Sandrine Petit,^* Les Firbank,^** Barry Wyatt,^*** David Howard<sup>****


*</sup>Sandrine Petit is a landscape ecologist with special reference to insect movements in agricultural landscapes. She has written a book on current research in France on habitat fragmentation and biodiversity in farmlands and was lead author of the MIRABEL report to the European Environmental Agency. Her address: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Merlewood Research Station, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6JU, UK. spet@ceh.ac.uk
^**Leslie G. Firbank is Head of the Land Use section at CEH Merlewood. He is specialized in agro-ecology and was actively engaged in research on the impact of land-use management on biodiversity in farmlands. He is currently program leader for the evaluation of GM crops on farmland biodiversity. His address: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Merlewood Research Station, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6JU, UK. lgf@ceh.ac.uk
^***Barry K.Wyatt is Head of CEH Monks Wood. He has had a long involvement with the design and implementation of information systems in support of European Biodiversity Policy, including leadership of the CORINE Biotopes Project of the European Union. He is actively engaged in research to promote the use of satellite remote sensing in terrestrial sciences. His address: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Monks Wood Research StationAbbots Ripton, Huntingdon, PE17 2LS, UK. bkw@ceh.ac.uk
^****David C. Howard is a Geographical Information Systems specialist with a strong experience in spatial data analysis. He was involved in the production of the European Environmental Classification and his research interests are orientated towards the ecological impacts of land-use change. His address: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Merlewood Research Station, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6JU, UK. dhoward@ceh.ac.uk