How to improve agri-environment schemes to achieve meadow bird conservation in Europe? A case study in the Saône valley, France

Abstract

Ongoing meadow bird demographic trends in Europe raise the question of the effectiveness of public policy aiming to halt biodiversity loss. In this study, we attempted to understand the success and failures in one of the first French Agri-Environment Schemes (AES), 20 years after its implementation. After annually postponing grass harvesting to 1 or 15 July in 25 % of a 3,000-ha lowland meadow system, we observed a clear demographic increase in the Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, the Whinchat Saxicola rubetra and the Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava. No positive effects were recorded for the Skylark Alauda arvensis, the Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra and the Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus, possibly as a result of increased competition with Whinchats and Yellow Wagtails, and the Corncrake Crex crex declined sharply despite the implemented measures. The successful results were attributed, for the Curlew to the species’ early nesting and high adult survival, for the Whinchat to the probable support of immigration, and for the Yellow Wagtail to a possible capacity to avoid unfavourable nesting situations. Late breeding and low adult survival may contribute to explain the continuing Corncrake decline. In the study site, late mown AES areas were too small and fragmented to match efficiently the territory aggregations. We recommend to extend AES principles to all the European range of targeted species, even outside the EU, and to develop species-specific spatial strategies.