Breeding skylarks (Alauda arvensis) on organic and conventional arable farms in The Netherlands

Kragten, Steven; Trimbos, Krijn B.; Snoo, G.R. de

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2008.01.021

Cited by 44 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…These single values are used to evaluate habitats (e.g., Kragten et al, 2008;Birrer et al, 2013;Meichtry-Stier et al, 2014), calculate bird population sizes, and produce ecological indicators (e.g., Flade et al, 2008;PECBMS, 2009;EBCC, 2012). When abundances of bird species are documented in individual sample areas during a breeding season where the beginning and duration of the season is known and the species is singlebrooded, then a single value might be sufficient to characterise the abundance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, it is difficult to identify cause-effect relationships based on single value abundance data. Although the development and structure of the crop vegetation appears to be a key component for the habitat quality of crop fields for Skylarks and other farmland birds (Kragten et al, 2008;Schön, 2011;Hoffmann et al, 2012, several additional associated environmental factors can profoundly affect the abundance over time, including predators (Tryjanowski, 2000;Whittingham and Evans, 2004;Langgemach and Bellebaum, 2005;Morris and Gilroy, 2008;Praus et al, 2014). Furthermore, the application of pesticide is a significant factor that can influence an agricultural ecosystem (Cook et al, 2010;Dickeduisberg et al, 2012;Steinmann et al, 2012) and the stability of seasonal bird populations (Taylor et al, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Moving Window Abundance – A method to characterise the abundance dynamics of farmland birds: The example of Skylark (Alauda arvensis)

Hoffmann

Wittchen

Stachow

et al. 2016

Ecological Indicators

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moving Window Abundance – A method to characterise the abundance dynamics of farmland birds: The example of Skylark (Alauda arvensis)

Hoffmann

Wittchen

Stachow

et al. 2016

Ecological Indicators

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“…The higher biodiversity applies to different taxonomic groups, including micro-organisms, earthworms, weeds and wild flowers, insects, mammals and birds (13,(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22) . In regions where the number of organic farms increased, the diversity and abundance of bees grew considerably, which contributed to the pollination of crops and wild plants over larger areas (23) .…”

Section: The Concept Of Organic Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability of organic food production: challenges and innovations

Niggli

2014

Proc. Nutr. Soc.

100

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The greatest challenge for agriculture is to reduce the trade-offs between productivity and long-term sustainability. Therefore, it is interesting to analyse organic agriculture which is a given set of farm practices that emphasise ecological sustainability. Organic agriculture can be characterised as being less driven by off-farm inputs and being better embedded in ecosystem functions. The literature on public goods and non-commodity outputs of organic farms is overwhelming. Most publications address the positive effects of organic farming on soil fertility, biodiversity maintenance and protection of the natural resources of soil, water and air. As a consequence of focusing on public goods, organic agriculture is less productive. Meta-analyses show that organic agriculture yields range between 0·75 and 0·8 of conventional agriculture. Best practice examples from disadvantaged sites and climate conditions show equal or, in the case of subsistence farming in Sub-Saharan Africa, higher productivity of organic agriculture. Hence, organic agriculture is likely to be a good model for productive and sustainable food production. Underfunding in R&D addressing specific bottlenecks of organic agriculture are the main cause for both crop and livestock yield gaps. Therefore, the potential for improving the performance of organic agriculture through agricultural research is huge. Although organic farming is a niche in most countries, it is at the verge of becoming mainstream in leading European countries. Consumer demand has grown over the past two decades and does not seem to be a limiting factor for the future development of organic agriculture.

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“…Late-season availability of suitable breeding crops can also be improved by increasing the use of spring-sown cereals Kragten et al 2008;Eggers et al 2011) or lucerne that is mown with low frequency (Eraud and Boutin 2002;Stein-Bachinger and Fuchs 2004). In the present study, the highest nestling productivity was reached in lucerne.…”

Section: Skylark Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of breeding habitat and field margins on the reproductive performance of Skylarks (Alauda arvensis) on intensive farmland

et al. 2015

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Field margin management is a common measure employed in Europe to support farmland bird populations. In this study we found and analysed 237 nests of the Skylark Alauda arvensis in the Netherlands over a period of 6 years to determine the effects of arable field margins and breeding crop on nest-level reproductive success. Additionally, the effect of field margins on predation was investigated and food availability in crops and field margins was compared. Neither clutch size, nest survival nor nestling body weight were improved by field margin availability, irrespective of the breeding crop used. However, the choice of breeding crop had important effects. Nestling weight was significantly lower in cereals than in grassland and lucerne, corresponding with the low prey densities present in cereals. Nest survival was lowest in grassland due to frequent silage cutting. Predation rates were highest in cereals but were not affected by field margin proximity. The highest reproductive success was achieved in lucerne, which was mown twice a year and retained a suitable height for breeding throughout the breeding season. We conclude that field margins are not sufficient to maintain a Skylark population in this intensively farmed area. The presumably more subtle effects of increased food availability cannot compensate for the high nest failure rates resulting from agricultural operations and predation. In this and similar areas, the provisioning of safe nesting habitat throughout the breeding season is essential to improve breeding performance. Our research suggests that this can be achieved by reducing the frequency of silage cutting on grassland and by increasing the surface area of lucerne.

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Breeding skylarks (Alauda arvensis) on organic and conventional arable farms in The Netherlands

Cited by 44 publications

References 13 publications

Moving Window Abundance – A method to characterise the abundance dynamics of farmland birds: The example of Skylark (Alauda arvensis)

Moving Window Abundance – A method to characterise the abundance dynamics of farmland birds: The example of Skylark (Alauda arvensis)

Sustainability of organic food production: challenges and innovations

Effects of breeding habitat and field margins on the reproductive performance of Skylarks (Alauda arvensis) on intensive farmland

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