Agri-environment schemes are a key mechanism by which agricultural sustainability is encouraged by subsidising farmers to adopt environmentally friendly management (e.g. reduction of inputs) to maintain and enhance the delivery of biodiversity-associated ecosystem services. Studies testing the efficacy of agri-environment schemes have yielded varying results, and few have focused on upland (marginal or Less Favoured Area) grassland (> 150 m above sea level) where productivity is poor. This study used a factorial field experiment to examine patterns in plant communities and terrestrial invertebrates between agri-environment scheme and conventionally managed semi-improved and improved upland grasslands, using 90 spatially paired fields. Total plant species richness and rare plant species richness (those with < 10% occurrence) were unaffected by agri-environment scheme management, but were significantly higher on semi-improved than improved grasslands. Total and rare invertebrate abundance and family-level richness were unrelated to grassland type (semi-improved or improved). Total and rare invertebrate abundances were 4% and 218% higher, and total and rare invertebrate family-level richness were 17% and 14% higher in agri-environment scheme than conventionally managed fields, respectively. Here, we show that agri-environment scheme management of marginal or Less Favoured Area upland grassland was associated with higher multi-taxa invertebrate abundance and richness associated with swards indicative of wetter conditions with lower dominance of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and greater coverage of other native grass species compared to conventional management. This suggests that agri-environment schemes may maintain, enhance or offset declines in terrestrial invertebrates and their associated ecosystem service delivery by maintaining more diverse swards, and suggests that they make a positive contribution to biodiversity conservation.

农业环境计划是一个关键机制，通过补贴农民采用环境友好型管理（例如减少投入）来维持和加强与生物多样性相关的生态系统服务的提供，从而鼓励农业可持续性。测试农业环境计划有效性的研究产生了不同的结果，很少有人关注生产力低下的高地（边缘或不太受青睐的地区）草地（海拔> 150 m）。本研究使用因子田间试验，使用 90 个空间配对田地检查农业环境计划与常规管理的半改良和改良高地草地之间植物群落和陆地无脊椎动物的模式。总植物物种丰富度和珍稀植物物种丰富度（< 10%的发生率）不受农业环境计划管理的影响，但半改良草地明显高于改良草地。总和稀有无脊椎动物丰度和科级丰富度与草地类型（半改良或改良）无关。在农业环境方案中，总和稀有无脊椎动物的丰度分别比常规管理的田地高 4% 和 218%，总和稀有无脊椎动物科水平的丰富度分别高出 17% 和 14%。在这里，我们表明边缘或较不受欢迎的地区高地草地的农业环境计划管理与较高的多类群无脊椎动物丰度和丰富度相关，这与指示较湿润条件的草地相关，多年生黑麦草的优势较低（但半改良草地明显高于改良草地。总和稀有无脊椎动物丰度和科级丰富度与草地类型（半改良或改良）无关。在农业环境方案中，总和稀有无脊椎动物的丰度分别比常规管理的田地高 4% 和 218%，总和稀有无脊椎动物科水平的丰富度分别高出 17% 和 14%。在这里，我们表明边缘或较不受欢迎的地区高地草地的农业环境计划管理与较高的多类群无脊椎动物丰度和丰富度相关，这与指示较湿润条件的草地相关，多年生黑麦草的优势较低（但半改良草地明显高于改良草地。总和稀有无脊椎动物丰度和科级丰富度与草地类型（半改良或改良）无关。在农业环境方案中，总和稀有无脊椎动物的丰度分别比常规管理的田地高 4% 和 218%，总和稀有无脊椎动物科水平的丰富度分别高出 17% 和 14%。在这里，我们表明边缘或较不受欢迎的地区高地草地的农业环境计划管理与较高的多类群无脊椎动物丰度和丰富度相关，这与指示较湿润条件的草地相关，多年生黑麦草的优势较低（在农业环境方案中，总和稀有无脊椎动物的丰度分别比常规管理的田地高 4% 和 218%，总和稀有无脊椎动物科水平的丰富度分别高出 17% 和 14%。在这里，我们表明边缘或较不受欢迎的地区高地草地的农业环境计划管理与较高的多类群无脊椎动物丰度和丰富度相关，这与指示较湿润条件的草地相关，多年生黑麦草的优势较低（在农业环境方案中，总和稀有无脊椎动物的丰度分别比常规管理的田地高 4% 和 218%，总和稀有无脊椎动物科水平的丰富度分别高出 17% 和 14%。在这里，我们表明边缘或较不受欢迎的地区高地草地的农业环境计划管理与较高的多类群无脊椎动物丰度和丰富度相关，这与指示较湿润条件的草地相关，多年生黑麦草的优势较低（与传统管理相比，黑麦草 (Lolium perenne ) 和其他本地草种的覆盖率更高。这表明农业环境计划可以通过维持更多样化的草地来维持、增强或抵消陆地无脊椎动物及其相关生态系统服务提供的下降，并表明它们对生物多样性保护做出了积极贡献。