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Effects of fen management on bird communities in north-eastern Germany

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Abstract

Fens and their associated bird species assemblages have undergone dramatic declines in recent decades. Given that many remaining or restored fens are currently lying fallow, an important question is which management regime, if any, is most effective in preserving fen-typical species. Against this background, we here investigate the effects of five management regimes (intensive grassland, moist meadows, summer-harvested sites, winter-harvested sites, fallows) on bird communities in riverine fens in north-eastern Germany. Summer-harvested sites, resembling the historical management of wet meadows, were overall most effective to promote fen-typical bird species, while intensive grassland management was inappropriate. However, some species of conservation concern had their strongholds in other management types such as winter-harvested sites and fallows. Thus, owing to species-specific differences, a mixture of different management regimes is necessary to conserve the full range of fen-typical species. Managing a higher proportion of moist fallows than is currently the case seems to benefit conservation, as long as enough fallows remain. Our study also shows that a successful restoration of fen habitat for associated bird species relies on the realization of appropriate water levels.

Zusammenfassung

Der Einfluss unterschiedlicher Nutzungsformen auf die Avifauna nordostdeutscher Niedermoore

Niedermoore und ihre Vogelgemeinschaften mussten in den letzten Jahrzenten dramatische Rückgänge hinnehmen. Da mittlerweile zahlreiche Niedermoore brach liegen stellt sich die Frage, welche Nutzungsformen am besten geeignet sind das niedermoortypische Artenspektrum zu erhalten bzw. ob es dazu überhaupt einer Nutzung bedarf. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde der Einfluss fünf unterschiedlicher Nutzungsformen (Intensivgrünland, Feuchtwiesen, Sommermahd, Wintermahd, Brachen) auf die Vogelgemeinschaften eines nordostdeutschen Niedermoores untersucht. Die den historischen Feuchtwiesen vergleichbaren Sommermahdflächen waren am effektivsten im Erhalt niedermoortypischer Arten, während sich das Intensivgrünland dafür als besonders ungeeignet erwies. Jedoch auch die Wintermahdflächen und Brachen waren für bestimmte naturschutzfachlich bedeutsame Arten von großer Bedeutung. Aufgrund artspezifischer Unterschiede in den Habitatpräferenzen erscheint daher ein Mosaik unterschiedlicher Nutzungsformen notwendig zu sein, um das gesamte niedermoortypische Artenspektrum zu erhalten. Dennoch wäre die Nutzung eines höheren Anteils nasser Brachen naturschutzfachlich wünschenswert, solange ausreichend Brachflächen erhalten bleiben. Desweiteren zeigt diese Studie die große Bedeutung günstiger Wasserstände für die erfolgreiche Renaturierung von Niedermooren.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Gunnar Dachsel, Bernd Dobner, Axinia Suchanek, and Knut Weidemann for support during field work, and Jens Kulbe, Franziska Tanneberger and Christian Schröder for support and for sharing their knowledge about Western-Pomeranian fens with us. We are indebted to three reviewers for helpful and constructive criticism. Financial support was provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the funding scheme “Sustainable Land Management“(FKZ 033L030). The study complied with the current German law and access to nature reserves was granted by the Staatliches Amt für Landwirtschaft und Umwelt Vorpommern.

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  1. Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Str. 11/12, 17489, Greifswald, Germany

    Sebastian Görn, Frank Schulze & Klaus Fischer

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  1. Sebastian Görn
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  2. Frank Schulze
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Correspondence to Sebastian Görn.

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Communicated by F. Bairlein.

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Table 4 List of all recorded breeding bird species
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Görn, S., Schulze, F. & Fischer, K. Effects of fen management on bird communities in north-eastern Germany. J Ornithol 156, 287–296 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-014-1125-x

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