Cranes and agriculture in France
Alain Salvi
In France Eurasian Cranes are
traditional users of agrosystems
However no information about significant damage to the crops in
Cranes and agriculture : an
old common history in
Europe…
However no information about significant damage to the crops in
the available ornithological papers from the XVIIIth & XIXth
centuries to the 1980ies
Lower Crane population ?
Wide dispersion of Cranes during staging due to former kind
of agriculture
Since the middle of the XXth century important evolution of
agriculture in France with :
- specialization of some regions
- increase of corn culture and extent from the SW of the
country to all regions
During the same period, development of some areas along the
traditional flyway of Cranes through France
Two most illustrative examples :
from 1967 to 1974 creation of the
lake Der-Chantecoq in Champagne
(4 800 ha of shallow water in
from 1980 restoration of a large mine of brown coal in Arjuzanx,
Aquitaine (2626 ha with important basins of water)
(4 800 ha of shallow water in
autumn) to prevent floods in Paris
Cranes and agriculture in Aquitaine
• Main culture : corn
• Cranes arrive after harvest and leave before sowing � no damage
• Specific program are developed to make the feeding conditions better for staging and wintering Cranes
• Example from 1998 specific contracts are offered to farmers :
in each farm, at least 80% of the corn fields must be cultivated with
corn during 5 years
corn stubbles must remain available for feeding Cranes during the winter
• Some results : effective contracts on 62 farms for 3420 ha
(600 $ /year + 30 $ / ha / year)
Crane as a support for ecotourism in Aquitaine
mild climate
gastronomy
wine
ocean
landscapes
…
and Cranes !
www.ecotourisme-landes-de-gascogne.fr
and Cranes !
Cranes and agriculture in East France
Lorraine (Woëvre)
Champagne (lake Der-Chantecoq and surroundings)
In autumn Cranes generally arrive after harvest and mainly feed
on corn stubbles
Some of them (up to 25 000) spend the winter here…
Thousands of migrants arrive from mid February with high
feeding requirements
Corn becomes scarce and sowing of early cultures begins :
barley, peas, …
Depending on the weather staging can be short… or not !
Cranes and agriculture in East France
First significant damage with complaints of
farmers happens in March 1984
« Fed up with cranes and peas »(regional newspaper, March 1984)
Cranes and agriculture in East France
Champagne (1)
From 1993 to 2003 damage mean estimation : 46 000 $/year
Damage mainly on newly sown barley fields during
spring migration
Agro-environmental program to prevent damage by gathering
corn stubbles available for Cranes as long as possible :
�until December 15th : 60 $/ha/year to be paid to farmers
�until March 15th : 183 $/ha/year to be paid to farmers
Results : agreement only for 656 ha
Cranes and agriculture in East France
Champagne (2)
New experimental program from 2005 to 2009 :
financial compensation of
Crane damage by the regional
administration
monitoring of staging Cranes by
Experts
monitoring of staging Cranes by
conservationists
Considering the results this program starts again from 2009 to 2013 for
a maximum total compensation of 120 000 $/year for the whole region
Paid to farmers
Total cost
Artificial
feeding
Cranes and agriculture in East France
Champagne (3)
In the same time agro-environmental
program to prevent damage with
artificial feeding and grassland
recreation and restoration (financial
support from 196 to 658 $/ha/year)
« Cranes cost… but they bring
money back too »(national hunters’ magazine, October 2005)
Cranes and agriculture in East France
Lorraine (1)
Only sporadic damage (1984, 1996, 2003, …) on newly sown barley fields during spring migration, estimated for example to 9 600 $ in 1996
Same situation as in Champagne but at a very lower extent due to less numbers of Cranes
Till now Lorraine is the only region of France where Cranes
� agro environmental programsto support traditional extensive land use ofgrasslands
� conservation programs to save meadows and wetlands
Till now Lorraine is the only region of France where Cranes
are breeding
Cranes and agriculture in East France
Lorraine (2)
In the last 10 years negative evolutions of agriculturefor staging Cranes take place in some parts of the region
Due to international context and local opportunity a factory of biofuel using colza has been build near Verdun
Toward yellow spring
landscapes…
Cranes and agriculture in East France
Lorraine (3)
The result is a dramatic decrease
of corn fields and therefore of
food availability around
Ex. : Billy-les-Mangiennes the northernmost historical wintering place for Cranes in France
But the expansion of colza is also
a problem for breeding pairs…
May
June
only very limited areas are
available to feed Cranes.
As many birds Eurasian Crane is strongly linked to agricultural conditions in
France
Conclusion
Recent transformations of agriculture have probably promoted a spectacular
increase of Crane population but also caused huge concentrations resulting
in damage to the fields
Together European regulation and financial support allow to solve some
Local as well as international factors can induce modifications to Crane
populations and behavior
Together European regulation and financial support allow to solve some
problems on a short term
On a long term only the diversity of landscapes and of agricultural practices
can help to reduce the pressures of Cranes on agrosystems
Thank you for attention !