The ecosystems and species are very varied.

Here are some general principles to help in the development of biodiversity. [1]

Learn about the species to plant according to your ground : identify your type of ground to put what suits it best

• Avoid phytosanitary products.
• Have a diversity in plant species (you can trade with neighbors or during the seed exchange). Save your seeds to give away.
• Do not turn the soil, but aerate it (with a broadfork for example).
• Compost (It will bring life during the process, then afterwards by amending the soil).
• Leave dead leaves on the ground rather than picking everything up. Leave plant debris on the ground in general.
• Use ground cover plants.
• Leave native plants. Plant local species.
• Hedges are preferable to fences in terms of biodiversity.
• Mulch will prevent the soil from drying out.
• Water only if necessary, at the base of the plant and in the evening if it is hot. Choose plants that are not dependent on water. You can also use rainwater or reuse cooking or washing vegetable water ...
• Provide ditches or canals to allow the flow of excess water. Put the canals in the natural direction of the ground flow if there is a slope, even a slight one. A pond can collect water at the end of the canals.
• The use of nectar or berry plants will please the local fauna.
• If you have too many “harmful” insects, promote habitats of insectivorous species (bats, birds, frogs, hedgehogs, ladybirds, hoverflies, earwigs, lacewings if your land allows it and depending on the type of “harmful” insect...), the presence of plants that “scare” them away or even homemade preparations to get rid of them.
• Feed the birds in cold weather.
• For flower meadows, choose spontaneous and perennial floral species (will be used to feed pollinating and phytophagous insects, as well as a breeding medium for many insects).
• Make sure you have dead wood (in a corner of the garden, in a sunny place or in partial shade) to encourage insects to feed and reproduce there. If you have a wooded area, you can provide 30m³ of dead wood per hectare. A dead trunk standing or lying on the ground are 2 different environments attracting different species.
• Make sure you have a pile of stones for some insects, but also for other small animals.
• Do not mow all surfaces and keep areas of flowering meadows (recommendation of a 1/3 of spaces open to the flowering meadow, more on sites that are not frequented by the occupants of a building).
• We can practice late mowing (end of summer), mowing maximum once a year or in rotation every other year.
• We can have “transition” zones between grassy areas and wooded ones. This is done by providing a layering to create edges (with bushes and shrubs in between). The transition zones are rich in diversity.
• Have monofloral beds well chosen for certain species of wild bees (the smallest wild bees forage in a perimeter sometimes not exceeding 200m)
• If you have a good relationship with your neighbors, you can create “ecological corridors” by leaving holes to allow species, such as hedgehogs, to travel from one garden to another.
• If you have a pond, put a plank (or similar) which makes the junction between the pond and the ground, will allow to avoid unpleasant surprises of small animals drowning.

We can remember that each habitat attracts certain species. The diversity of the implementation will ensure the diversity of the species present.

Here we put general advice. Special habitats are discussed in other resources.