Intensive practice hits bunting
Intensive practice hits bunting
NEW research has shown that intensive farming, including the increased use of pesticides, is linked to the 74% drop in corn bunting numbers in the past 25 years.
According to the study, conducted by The Game Conservancy Trust and the University of Sussex and funded by English Nature and the RSPB, the loss of traditional mixed farming in favour of arable cultivation has led to the disappearance of vital habitats and food supplies for the bird species.
"The increased reliance on pesticides and other changes in farming practices have lessened the amount of food available for corn bunting chicks," a GCT spokesman said. "This study shows clearly that conditions during the breeding season can contribute to the corn buntings decline in some parts of the UK. Previously it was thought that the decline was caused by agricultural change primarily affecting winter food supplies. The variety of field types needed for nesting and feeding during the year highlights the importance of having a mixture of arable and pasture for livestock within a farm."
The research examined how breeding success depended on food supply and compared food supply between habitat types, taking account of the intensity of pesticide use in those habitats.
Jonathon Curtoys, RSPB agriculture policy officer, insisted that the government should increase its spending on agri-environment schemes to reward welfare-friendly farming and encourage more selective use of pesticides.
He also favoured the introduction of a tax on the most harmful pesticides and called for the use of broad-spectrum pesticides on crops to be phased out.
Alastair Burn, senior pollution officer at English Nature, added: "It will be an important study for government to take into account in determining how such indirect effects of pesticides can be evaluated during the pesticide registration process." *