The importance of size, location, and vegetation composition of perennial fallows for farmland birds.

ABSTRACT: Across Europe, patches of un-cropped land (field margins, fallows, etc.) have been established and managed as part of agri-environment schemes (AES) to counteract the decrease in farmland biodiversity. Various studies demonstrate a positive impact of such un-cropped land on different taxa. However, there is potential to further improve the efficiency of fallow options for farmland birds. In a long-term monitoring, 12 breeding farmland bird species and sizes of perennial fallows were recorded from 1992 to 2015 in a 6.1 km² area in Switzerland. Furthermore, habitat composition and fallow characteristics were mapped in 2012. We calculated population trends, analyzed habitat associations and revealed the impact of fallow habitat characteristics on territory density. The proportion o

SUBMITTER: Meichtry-Stier KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6194211 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature