Assessment of the impacts of the Entry Level Scheme on bird populations: Results from the baseline year, 2005

Published source details Chamberlain D., Noble D. & Vickery J. (2006) Assessment of the impacts of the Entry Level Scheme on bird populations: Results from the baseline year, 2005. British Trust for Ornithology report, BTO Research Report 437.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Pay farmers to cover the cost of conservation measures (as in agri-environment schemes) Action Link

Pay farmers to cover the cost of conservation measures (as in agri-environment schemes)

A replicated study in 2005 of 2,449, 1 km squares across arable and pastoral farmland in England at the start of the Entry Level Scheme (Chamberlain et al. 2006) found that there was no difference in the total number of bird species between 1 km² of land participating in the scheme and areas not participating in the scheme. Eight bird species had a significantly higher occurrence on Entry Level Scheme squares, whilst seven species (mainly non-farmland bird species) had higher occurrences on non-Entry Level Scheme squares. Three species had higher abundance on Entry Level Scheme squares (all farmland specialists: linnet Carduelis cannabina, tree sparrow Passer montanus, stock dove Columba oenas) and 17 species were more abundant on non-Entry Level Scheme squares. There were 975 squares on land under the Entry Level Scheme land and a further 1,474 squares on conventionally managed farmland. Each square was surveyed twice along a 2 km transect route, recording all birds seen or heard. The Entry Level Stewardship scheme was introduced in 2005 and the data from this study was used to provide a baseline against which future surveys could monitor the effectiveness of the scheme.