FUNPASOS participates in ENDESA's environmental awareness and education campaign on steppe birds.
AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK AND CONSERVATION
Se denomina estepa a una zona llana y extensa cubierta por vegetación herbácea, propia de climas extremos with escasas precipitaciones, generalmente en zonas interiores de los continentes. Ejemplos de estas estepas naturales los encontramos en Asia Central, la Pampa argentina o el interior del continente norteamericano. Aunque la superficie ocupada en España por las estepas en sentido estricto es reducida, una gran parte de la superficie está dedicada al cultivo de especies de porte herbáceo como las gramíneas (cebada, trigo y avena principalmente) que son ecológicamente y fisionómicamente similares a las estepas de otras partes del mundo, denominando así a estos espacios como hábitats agroesteparios.
El grupo animal más amenazado que puebla estos espacios son las steppe birds, que son especies biológicamente adaptadas a los ambientes agroesteparios. Algunas de estas adaptaciones son la presencia de un plumaje críptico (que les permite camuflarse con facilidad para evitar a los depredadores), alimentación variada (insectos, semillas, plantas, pequeños vertebrados, etc.), pollos nidífugos (pueden abandonar el nido y buscar alimento poco después de nacer), patas fuertes and ágiles que les permiten soportar las condiciones cambiantes del suelo (sequedad, altas y bajas temperaturas, pedregosidad, encharcamientos, etc.) y agudo sentido of the vista que les permite localizar potenciales peligros desde largas distancias.
La conservación de los hábitats agroesteparios no únicamente beneficia a las poblaciones de aves que estos albergan, sino que también conlleva importantes beneficios socioeconómicos que se ven reflejados en la agricultura, ganadería y otras fuentes sostenibles de recursos como el turismo.
Las principales amenazas a las que estos tipos de hábitats se enfrentan en la actualidad es la intensificación and transformación agrícola and ganadera, despoblación rural con abandono de las labores agrícolas y ganaderas tradicionales y la pérdida de estos espacios asociado a la implantación de infraestructuras.
Populations of steppe birds have suffered a general decline of approximately 30%, particularly species such as the Ricotí lark, the common little bustard and the ortolan bunting. Spain, and specifically Andalusia, is the European region with the greatest diversity of steppe birds, making it essential to maintain proper management of these types of areas so that the populations of these emblematic birds do not continue their sharp decline. The species that are most threatened and have experienced the greatest decline in their populations are the little bustard, Montagu's harrier, lesser kestrel, black-bellied bustard, Iberian bustard, Eurasian bustard and Ricotí lark. The following image shows the distribution and degree of threat to all species:
The main threats facing the populations of the different species of steppe birds are:
- Intensive agricultural practices (early harvesting of short-cycle varieties, excessive ploughing, indiscriminate use of pesticides and/or treated seeds, night harvesting, etc.).
- Collisions with infrastructure (power lines, wind turbines, fences, roadkill, among others).
- Disturbances caused by outdoor recreational activities (poaching, mopeds, excessive hiking, etc.).
- Intensive livestock farming practices (overgrazing, disturbance during breeding season or competition for food availability).
- Increase in populations of generalist predators (wild boars, feral cats and dogs, foxes) causing an imbalance in the food chain due to habitat alteration.
- Conflicto entre la legislación sobre conservación de la biodiversidad y la Política Agraria Común (PAC).
- Lack of specific protective measures and lack of public awareness .
- Threats associated with habitat loss (landscape homogenisation, infrastructure installation, land use changes, population isolation, etc.)
For all the reasons outlined above, it is essential to implement specific measures for the conservation and protection of steppe bird populations. These measures can be applied in different contexts. From a regulatory point of view, regional recovery/conservation plans and compensatory measures associated with infrastructure construction can be created. From a scientific point of view, population monitoring, coordinated research and communication/dissemination to the public can be carried out.
One of these measures is land stewardship, defined as a set of strategies and techniques aimed at preserving the natural, cultural and landscape values of an area, as well as its responsible use. The main objective of land stewardship is to contribute to improving the quality of agro-steppe habitats through the application of various agri-environmental measures on plots of land where the most endangered steppe bird species are present. These measures, in turn, improve the profitability of agricultural and livestock farms that adhere to commitments to conserve these birds.
Algunas de las medidas agroambientales asociadas a los acuerdos de custodia con los propietarios de terrenos con vocación agrícola y/o ganadera, y que son seleccionados por la localización de aves esteparias en estas zona, son:
- Delaying the cereal harvest to prevent chicken mortality.
- Planting legumes to provide food sources during times of scarcity.
- Maintenance of ponds during the summer season to ensure water availability.
- Maintenance of stubble and delay in baling to maintain refuge areas after harvest by setting deadlines.
- Maintain a low stocking rate throughout the year and avoid grazing during the breeding season.
- Direct purchase of crops to prevent improper handling.
- Maintenance of traditional fallow land, avoiding ploughing during the breeding season.
- Maintenance and improvement or creation of boundaries between crops.
- Establishment of an area of strips excluded from tillage with maintenance of grassland.
- Incentives for maintaining organic cereal crops, bush vineyards and traditional olive groves.
- Establish protective stands or perimeter fencing in the vicinity of the harriers' nesting sites until the chicks are able to fly.
- Promotion of biological control of pest species, such as voles, through the installation of nest boxes for their natural predators, such as the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), the barn owl (Tyto alba), the little owl (Athene noctua), etc. or various nocturnal lepidoptera and other insects through the installation of nest boxes for chiroptera and insectivorous birds, thereby reducing the use of chemicals.
- In areas with steppe birds, signage on enclosures, trellises or fences of any kind to make them more visible to birds and minimise the risk of collision.
