| Project leader: | Prof. Prof. h.c. Dr. Ursula Siebert |
|---|---|
| Scientific work: | Ulrich Voigt, Graduate Biologist |
| Project term: |
2010 (pilot phase) Jan 2011 to Dez 2015 |
| Sponsorship: | By funds of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (ML) |
Project description
In the late 1970s the population declines of the Brown hare, Grey partridge and Ring-necked pheasant were a major stimulus for numerous scientific studies across Europe, which concerned the population dynamics and the causality of the decline as well as the measures taken to stabilize or increase the population densities. The question of the secondary effects and mechanisms that the populations of these species currently hold at a low to medium level remain unaffected by the long-term causes of decline.
For years, predation has been intensively discussed as a major influencing factor on the dynamics and density - the mechanisms underlying the predation are not known for local conditions. Due to this lack of knowledge, no targeted and effective measures can be taken to stabilize and raise the mentioned wild animal populations. A key message from many studies is that a successful management of wild animals always depends on the understanding of the exact ecological context in which predator-prey relationships take place. Otherwise management's actions are often inadequate and even counterproductive. The investigation of the causes of loss in clutches and young animals, especially those caused by predation, is a prerequisite for an implementation in the practical exercise and is the focus of this project.
