Farmland practices are driving bird populations decline across Europe

Biodiversity is exposed to increasing pressure by climate and land use changes. But how species respond to these pressures and which is more dominant remain controversial questions. A recent collaborative study including 28 European countries assesses, for the first time, how 170 bird species have responded to major human-induced pressures at a continental scale. According to Stanislas Rigal, author of the study, “This is the most comprehensive dataset ever assembled measuring the relative contribution of several metrics of climate and land use changes on bird populations. Think about it: we are talking about 170 species monitored across Europe at 20,000 sites over 37 years! ”

Alena Klvaňová, the PECBMS project manager, points out: “Such a huge dataset would not have been possible without the persistent efforts of nearly 15,000 experienced ornithologists who volunteer to count birds in the field each spring. They certainly deserve recognition from the whole of European society for this.”

Over the study period (1980–2016), European common bird species experienced an overall decline in abundance of approximately one quarter (-25.4%). Farmland species declined by more than half over the same period, representing approximately a -56.8% decline.

One of the key findings is the negative impact of modern intensive agricultural practices on bird species across Europe. Researchers have confirmed that intensification, as measured by the high use of pesticides and fertilisers, has led to the decline of many populations of common birds. Farmland birds such as the European Skylark, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer or Tree Sparrow have been most affected.

One of the study’s major findings is the detrimental effect of agriculture intensification on avian biodiversity at the European scale. The increase in pesticides and fertiliser has led to the decline of many bird populations and even more to birds eating insects. The other strength of the findings lies in the methodology used: “Our results do not simply quantify correlations: our analytical design reveals causal responses of birds to global change drivers. As part of the study, ” pressures and bird abundances have been monitored simultaneously in space and time as in an experimental setting,” explains Rigal.

According to Vincent Devictor, the senior author of the paper, this study calls for urgent decisions and accelerations of strict control and regulations of farmland practices: “The results leave no doubts on the detrimental effect of pesticides and fertilisers on many bird species. This is not a local problem, the detrimental effects scales up to the whole Europe”. The European strategy for food production is under pressure. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is leading European countries to promote self-sufficiency in agricultural production and governments already struggle to balance high productivity from industrial farming practices with environmental protection and climate change. This study demonstrates that action is now urgently needed to find a different model for food production and, more generally, “in the way of inhabiting the world in European countries if bird populations shall have a chance of recovering,” as this study concludes.

Citation of the study:

Rigal S., Dakosa V., Alonso H., Auniņš A., Benkő Z., Brotonsf L., Chodkiewicz T., Chylarecki P., de Carlil E., del Moral J. C., Domșa C., Escandell V., Fontaine B., Foppen R., Gregory R., Harriss S., Herrando S., Husby M., Ieronymidou Ch., Jiguet F., Kennedy J., Klvaňová A., Kmecl P., Kuczyński L., Kurlavičius P., Kålås J. A., Lehikoinen A., Lindström Å., Lorrillièr R., Moshøj Ch., Nellis R., Noble D., Palm Eskildsen D., Paquet J.-Y., Pelissié M., Pladevall C., Portolou D., Reif J., Schmid H., Seaman B., Szabo Z. D., Szép T., Tellini Florenzano G., Teufelbauer N., Trautmann S., van Turnhout Ch., Vermouzek Z., Vikstrøm T., Voříšek P., Weiserbs A. and Devictor V. 2023: Farmland practices are driving bird population decline across Europe. PNAS  https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2216573120

Contacts :

Vincent Devictor

vincent.devictor@umontpellier.fr

UMR 5554 ISEM-Université de Montpellier

tel: +33 6 09 46 78 41

Stanislas Rigal

stanislas.rigal@ens-lyon.fr

University of Montpellier, Montpellier, FRANCE;

tel: +33 6 35 96 85 14

Alena Klvaňová

PECBMS project manager

klvanova@birdlife.cz