Field occupancy by breeding lapwings Vanellus vanellus and redshanks Tringa totanus in agricultural wet grasslands

• Published in: Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol. 128; no. 3; pp. 146 - 150
• Main Authors: Durant, D., Tichit, M., Fritz, H., Kernéïs, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.11.2008; Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier; Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal and plant ecology; animal breeding; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Aves; Biological and medical sciences; Birds; Breeding waders; cattle; Demecology; Ecology, environment; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; grasslands; Grazing; grazing intensity; grazing management; habitats; height; Life Sciences; simulation models; stocking rate; sward; Sward structure; temporal variation; Tringa totanus; Vanellus vanellus; Vertebrata; wading birds; Water surface; wet environmental conditions; Wet grasslands; wild birds; France; Europe; Poitou Charentes; ANE, France, Poitou-Charentes, Marais Poitevin; Birds; Wet grasslands; Grazing; Sward structure; Breeding waders; Water surface; Grassland; Vanellus vanellus; Breeding behavior; Breeding site; Wader; Vertebrata; Reproduction; Site selection; Population dynamics; Aves; Animal conservation; Vegetation structure; Wetland; Environmental protection; WATER SURFACE; SWARD STRUCTURE; GRAZING; BIRD; WET GRASSLAND; BREEDING WADER
• ISSN: 0167-8809; 1873-2305; 0167-8809
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2008.05.013

This study is based on a comparative approach to explore how two breeding waders, the lapwing Vanellus vanellus and the redshank Tringa totanus, respond to cattle grazing in terms of timing and intensity of grazing in the Marais Poitevin, French Atlantic coast. Generalised linear mixed models showed that the two main predictors determining suitable grasslands were sward structure and water surface. In the lapwing, a precocious species which nests in short swards, i.e. ≤10 cm, with no/few tussocks, the suitability of grasslands was driven by both previous autumn and early spring effects of grazing. Conversely, the redshank, which nests later and needs taller swards, i.e. 10–40 cm, did not respond to autumn grazing, but seemed to be more sensitive to mid-spring grazing. The lapwing and the redshank responded positively to early spring and mid-spring stocking densities, respectively. These results are discussed in the light of the habitat characteristics and the grazing management situation of the study site.