Measuring the impact of environmental stewardship on upland birds

This document describes an evaluation of the effectiveness of Environmental Stewardship (ES) on bird populations in England's uplands, particularly the Pennines. ES aims to enhance environmental features, including bird habitats, through various management strategies. The evaluation used bird survey data from the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey and analyzed the impact of ES management options on bird species, considering factors like grazing pressure and habitat changes. Results indicated limited significant associations between ES management and bird population growth rates, with some positive effects for species like Curlew in managed grass moors. However, the study also found potential negative effects and highlighted the need for more targeted management, better monitoring, and understanding of species' habitat use. The evaluation suggests that while some ES goals may have been met, further research is needed to optimize management strategies and fully understand the ecological impacts on upland bird populations. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Process evaluation
• Process methods: Other
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: July 2014

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Links to published evaluations (DEBUGGING): No final report link found.
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes