Biodiversity and Agriculture

Transcription

1 Biodiversity and Agriculture M. Riffel

2 Agriculture and Biodiversity

3 Agriculture and Biodiversity Agriculture shapes much of our land. Biodiversity is critical to agriculture. Agricultural lands are dynamic Influences are complex Socio-Economic + External Variables

4 Land Requirements 5 Land Required for Agriculture Lifetime of child born today Area of impossibility Billions (10 9 ) of Hectares Total potentially arable land Land needed to feed human population Effect of land loss Land currently under arable cultivation Year

5 Intensification There is considerable agreement that Increasing Yields on Existing Cropland is a key component for minimising further expansion Waggoner, 1994 Goklany, 1998 Ausubel, 2000 Tilmen et al., 2002 Cassman et al., 2003 Evans, 2003 Balmford, 2005 Green et al., 2005 Lee et al., 2006 The Royal Society, 2009 Biodiversity?

6 Biodiversity Formal Definitions: Variability among living organisms from all sources Various Perceptions: Functional Biodiversity is Essential to Agriculture Ecosystem Services Provisioning Regulating Supporting Cultural Food Water Energy Pharmaceuticals Climate Control Disease Control Nutrient Cycling Crop Pollination Soil Maintnance Recreational Spiritual

7 Central Challenge for the 21 st Centuary: Agricultural Production Goals and Biodiversity Conservation At the Same Time and often in the same space

8 Agriculture Influences Biodiversity Diverse element rich agricultural landscape The Challenge Biodiversity Net Gain Net Loss ERAL? Net Gain Net Loss Intensity of Agricultural Practice Intensity of Agricultural Practice Abandonment Intensification The influence of agriculture on biodiversity currently depends very much on the intensity of agricultural practice

9 Modern agriculture can aid to preserve biodiversity on a global scale by increasing yields on existing agricultural land to minimize further agricultural encroachment > 500 bird species

10 Biodiversity conservation is possible on farmland on a regional basis by modifying management practices to conserve and promote biodiversity on farmlands

11 Farmland birds as indicators of farmland biodiversity Species well understood Responsive to environmental changes Flagship species Large databases

12 EBCC European Farmland Bird Index Yellow wagtail Hoopoe Red-backed shrike Yellowhammer Starling Lapwing Tree sparrow Kestrel Turtle dove Tawny pipit Serin Rock sparrow Spotless starling Skylark Meadow pipit Rook Black-tailed goodwit Whitethroat Corn bunting Stonechat Calandra lark Black-eared wheatear Grey partridge Whinchat Crested lark Short-toed lark Woodchat shrike Thekla lark Linnet Cirl bunting Barn swallow Ortolan bunting White stork

13 EBCC Farmland bird index 33 Species 22 EU countries

14 EBCC Farmland bird index 400 Farmland Bird Indices (EBCC) Population Index [%] Ciconia ciconia Galerida theklae Sturnus unicolor Upupa epops Petronia petronia Corvus frugilegus Emberiza cirlus Sylvia communis Oenanthe hispanica Melanocorypha calandra Hirundo rustica Emberiza hortulana Falco tinnunculus Calandrella brachydactyla Saxicola torquata Lanius collurio Motacilla flava Limosa limosa Emberiza citrinella Lanius senator Serinus serinus Passer montanus Alauda arvensis Sturnus vulgaris Vanellus vanellus Carduelis cannabina Saxicola rubetra Anthus pratensis Anthus campestris Miliaria calandra Streptopelia turtur Perdix perdix Galerida cristata Streptopelia decaocto Merops apiaster

15 EBCC data: Grey partridge 120 Grey partridge (Perdix perdix ) EBCC Population Index [%] Year

16 EBCC data: Red-backed shrike 120 Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio ) EBCC Population Index [%] Year

17 EBCC data: Cirl Bunting 160 Cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus ) EBCC Population Index [%] Year

18 Case study: working together for the skylark Population decline in Europe ca. 50% during last decades

19 Case study: working together for the skylark Skylark plots in winter cereals Developed in UK Spread over Europe Skylark project SAFFIE chicks/10 ha control wide-spaced rows skylark plots Treatment Do not work in the Netherlands? Teunissen et al. 2009

20 Case study: working together for the partridge European population decline by 80% in 30 years In UK since 2002 Grey Partridge Restoration project In Germany since 2004 Rebhuhnschutzprojekt

21 Case study: working together for the partridge predator control habitat management special seed mixtures pairs/km² Partridge restoration project / UK Year Rebhuhnschutzprojekt / D Calling males in spring Year

22 Case study: working together for the lapwing Population decline of > 40% in Europe from Replacement of spring cereals by winter cereals Replacement of beet as fodder crop by maize Mechanical agricultural operations

23 Case study: working together for the lapwing Dorset, UK: annual population increase of 6% from Wauwil, Switzerland: Quadrupling chick survival rate Avoidance of disturbances Cessation of agricultural operations around nest sites Reduction of predation risks Creation of fallow plots

24 Case study: Working together for Montagu s harrier Ground-nesting raptor Cereal fields as main breeding habitat Nest destruction by harvesting machines

25 Case study: Working together for Montagu s harrier Increase of number of breeding pairs from 2 in 1994 to 131 in 2008 in Bavaria, Germany Fencing nest sites in cereal fields Compensating farmers who leave an area of 50x50 m unharvested Similar projects in various European countries

26 Case study: Working together for whinchat Decline in Europe of 60% from 1980 early haymaking lack of arthropods lack of perches

27 Case study: Working together for whinchat Population increase of 70% in Austrian conservation project Similar results in Bavaria, Germany postponing mowing beyond June 20th implementing unmown grassy margins no irrigation

28 Case study: Managing vineyards for woodlark In Valais woodlark prefers intensively managed vineyards with a grass strip vegetation cover Bare ground allows the woodlark to move easily while foraging a sparse vegetation cover supports a high insects diversity Kitchen Dining room Kitchen Dining room Schaub et al Figure adapted from Arlettaz 2010

29 What can be learned from these case studies? A multitude of measures to protect and promote defined farmland species have been successfully implemented in various places Close cooperations between farmers and conservationists are vital Economic viability of farmers have to be ensured (compensation) A certain proportion of land is needed to conserve farmland biodiversity

30 Thank you very much for your attention Dr. Michael Riffel