Norwegian Arctic Tundra
Arctic foxes, Rough-legged buzzards and Long-tailed skuas and tundra voles and lemmings in Norwegian arctic tundra. The management issue concerns overabundance of semi-domestic reindeer resulting in degradation (reduction and fragmentation) of prime tundra vole habitat (riparian willow scrubs) and providing carrion subsidies to generalist predators, in particular, red fox. The management options include culling of red foxes,food supplementation of arctic foxes and reduction of reindeer grazing.
Upland grassland of UK
Hen harriers, tawny owls, red foxes and field vole dynamics in upland grassland of UK. Field voles are a key prey of avian and mammalian predators that also exploit commercially shot red grouse, as well as declining waders as alternative prey. The management issues relate to the impact of ongoing declining grazing pressure on habitat mosaics, the amplifying role of voles in the conflict between commercial red grouse harvest and raptor conservation, and the uptake of alternative land use (forestry) that impact biodiversity and carbon stores. Management options include altering grazing regimes, predator control, and forestry.
Cereal plains in France
Montagu’s, Hen and Marsh harriers and common vole dynamics in cereal plains in France. Over the last decades, vole declines have been associated with loss of perennial grasslands (mostly alfalfa) by about 75%, leading to a decline of specialist raptors. Active management actions are implemented to contract environmentally beneficial and economically sustainable crop production with farmers. First monitoring results indicate that abundance of vole and insects are currently increasing in these managed areas.
Agro-steppe in Northern Spain
A diverse guild of raptors (e.g. Red kite, Montagu’s and Hen harrier, Eurasian kestrel) preying on irrupting common voles in agro-steppe areas in Northern Spain where the surface of irrigated crops (like alfalfa) has increased after the 1970´s. Vole outbreaks cause crop damages and sanitary risks for humans and domestic animals (particularly tularaemia). As a consequence, vole control campaigns based on the use of rodenticides, but also stubble burning and removal of weeds on roadsides are implemented during outbreaks. These have negatively affected the populations of other species, particularly granivorous or herbivorous species consuming poisoned baits, and generalist predators suffering secondary rodenticide poisoning. Management options include use of rodenticide, biological control and management of refuge habitats, some of which are protected.
Interacting impacts of land use and climate changes on ecosystem processes: from cyclic herbivores to predators of conservation concern
