Experimental evidence that ground‐disturbance benefits Woodlark Lullula arborea

Hawkes, Robert, Smart, Jennifer, Brown, Andy, Jones, Helen and Dolman, Paul (2019) Experimental evidence that ground‐disturbance benefits Woodlark Lullula arborea. Ibis, 161 (2). pp. 447-452. ISSN 0019-1019

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Abstract

To determine whether ground-disturbance increased Woodlark Lullula arborea abundance, we examined responses over 3 years to four treatments varying in establishment method (shallow- or deep-cultivated) and complexity (homogeneous or ‘complex-mosaics’ comprising fallow and recently cultivated subplots), plus controls, replicated across the largest lowland grass-heath in the UK. Abundance increased through the study and was higher on plots closer to woodland and across all treatments. Within complex-mosaics, Woodlark preferentially used recently cultivated subplots over 1- or 2-year-old fallows. Regardless of treatment detail, providing suitable foraging habitat within c. 45 m of woodland, through annual ground-disturbance, can increase Woodlark abundance within lowland grass-heaths characterized by closed swards.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	conservation management,semi-natural habitat,lowland heathland,grass-heath
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Biology Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
Related URLs:	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	14 Nov 2018 11:31
Last Modified:	04 Jul 2025 23:56
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/68888
DOI:	10.1111/ibi.12696

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