Population responses of Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica to expansion of heather Calluna vulgaris cover on a Scottish grouse moor
Loss of heather Calluna vulgaris-dominated moorland in Britain has been associated with long-term declines in Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica, a gamebird of economic importance. We tested whether restoring heather habitat on a grouse moor in southwest Scotland, where heather was previously in dec...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Resilience Alliance
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ace-eco.org/vol13/iss2/art14/ |
| _version_ | 1797969802509156352 |
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| author | Sonja C. Ludwig Nicholas J. Aebischer Damian Bubb Michael Richardson Staffan Roos Jeremy D. Wilson David Baines |
| author_facet | Sonja C. Ludwig Nicholas J. Aebischer Damian Bubb Michael Richardson Staffan Roos Jeremy D. Wilson David Baines |
| author_sort | Sonja C. Ludwig |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Loss of heather Calluna vulgaris-dominated moorland in Britain has been associated with long-term declines in Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica, a gamebird of economic importance. We tested whether restoring heather habitat on a grouse moor in southwest Scotland, where heather was previously in decline, improved Red Grouse density, productivity, and survival. We analyzed spatial and temporal relationships between Red Grouse demographic rates, estimated from counts, and habitat variables measured from ground and aerial vegetation surveys. Reductions in sheep Ovis aries grazing and other heather restoration measures (i.e. burning and cutting, and in some areas reseeding of heather following herbicide treatment to reduce grass dominance) increased total heather cover by 10% and the area of heather-dominated vegetation by 30% within six years. Prebreeding, and for aerial surveys also postbreeding, densities of Red Grouse were highest in areas with more heather cover (range: 0-92%), and prebreeding densities increased more where heather recovery was greatest. However, we found no relationship between heather cover and Red Grouse productivity or survival rates, the latter also when rates were estimated from radio-tagged individuals. Changes in heather cover were not associated with changes in postbreeding densities or survival of Red Grouse, although they were positively related to change in productivity for aerial surveys. Overall, management for Red Grouse had a larger effect on density and productivity than reductions in sheep grazing. This is the first study examining Red Grouse responses in relation to changes in heather cover within the same site, in contrast to previous between-moor comparisons, where other factors may have contributed to variation in Red Grouse demography. Our results suggest that, in the long term, heather restoration has the potential to increase Red Grouse carrying capacity, but realizing this potential first requires improving Red Grouse demographic rates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:07:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-274f24ebf8314365ba6f85ab0e5f37a7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1712-6568 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:07:01Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| spelling | doaj.art-274f24ebf8314365ba6f85ab0e5f37a72023-01-02T12:41:13ZengResilience AllianceAvian Conservation and Ecology1712-65682018-12-011321410.5751/ACE-01306-1302141306Population responses of Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica to expansion of heather Calluna vulgaris cover on a Scottish grouse moorSonja C. Ludwig0Nicholas J. Aebischer1Damian Bubb2Michael Richardson3Staffan Roos4Jeremy D. Wilson5David Baines6Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, UKGame & Wildlife Conservation Trust, UKLangholm Moor Demonstration Project, UKGame & Wildlife Conservation Trust, UKRSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, UKRSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, UKGame & Wildlife Conservation Trust, UKLoss of heather Calluna vulgaris-dominated moorland in Britain has been associated with long-term declines in Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica, a gamebird of economic importance. We tested whether restoring heather habitat on a grouse moor in southwest Scotland, where heather was previously in decline, improved Red Grouse density, productivity, and survival. We analyzed spatial and temporal relationships between Red Grouse demographic rates, estimated from counts, and habitat variables measured from ground and aerial vegetation surveys. Reductions in sheep Ovis aries grazing and other heather restoration measures (i.e. burning and cutting, and in some areas reseeding of heather following herbicide treatment to reduce grass dominance) increased total heather cover by 10% and the area of heather-dominated vegetation by 30% within six years. Prebreeding, and for aerial surveys also postbreeding, densities of Red Grouse were highest in areas with more heather cover (range: 0-92%), and prebreeding densities increased more where heather recovery was greatest. However, we found no relationship between heather cover and Red Grouse productivity or survival rates, the latter also when rates were estimated from radio-tagged individuals. Changes in heather cover were not associated with changes in postbreeding densities or survival of Red Grouse, although they were positively related to change in productivity for aerial surveys. Overall, management for Red Grouse had a larger effect on density and productivity than reductions in sheep grazing. This is the first study examining Red Grouse responses in relation to changes in heather cover within the same site, in contrast to previous between-moor comparisons, where other factors may have contributed to variation in Red Grouse demography. Our results suggest that, in the long term, heather restoration has the potential to increase Red Grouse carrying capacity, but realizing this potential first requires improving Red Grouse demographic rates.http://www.ace-eco.org/vol13/iss2/art14/demographic ratesgrazing managementgrouse-moor managementhabitat restoration |
| spellingShingle | Sonja C. Ludwig Nicholas J. Aebischer Damian Bubb Michael Richardson Staffan Roos Jeremy D. Wilson David Baines Population responses of Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica to expansion of heather Calluna vulgaris cover on a Scottish grouse moor Avian Conservation and Ecology demographic rates grazing management grouse-moor management habitat restoration |
| title | Population responses of Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica to expansion of heather Calluna vulgaris cover on a Scottish grouse moor |
| title_full | Population responses of Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica to expansion of heather Calluna vulgaris cover on a Scottish grouse moor |
| title_fullStr | Population responses of Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica to expansion of heather Calluna vulgaris cover on a Scottish grouse moor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Population responses of Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica to expansion of heather Calluna vulgaris cover on a Scottish grouse moor |
| title_short | Population responses of Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica to expansion of heather Calluna vulgaris cover on a Scottish grouse moor |
| title_sort | population responses of red grouse lagopus lagopus scotica to expansion of heather calluna vulgaris cover on a scottish grouse moor |
| topic | demographic rates grazing management grouse-moor management habitat restoration |
| url | http://www.ace-eco.org/vol13/iss2/art14/ |
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