Farmland Species Research Articles

Energy crops affecting farmland birds in Central Europe: insights from a miscanthus-dominated landscape

The expansion of energy crops such as miscanthus Miscanthus x giganteus has changed the habitat of European farmland birds. However, most studies on the subject are based in Western Europe. We surveyed the avian community in a sample bioenergy landscape in Poland to investigate the pattern of use of the crop by birds in Central Europe. During a year-long survey, 80 species were noted, with 32 sighted in miscanthus. The number of bird sightings was negatively correlated with the area covered by miscanthus in study plots. In contrast to results from Western Europe, most woodland-generalist bird species tended to avoid miscanthus. Farmland species (e.g. the corn bunting Miliaria calandra; the tree sparrow Passer montanus; the starling Sturnus vulgaris; the yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella) were less frequently sighted in the crop than in other habitats. Only a few species were sighted more often in miscanthus than in other habitats, e.g. the marsh warbler Acrocephalus palustris; the reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus; the whinchat Saxicola rubetra. The potential impact of expanded miscanthus cropping on bird communities in Central and Eastern Europe may diverge from predictions derived from studies based in Western Europe due to differing habitat preferences and bird densities between the regions. For a majority of farmland species, the crop may constitute only a suboptimal, supplementary habitat, with only a few birds potentially adapting to the exploitation of bioenergy plantations.

Moth responses to sympathetic hedgerow management in temperate farmland

Hedgerows provide valuable habitats and corridors for many species in farmland, yet a lack of appropriate management may threaten their benefits to biodiversity. Although agri-environment scheme (AES) prescriptions on hedgerow management have the potential to reverse the detrimental effect of over-trimming on wildlife, their effectiveness has rarely been addressed. The aims of the study were to (i) assess moth responses to trimming regimes; and (ii) investigate the influence of the surrounding landscape on moth assemblages. We specifically tested the effectiveness of the trimming regime recommended by the targeted AES that was implemented on farms near greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) colonies since it represented the most sympathetic hedgerow management option among English AES options. We sampled adult micro- and macro-moths along 64 hedgerows located within 20 English farms using light traps, and classified moths into two guilds reflecting their larval food preferences, namely grass/herb- and shrub/tree-feeders. Our results suggest that reducing trimming has a positive impact on macro-moth species richness as well as on shrub/tree-feeder abundance and species richness. It also benefited four moth species that are significantly declining in Britain. Furthermore, while the proportion of woodland at a large spatial scale (3.0 km radius around the sampling sites) was positively associated with the abundance of macro-moths and grass/herb-feeders, woodland connectivity had a positive effect on the species richness of grass/herb- and shrub/tree-feeders at large and medium (1.5 km radius) scales, respectively. Both the abundance and species richness of macro-moths and the abundance of shrub/tree-feeders were negatively affected by the presence of arable fields adjacent to hedgerows. Overall, these findings reveal the wider biodiversity benefits of targeted AESs focusing on habitat improvement for R. ferrumequinum, and the importance of woodland in the wider landscape. We therefore strongly recommend implementing a multi-scale management approach (i.e. from field to landscape) through the use of adequate AES prescriptions to conserve moths in agricultural landscapes.

Connectivity of cropped vs. semi-natural habitats mediates biodiversity: A case study of carabid beetles communities

Green-veining policies aiming at restoring biodiversity in agricultural landscapes mainly focus on the connectivity of semi-natural habitats. However, little is known about the potential role of crop connectivity for the biodiversity using cropped habitats. The goal of the present study was to investigate the effects of habitat connectivity related to annual crops vs. semi-natural habitats (woody elements) on insect biodiversity (carabid beetles) in agricultural landscapes, considering contrasted groups of species in terms of habitat preference and dispersal ability. Results showed that the spatial configuration and connectivity of annual crops in the landscape (here, up to 500 m) can contribute to increased abundance of some groups of carabid species. Spatial continuities between spring and winter crops (in 250 m radius circles) had beneficial effects on farmland species with low mobility (brachypterous) in maize crops, possibly reflecting resource complementation processes. The connectivity of annual crops also had positive effects on abundances of dimorphic farmland species in maize crops and of forest species in woodland, but at contrasted spatial scales (in 250 m vs. 50 m radius circles respectively). The present study also revealed antagonistic effects of landscape patterns related to both crops (edge length between winter and spring crops) and semi-natural habitats (percent cover of woodland) on farmland and forest species, highlighting critical issues regarding the conservation of such contrasted ecological species groups in agricultural landscapes.

Grass management intensity affects butterfly and orthopteran diversity on rice field banks

Agricultural intensification through landscape homogenization has been identified as one of the main drivers of the recent biodiversity decline in European farmlands. In particular, the loss of non-cropped habitats has often deprived farmland species of feeding and nesting sites, refuge areas, and dispersal corridors. In this framework, well-managed field margins may play a key role for wildlife conservation in agroecosystems, providing additional suitable habitat patches for many species, which also include several natural agents of pests’ biological control. In rice crops, paddy banks are usually heavily managed by farmers, which remove vegetation through chemical or mechanical procedures, with a consequent limitation of the potential role of levees in maintaining a functional agroecosystem. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of butterfly and orthopteran diversity to different grass management practices on rice field banks, namely herbicide spraying, mowing, and no management. Between April and September 2016, we sampled butterflies and orthopterans on 30 and 22 paddy levees respectively, located in three sites within the intensive rice crop district of northern Italy. Herbicides spraying proved to be the most detrimental practice for these insects, producing a considerable reduction in species richness and abundance in comparison with unmanaged and mown banks. The impacts of mowing were less pronounced than those of chemical treatments; however, frequent cutting caused a significant reduction in butterfly and orthopteran diversity on levees. Our results highlight the importance of unmanaged banks in preserving insect diversity in rice crops, while herbicide spraying should be avoided. Low frequency and rotational mowing could represent sustainable management solutions to meet biodiversity and husbandry requirements in this agroecosystem.

Relationships between vital rates and ecological traits in an avian community.

Comparative studies about the relationships between vital rates and ecological traits at the community level are conspicuously lacking for most taxa because estimating vital rates requires detailed demographic data. Identifying relationships between vital rates and ecological traits could help to better understand ecological and evolutionary demographic mechanisms that lead to interspecific differences in vital rates. We use novel dynamic N-mixture models for counts to achieve this for a whole avian community comprising 53 passerine species, while simultaneously accounting for density dependence and environmental stochasticity in recruitment and survival and, importantly, correcting our inferences for imperfect detection. Demographic stochasticity is taken into account in the form of the binomial and Poisson distributions describing survival events and number of recruits. We then explore relationships between estimated demographic parameters (i.e., vital rates) and ecological traits related to migration patterns, diet, habitat and nesting location of each species. The relative importance of recruitment and adult survival as contributors to population growth varied greatly among species, and interspecific differences in vital rates partly reflected differences in ecological traits. Migratory mode was associated with interspecific differences in population growth and density dependence. Resident species had higher population growth rates than long- and short-distance migrants. We found no relationships between diet and population growth rate. Habitat differences were associated with different growth rates: alpine, wetland and farmland species had lower population growth rates than forest species. Differences in population growth rates among nesting locations showed that breeding habitat is essential for population dynamics. Our study reveals relationships between ecological traits and contributions of vital rates to population growth and suggests ways in which patterns of population growth fluctuations in a community might be determined by life history.

Land use legacy effects on woody vegetation in agricultural landscapes of south‐western Ethiopia

AbstractAimPast land use legacy effects—extinction debts and immigration credits—might be particularly pronounced in regions characterized by complex and dynamic landscape change. The aim of this study was to evaluate how current woody plant species distribution, composition and richness related to historical and present land uses.LocationA smallholder farming landscape in south‐western Ethiopia.MethodsWe surveyed woody plants in 72 randomly selected 1‐ha sites in farmland and grouped them into forest specialist, generalist and pioneer species. First, we investigated woody plant composition and distribution using non‐metric multidimensional scaling. Second, we modelled species richness in response to historical and current distance from the forest edge. Third, we examined diameter class distributions of trees in recently converted vs. permanent farmland.ResultsHistorical distance was a primary driver of woody plant composition and distribution. Generalist and pioneer species richness increased with historical distance. Forest specialists, however, did not respond to historical distance. Only few old individuals of forest specialist species remained in both recently converted and permanent farmlands.Main conclusionsOur findings suggest that any possible extinction debt for forest specialist species in farmland at the landscape scale was rapidly paid off, possibly because farmers cleared large remnant trees. In contrast, we found substantial evidence of immigration credits in farmland for generalist and pioneer species. This suggests that long‐established farmland may have unrecognized conservation values, although apparently not for forest specialist species. We suggest that conservation policies in south‐western Ethiopia should recognize not only forests, but also the complementary value of the agricultural mosaic—similar to the case of European cultural landscapes. A possible future priority could be to better reintegrate forest species in the farmland mosaic.

The potential virtue of garden bird feeders: More birds in citizen backyards close to intensive agricultural landscapes

Farmland bird abundances have been declining for decades, an erosion associated with agricultural changes. Main drivers have already been identified: intensification of practices, modification of landscapes, leading to impoverished summer and winter food availability. In parallel, winter bird feeding in private gardens became a common practice. Such a food supplementation may represent a bonanza for seed-deprived bird communities. Using data collected by citizen providing food to wintering birds in >1100 backyards, we analyzed the temporal and spatial trends in abundance of 30 species at feeders during four core winters periods and along a gradient of local agriculture intensification. Garden feeders located within intensively cultivated landscapes attracted more birds, the relationship being strongest for farmland species. We further found a temporal trend which strengthens this pattern as the winter progresses. These results confirm that supplying winter food to garden birds has not only a recreational value, but can also improve bird numbers hence probably winter survival rates, chiefly in intensive agricultural landscapes.

Benzimidazole fungicides are detrimental to common farmland ants

The impacts of pesticides on biodiversity of off-target organisms are neglected, and current conservation strategies pay little attention to these issues. Particularly the sublethal effects of chemical compounds used in agriculture and forestry are poorly understood, despite they may have detrimental effects on populations of the affected off-target organisms. Here, we tested the effects of 11 benzimidazole fungicides. Benzimidazole fungicides are still being widely used as broad-spectrum plant fungicides in agriculture since 1960s. We tested their effects on the fecundity and survival of queens of Myrmica rubra, a common farmland ant species, following the oral administration of the fungicides for a period of six weeks. We found that ethanolic solutions, as well as water suspensions of all but one tested benzimidazole fungicides, inhibited significantly the fecundity of M. rubra queens; in addition, the flusilazole was lethal when administered at 1.0 and 0.1 mg ml−1. Combined data suggest that the whole class of benzimidazole fungicides has detrimental sublethal effects on the tested ant species and substantially decrease the fitness of the study species. The fact that common farmland species suffer from the effects the application of any of the whole class of fungicides questions their currently widespread use as agricultural fungicides. These findings bring into question the safety of agricultural benzimidazole fungicides and we recommend that their routine spraying should be re-assessed by regulatory agencies.

Active farmsteads are year‐round strongholds for farmland birds

Abstract Farmland birds have experienced substantial declines over recent decades and various conservation measures have been designed to halt their massive decrease. The effectiveness of these measures is however limited, due to inappropriate identification of crucial breeding and wintering habitats. Identification of appropriate habitats, like farmsteads, and understanding seasonal changes in species richness and abundance of farmland birds within these habitats may therefore be key for farmland bird conservation. We investigated the effect of variation in farmstead management on alpha and gamma diversity of all farmland birds and red‐listed farmland birds in the Czech Republic. In particular, we evaluated the diversity of wintering and breeding birds at over 200 sites to explore: (1) differences in bird communities in three types of farmsteads and open farmland; (2) changes in species‐specific habitat preferences between winter and spring; and (3) effect of landscape composition, ruderal vegetation and altitude on bird assemblages. Farmsteads with animal production harboured the highest, whereas open farmland areas had the lowest, species richness and abundance of all farmland birds and red‐listed farmland birds. The decline of species richness in winter was more pronounced in farmland and abandoned farmsteads compared to farmsteads with plant and animal production. Single bird species showed different habitat preferences but the majority of species including red‐listed farmland birds changed preferences towards animal farmsteads during winter. Bird species richness was negatively correlated with altitude and positively with representation of ruderal vegetation. Rarefied gamma diversity confirmed local patterns for both all species and red‐listed species: the highest total species richness was observed in active animal farmsteads but differences among types were significant only during winter. Synthesis and applications. Active farmsteads are local bird diversity hotspots in agricultural landscapes, and host species of conservation concern. Our results highlight the importance of farmsteads during winter, which is a critical period for several wintering farmland species. Our research thus indicates that recent conservation measures for farmland birds should also focus on conservation within non‐farmed habitats, such as actively used farmsteads.

Combining occurrence and abundance distribution models for the conservation of the Great Bustard.

Species distribution models (SDMs) have become important and essential tools in conservation and management. However, SDMs built with count data, referred to as species abundance models (SAMs), are still less commonly used to date, but increasingly receiving attention. Species occurrence and abundance do not frequently display similar patterns, and often they are not even well correlated. Therefore, only using information based on SDMs or SAMs leads to an insufficient or misleading conservation efforts. How to combine information from SDMs and SAMs and how to apply the combined information to achieve unified conservation remains a challenge. In this study, we introduce and propose a priority protection index (PI). The PI combines the prediction results of the occurrence and abundance models. As a case study, we used the best-available presence and count records for an endangered farmland species, the Great Bustard (Otis tarda dybowskii), in Bohai Bay, China. We then applied the Random Forest algorithm (Salford Systems Ltd. Implementation) with eleven predictor variables to forecast the spatial occurrence as well as the abundance distribution. The results show that the occurrence model had a decent performance (ROC: 0.77) and the abundance model had a RMSE of 26.54. It is noteworthy that environmental variables influenced bustard occurrence and abundance differently. The area of farmland, and the distance to residential areas were the top important variables influencing bustard occurrence. While the distance to national roads and to expressways were the most important influencing abundance. In addition, the occurrence and abundance models displayed different spatial distribution patterns. The regions with a high index of occurrence were concentrated in the south-central part of the study area; and the abundance distribution showed high populations occurrence in the central and northwestern parts of the study area. However, combining occurrence and abundance indices to produce a priority protection index (PI) to be used for conservation could guide the protection of the areas with high occurrence and high abundance (e.g., in Strategic Conservation Planning). Due to the widespread use of SDMs and the easy subsequent employment of SAMs, these findings have a wide relevance and applicability than just those only based on SDMs or SAMs. We promote and strongly encourage researchers to further test, apply and update the priority protection index (PI) elsewhere to explore the generality of these findings and methods that are now readily available.

Synergistic interactions between a variety of insecticides and an ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitor fungicide in dietary exposures of bumble bees (Bombus terrestris L.).

In recent years, concern has been raised over honey bee colony losses, and also among wild bees there is evidence for extinctions and range contractions in Europe and North America. Pesticides have been proposed as a potential cause of this decline. Bees are exposed simultaneously to a variety of agrochemicals, which may cause synergistically detrimental impacts, which are incompletely understood. We investigated the toxicity of the fungicide imazalil in mixture with four common insecticides: fipronil (phenylpyrazoid), cypermethrin (pyrethroid), thiamethoxam, and imidacloprid (neonicotinoids). Ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitor (EBI) fungicides like imazalil can inhibit P450 detoxification systems in insects and therefore fungicide - insecticide co-occurrence might produce synergistic toxicity in bees. We assessed the impact of dietary fungicide - insecticide mixtures on the mortality and feeding rates of laboratory bumble bees (Bombus terrestris L.). Regarding mortality, imazalil synergised the toxicity of fipronil, cypermethrin and thiamethoxam, but not imidacloprid. We found no synergistic effects on feeding rates. Our findings suggest that P450-based detoxification processes are differentially important in mitigating the toxicity of certain insecticides, even those of the same chemical class. Our evidence that cocktail effects can arise in bumble bees should extend concern about the potential impacts of agrochemical mixtures to include wild bee species in farmland. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Human Factor: Ecological Salience in Ornithology and Ethno-Ornithology

At the heart of the interplay between names and knowledge is the relative salience of different taxa. Hunn (1999) described four, semi-overlapping kinds of salience: phenotypic, perceptual, cultural, and ecological. While the first three are well documented, ecological salience remains largely hypothetical in the literature. In this paper, I test Hunn's concept of ecological salience by reference to 3186 recorded English folk-names of British birds. The numbers of names recorded across 57 species represented in this study range from two (Nightingale [Luscinia megarhynchos]) to 180 (Grey Heron [Ardea cinerea]). A significant positive correlation is demonstrated between the number of recorded folk-names for a species and a measure of ubiquity in the nineteenth century. Using original bird census data collected by the author for other purposes in the 1990s in farmland and woodland in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, I demonstrate an overall correlation across Linnaean species between the number of names, number of monolexic names, and three measures of specific relative abundance and distribution. The percentage of names for a species that are monolexic, which is an indicator of familiarity, also correlated with the relative abundance of species in farmland, but this relationship was driven entirely by species with little recorded folklore. For those taxa with documented significance to nineteenth century and earlier English folk culture, which tend to carry more names than predicted by ecological ubiquity alone, there was no relationship between the extent of monolexis and the relative abundance of a species. The study suggests that ecological salience was a significant driver in bird naming in pre-industrial English folk culture, that more frequently encountered species were more likely to develop an associated folklore, but that an effect of acquired cultural salience operated as a driver of overall specific salience, potentially masking the effects of ecological salience.

Population trends of Goričko agricultural landscape birds

Abstract Due to numerous bird surveys in the past 20 years, the avifauna of Goričko is relatively well known. For some species, the very first national ecological researches were conducted in this area. The article summarizes all bird surveys so far. It presents population trends of farmland species which is one of the most threatened bird groups in Europe. Most of the qualifying species of this habitat that are protected within the Natura 2000 network have suffered a decline at Goričko, specifically Quail Coturnix coturnix, Scops Owl Otus scops, Hoopoe Upupa epops, Woodlark Lullula arborea and White Stork Ciconia ciconia. The number of breeding pairs of the latter has not changed, but its fecundity has decreased. Furthermore, populations of other farmland bird species have decreased, for example Skylark Alauda arvensis, Stonechat Saxicola rubicola, Serin Serinus serinus and Common Linnet Linaria cannabina, as well as butterfly populations and tracts of grassland habitat types. National agricultural and nature conservation policies are evidently inefficient in protecting the biodiversity of Goričko. The most probable cause for bird population decline is agricultural intensification, which manifests itself at Goričko as disappearance and intensification of meadows, land consolidation, degradation of traditional orchards and use of pesticides. As a result of land consolidation hedges, uncultivated strips between fields, individual trees and bushes and minority habitat types are disappearing, whereas the surface of arable fields is increasing. Nature conservation measures performed by the Public Institute Goričko Nature Park with the support of DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia volunteers seem to be efficient, but are spatially and temporally constrained. For this reason, they cannot serve as a substitute for insufficient systemic financing which could be improved by substantive and financial reform of the agri-environmental scheme. Currently, a negligible percentage (1% in 2016) of Goričko is covered by agrienvironmental scheme measures with positive influence on qualifying species and habitat types. As a consequence, only an insignificant share of subsidies from the Rural Development Plan is used for nature protection at Goričko. If the system of agricultural subsidies remains unaltered, no improvement of the conditions for bird conservation at Goričko can be expected.

Grassland management in agricultural vs. forested landscapes drives butterfly and bird diversity

Calcareous grasslands and orchard meadows are among the most species-rich semi-natural habitats in Europe, but they are severely threatened by intensified land use and abandonment. Here, we focus on the effects of management vs. abandonment of these grasslands in agricultural vs. forest-dominated landscapes of Germany. We recorded butterflies and birds and classified them in farmland and woodland species according to their habitat preferences. Species richness and abundance of farmland butterflies were higher on calcareous grasslands than orchard meadows and benefited from forested landscapes in case of orchard meadows. Species richness of woodland butterflies was higher on abandoned than managed grasslands, independent of habitat type and landscape context. Richness and abundance of farmland birds benefited from managed orchard meadows, and were more abundant in agricultural landscapes. On calcareous grasslands, however, the abandonment led to higher richness and abundance of farmland birds. Woodland birds exhibited higher species richness in abandoned than managed grasslands, especially in orchard meadows. Woodland birds and butterflies appeared to be less affected by habitat type, management or landscape context than farmland species. Calcareous grasslands were much more important for butterfly diversity than orchard meadows, but suitability of orchards for butterflies was improved when embedded in forested landscapes. In contrast to butterflies, bird diversity benefited more from orchard meadows than calcareous grasslands, which had higher diversity when management was abandoned. In conclusion, landscape context can shape communities in these two grassland habitat types, so conservation management should consider reserves in both agricultural and forested landscapes and thereby, diversify regional biota.

The value of small arable habitats in the agricultural landscape: Importance for vascular plants and the provisioning of floral resources for bees

Small remnants of non-arable habitat within the farmland mosaic are considered important for the conservation of farmland biodiversity, but their contribution to landscape-scale species richness is poorly understood. In the present study, we examined the relative contributions of different habitat types to the landscape-scale species richness of vascular plants within farmland of varying landscape complexity. We also analysed pollen collected by bees to examine the extent to which the different habitat types contributed towards the provisioning of floral resources for three taxa (Bombus terrrestris, Megachile sp. and Osmia bicornis). We found that plant species richness increased with landscape complexity (defined as the proportion of semi-natural habitats). The relative contribution of small fragments of non-arable habitat to total plant species richness was high within all landscape types, especially in relation to the small area they covered. The importance of small non-arable fragments for the provisioning of floral resources to bees varied over time and between taxa. Bombus terrestris used the different habitat types differently during different parts of the growing season: arable fields were important early in the season, leys late in the season, and small non-arable habitat fragments during the mid-season when no mass-flowering crops were in bloom. In contrast, Megachile sp. and O. bicornis mainly foraged on plants occurring within grasslands. We conclude that small fragments of non-arable habitat are important for plant species richness at the landscape-scale and that their importance for plants may cascade to the bees that use them as foraging resources. Consequently, it is important to consider the entire landscape mosaic when taking actions to conserve farmland species.

Large changes in the avifauna in an extant hotspot of farmland biodiversity in the Alps

SummaryLarge declines of farmland bird species have been observed in the lowlands of Western Europe, whereas important populations of some of these species have survived in parts of Eastern and Southern Europe and in small areas within Western Europe, e.g. in parts of the Alps. However, such extant hotspots of farmland biodiversity are at risk: The economic and technical developments threaten to erode biodiversity in existing hotspots, potentially repeating the collapse previously observed in Western Europe. We here present changes in the abundance of farmland birds in the Engadin in the Swiss Alps. Farmland birds such as WhinchatSaxicola rubetraand SkylarkAlauda arvensiswere still numerous in 1987/1988 when we first censused the area. During our second census period in 2009/2010, we noticed strong declines of such open country species, while several hedge and tree breeders as well as some species preferring warmer climate increased. We observed a good correlation between the change in the vegetation and in the birds. Both these changes were especially pronounced in areas with a recent agricultural improvement project. Thus, we believe that the change in farmland practices, which affected our mountainous study area much later than the lowlands, and possibly climate change, have led to a profound change in the regional avifauna. Using our data as a case study, we argue that similar, and similarly fast, changes may be on-going or imminent in many other areas with extant important populations of farmland species such as Whinchat and Skylark. Thus, our data add to the repeatedly declared urgency to adjust the advancement of agricultural subsidy systems to better accommodate biodiversity considerations, both in depauperated areas as well as in extant hotspots.

Effectiveness of the system of protected areas of Lombardy (Northern Italy) in preserving breeding birds

SummaryNetworks of protected areas (PAs) where human activities are allowed at different degrees are fundamental to ensure the long-term conservation of biological diversity and ecological processes. However, studies aimed at assessing their effectiveness, focusing on several species simultaneously are scarce. We assessed the effectiveness of the system of protected areas (PAs) of Lombardy, Northern Italy, in conserving bird populations by comparing the changes from 1992 to 2013 in the occurrence of 54 breeding bird species censused in areas classified in different protection categories, namely Nature Reserves (NRs), areas designed predominantly for the protection of nature; Regional Parks (RPs), naturally valuable areas where human activities, including intensive agriculture, are allowed; and non-protected areas (NPAs). Overall, occurrence of common birds increased in Lombardy in the last 20 years and farmland and long-distance migrants (LDMs), which suffered sharp declines at a continental scale, showed stable and increasing trends, respectively. These trends were, however, the balance between those of species whose occurrence markedly increased, and those of species that dramatically declined. Species occurred more often in PAs than in NPAs, while temporal trends in occurrence were significantly more positive in RPs than in both NRs and NPAs. Hence, PAs seemed effective in preserving common bird communities. Occurrence of woodland and short-distance migrant species was higher in PAs than in NPAs, while occurrence of farmland species and LDMs was similar in all protection categories. PAs of Lombardy appear therefore effective only in protecting some categories of birds. Farmland and LDM birds would benefit more from ecologically sustainable land-use policies aiming at improving agro-ecosystem biodiversity than from protected areas.

The varying impact of agri-environment schemes on birdlife in two regions of Poland

The implementation of agri-environment schemes (AES) in Poland began in 2004,yet the effects of their implementation were not systematically monitored until 2010. Using monitoring data collected in 2011 from two regions in Poland, the foothills and the lowlands, we examined the impact of enviornmental variables and the AES on 1) the number of species, 2) the number of territories of all breeding species, 3) the number of territories of target species for bird-oriented AES, and 4) the nimbers of territories of the eight most frequent farmland species. More species and a larger number of territories were recorded in the lowland study plots than in the foothill ones. The proportion of land covered by AES on the study plots had no impact on the number of species or the numbers of territories of all species in either region. Furthermore, the relationship between the number of territories of target species and the proportion of land covered by AES in the lowland region was negative. Environmental variables significantly affected the numbers of territories of two numerous farmland species in the foothill region and three species in the lowlands. The implication of these results is that the AES dedicated to bird conservation need further assessment. To be more effective, the AES have to allow for regional variation; they definitely require further, detailed study.

Bioenergy crops and farmland biodiversity: benefits and limitations are scale-dependant for a declining mammal, the brown hare

Biomass energy crops are prompting major land-use changes in agricultural and marginal land in an effort to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Miscanthus × giganteus, a perennial giant grass, is one of the main such crops in Europe but few studies exist of its interaction with farmland wildlife, particularly mammals. Understanding ecological impacts of bioenergy planting schemes is vital for mitigating potential negative effects on already declining farmland biodiversity and for maximising any benefits from these low-management, structurally diverse crops. We assessed in a mixed farming area in the UK the impact of Miscanthus crops on the brown hare (Lepus europaeus), a widespread but declining farmland species of conservation concern. We intensively radio-tracked hares in Miscanthus blocks of contrasting size and analysed hare diet for evidence of the consumption of Miscanthus. Home ranges differed starkly averaging 10.5 versus 49.6 ha in the small and the large Miscanthus blocks, respectively. Despite entirely avoiding the crop as food, hares appeared able to exist and even thrive in areas planted with Miscanthus though their populations may be significantly limited by reduced food availability and increased energy use where dense Miscanthus is planted over a wide area. As a component of a mixed farming landscape, Miscanthus may provide biodiversity benefits by increasing spatial heterogeneity and refuge areas for declining farmland species like brown hares but any effect is likely to be strongly scale-dependant.

Avian diversity in Norway spruce production forests – How variation in structure and composition reveals pathways for improving habitat quality

Forests used for timber production provide essential ecosystem services to society, as well as potential breeding habitat for bird communities. In southern Sweden, 90% of productive forest land is used for timber production and stands dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies) constitute approximately 40% of the forested area. Due to their homogeneous structure, these spruce production forests are often regarded as depauperate. Despite this perception, knowledge about the biodiversity found in these stands is scarce. Here we synthesize the results of four separate bird surveys conducted within 35 spruce production stands of southern Sweden. The results are compared to recent population trends within the general study area. In total 49 bird species were recorded, with a strong difference in species composition between newly planted clear-cuts (forest age <15years) and forests older than 15years. The majority of species encountered in the older forest category were common forest birds, with a single red-listed species among the regularly occurring species. In contrast, three red-listed “farmland species” were frequently encountered in the newly planted forests, revealing the capacity of those birds preferring open and recently disturbed habitats to utilize clear-cuts. A higher diversity of tree sizes and the inclusion of even relatively small proportions (<15%) of broadleaved tree species had a positive effect on bird species richness. Several species encountered in spruce production forests are declining in numbers, but it is not clear whether these stands are acting as source or sink environments for their populations. However, our results indicate that relatively small adjustments to spruce forest management should improve the quality of this widespread habitat.