The effects of improvement of upland, marginal grasslands on the distribution and density of breeding wading birds (Charadriiformes) in northern England

Baines, David

doi:10.1016/0006-3207(88)90141-3

Cited by 43 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…2); also conversion of mixed farms to arable or 'improved' grass monocultures; change from spring-sown to autumn-sown cereals (which reduces the area of spring tillage, favoured for nesting); and increased stocking densities on grassland (which leads to more disturbance, nest predation and trampling) (Beintema & Muskens 1987, Baines 1988, Beintema 1988, Galbraith 1988, Shrubb 1990, Shrubb & Lack 1991, Hudson et al 1994, Wilson et al 2001, Hart et al 2002. No change in annual survival during the years of decline , so reduced reproduction proposed as the demographic cause; and in some local populations annual production measured as insufficient to offset expected annual mortality (e.g.…”

Section: Greenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lapwings have responded with increased breeding density to local reserve management and agri-environment schemes (Ausden & Hirons 2002, Bradbury & Allen 2003. Additional references: Baines (1988Baines ( , 1989, Crick et al (1998), Shrubb (1990), Henderson et al (2001Henderson et al ( , 2003, Sheldon et al (2004).…”

Section: Greenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Baines 1988). Even in some areas where birds still breed, the nesting season is shortened because the ground dries out earlier in the breeding season, leading to reduction in seasonal productivity (Green 1988a).…”

Section: Greenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Baines 1988). High predation rates on eggs in some areas, such as Northern Ireland, where measured reproductive rates were too low to sustain populations and could account for recent rates of population decline (Grant et al 1999).…”

Section: Greenmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The recent declines of farmland bird populations in Britain: an appraisal of causal factors and conservation actions

Newton

2004

Ibis

629

501

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this paper, the main aspects of agricultural intensification that have led to population declines in farmland birds over the past 50 years are reviewed, together with the current state of knowledge, and the effects of recent conservation actions. For each of 30 declining species, attention is focused on: (1) the external causes of population declines, (2) the demographic mechanisms and (3) experimental tests of proposed external causal factors, together with the outcome of (4) specific conservation measures and (5) agri-environment schemes. Although each species has responded individually to particular aspects of agricultural change, certain groups of species share common causal factors. For example, declines in the population levels of seed-eating birds have been driven primarily by herbicide use and the switch from spring-sown to autumn-sown cereals, both of which have massively reduced the food supplies of these birds. Their population declines have been associated with reduced survival rates and, in some species, also with reduced reproductive rates. In waders of damp grassland, population declines have been driven mainly by land drainage and the associated intensification of grassland management. This has led to reduced reproductive success, as a result of lowered food availability, together with increased disturbance and trampling by farm stock, and in some localities increased nest predation. The external causal factors of population decline are known (with varying degrees of certainty) for all 30 species considered, and the demographic causal factors are known (again with varying degrees of certainty) for 24 such species. In at least 19 species, proposed causal factors have been tested and confirmed by experiment or by local conservation action, and 12 species have been shown to benefit (in terms of locally increased breeding density) from options available in one or more agri-environment schemes. Four aspects of agricultural change have been the main drivers of bird population declines, each affecting a wide range of species, namely: (1) weed-control, mainly through herbicide use; (2) the change from spring-sown to autumn-sown cereal varieties, and the associated earlier ploughing of stubbles and earlier crop growth; (3) land drainage and associated intensification of grassland management; and (4) increased stocking densities, mainly of cattle in the lowlands and sheep in the uplands. These changes have reduced the amounts of habitat and /or food available to many species. Other changes, such as the removal of hedgerows and 'rough patches', have affected smaller numbers of species, as have changes in the timings of cultivations and harvests. Although at least eight species have shown recent increases in their national population levels, many others seem set to continue declining, or to remain at a much reduced level, unless some relevant aspect of agricultural practice is changed.Widespread population declines of farmland birds are of major conservation concern in Britain and other parts of Europe. S...

show abstract

Section: Greenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Greenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Greenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Greenmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The recent declines of farmland bird populations in Britain: an appraisal of causal factors and conservation actions

Newton

2004

Ibis

629

501

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…wintering on farmland (e.g. McKay et al 1996), breeding corncrake (Green 1996), stone curlew (Green and Griffiths 1994), and chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (Bignal et al 1996), wading birds wintering on grasslands (Milsom et al 1998) and upland breeding birds such as waders (Baines 1988) and black grouse Tetrao tetrix (Baines 1996). It would be straightforward to use additional segmentation techniques to expand the range of variables measured from the LiDAR/ATM data, in order to provide habitat variables for other species abundance models.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement of habitat predictor variables for organism-habitat models using remote sensing and image segmentation

Mason

Anderson

Bradbury

et al. 2003

International Journal of Remote Sensing

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Robust predictive models of the effects of habitat change on species abundance over large geographical areas are a fundamental gap in our understanding of population distributions, yet are urgently required by conservation practitioners. Predictive models based on underpinning relationships between environmental predictors and the individual organism are likely to require measurement of spatially fine-grained predictor variables. Further, models must show spatial generality if they are to be used to predict the consequences of habitat change over large geographical areas.Remote sensing techniques using airborne scanning laser altimetry (LiDAR) and high resolution multi-spectral imagery allow spatially fine-grained predictor variables to be measured over large geographical areas and thus facilitate testing of the spatial generality of organism-habitat models. These techniques are considered using the skylark as an example species. A range image segmentation system for LiDAR data is described which allows measurement of skylark habitat predictor variables such as within-field vegetation height, boundary height and shape for individual fields within the LiDAR image. Additional variables such as field vegetation type and fractional vegetation ground cover may be obtained from coregistered multi-spectral data. These techniques could have wide application in testing the generality of relationships between populations and habitats, and in ecological monitoring of change in habitat structures and the associated effects on wildlife, over large geographical areas.

show abstract

Parental investment, reproductive success and polygyny in the lapwing,Vanellus vanellus

Parish¹,

Coulson²

1998

Animal Behaviour

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effects of improvement of upland, marginal grasslands on the distribution and density of breeding wading birds (Charadriiformes) in northern England

Cited by 43 publications

References 4 publications

The recent declines of farmland bird populations in Britain: an appraisal of causal factors and conservation actions

The recent declines of farmland bird populations in Britain: an appraisal of causal factors and conservation actions

Measurement of habitat predictor variables for organism-habitat models using remote sensing and image segmentation

Parental investment, reproductive success and polygyny in the lapwing,Vanellus vanellus

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About