Short-term effects of hay mowing on bird abundance and species richness in extensive meadows
Description
Context Meadows are valuable foraging habitats for many bird species during the breeding season. Certain management practices, such as hay harvesting, can enhance foraging opportunities. Objectives We aimed to investigate the role of meadow mowing in shaping the species richness and abundance of foraging birds by comparing two meadow types: meadows during mowing and meadows several days after mowing. Methods The study was conducted in a mosaic of small, extensively cultivated fields in eastern Poland. Fieldwork was carried out in 82 hay meadows during the bird breeding season. Results The mean number of species and the mean number of individuals were lower in meadows being mown than in meadows cleared of hay. Mowing activity attracted higher numbers of White Storks and corvids, whereas it did not increase the occurrence of raptors. The main factors significantly affecting both the mean number of species and the mean number of individuals were meadow type and meadow area. Larger meadows supported higher species richness and greater bird abundance. Among habitat characteristics, only increasing distance from the nearest forest had a positive effect on bird occurrence. Conclusions Our findings show that meadow mowing creates short-term but highly productive foraging opportunities for a wide range of bird species. In fragmented agricultural landscapes, asynchronous mowing by different landowners may extend the availability of attractive feeding habitats and enhance food provisioning during the breeding season.
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Institutions
- Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczo-Humanistyczny w Siedlcach Wydzial Nauk ScislychSiedlce