Effects of changing farming practice on the plant and invertebrate food resources available to breeding and wintering skylarks Alauda arvensis in the South Downs and South Wessex Downs Environmentally Sensitive Areas, southern England.

Abstract

Surveys and an experiment were conducted (1994-1997) in the South Downs and South Wessex Downs Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) (southern England) to investigate the effects on grassland birds of large-scale reversion of land formerly under rotational arable cropping to permanent grassland. Under management prescriptions aimed at conserving landscape, archaeological and wildlife (mainly botanical) interests, plant and invertebrate food resources available to breeding and wintering grassland birds, especially skylarks Alauda arvensis, were low. Recent revisions of the ESA management prescriptions took account of these results and included modification of summer mowing dates, new guidelines for grass height management, and inclusion of arable options (low chemical input undersown spring barley and over-winter stubble). These changes should benefit breeding and wintering skylark populations.