Is Organic Farming Reflected in the Landscape? A Comparison of the Effects of Different Farming Techniques on Rural Landscapes Wird Biolandbau in der Landschaft sichtbar? Vergleich verschiedener Anbaumethoden in ihrer Wirkung auf die Agrarlandschaft

In 2005, approximately ten percent of the total farmland was being used for organic farming in Switzerland. Numerous studies have investigated the effects of organic farming on aspects such as soil and biodiversity. But what effect does organic farming have on the landscape? This study answers this question by comparing different farms, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. A statistical analysis was made on data gathered from farms in Canton Zurich, including 300 farms that used conventional methods of agriculture, 130 farms using bioorganic methods and ten farms utilising biodynamic production. The qualitative approach comprised the mapping of six farms for reference, to record the exact setting of the farmed areas and, in particular, to identify the ecological compensation areas in the landscape. The results from the quantitative and qualitative investigations of the farms are illustrated by fictive landscapes. Referring to the three different cultivation methods, only slightly visible differences in the landscape can be ascertained. Nevertheless, with more organic farms the intensively used agrarian landscape would be richer in ecological compensation areas and be enhanced with more hedges and high-stem fruit trees.