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The effects of management regimes and location in landscape on the conservation of farmland birds breeding in semi-natural pastures
Semi-natural dry grasslands have almost disappeared in the modern farmland of southwestern and central Europe. In the northern and eastern parts of Europe, however, this species-rich habitat is still relatively common, albeit in a phase of rapid loss. To halt this decline the Swedish government star...
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Published in: | Biological conservation 1999-09, Vol.90 (2), p.113-123 |
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Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Semi-natural dry grasslands have almost disappeared in the modern farmland of southwestern and central Europe. In the northern and eastern parts of Europe, however, this species-rich habitat is still relatively common, albeit in a phase of rapid loss. To halt this decline the Swedish government started a large-scale subsidy scheme for the management and restoration of semi-natural pastures mainly aimed at increasing botanical values. We compared and contrasted the current management prescriptions with habitat preferences of 23 farmland bird species breeding in 88 dry semi-natural pastures in south-central Sweden. Semi-natural pastures showed very high breeding densities of several farmland birds underlining the importance of this habitat to the conservation of farmland birds. A TWINSPAN classification of all birds identified two groups of pastures with different bird communities. Eleven (48%) of the bird species were significantly more common in a group of pastures situated in open farmland, while only five (22%) species occurred in higher densities in pastures characterised by a high proportion of forest along the borders. Fifteen (83%) of the 18 species occurring in both pasture groups showed significant habitat-abundance relationships related to the management of semi-natural pastures, although in different directions and to different extents. Our results suggest that many farmland bird species require two important factors for their choice of breeding habitat, namely safe nest sites close to good foraging areas. Both factors are partly under the control of farmers and should be invoked in conservation strategies since many farmland birds are declining across Europe. To benefit the conservation of farmland birds in Sweden one should, in contrast to the present botanical-based subsidy scheme, retain ⩾10% cover of shrubs within pastures and preferentially select pastures in open farmland (i.e. potentially safer nesting sites with better food conditions) for restoration and management plans. |
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ISSN: | 0006-3207 1873-2917 |
DOI: | 10.1016/S0006-3207(99)00022-1 |