Influence of conservation tillage on winter bird use of arable fields in Hungary

Published source details Field R.H., Benke S., Badonyi K. & Bradbury R.B. (2007) Influence of conservation tillage on winter bird use of arable fields in Hungary. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 120, 399-404.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Reduce tillage Action Link
	Reduce tillage Action Link

Reduce tillage

A replicated controlled paired site study from October to March 2003-6 in 12 pairs of winter wheat fields in Dióskál, Hungary (Field et al. 2007), found that the preference of some farmland birds for conservation tillage fields over adjacent ploughed fields (P) decreased over the study period. In one farm (with eight field pairs), Eurasian skylarks Alauda arvensis and seed-eating songbirds (mostly European goldfinches Carduelis carduelis) were more abundant on conservation tillage fields in the first winter (2003-4), whilst starlings Sturna vulgaris and skylarks were more abundant on conservation tillage fields over the second and third winters respectively. In a second farm, with four fields, skylarks and crows were more abundant on conservation tillage fields in the first winter only. The number of days with ground snow cover increased over the three years. The authors suggest such abnormal weather may have confounded the results.
Reduce tillage

A replicated, paired site study from October to March 2003-2006 in 12 pairs of winter wheat fields in Dióskál, Hungary (Field et al. 2007a) found that the preference of some farmland birds for conservation tillage fields over adjacent ploughed fields decreased over the study period. In the first farm (with eight field pairs), Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis and seed-eating songbirds (mostly goldfinch Carduelis carduelis) were more abundant on conservation tillage fields in the first winter (2003-2004), whilst European starling Sturnus vulgaris and skylark were more abundant on conservation tillage fields over the second and third winter respectively. In the second farm (four field pairs), skylark and crows (Corvidae) were more abundant on conservation tillage fields in the first winter only. The number of days with snow cover on the ground increased over the three years. The authors suggest such abnormal weather may have confounded the results.