Portal to the Lesser White-fronted Goose

- by the Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose project

Literature type: Scientific

Journal: Ecography

Volume: 26 , Pages: 705-714.

DOI: 10.1111/j.0906-7590.2003.03576.x

Language: English

Full reference: Markkola, J., Niemela, M., & Rytkonen, S. 2003. Diet selection of lesser white-fronted geese Anser erythropus at a spring staging-area. Ecography 26: 705-714. https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0906-7590.2003.03576.x

Keywords: diett, spring staging

Abstract:

We studied diet selection of the globally threatened lesser white-fronted goose Anser eythropus at a spring staging area on the island of Hailuoto (64°00′N, 24°45′E), off the western coast of Finland. We determined the diet using droppings, which were collected in late May, when the geese had left the area and migrated northwards. The sample potentially comprised of ejecta from 31 different individuals. Plant idengification was based on visual determination of epidermal fragments. A total of 100 droppings were sampled using a point quadrat method. We calculated the percentage of each idengified taxon in each dropping and related this to the availability of the corresponding taxon in the meadow. We measured preference for each taxon using Chesson's electivity index (ɛi) and tested them by bootstrap resampling. The diet contained 9 taxa of the ca 40 available. Almost all dietary items were Monocotyledons (99.9%), mostly grasses (88.7%) including Festuca rubra (43%), Phragmites australis (30%) and Calamagrostis stricta (13%). Only Phragmites (ɛ=0.73, p=0.000), Festuca (ɛ=0.52, p=0.004) and possibly Triglochin palustris (ɛ=0.70, p=0.125) were preferred, all other species were avoided. All preferred species were quite common and other goose species exploit them too. The lesser white-fronted geese preferred large natural meadows that were five times broader than an “average” Bothnian Bay meadow. All forms of mowing and grazing management benefit the restoration of lesser white-fronted goose habitats at the landscape level. Festuca and especially Triglochin benefit from such management. Reeds, Phragmites, whose spread has been the main cause of coastal meadow deterioration, can be controlled by management, but can also be maintained among other vegetation if mowing is less frequent or grazing not too intensive.

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Pynnönen, J. & Tolvanen, P. 2001. Monitoring of Lesser White-fronted Geese in western Estonia in spring 2000. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 2000. WWF Finland Report 13 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF Rapportserie Report No 1-2001: pp. 10-11.

Keywords: Annual report, monitoring

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Markkola, J. 2001. Spring migration of Lesser White-fronted Geese in Finnish Bothnian Bay coast in 2000. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 2000. WWF Finland Report 13 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF Rapportserie Report No 1-2001: pp. 12-16.

Keywords: Annual report, monitoring, Finland

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Timonen, S. 2000. The spring migration of the Lesser White-fronted Goose at Bothnian Bay in 1999. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 1999. WWF Finland Report 12 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF rapportserie Report No 1-2000: pp. 22-23.

Keywords: conservation, monitoring, Fennoscandian annual

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Aarvak, T., Timonen, S., Øien, I.J., Tolvanen, P. & Markola, J. 2000. Spring migration of Lesser White-fronted Geese in north-western Europe - an analysis from individual markings. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 1999. WWF Finland Report 12 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF rapportserie Report No 1-2000: pp. 32-33.

Keywords: conservation, monitoring, Fennoscandian annual

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Tolvanen, P. 1999. A spring staging area for Lesser White-fronted Geese recovered in Matsalu, Estonia. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 1998. WWF Finland Report 10 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF rapportserie Report No 1-1999.: pp. 15-18.

Keywords: conservation, monitoring, Fennoscandian annual

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Timonen, S. 1999. The spring migration of Lesser White-fronted Goose at Bothnian Bay in 1998. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.): Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 1998. WWF Finland Report 10 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF rapportserie Report No 1-1999.: pp. 18-20.

Keywords: conservation, monitoring, Fennoscandian annual

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Pynnönen, P., Timonen, S. & Eskelin, T. 1999. Surveys for Lesser White-fronted Goose and other geese in the Olonets and Sviricha regions, Western Russia in spring 1998. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 1998. WWF Finland Report 10 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF rapportserie Report No 1-1999.: pp. 12-14.

Keywords: conservation, monitoring, Fennoscandian annual

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Aarvak, T., Øien, I.J., Tolvanen, P. & Markkola, J. 1999. Two pieces of the spring migration puzzle of the Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose population in place. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 1998. WWF Finland Report 10 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF rapportserie Report No 1-1999.: pp. 27-30.

Keywords: conservation, monitoring, Fennoscandian annual

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Niemelä, M. & Markkola, J. 1997. Diett selection of the Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus in the spring staging area of Tömppä seashore meadow, Hailuoto, Finland. , In: Tolvanen, P., Ruokolainen, K., Markkola, J. & Karvonen, R. (eds). Finnish Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 1997. WWF Finland Report No 9: pp. 43-44.

Keywords: food, diett, monitoring

Number of results: 28