Parts of farmland that appear weedy and scruffy can in fact provide important wildlife habitat, researchers have suggested.

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Following a study conducted on an organic farm in Somerset, scientists from the Universities of Hull and Bristol have suggested that more overgrown and 'wilder' parts of farmland support much more wildlife. The investigation focused on the complex ways in which animals and plants interact.

Researchers from the two institutions, working with the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, first developed one of the world's largest terrestrial food-webs, which they described as "a what-eats-what guide to the food-chain." Looking at 11 different species in 12 habitats, they found that many types of insects and other animals have food sources in the apparently 'scruffier' parts of the farm such as field corners, the edges of farmyards and areas of unused 'wasteland,' and that loss of these habitats would severely impact the food webs as a whole.

Further study also allowed the team to estimate when different animal species would be made extinct by the loss of particular habitats, and therefore judge which plants and which areas are the most critical in sustaining animal life.

Dr Darren Evans from the University of Hull and the paper's lead-author said, "We discovered that the small patches of unkempt and weedy areas on a farm are actually hugely beneficial in supporting local ecosystems. Indeed, they even benefit animals that could benefit farmers by providing pollination and natural pest control."

Dr Michael Pocock of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology elaborated, "We found that the important food plants for many animals are found in multiple habitats on the farm boosting farmland wildlife resilience." He said that often some of the same species found in mature hedgerows (widely held to be a supremely important habitat) are also found in other parts of the farm, such as 'wasteland'. Dr Pocock added, "Our new analytical approach allows us to test which habitats are disproportionately most important and 'rough ground' – like the unkempt field corners – are most important of all."

Project leader Professor Jane Memmott from the University of Bristol said, "Essentially, in unkempt patches of the countryside there are a wide range of plants that many would regard as weeds, which are an important food source for many animals. There certainly seems to be a case for 'doing nothing' in these habitats. Farmers may even gain by having these scruffy areas because they support so many beneficial animals, such as bees."

The researchers said their study and the approach they used could contribute to the development of new tools for ecologists to examine local ecosystem networks and for management and restoration of multiple-habitat sites.