Date: May 16, 2019
Source: University of Helsinki
The
abundance of bird species living in agricultural environments has decreased
both in Finland and elsewhere in Europe. Attempts to rectify the situation have
been made with the help of agri-environment-climate subsidies. They are granted
to agricultural producers by the EU for implementing measures that are presumed
to be beneficial to the environment. There is a range of such subsidies, but
their potential effects on biodiversity at national scales have been seldom
comprehensively investigated.
As
indicated by a recent study conducted in Finland, the proximity of organic
animal farms increased the numbers of birds in agricultural environments. In
contrast, most of the other environmental subsidies only had a minor impact on
bird numbers.
"Agricultural
subsidies constitute a substantial portion of the EU's budget, and are the most
significant form of funding for improving natural conditions. Funding should be
allocated to measures that benefit biodiversity the most," says Irina
Herzon, a researcher at the University of Helsinki.
On all
organic farms, production animals have access to pastures. The majority of
organic animal farms in Finland are cattle farms where cattle are able to graze
during summer months. Thanks to their complex vegetation and presence of
manure, pastureland is favoured by many insects, thus also providing more food
for birds. In fact, the study showed that organic animal farms were
particularly beneficial to insectivore birds, such as swallows and starlings.
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