They combined this with movement data from geese carrying special GPS-transmitters. Not a straight lineīuitendijk and her colleagues used data from detailed monthly goose counts in the Frisian accommodation areas. This will lead to higher damages in those areas, but the overall damage - across the entire province or region - might turn out to be lower,” Buitendijk thinks. ![]() If this works well, geese should cluster in accommodation areas. “The goal is to teach the geese that some areas are dangerous, and they should avoid these. ![]() In the accommodation area, the geese can eat in peace without intentional disturbance. However, it is possible to get a special permit to shoot at the geese with the goal of chasing them away, as a means of protecting crops.Ī management approach used in Friesland and elsewhere is to divide agricultural land into two zones: an area where geese are actively chased away – by walking onto the field, shining lasers across the grass or shooting (with a permit) – and a refuge or accommodation area. This means hunting barnacle geese is not allowed. The barnacle goose was even threatened with extinction, and became a protected species. It may be hard to imagine now, but only a few decades ago many goose species were declining. It’s one of the most striking conclusions of a scientific study by Buitendijk and her colleagues – the first in a series of three – that was recently published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. “Fewer geese doesn't automatically mean less damage,” says animal ecologist Nelleke Buitendijk from NIOO-KNAW. But to justify this, it’s important to know how goose abundance and interactions between species affect the amount of damage. Different methods can be used to control the geese, including shooting at them. Goose populations have skyrocketed over the past few decades, and conflict between geese and agriculture has intensified accordingly. Not everyone sees the geese as welcome guests, on account of the feared agricultural damage. This includes more than half a million barnacle geese alone. One third stays in a single part of the country: the province of Friesland (Fryslân). ![]() Around 2.4 million geese now winter in the Netherlands each year. Geese are migratory birds, so they’re not stopped by borders. Large numbers of geese graze on agricultural grassland, where they eat grass meant for cattle. Their first conclusion: “The number of geese does not translate directly to a smaller grass yield.” An international team led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) looked at the impact of different goose species and the number of geese on agricultural damage. But a recent study suggests it may not be so straightforward. It would seem logical: more geese eat more grass, leaving less for the farmer to harvest.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |