Ecological compensation - a chance for farmland birds?
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Published source details
Spiess M., Marfurt C. & Birrer S. (2000) Ecological compensation - a chance for farmland birds? IFOAM 2000: the world grows organic, Basel, Switzerland 28-31 August 2000., 441-441.
Published source details Spiess M., Marfurt C. & Birrer S. (2000) Ecological compensation - a chance for farmland birds? IFOAM 2000: the world grows organic, Basel, Switzerland 28-31 August 2000., 441-441.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Increase the proportion of natural/semi-natural vegetation in the farmed landscape Action Link |
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Increase the proportion of semi-natural habitat in the farmed landscape Action Link |
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Increase the proportion of natural/semi-natural vegetation in the farmed landscape
A before-and-after study in 6 km2 of mixed farmland in Switzerland (Spiess et al. 2000) found that the populations of corn buntings Miliaria calandra, whitethroat Sylvia communis common stonechat Saxicola torquata all increased following an increase in the proportion of land under the Ecological Compensation Scheme from 0.7% to 8.2% between 1992 and 1996 (corn buntings: six pairs in 1992 vs. 26 in 1996; whitethroat: 15 vs. 44; stonechat: 14 vs. 35). In addition, across 23 study areas in Switzerland, Ecological Compensation Scheme land and a 25 m buffer around it occupied only 17% of farmland but contained more (37-38% of 68) red-backed shrike Lanius collurio territories. Only 6% of Eurasian skylarks Alauda arvensis territories were found on Ecological Compensation Scheme land.
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Increase the proportion of semi-natural habitat in the farmed landscape
A before-and-after study in 6 km2 of mixed farmland in Switzerland (Spiess et al., 2000) found that the populations of corn bunting Miliaria calandra, whitethroat Sylvia communis and common stonechat Saxicola torquata all increased following an increase in the proportion of land under the Ecological Compensation Areas (ECA) Scheme from 0.7% to 8.2% between 1992 and 1996 (corn buntings: six pairs in 1992 vs 26 in 1996; whitethroat: 15 vs 44; stonechat: 14 vs 35). In addition, across 23 study areas in Switzerland, ECA land and a 25 m buffer around it occupied only 17% of farmland but contained more 37-38% of 68 red-backed shrike Lanius collurio territories, 598 yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella territories and 35 whitethroat territories. Only 6% of Eurasian skylarks Alauda arvensis territories were found on ECA land.
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