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Cranes and Agriculture: A Global Guide for Sharing the Landscape
Abstract
Fifteen species of cranes (Gruidae) are found across the world, on all continents except South America and Antarctica. The landscapes and ecoregions important to cranes are also those areas most conducive to agriculture. Although cranes have had a close relationship with arable and pastoral agriculture that goes back hundreds and thousands of years, rapid changes in agriculture over the last 100 years have become a key threat to the world‘s cranes, primarily due to habitat loss but also other, indirect effects from agriculture such as poisons and power line collisions. As human populations and agricultural demands have expanded and intensified, conflicts between cranes and farmers are becoming more severe. Crane species most closely reliant on wetlands are the most threatened, whereas those more associated with grasslands have better adapted to open, productive landscapes. In a 2010 workshop, participants from 13 countries and five continents identified the need for a resource that synthesized information about the crane and agriculture interface that could help guide conservationists and other stakeholders. This Guide has gathered published information and personal accounts and experiences from around the globe. The document outlines
the life history and feeding ecology of cranes as they relate to both natural habitats and agricultural lands; explores the patterns and drivers of agricultural development and change over the last 100 years and explains how crane populations have responded; examines the interaction between cranes and domestic animals; describes the various direct and indirect threats that the crane / agriculture interface poses to cranes; reviews the methodologies currently used to mitigate for human / wildlife conflicts that arise as a result of this interface; walks us through the situation from a farmer’s perspective; and provides ideas for programmes that either mitigate for the conflicts that arise, or make use of the opportunity provided by the crane / agriculture interface. In addition, 18 case studies from 13 countries provide examples of issues discussed in the chapters. This guide is intended as a first step in sharing knowledge and experiences of the crane / agriculture nexus from a diversity of situations, landscapes, flyways, and species, to find and disseminate ways to sustainably balance the needs of cranes and agriculture.
... Al igual que los usos del suelo, la estructura del paisaje define tres grupos diferenciados dentro de los núcleos de invernada de la grulla (Figura 4). El gradiente de intensificación agrícola creado por el hombre (Austin et al, 2018) ha modificado la estructura del paisaje en estos núcleos, pudiendo afectar a la presencia de la especie, no solo por la disponibilidad de alimento, sino por la propia composición y configuración del paisaje. En el análisis de componentes principales realizado a los resultados de las variables del paisaje de los distintos núcleos de invernada de la grulla, se puede ver como las dos primeras componentes absorben el 90% de la variabilidad de los datos (Tabla 6), pudiendo utilizar estas dos componentes para caracterizar los núcleos de invernada de la especie, y para resumir las nueve variables del paisaje utilizadas originalmente. ...
... El área de distribución de la grulla en Extremadura se localiza principalmente en las comarcas de la Serena y las Vegas Altas del Guadiana y, en menor medida, en la zona más occidental de la Siberia, concentrada en siete núcleos de campeo (Sánchez et al, 1993, Fernández, 2014 que reúnen unas características de uso y paisaje determinadas. Históricamente la especie ha mostrado una preferencia por el hábitat de dehesa, donde la bellota constituía el grueso de su alimentación (Cramp y Simmons, 1980), pero los resultados de este estudio ponen de manifiesto la selección positiva actual de los usos dedicados al arrozal y los cultivos de regadío, ocupando casi la totalidad del espacio disponible, debido a la gran disponibilidad y diversidad de alimento que estos aportan a la especie (Austin et al, 2018). En segundo lugar, también son seleccionados positivamente por la especie sus tradicionales áreas de campeo, los hábitats de dehesas, donde la bellota es su principal fuente de energía (Avilés et al, 2002). ...
... Para poder mantener estables las poblaciones de grullas en los paisajes transformados, habría que encontrar un equilibrio entre las prácticas agroganaderas, que mejoren la sostenibilidad de la producción, a la par que se intenta satisfacer las demandas de mayor eficiencia y producción de las explotaciones que requiere el ser humano (Austin et al, 2018) ...
Agriculture is one of the main factors influencing Biodiversity. How
agricultural land transformation and intensification affects different species is of interest for Conservation Biology, particularly if it is considered that the composition and configuration landscapes, as in the case of the region of
Extremadura, is similar to those observed at global scale, being subjected to changes in the medium term. In addition, those agricultural lands constitute habitats for bird communities of interest that are particularly relevant in Extremadura. The aim of the present study is to analyze the use of the landscape along a gradient of agricultural intensification by a model species, such as the common crane (Grus grus), since it is a species that lives both in extensive areas as in the highly intensified ones. The work is addressed through a double spatial analysis methodology that classifies the types of land use as well as some of the main variables of landscape characteristics, allowing to find relationships between the spatial patterns, mainly related to the type of crop and agroforestry systems, and the ecological processes. Results show that the common crane has modified its distribution and is currently concentrating in areas of high agricultural intensification (irrigated areas), positively selecting
areas of corn and rice cultivation, instead of acorn, which formerly constituted its main food in winter. The influence of new landscape changes in Extremadura along the recent years is discussed, due to the introduction of a new super-intensive technique for permanent woody crops, which is not used
by this species.
... Al igual que los usos del suelo, la estructura del paisaje define tres grupos diferenciados dentro de los núcleos de invernada de la grulla (Figura 4). El gradiente de intensificación agrícola creado por el hombre (Austin et al, 2018) ha modificado la estructura del paisaje en estos núcleos, pudiendo afectar a la presencia de la especie, no solo por la disponibilidad de alimento, sino por la propia composición y configuración del paisaje. En el análisis de componentes principales realizado a los resultados de las variables del paisaje de los distintos núcleos de invernada de la grulla, se puede ver como las dos primeras componentes absorben el 90% de la variabilidad de los datos (Tabla 6), pudiendo utilizar estas dos componentes para caracterizar los núcleos de invernada de la especie, y para resumir las nueve variables del paisaje utilizadas originalmente. ...
... El área de distribución de la grulla en Extremadura se localiza principalmente en las comarcas de la Serena y las Vegas Altas del Guadiana y, en menor medida, en la zona más occidental de la Siberia, concentrada en siete núcleos de campeo (Sánchez et al, 1993, Fernández, 2014 que reúnen unas características de uso y paisaje determinadas. Históricamente la especie ha mostrado una preferencia por el hábitat de dehesa, donde la bellota constituía el grueso de su alimentación (Cramp y Simmons, 1980), pero los resultados de este estudio ponen de manifiesto la selección positiva actual de los usos dedicados al arrozal y los cultivos de regadío, ocupando casi la totalidad del espacio disponible, debido a la gran disponibilidad y diversidad de alimento que estos aportan a la especie (Austin et al, 2018). En segundo lugar, también son seleccionados positivamente por la especie sus tradicionales áreas de campeo, los hábitats de dehesas, donde la bellota es su principal fuente de energía (Avilés et al, 2002). ...
... Para poder mantener estables las poblaciones de grullas en los paisajes transformados, habría que encontrar un equilibrio entre las prácticas agroganaderas, que mejoren la sostenibilidad de la producción, a la par que se intenta satisfacer las demandas de mayor eficiencia y producción de las explotaciones que requiere el ser humano (Austin et al, 2018) ...
... Even though, the species is under threat due to LULC change, little is known about the rate of wetland loss over the past decades in the study area. A study made by Austin (2018) indicates that assessing wetland loss is challenging due to lack of historic data. Understanding the historical change of landscape patterns is the basis for decision-making process (Kiswanto et al., 2018;Yan et al., 2018). ...
... Thus, habitat loss and degradation determined the population status of the species. Austin (2018) indicates that habitat loss or degradation contributes for the declines of B. pavonina population. ...
... Après un déclin massif jusqu'au milieu du XIX e siècle (Haase et al. 2019), la Grue cendrée bénéficie aujourd'hui d'une situation favorable en Europe ; sa dynamique est la conséquence probable à la fois de l'amélioration de son statut de protection (protégée en France en 1967 et à travers la convention de Bern en Europe à partir de 1982, Fleurke and Trouwborst 2014) et du changement climatique (Orellana-Macías et al. 2020). Les grues utilisent largement les zones agricoles pour leur sites d'hivernage, provoquant de potentiels dégâts sur les cultures (Austin et al. 2018). La population de grues cendrées hivernant en Camargue est en croissance exponentielle depuis le début du siècle . ...
synthesis of my research for the french accreditation to direct research. more info here:
https://tourduvalat.org/actualites/jocelyn-champagnon-a-obtenu-son-habilitation-a-diriger-des-recherches/
... Increasing water scarcity driven by warming temperatures and prolonged droughts raises concerns over climate resilience in wetland ecosystems supporting sandhill crane populations. Additionally, reliance on privately owned agricultural lands could expose summering birds to an increased risk of land-use change driven by climate adaptation strategies that shift cropping and water usage to practices incompatible with bird needs (Austin et al., 2018). ...
Information about species distributions is lacking in many regions of the world, forcing resource managers to answer complex ecological questions with incomplete data. Information gaps are compounded by climate change, driving ecological bottlenecks that can act as new demographic constraints on fauna. Here, we construct greater sandhill crane ( Antigone canadensis tabida ) summering range in western North America using movement data from 120 GPS‐tagged individuals to determine how landscape composition shaped their distributions. Landscape variables developed from remotely sensed data were combined with bird locations to model distribution probabilities. Additionally, land‐use and ownership were summarized within summer range as a measure of general bird use. Wetland variables identified as important predictors of bird distributions were evaluated in a post hoc analysis to measure long‐term (1984–2022) effects of climate‐driven surface water drying. Wetlands and associated agricultural practices accounted for 1.2% of summer range but were key predictors of occurrence. Bird distributions were structured by riparian floodplains that concentrated wetlands, and flood‐irrigated agriculture in otherwise arid and semi‐arid landscapes. Findings highlighted the role of private lands in greater sandhill crane ecology as they accounted for 78% of predicted distributions. Wetland drying observed in portions of the range from 1984 to 2022 represented an emerging ecological bottleneck that could limit future greater sandhill crane summer range. Study outcomes provide novel insight into the significance of ecosystem services provided by flood‐irrigated agriculture that supported nearly 60% of wetland resources used by birds. Findings suggest greater sandhill cranes function as a surrogate species for agroecology and climate change adaptation strategies seeking to reduce agricultural water use through improved efficiency while also maintaining distinct flood‐irrigation practices supporting greater sandhill cranes and other wetland‐dependent wildlife. We make our wetland and sandhill crane summering distributions available as interactive web‐based mapping tools to inform conservation design.
... For example, the construction of dams and reservoirs for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation has resulted in the fragmentation of bird habitats and reduced the availability of suitable nesting sites, leading to declines in bird populations in some areas [69,70]. Similarly, the conversion of wetlands to • Shoreline may have significant humanmade structures, such as bulkheads or seawalls. ...
Lakes as essential ecosystems for diverse life forms, including humans, have suffered altered morphology with adverse effects on biodiversity including amphibians and amphibious species. Thus, it is imperative for effective conservation strategies to simultaneously consider lake morphology, landscape variables, and the role of key-stone species as ecosystem engineers for biodiversity preservation. Keystone species, particularly birds and large-bodied predators, i.e., crocodylians, play a critical role in maintaining the health of lake ecosystems as ecosystem engineers, bringing about large-scale changes in lake morphology and hydrology that determine the abundance and survival of other species in the ecosystem. Conservation strategies should, therefore , prioritize the protection of these keystone species and their habitats. To balance the needs of human society with the protection of lake ecosystems and their biodiversity , conservation practices must involve stakeholder engagement, including government agencies, local communities, traditional ecological knowledge, and scientists. A multidisciplinary approach, incorporating ecological, hydrological, and social factors , is considered necessary for effective lake conservation. This approach will encompass the preservation of lake biodiversity and consider important variables such as lake morphology, landscape variables, and the role of keystone species as ecosystem engineers in providing insights for strategic conservation practices.
... Habitat loss and conversion of natural wetlands has transformed the former coastal prairie into a largely agriculture-based ecosystem dominated by rice agriculture and crawfish aquaculture. In many instances, agricultural fields can provide alternative or complementary habitats for cranes and other waterbirds but cannot completely replace the ecosystem functions of natural wetlands (Austin et al. 2018b). However, the matrix of working wetlands and coastal marshes in southwestern Louisiana provides an abundance of resources , and cranes in the LNMP have shown strong temporal selection for rice fields and crawfish aquaculture (Pickens et al. 2017). ...
Total DNA extracts from the intestinal contents of 60 flying red-crowned cranes (juveniles, subadults and adults) found dead in 2006–2021, and the feces of 25 chicks collected in June and July of 2016–2018, were used for PCR reactions with primers specific for 16 crops, followed by high-throughput sequencing. The most predominant crop detected was corn in adult and subadult cranes (61.7%). Other grains (barley, wheat, soybean) (5.0–8.3%) and vegetables (tomatoes, Chinese cabbage, etc.) (1.7–6.7%) were also detected in flying cranes. Surprisingly, some of the detected crops were not grown in the Kushiro and Nemuro regions. There was no significant difference in crop intake status in winter and that in other seasons for most of the crops. Corn (28.0%), soybeans (8.0%), wheat and beet (4.0%) were detected in crane chicks in summer, though the detection rates were generally lower than those in flying cranes. Alfalfa, which is not grown in eastern Hokkaido but is used in some cattle feed, was detected in some cranes. Rice, buckwheat, adzuki beans, common beans, potatoes and carrots were not detected at any life stage, indicating the preferences of red-crowned cranes. The results suggest that red-crowned cranes in Hokkaido are dependent on dairy farmers for their feed supply.
The endangered Grey Crowned-Crane (Balearica regulorum) occurs extensively in agricultural areas and grasslands outside of protected areas in Tanzania, posing high potential for conflict with people. This study sought to determine the extent of crop depredation by cranes, extent of illegal crane trade, and attitudes towards and interactions of local people with Grey Crowned-Cranes. We interviewed 570 respondents (44% female) from 42 rural communities across four districts in Tanzania. Most of the respondents were farmers (n = 288), followed by livestock keepers (n = 169), businesspersons (n = 75), government employees (n = 24), and others (n = 14). Overall, 91% of the respondents indicated that Grey Crowned-Cranes were not a pest to crops but, for those reporting damage, farmers with mixed or other types of crops (maize, beans, bananas, tomatoes) reported the highest frequency of damage. The respondents had positive interactions with cranes, with 96% responding that they caused no harm to the cranes and 4% saying they used trapping and chasing of cranes to control crop damage. There was evidence of crane trade, with 6% of the respondents reporting having seen illegal collection of cranes or taking crane eggs or chicks. The reported illegal collection of cranes occurred mainly in the Mbeya Region for use in traditional medicine. Overall, respondents had positive attitudes towards Grey Crowned-Cranes, and we recommend that crane conservation education programs be developed and delivered to rural communities to enhance Grey Crowned-Crane conservation in Tanzania. Connaissances relative à la conservation, interactions et attitudes des populations locales à l'égard de la Grue royale (Balearica regulorum) en Tanzanie RÉSUMÉ. La Grue royale (Balearica regulorum), espèce en danger, fréquente largement les zones agricoles et les prairies en dehors des aires protégées en Tanzanie, ce qui présente un fort potentiel de conflit avec les humains. La présente étude visait à déterminer l'ampleur de la déprédation des cultures par les grues, l'ampleur du commerce illégal de grues, l'attitude des populations locales envers les Grues royales ainsi que les interactions existant entre les deux. Nous avons interrogé 570 personnes (44 % de femmes) issues de 42 communautés rurales réparties dans quatre districts de Tanzanie. La plupart des répondants étaient des agriculteurs (n = 288), suivis par des éleveurs (n = 169), des gens d'affaires (n = 75), des fonctionnaires (n = 24) ou d'autres personnes (n = 14). Dans l'ensemble, 91 % des répondants ont indiqué que les Grues royales n'étaient pas dommageables pour les cultures, mais pour ceux qui ont signalé des dommages, ce sont les agriculteurs ayant des cultures mixtes ou d'autres types de cultures (maïs, haricots, bananes, tomates) qui avaient la fréquence la plus élevée de dommages. Les répondants ont eu des interactions positives avec les grues, 96 % d'entre eux ayant répondu qu'ils n'avaient causé aucune blessure aux grues et 4 % ayant déclaré avoir utilisé le piégeage et la chasse pour lutter contre les dommages que les grues causent aux cultures. Le commerce de grues existerait selon les indications reçues, 6 % des répondants ayant déclaré avoir été témoin de collecte illégale de grues ou de récolte d'oeufs ou d'oisillons de grues. La collecte illégale aurait lieu principalement dans la région de Mbeya à des fins de médecine traditionnelle. En général, les répondants avaient une attitude positive à l'égard des Grues royales et nous recommandons que des programmes d'éducation à la conservation des grues soient élaborés et offerts dans les communautés rurales afin d'améliorer la conservation de la Grue royale en Tanzanie.
The paper studies the ways to solve the problem of conservation of biological resources in the interests of sustainable development in anthropogenically transformed territories on the example of protection of pre-migratory congregations of the grey crane. Material for the study was collected in 1985–2019 years. To analyze the information sources, we used sociological methods (surveys and questionnaires), surveys, and monitoring of congregations. By 2005, 125 pre-migratory congregations of grey cranes were identified, including 9 large ones (numbering more than 1000 individuals). To date, the number of clusters has decreased. At the same time, the number of cranes increased in large congregations where agricultural production is maintained. This increases the species’ vulnerability and the conservation and resource value of large congregations. Conflicts of interest in nature protection and nature management are becoming more acute. We consider four groups of conflicts, namely: (1) “Agriculture and cranes,” (2) “Hunting and cranes,” (3) “Construction of linear objects and cranes,” and (4) “Tourism and cranes.” It is shown that they do not serve as an insurmountable obstacle to preserving large clusters of cranes. The development of eco-tourism does not create new conflicts but contributes to the resolution of existing ones. The scale developed by the authors allowed us to assess for the first time the significance of pre-migratory congregations of gray cranes as a resource for the development of eco-tourism and justify the highest potential of the Baryatinsky congregation in the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Plans for the construction of the Moscow–Kazan highway, which cuts through the place where cranes spend the night and coincides with the main route of daily migration, pose an extreme threat to its existence. As a result, there will be a reduction in the number of cranes or even a complete collapse of the congregation. A resource for eco-tourism will be lost. Moving the highway line beyond the territory of the congregation will allow preserving a valuable natural object and use it effectively in the future in the interests of sustainable development of the region.
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