Protection strategies for farmland birds in legume–grass leys as trade-offs between nature conservation and farmers’ needs

Stein-Bachinger, Karin; Fuchs, Sarah

doi:10.1007/s13165-012-0029-4

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Their environmental gains and optimization potentials are different. A way to increase their positive environmental impacts is to conduct targeted research within these farming systems [49,50].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, legume-grass swards play a very important role, not just for N-fixation. They provide soil fertility and offer further multiple ecosystem benefits, such as plant health and wildlife biodiversity [29,50]. Moreover, they reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption by replacing mineral N fertilizer, and they reduce dependency on imported protein [32].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on legumes, organic crop rotations provide a more diverse crop spectrum when compared to conventional farms [55], providing multifunctional benefits, including environmental and conservation goals [32,50]. With ROTOR, farmers can plan and evaluate complex crop rotations according to the site conditions, taking into account the legume proportion and limited amounts of manure due to the restrictions on stocking rates [56].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Ecological Recycling Agriculture to Enhance Agro-Ecosystem Services in the Baltic Sea Region: Guidelines for Implementation

Stein-Bachinger

Reckling

Bachinger

et al. 2015

Land

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Eutrophication caused by agriculture is an increasing ecological threat to the Baltic Sea. Modern, resource-efficient farming systems based on integrated plant and animal production, effective nutrient recycling and low external inputs can enhance multiple agroecosystem services, resulting in reduced pollution. Practical examples of such farming systems are not widespread. Therefore, the Baltic Ecological Recycling Agriculture and Society (BERAS) Implementation project aimed to foster this systemic shift. In this paper, agronomic strategies are described to improve nitrogen (N) efficiency for the conversion to ecological recycling agriculture (ERA). First, N farm gate balances of 22 farms in conversion are presented. They showed a large variation from −9 to 90 kg·N·ha. Then, the use of guidelines and advisory tools to improve the nitrogen efficiency is described. The legume estimation trainer and nitrogen budget calculator help assess and optimize the nitrogen supply from legumes under farming conditions. The application of the crop rotation planning tool "ROTOR" guides advisors and farmers to identify agronomically and environmentally sound rotations. The tools can help overcome key agronomic constraints by implementing ERA. The necessity of accompanying measures from policy and the need to change food consumption patterns are discussed. OPEN ACCESSLand 2015, 4 738

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Ecological Recycling Agriculture to Enhance Agro-Ecosystem Services in the Baltic Sea Region: Guidelines for Implementation

Stein-Bachinger

Reckling

Bachinger

et al. 2015

Land

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Based on our findings, we see two main possibilities for increasing the availability of safe nesting habitat for Skylarks in the study area and in similar agricultural landscapes. First, the safety of grassland as a breeding habitat could be improved by reducing the number of silage cuts, preferentially in combination with lowered inputs of fertilizer to reduce grass growth, thereby lengthening the cutting interval and allowing the birds more time to raise their brood (Wilson et al 1997;Vickery et al 2001;Donald et al 2002;Stein-Bachinger and Fuchs 2012). This is particularly important because Skylarks greatly prefer grassland as a breeding habitat, especially in June and July when winter wheat becomes too tall and other suitable crops are only scarcely available.…”

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

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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.

show abstract

“…1), with a climatic gradient and a soil gradient (Table 1). Both regions include biosphere reserves where the conversion to OF has been supported because of its high nature conservation potential (Stein-Bachinger and Fuchs 2012). Compared with the Spreewald region, the Uckermark region is characterised as being a dryer and cooler region, with richer soils, higher pH values, and suitable for alfalfa.…”

Section: Study Regionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change impacts of legume-grass swards: implications for organic farming in the Federal State of Brandenburg, Germany

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Multispecies legume-grass swards (LGS) within crop rotations are the primary source for nitrogen and livestock forage in organic farming systems (OFS) in Europe. At the same time, LGS are very susceptible to the effects of climate change on OFS in dryer regions. In order to predict changes in annual and seasonal LGS yields, the number and dates of LGS cuts and drought impact, an empirical statistical yield model based on alfalfa (A) and red clover (B) was applied to two of the driest areas within Germany: the 'Spreewald' (SP), with sandy soils only suited for red clover and the 'Uckermark' (UM) with sandy loams. Weather data series from 1972 to 2008 and two regional warming scenarios for 2062-2092, namely 'Dry' and 'Wet', were used to calculate the impacts. Only the scenario 'Dry' predicts an annual yield reduction (about 20 %), for both regions. This impact can be attributed to (1) the first cut is early by four weeks (decreasing the yield by 0.5 t ha -1 ), (2), the third cut is often delayed (caused by water deficiency) and (3) eventual impracticality of a fourth cut. In contrast, the second cut increased by 1 t ha -1 for 'Wet'. In SP, frequent severe drought impacts are predicted for red clover LGS. This deleterious impact of the 'Dry' scenario can be partially compensated only in UM when alfalfa is used, which showed lower susceptibility to drought. Along with the predicted yield reduction, an increased vulnerability of organic farms in both study regions cannot be prevented.

show abstract

Protection strategies for farmland birds in legume–grass leys as trade-offs between nature conservation and farmers’ needs

Cited by 13 publications

References 17 publications

Ecological Recycling Agriculture to Enhance Agro-Ecosystem Services in the Baltic Sea Region: Guidelines for Implementation

Ecological Recycling Agriculture to Enhance Agro-Ecosystem Services in the Baltic Sea Region: Guidelines for Implementation

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

Climate change impacts of legume-grass swards: implications for organic farming in the Federal State of Brandenburg, Germany

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About