Response of ground-nesting farmland birds to agricultural intensification across Europe: Landscape and field level management factors
European farmland bird populations have decreased dramatically in recent decades and agricultural intensification has been identified as the main cause contributing to these declines. Identifying which specific intensification pressures are driving those population trends seems vital for bird conser...
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Online Access: | https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/response-of-ground-nesting-farmland-birds-to-agricultural-intensi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.001 |
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ftunivwagenin:oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/434038 2024-02-04T09:52:24+01:00 Response of ground-nesting farmland birds to agricultural intensification across Europe: Landscape and field level management factors Guerrero, I. Morales, M.B. Onate, J.J. Geiger, F. Berendse, F. de Snoo, G.R. 2012 application/pdf https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/response-of-ground-nesting-farmland-birds-to-agricultural-intensi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.001 en eng https://edepot.wur.nl/245412 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/response-of-ground-nesting-farmland-birds-to-agricultural-intensi doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.001 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Wageningen University & Research Biological Conservation 152 (2012) ISSN: 0006-3207 Alauda arvensis Breeding territories Conservation Skylark Winter cereals Yield info:eu-repo/semantics/article Article/Letter to editor info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2012 ftunivwagenin https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.001 2024-01-10T23:21:21Z European farmland bird populations have decreased dramatically in recent decades and agricultural intensification has been identified as the main cause contributing to these declines. Identifying which specific intensification pressures are driving those population trends seems vital for bird conservation in European farmland. We investigated the response of ground-nesting farmland birds to the multivariate process of agricultural intensification in six European countries covering a bio-geographical and intensification gradient. Supported by PCA analysis, two groups of factors, related to field management and landscape modification, were considered, seeking to discriminate the relative importance of the effects of these main intensification components. Variance partition analysis showed that landscape factors accounted for most of the variation of ground-nesting farmland bird individual and breeding pair densities, as well as Skylark (i.e. our single model species) individual densities. In the case of Skylark breeders, field factors were found to be more important to explain their density. Our results suggest that in general farmland bird densities as well as Skylark densities are higher in simple landscapes dominated by agriculture, but with smaller fields and more different crops on the farms. In addition, high yields were negatively related to bird densities. We conclude that while management actions aimed at farmland bird conservation taken at landscape level may exert a strong positive effect on overall bird densities, those taken at field level are also relevant, particularly for breeders and, therefore, may potentially influence the persistence of these species’ populations. --- Highlights ¿ We cover an intensification gradient across seven European agricultural regions. ¿ We analyse the importance of landscape and field management for farmland birds. ¿ Actions at landscape level exert a strong effect on overall bird densities. ¿ Actions at field level are particularly relevant for breeders. ¿ Yield is ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Alauda arvensis Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library Biological Conservation 152 74 80 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwagenin |
language |
English |
topic |
Alauda arvensis Breeding territories Conservation Skylark Winter cereals Yield |
spellingShingle |
Alauda arvensis Breeding territories Conservation Skylark Winter cereals Yield Guerrero, I. Morales, M.B. Onate, J.J. Geiger, F. Berendse, F. de Snoo, G.R. Response of ground-nesting farmland birds to agricultural intensification across Europe: Landscape and field level management factors |
topic_facet |
Alauda arvensis Breeding territories Conservation Skylark Winter cereals Yield |
description |
European farmland bird populations have decreased dramatically in recent decades and agricultural intensification has been identified as the main cause contributing to these declines. Identifying which specific intensification pressures are driving those population trends seems vital for bird conservation in European farmland. We investigated the response of ground-nesting farmland birds to the multivariate process of agricultural intensification in six European countries covering a bio-geographical and intensification gradient. Supported by PCA analysis, two groups of factors, related to field management and landscape modification, were considered, seeking to discriminate the relative importance of the effects of these main intensification components. Variance partition analysis showed that landscape factors accounted for most of the variation of ground-nesting farmland bird individual and breeding pair densities, as well as Skylark (i.e. our single model species) individual densities. In the case of Skylark breeders, field factors were found to be more important to explain their density. Our results suggest that in general farmland bird densities as well as Skylark densities are higher in simple landscapes dominated by agriculture, but with smaller fields and more different crops on the farms. In addition, high yields were negatively related to bird densities. We conclude that while management actions aimed at farmland bird conservation taken at landscape level may exert a strong positive effect on overall bird densities, those taken at field level are also relevant, particularly for breeders and, therefore, may potentially influence the persistence of these species’ populations. --- Highlights ¿ We cover an intensification gradient across seven European agricultural regions. ¿ We analyse the importance of landscape and field management for farmland birds. ¿ Actions at landscape level exert a strong effect on overall bird densities. ¿ Actions at field level are particularly relevant for breeders. ¿ Yield is ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Guerrero, I. Morales, M.B. Onate, J.J. Geiger, F. Berendse, F. de Snoo, G.R. |
author_facet |
Guerrero, I. Morales, M.B. Onate, J.J. Geiger, F. Berendse, F. de Snoo, G.R. |
author_sort |
Guerrero, I. |
title |
Response of ground-nesting farmland birds to agricultural intensification across Europe: Landscape and field level management factors |
title_short |
Response of ground-nesting farmland birds to agricultural intensification across Europe: Landscape and field level management factors |
title_full |
Response of ground-nesting farmland birds to agricultural intensification across Europe: Landscape and field level management factors |
title_fullStr |
Response of ground-nesting farmland birds to agricultural intensification across Europe: Landscape and field level management factors |
title_full_unstemmed |
Response of ground-nesting farmland birds to agricultural intensification across Europe: Landscape and field level management factors |
title_sort |
response of ground-nesting farmland birds to agricultural intensification across europe: landscape and field level management factors |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/response-of-ground-nesting-farmland-birds-to-agricultural-intensi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.001 |
genre |
Alauda arvensis |
genre_facet |
Alauda arvensis |
op_source |
Biological Conservation 152 (2012) ISSN: 0006-3207 |
op_relation |
https://edepot.wur.nl/245412 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/response-of-ground-nesting-farmland-birds-to-agricultural-intensi doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.001 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Wageningen University & Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.001 |
container_title |
Biological Conservation |
container_volume |
152 |
container_start_page |
74 |
op_container_end_page |
80 |
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1789973865955328000 |