View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Lincoln Institutional Repository 1 Testing bespoke management of foraging habitat for European Turtle Doves 2 Streptopelia turtur 3 Jenny C. Dunn, Antony J. Morris & Philip V. Grice 4 Dunn, J. C. (corresponding author,
[email protected]): Centre for Conservation 5 Science, RSPB, The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK. 6 Morris, A. J. (
[email protected]): Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB, The 7 Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK. 8 Grice, P. V. (
[email protected]): Natural England, Suite D, Unex House, 9 Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, PE1 1NG 10 11 Total word count: 8,407 words 12 Title word count: 12 words 13 Abstract word count: 402 words 14 Abbreviations: AES Agri-Environment Scheme 15 ES Environmental Stewardship 16 HLS Higher Level Stewardship 17 ELS Entry Level Stewardship 18 GLMM Generalized Linear Mixed-effects Model 19 Running head: Testing vegetation structure and seed provision 1 20 Abstract 21 Agri-environment schemes (AES) are increasingly being employed to mitigate against 22 biodiversity loss in agricultural environments. The European Turtle Dove Streptopelia 23 turtur is an obligate granivorous bird in rapid decline within both the UK (-96% since 24 1970) and across continental Europe (-77% since 1980), despite widespread uptake of 25 AES. Here, we assess the efficacy of a potentially new, sown agri-environment option 26 designed to provide abundant, accessible seed for S. turtur during the breeding 27 season. During summer 2011 we compared vegetation structure and seed provision on 28 trial plots to control habitat types (existing agri-environment options thought to 29 potentially provide S.