Food Availability for Meadow Bird Families in Grass Field Margins

Ardea

André P. Schaffers²  Geert R. de Snoo¹  J.M.R. (Hanneke) Wiggers²  Jasper van Ruijven²  Frank Berendse² 

[1] 1 Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands 2 Leiden University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands;1 Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands

关键词: Agricultural Intensification;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：动物科学

来源: Nederlandse Ornithologische Unie/Netherlands Ornithological Union

【 摘 要 】

AgriculturalintensificationingrasslandshasledtothedeclineofmeadowbirdpopulationsinTheNetherlandsinthelast60years.Habitatformeadowbirdchickshasdeclinedinqualityandquantity,therebyreducingfoodavailability.Agri-environmentschemes(AES)tohaltthedeclineinmeadowbirdnumbershavethusfarbeeninsufficient.TheseAESareonthelevelofentirefields,butrecentresearchsuggeststhatmarginsoffieldsmaybemoresuitablechickhabitatthancentresoffields.Therefore,itcouldbeproductivetospecificallytargetgrassfieldmarginsaspartofmeadowbirdAES.Ourstudyexaminedthedifferencesinfoodavailabilityformeadowbirdfamiliesindifferentportionsofagrassfield.Invertebratesweresampledindifferentlocationsonthefieldandresultswerecomparedtoknowndietarypreferencesoffourspeciesofmeadowbirdchicks.Weshowstrongdifferencesinfoodavailabilitywithinfields,dependingonmeadowbirdspecies.ThepreferredpreyspeciesofchicksofBlack-tailedGodwitLimosalimosaandRedshankTringatotanuspredominantlyoccurredinfieldmargins,whereasthoseofOystercatcherHaematopusostraleguschickswerefoundmostlyinthemainpartofthefield.ThepreyspeciesofNorthernLapwingVanellusvanelluschicksshowednoclearpatternwithinfields.Weconcludethatfoodavailabilitywithinafielddiffersspatiallybetweenmeadowbirdspecies.ParticularlyforBlack-tailedGodwitandRedshank,grassfieldmarginsconstituteanimportantpartofthefield.Therefore,specificmanagementtofurtherenhancefoodavailabilityinthesemarginsmayconstituteanimportantadditiontotheexistingmosaicapproach.

【 授权许可】

Unknown