The use of constant effort mist-netting to measure between-year changes in the abundance and productivity of common passerines

Peach, Will J.; Buckland, Stephen T.; Baillie, Stephen R.

doi:10.1080/00063659609461007

Cited by 102 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…2004). Similar trapping data, as from the BTO Constant Effort or other netting schemes, might provide reliable estimates of seasonal productivity in other species (du Feu & McMeeking 1991;Peach et al . 1996), providing that such measures are restricted to a brief period at the end of the breeding season, and at dates appropriate to the species concerned.…”

Section: Sources Of Information On Bird Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The recent declines of farmland bird populations in Britain: an appraisal of causal factors and conservation actions

Newton

2004

Ibis

625

501

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In this paper, the main aspects of agricultural intensification that have led to population declines in farmland birds over the past 50 years are reviewed, together with the current state of knowledge, and the effects of recent conservation actions. For each of 30 declining species, attention is focused on: (1) the external causes of population declines, (2) the demographic mechanisms and (3) experimental tests of proposed external causal factors, together with the outcome of (4) specific conservation measures and (5) agri-environment schemes. Although each species has responded individually to particular aspects of agricultural change, certain groups of species share common causal factors. For example, declines in the population levels of seed-eating birds have been driven primarily by herbicide use and the switch from spring-sown to autumn-sown cereals, both of which have massively reduced the food supplies of these birds. Their population declines have been associated with reduced survival rates and, in some species, also with reduced reproductive rates. In waders of damp grassland, population declines have been driven mainly by land drainage and the associated intensification of grassland management. This has led to reduced reproductive success, as a result of lowered food availability, together with increased disturbance and trampling by farm stock, and in some localities increased nest predation. The external causal factors of population decline are known (with varying degrees of certainty) for all 30 species considered, and the demographic causal factors are known (again with varying degrees of certainty) for 24 such species. In at least 19 species, proposed causal factors have been tested and confirmed by experiment or by local conservation action, and 12 species have been shown to benefit (in terms of locally increased breeding density) from options available in one or more agri-environment schemes. Four aspects of agricultural change have been the main drivers of bird population declines, each affecting a wide range of species, namely: (1) weed-control, mainly through herbicide use; (2) the change from spring-sown to autumn-sown cereal varieties, and the associated earlier ploughing of stubbles and earlier crop growth; (3) land drainage and associated intensification of grassland management; and (4) increased stocking densities, mainly of cattle in the lowlands and sheep in the uplands. These changes have reduced the amounts of habitat and /or food available to many species. Other changes, such as the removal of hedgerows and 'rough patches', have affected smaller numbers of species, as have changes in the timings of cultivations and harvests. Although at least eight species have shown recent increases in their national population levels, many others seem set to continue declining, or to remain at a much reduced level, unless some relevant aspect of agricultural practice is changed.Widespread population declines of farmland birds are of major conservation concern in Britain and other parts of Europe. S...

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Section: Sources Of Information On Bird Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The recent declines of farmland bird populations in Britain: an appraisal of causal factors and conservation actions

Newton

2004

Ibis

625

501

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“…Peach et al (1996) discuss some statistical methods associated with the Constant Effort Sites scheme with regard to mist-netting whereby birds are captured in an almost invisible hanging net. Similar indices are used in fisheries where catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) is used as a measure of relative abundance.…”

Section: Relative Population Densitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating Animal Abundance: Review III

Schwarz¹,

Seber²

1999

Statist. Sci.

413

105

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“…Methods of operation and analysis for the various CE schemes are well described elsewhere (DeSante et al 1995, Peach et al 1996, 1998, Julliard 2004, Balmer et al 2004, Robinson et al 2007, so we provide only a brief outline here.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This was run by a volunteer (Mike Boddy), and drew on experiences from pre-existing sites to formulate a widely applicable protocol. The CE Sites (CES) scheme was formally adopted as part of the BTO's Integrated Population Monitoring Programme in 1986 (Peach et al 1996), though sufficient data are available since 1983. Subsequently, CE ringing schemes started in at least 15 European countries (co-ordinated through EURING) and in North America (DeSante et al 1995).…”

Section: Constant-effort Ringing: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%