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Aufrufe
vor 2 Jahren

FELD 02/2020

  • Text
  • Green spaces
  • Biodiversity
  • Insects
  • Emissions
  • Wolf
  • Ecosystems
  • Urban
  • Soil fertility
  • Landscape
  • Wildlife
  • Soils
  • Researchers
  • Zalf
  • Carbon
  • Residues
  • Crop
  • Agricultural
  • Soil
When wild animals and agriculture meet, there are often conflicts. Hannes König is working on new instruments for wildlife management to change this. // Crop residues can have a major impact on soil fertility and emissions footprint. How can these residues be used efficiently? Tommaso Stella and Ioanna Mouratiadou are exploring this question. // When Gabriela Onandia walks through Berlin, she recognizes a large number of ecosystems where most people only see parks or green areas. The scientist is investigating the effects of urbanization on these ecosystems. // Soils fulfil many functions that are extremely important for humans. Michael Sommer and Martin Leue try to extract as much information as possible from these all-rounders.

wildlife management

wildlife management wildlife management At the moment the team is still evaluating the night shots. These should show when and where wild boars are active at night so they can be hunted efficiently. Full moon nights play a special role here, because without night vision equipment hunting is only possible in moonlight. The researchers want to find out whether the animals have become more cautious as a result of their experiences on nights of the full moon. The story of a strictly protected European bison which immigrated from Poland three years ago shows that reaching for a rifle can also be premature. “A few hours after its arrival, it was illegally shot by hunters in Brandenburg”, says Hannes König. A mistake that also occurred due to inconsistent instructions from authorities and misunderstandings in the reporting chain. By setting up a European bison management system, the aim is to be better prepared in future as well as to prevent possible damage. “It is likely for the European bison to re-establish itself in Germany”, predicts König. “In western Poland alone, near the German border, there are now around 300 animals.” The colossuses, which weigh up to a ton and are thus larger than their relative, the American bison, can be dangerous, particularly for traffic. The same applies to the moose, which is also gradually returning to Germany. “This is why we must recognize the potential for conflict and develop plans for management” explains the researcher. data also shows the wolves often being found in areas where wildlife populations are high and where food can easily be found. However, in areas where the wolf likes to stay, it also kills more farm animals. Hunting deer, stags, or wild boar more intensively where possible would be a measure to make a region less interesting for wolves and would protect grazing animals. The researchers now want to verify this thesis with further data. Nevertheless, with the return of the wolf, our way of keeping livestock on pastures has to change. Particularly in landscapes with high wolf density, electric fences and livestock guardian dogs are necessary to make it as difficult as possible for the wolf to hunt grazing animals. “These protective measures must be consistently implemented by the livestock owners”, emphasizes König and is now starting to observe a change in thinking. “It takes time, persuasion and also experience, but an effort well spent, as it can reduce and minimize conflicts in the future.“ LIVESTOCK FARMERS FACE CHALLENGES In order to collect the necessary data, the researchers are equipping up to 30 European bison and moose that are living close to the border between Poland and Germany with transmitters. In this way they can determine the migration routes of the animals and compare them with land use data to find out where the animals prefer to be. The transmitters could also be used as early warning systems, which show in real time when an animal approaches the border, a field, or a busy road. Examples of successful European bison management in Poland, where the rare animals are driven from arable land using drones, also show how conflicts can be avoided. “We can learn from this to develop scientifically based instruments for wildlife management”, explains Hannes König. While the European bison and moose are still rarely considered a nuisance in Germany, the image of the wolf has already been considerably damaged. Often unjustly, says Hannes König. “Livestock killings in a wolf ’s territory are more likely to be random events. Food analyses show over 95 percent of wolf ’s prey consists of wildlife”, he explains. The research group’s THE AGRONOMIST Dr. Hannes König is head of the junior research group “Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Agricultural Landscapes” at ZALF. www.zalf.de/feld/en 8 9

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