and poppy flowers beside a barley cornfield. Traditional arable weeds that grow in cereal crops are being lost because of herbicides as more land is being farmed Photograph: Dietrich Rose/zefa/Corbis

Modern farm practices have turned the corncockle from a familiar cornfield weed to a rare wildflower Photograph: Sally A Morgan/Ecoscene/Corbis

The cornflower used to be a common and beautiful flower of the farmed countryside but has now become scarce because of the powerful herbicides used in modern farming techniques Photograph: Frank Krahmer/zefa/Corbis

The white-tailed bumble bee is one species of insect that has suffered with the increased use of pesticides in farming and the monoculture of crops Photograph: Tony Hamblin/Frank Lane Picture Agency/Corbis

The meadow brown butterfly has lost habitat as set-aside land has decreased Photograph: Cisca Castelijns/Foto Natura/Getty

Field voles favour tall grassland, marshes, open woodland and grassy areas. The loss of set-aside land means removal of habitat and winter food sources Photograph: Hugo Willcox/Foto Natura/Getty

Brown hares have fewer winter food feeding areas if set-aside land is not preserved Photograph: Andrew Parkinson/Corbis

The stone curlew has benefited from agri-environment schemes that previously sought to preserve set-aside land. There are up to 300 pairs but the loss of set-aside is expected to dent their population Photograph: Duncan Usher/Foto Natura/Getty

A wood mouse. Grain and rye grass monocultures, hedge and scrub removal, filled-in ponds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides have ruined wildlife populations of such species Photograph: Neil Miller/Papilio/Corbis

A cirl bunting. From an all-time low of 118 in 1989, the entire population of this species, now 700 pairs, is dependent on agri-environment schemes in Devon Photograph: Richard Austin/Rex Features

The lapwing is a once-common farmland bird whose numbers declined by almost half between 1970 and 2004. They have lost a huge amount of habitat as wetland has been drained to make way for farming or housing developments Photograph: Stan Craig/Papilio/Corbis

The grey partridge has lost habitat, food source and nesting sites as set-aside farmland has decreased Photograph: Wim Weenink/Foto Natura/Getty