Experimental evidence that ground‐disturbance benefits Woodlark Lullula arborea

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Hawkes, Robert, Smart, Jennifer, Brown, Andy, Jones, Helen and Dolman, Paul ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9340-2791 (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
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 14 Nov 2018 11:31
Last Modified: 21 Oct 2022 20:33
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/68888
DOI: 10.1111/ibi.12696

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