A comparison of breeding bird populations inside and outside of European Badger Meles meles control areas
Analyses of survey data reveal no clear effects of the removal of European Badger Meles meles , a top predator in Great Britain, on bird populations. To investigate the effects of licensed Badger culling on bird populations in southwest England using ongoing monitoring data. Breeding Bird Survey dat...
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ftsmithonian:oai:figshare.com:article/14123989 2023-05-15T13:10:05+02:00 A comparison of breeding bird populations inside and outside of European Badger Meles meles control areas Esther F. Kettel (10202113) Ivan Lakin (10202116) Matthew J. Heydon (10202119) Gavin M. Siriwardena (5039441) 2021-02-26T09:00:14Z https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14123989.v1 unknown https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/A_comparison_of_breeding_bird_populations_inside_and_outside_of_European_Badger_i_Meles_meles_i_control_areas/14123989 doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.14123989.v1 CC BY 4.0 CC-BY Ecology Badger removal Badger predation European Badger Meles meles control. control areas Skylark Alauda arvensis 33 population trends species richness European Badger Meles meles population growth rates bird populations habitat composition differences Breeding Bird Survey data Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Text Journal contribution 2021 ftsmithonian https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14123989.v1 2021-03-23T17:55:24Z Analyses of survey data reveal no clear effects of the removal of European Badger Meles meles , a top predator in Great Britain, on bird populations. To investigate the effects of licensed Badger culling on bird populations in southwest England using ongoing monitoring data. Breeding Bird Survey data were used to compare population growth rates inside and outside Badger cull areas in southwest England over a five-year cull period (2013–2017), following a five-year baseline period (2008–2012). Comparative analyses of population growth rates of ground-nesters and of other species were tested for potential influences of Badger predation. We also compared species richness and diversity before and during culling, in treatment and control areas. Most results were non-significant (48 of 58 species) but, where population growth rates were different ( P < 0.1), they were higher for five species, and lower for seven, in cull areas. Ignoring significance, 33 population trends were more positive and 25 more negative within Badger cull areas. However, ground-nesting species, which were more likely to be sensitive to Badger predation, were not more responsive. Species richness declined significantly between pre-culling and culling periods in all areas, but diversity was unaffected and neither metric differed between treatment and control areas. There was no evidence for broad or consistent effects that support the existence of causal effects of Badger removal. Results for Skylark Alauda arvensis and Lapwing Vanellus vanellus suggested positive and negative effects of the cull, respectively, for these potentially sensitive species. Management and subtle habitat composition differences between study areas, and small sample sizes, may have limited statistical power, but there was no evidence that this affected inference. Monitoring and evaluation must continue as culling continues and is expanded, potentially increasing study power. Future research could also evaluate the potential ecological and demographic mechanisms behind any effects on birds of Badger removal. Other Non-Article Part of Journal/Newspaper Alauda arvensis Vanellus vanellus Unknown |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
ftsmithonian |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Ecology Badger removal Badger predation European Badger Meles meles control. control areas Skylark Alauda arvensis 33 population trends species richness European Badger Meles meles population growth rates bird populations habitat composition differences Breeding Bird Survey data Lapwing Vanellus vanellus |
spellingShingle |
Ecology Badger removal Badger predation European Badger Meles meles control. control areas Skylark Alauda arvensis 33 population trends species richness European Badger Meles meles population growth rates bird populations habitat composition differences Breeding Bird Survey data Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Esther F. Kettel (10202113) Ivan Lakin (10202116) Matthew J. Heydon (10202119) Gavin M. Siriwardena (5039441) A comparison of breeding bird populations inside and outside of European Badger Meles meles control areas |
topic_facet |
Ecology Badger removal Badger predation European Badger Meles meles control. control areas Skylark Alauda arvensis 33 population trends species richness European Badger Meles meles population growth rates bird populations habitat composition differences Breeding Bird Survey data Lapwing Vanellus vanellus |
description |
Analyses of survey data reveal no clear effects of the removal of European Badger Meles meles , a top predator in Great Britain, on bird populations. To investigate the effects of licensed Badger culling on bird populations in southwest England using ongoing monitoring data. Breeding Bird Survey data were used to compare population growth rates inside and outside Badger cull areas in southwest England over a five-year cull period (2013–2017), following a five-year baseline period (2008–2012). Comparative analyses of population growth rates of ground-nesters and of other species were tested for potential influences of Badger predation. We also compared species richness and diversity before and during culling, in treatment and control areas. Most results were non-significant (48 of 58 species) but, where population growth rates were different ( P < 0.1), they were higher for five species, and lower for seven, in cull areas. Ignoring significance, 33 population trends were more positive and 25 more negative within Badger cull areas. However, ground-nesting species, which were more likely to be sensitive to Badger predation, were not more responsive. Species richness declined significantly between pre-culling and culling periods in all areas, but diversity was unaffected and neither metric differed between treatment and control areas. There was no evidence for broad or consistent effects that support the existence of causal effects of Badger removal. Results for Skylark Alauda arvensis and Lapwing Vanellus vanellus suggested positive and negative effects of the cull, respectively, for these potentially sensitive species. Management and subtle habitat composition differences between study areas, and small sample sizes, may have limited statistical power, but there was no evidence that this affected inference. Monitoring and evaluation must continue as culling continues and is expanded, potentially increasing study power. Future research could also evaluate the potential ecological and demographic mechanisms behind any effects on birds of Badger removal. |
format |
Other Non-Article Part of Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Esther F. Kettel (10202113) Ivan Lakin (10202116) Matthew J. Heydon (10202119) Gavin M. Siriwardena (5039441) |
author_facet |
Esther F. Kettel (10202113) Ivan Lakin (10202116) Matthew J. Heydon (10202119) Gavin M. Siriwardena (5039441) |
author_sort |
Esther F. Kettel (10202113) |
title |
A comparison of breeding bird populations inside and outside of European Badger Meles meles control areas |
title_short |
A comparison of breeding bird populations inside and outside of European Badger Meles meles control areas |
title_full |
A comparison of breeding bird populations inside and outside of European Badger Meles meles control areas |
title_fullStr |
A comparison of breeding bird populations inside and outside of European Badger Meles meles control areas |
title_full_unstemmed |
A comparison of breeding bird populations inside and outside of European Badger Meles meles control areas |
title_sort |
comparison of breeding bird populations inside and outside of european badger meles meles control areas |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14123989.v1 |
genre |
Alauda arvensis Vanellus vanellus |
genre_facet |
Alauda arvensis Vanellus vanellus |
op_relation |
https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/A_comparison_of_breeding_bird_populations_inside_and_outside_of_European_Badger_i_Meles_meles_i_control_areas/14123989 doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.14123989.v1 |
op_rights |
CC BY 4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14123989.v1 |
_version_ |
1766213878149021696 |