The influence of different aspects of grouse moorland management on nontarget bird assemblages
Abstract Conflict between stakeholders with opposing interests can hamper biodiversity conservation. When conflicts become entrenched, evidence from applied ecology can reveal new ways forward for their management. In particular, where disagreement exists over the efficacy or ethics of management ac...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:fdfb5fce28ad43188e6f5e40d2458769 2023-05-15T16:08:31+02:00 The influence of different aspects of grouse moorland management on nontarget bird assemblages Nick A. Littlewood Tom H. E. Mason Martin Hughes Rob Jaques Mark J. Whittingham Stephen G. Willis 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5613 https://doaj.org/article/fdfb5fce28ad43188e6f5e40d2458769 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5613 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.5613 https://doaj.org/article/fdfb5fce28ad43188e6f5e40d2458769 Ecology and Evolution, Vol 9, Iss 19, Pp 11089-11101 (2019) burning conservation conflict curlew golden plover human‐wildlife conflict predator control Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5613 2022-12-31T06:27:28Z Abstract Conflict between stakeholders with opposing interests can hamper biodiversity conservation. When conflicts become entrenched, evidence from applied ecology can reveal new ways forward for their management. In particular, where disagreement exists over the efficacy or ethics of management actions, research clarifying the uncertain impacts of management on wildlife can move debates forwards to conciliation. Here, we explore a case‐study of entrenched conflict where uncertainty exists over the impacts of multiple management actions: namely, moorlands managed for the shooting of red grouse (willow ptarmigan) Lagopus lagopus in the United Kingdom (UK). Debate over how UK moorlands should be managed is increasingly polarized. We evaluate, for the first time at a regional scale, the relative impacts of two major moorland management practices—predator control and heather burning—on nontarget bird species of conservation concern. Birds were surveyed on 18 estates across Northern England and Southeast Scotland. Sites ranged from intensively managed grouse moors to moorland sites with no management for grouse shooting. We hypothesised that both targeted predator control and burning regimes would enhance ground‐nesting wader numbers and, as a consequence of this, and of increased grouse numbers, nontarget avian predators should also be more abundant on heavily managed sites. There were positive associations between predator control and the abundance of the three most widespread species of ground‐nesting wader: strong effects for European golden plover Pluvialis apricaria and Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata and, less strongly, for common snipe Gallinago gallinago. These effects saturated at low levels of predator control. Evidence for effects of burning was much weaker. We found no evidence of enhanced numbers of nontarget predators on heavily managed sites. Article in Journal/Newspaper Eurasian Curlew European Golden Plover Numenius arquata Pluvialis apricaria Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Ecology and Evolution 9 19 11089 11101 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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language |
English |
topic |
burning conservation conflict curlew golden plover human‐wildlife conflict predator control Ecology QH540-549.5 |
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burning conservation conflict curlew golden plover human‐wildlife conflict predator control Ecology QH540-549.5 Nick A. Littlewood Tom H. E. Mason Martin Hughes Rob Jaques Mark J. Whittingham Stephen G. Willis The influence of different aspects of grouse moorland management on nontarget bird assemblages |
topic_facet |
burning conservation conflict curlew golden plover human‐wildlife conflict predator control Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract Conflict between stakeholders with opposing interests can hamper biodiversity conservation. When conflicts become entrenched, evidence from applied ecology can reveal new ways forward for their management. In particular, where disagreement exists over the efficacy or ethics of management actions, research clarifying the uncertain impacts of management on wildlife can move debates forwards to conciliation. Here, we explore a case‐study of entrenched conflict where uncertainty exists over the impacts of multiple management actions: namely, moorlands managed for the shooting of red grouse (willow ptarmigan) Lagopus lagopus in the United Kingdom (UK). Debate over how UK moorlands should be managed is increasingly polarized. We evaluate, for the first time at a regional scale, the relative impacts of two major moorland management practices—predator control and heather burning—on nontarget bird species of conservation concern. Birds were surveyed on 18 estates across Northern England and Southeast Scotland. Sites ranged from intensively managed grouse moors to moorland sites with no management for grouse shooting. We hypothesised that both targeted predator control and burning regimes would enhance ground‐nesting wader numbers and, as a consequence of this, and of increased grouse numbers, nontarget avian predators should also be more abundant on heavily managed sites. There were positive associations between predator control and the abundance of the three most widespread species of ground‐nesting wader: strong effects for European golden plover Pluvialis apricaria and Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata and, less strongly, for common snipe Gallinago gallinago. These effects saturated at low levels of predator control. Evidence for effects of burning was much weaker. We found no evidence of enhanced numbers of nontarget predators on heavily managed sites. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nick A. Littlewood Tom H. E. Mason Martin Hughes Rob Jaques Mark J. Whittingham Stephen G. Willis |
author_facet |
Nick A. Littlewood Tom H. E. Mason Martin Hughes Rob Jaques Mark J. Whittingham Stephen G. Willis |
author_sort |
Nick A. Littlewood |
title |
The influence of different aspects of grouse moorland management on nontarget bird assemblages |
title_short |
The influence of different aspects of grouse moorland management on nontarget bird assemblages |
title_full |
The influence of different aspects of grouse moorland management on nontarget bird assemblages |
title_fullStr |
The influence of different aspects of grouse moorland management on nontarget bird assemblages |
title_full_unstemmed |
The influence of different aspects of grouse moorland management on nontarget bird assemblages |
title_sort |
influence of different aspects of grouse moorland management on nontarget bird assemblages |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5613 https://doaj.org/article/fdfb5fce28ad43188e6f5e40d2458769 |
genre |
Eurasian Curlew European Golden Plover Numenius arquata Pluvialis apricaria |
genre_facet |
Eurasian Curlew European Golden Plover Numenius arquata Pluvialis apricaria |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution, Vol 9, Iss 19, Pp 11089-11101 (2019) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5613 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.5613 https://doaj.org/article/fdfb5fce28ad43188e6f5e40d2458769 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5613 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
19 |
container_start_page |
11089 |
op_container_end_page |
11101 |
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1766404569146851328 |