the woodland to help the understory develop. Historical orchard maintenance and creation. Archaeological sites, traditional farmland buildings and designed landscapes such as parkland. Options to help protect and in the case of the buildings and landscape, restore them. Buffer strips, field corners, beetle banks and field margins. Uncultivated grass areas, without fertiliser or pesticide application, these offer the growth of habitat for wildlife. They are also used to buffer watercourses, ponds or wild habitat from adjacent fields from intensive agricultural operations. Bird seed and nectar bearing crops. The latter for nectar feeding insects such as bees and butterflies. Options to encourage the stubble of harvested crops to be left over winter. This provides a winter food source for seed-eating birds, from spilt grain and the seeds of broadleaved weeds. They are also a habitat for brown hares, and early breeding site for ground-nesting birds such as lapwing and curlew. Where a winter crop is sown, there is an option to create unsown areas. These are beneficial to skylark birds that nest in vegetation less than 50 cm high. Prevention of soil erosion from converting steep slope arable land to grassland, and growing maize crops during the summer. Reducing or eliminating fertiliser and pesticide inputs on grassland and arable land, to increase species diversity. Maintaining and creating species rich grassland Encouraging mixed stock, e.g. sheep and cattle in the same field to encourage species diversity. This is because they graze to different levels, have different trampling effects, and their faeces can attract invertebrates. Access footpaths and payments for educational tours around farms. Maintenance and creation of ponds Objectives Environmental Stewardship has a number of wide-ranging objectives, which include: Protection of water and soil Prevention of erosion and water pollution Flood management Wildlife conservation Protect archaeological sites and historic features Provide public access to the countryside Conserve rare traditional livestock breeds and varieties Alternative schemes Single Payment Scheme (SPS) 4.1 – replaced Basic Payment Scheme Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) 4.2 – closed 2014 Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) 4.3 – closed ? Organic Aid/Organic Farming Scheme (OAS/OFS) 4.4 Energy Crops Scheme (ECS) 4.5 Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS), Farm Woodland Scheme (FWS), Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS) and the English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) 4.6 – closed 2014 Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) 4.7 – replaced by Upland ELS Other land management schemes 4.8 Inheritance/Capital gains tax exemption 4.9 Farm assurance schemes and the Pesticide