Skip to main content
SLU:s publikationsdatabas (SLUpub)

Sammanfattning

Climate change and new agricultural practices have driven a rapid increase in numbers of most European goose populations (Anser, Branta spp.) and a northward expansion of their wintering range, raising growing concerns related to grazing damage to agricultural crops. To mitigate such conservation conflicts, contemporary knowledge about movement patterns and foraging site selection is needed to inform management decisions. This thesis provides ecological insights to guide management and damage prevention, from flyway to field level. Specifically, it addresses migratory patterns, foraging site selection, and local movements by geese in agricultural landscapes. My studies are based on flock surveys of multiple goose species, data derived from Greylag geese fitted with GPS devices, and data on landscape features and field characteristics. My results show that two radically different types of migration strategies occur among Greylag geese breeding in Sweden. Geese in southernmost Sweden are largely resident and remain close to their breeding sites year-round, whereas geese breeding in central Sweden still migrates. My results further show that fields located within 4 km from a roost site and situated more than 200 m from nearest forest edge or human infrastructure have a high probability to attract Greylag geese. My studies also demonstrated that selection patterns tend to vary depending on goose species, season and availability, although stubble fields in general, and barley stubble in particular, were generally selected. The combined results highlight the complexity of goose behaviour, calling for coordinated strategies and joint efforts across multiple spatial scales, from international flyway-level cooperation to collaboration among neighbouring farms and authorities, to successfully integrate the knowledge derived from my study for more accurate risk assessment and effective damage prevention.

Nyckelord

Anser; Branta; damage prevention; migration; resource selection; flyttmönster; fältval; skadeförebyggande åtgärder

Publicerad i

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae
2025, nummer: 2025:93
Utgivare: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

SLU författare

UKÄ forskningsämne

Ekologi
Vilt- och fiskeförvaltning

Publikationens identifierare

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.54612/a.53k18r87m2
  • ISBN: 978-91-8124-077-1
  • eISBN: 978-91-8124-123-5

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/142494