Managing water levels on wet grasslands to improve foraging conditions for breeding northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus

Published source details Eglington S.M., Bolton M., Smart M.A., Sutherland W.J., Watkinson A.R. & Gill J.A. (2010) Managing water levels on wet grasslands to improve foraging conditions for breeding northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47, 451-458.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Create scrapes and pools Action Link
	Create scrapes and pools in wetlands and wet grasslands Action Link

Create scrapes and pools

A replicated site comparison study in March-July 2005 to 2007 within nine grazed wet grassland sites in Broadland, eastern England (Eglington et al. 2010) found that installation of shallow wet features provided valuable foraging areas for northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus chicks. The wet features also supported more than twice the biomass of surface-active invertebrates and a greater abundance of aerial invertebrates than the grazing marsh. Chick foraging rates and estimated biomass intake (monitored May-July 2006) were 2-3 times higher in wet features. Later in the breeding season when water levels were low, chick body condition was significantly higher in fields with footdrain densities of more than 150 m/ha. Invertebrate abundance was estimated in wet footdrain, dry footdrain, wet pool, dry pool and vegetated grazing marsh habitats. Each year, chicks (<100 g) were weighed and bill length measured to determine growth rates.
Create scrapes and pools in wetlands and wet grasslands

Within nine grazed wet grasslands sites in Broadland, Norfolk, England (Eglington et al. 2010), a replicated site comparison study (March-July 2005 to 2007) found northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus chick foraging rates and estimated biomass intake (monitored May-July 2006) were 2-3 times higher in installed shallow wet features than in the grazing marsh. Late in the breeding season when water levels were low, chick body condition was significantly higher in fields with footdrain densities of more than 150 m/ha. The wet features supported more than twice the biomass of surface-active invertebrates and a greater abundance of aerial invertebrates than the grazing marsh. Each year, chicks (<100 g) were weighed and bill length measured to determine growth rates.