The conservation effects of meadow bird agreements on farmland in Zeeland, The Netherlands, in the period 1989-1995
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Published source details
Kleijn D. & van Zuijlen G.J.C. (2004) The conservation effects of meadow bird agreements on farmland in Zeeland, The Netherlands, in the period 1989-1995. Biological Conservation, 117, 443-451.
Published source details Kleijn D. & van Zuijlen G.J.C. (2004) The conservation effects of meadow bird agreements on farmland in Zeeland, The Netherlands, in the period 1989-1995. Biological Conservation, 117, 443-451.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Maintain traditional water meadows Action Link |
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Maintain traditional water meadows (includes management for breeding and/or wintering waders/waterfowl) Action Link |
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Maintain traditional water meadows
A replicated, before-and-after site comparison study of 34 fields in Zeeland, the Netherlands (Kleijn & van Zuijlen 2004), found no conclusive evidence that meadow bird conservation efforts resulted in higher territory numbers. Although there were significantly more meadow birds and territories of lapwing and black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa on fields managed for meadow bird conservation than on conventionally farmed fields in 1995, these differences were at least partly because those meadows in the bird agreements scheme also had higher groundwater levels. Moreover, population trends between 1989 and 1995 were similar for fields with and without meadow bird agreements, and the observed difference in settlement density in 1995 was also already present in 1989. 17 pairs of fields were matched for landscape structure and were surveyed in 1989, 1992 and 1995.
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Maintain traditional water meadows (includes management for breeding and/or wintering waders/waterfowl)
A site comparison study in 1989, 1992, and 1995 of 34 fields in Zeeland, the Netherlands (Kleijn & van Zuijlen 2004) found no conclusive evidence that meadow bird conservation efforts resulted in higher territory numbers. Although there were significantly more meadow birds and territories of northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus and black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa on fields managed for meadow bird conservation than on conventionally farmed fields in 1995, these differences were at least partly because those meadows in the bird agreements scheme also had higher groundwater levels. Moreover, population trends between 1989 and 1995 were similar for fields with and without meadow bird agreements, and the observed difference in settlement density in 1995 was also already present in 1989. Seventeen pairs of fields were matched for landscape structure and were surveyed in 1989, 1992 and 1995.
