England Countryside - Europe Countryside (1 Viewer)

[498 Ramblin Alex]

After some opinions on those with experience in both locations, what people think of the wildlife in the countryside of England compared to the countryside in France.

In England, we have many hedgerows and farms are oven separated by copses of trees, many ponds around.

I am no expert on Europe, but everytime I see footage of France, Spain, Hungary etc I only see flat farmland with no hedgerows and little environment suitable for wildlife. Is this poor outcome the result of the CAP?

Not talking about forests here, but area around farmland.

How do the two locations compare for birdwatching generally? Also insects, hedgehogs?

 

[Jos Stratford]

I would go the other way, sure there are depleted landscapes in all the countries you mention, but overall bird species diversity is far better in those countries than Britain (of course partly due to island effect), but Spain and France in particular are full of wild corners where abundances of wildlife occurs. They will also knock the socks off Britain for butterfly abundance, as will Hungary.

Britain does have better organisations fighting to protect and recreate habitat, think the county trusts and RSPB. Without these, Britain really would be poorer

 

[Richard D]

The UK has one of the poorest records in Europe for biodiversity. There are pockets that aren't too bad, but travel through the big agricultural areas such as Linclonshire and you can see why:

UK has 'led the world' in destroying the natural environment

Centuries of farming, building and industry have made the UK one of the most nature-depleted countries in Europe.

www.nhm.ac.uk

 

[vergan]

I cannot talk about France at all, as I barely been there, but the other allegedly offending countries, as already said, are well beyond UK. In fact, I cannot say much about pac, but still many of the money spent have gone trough environmental practices.
Of course every country has its own issues, but in my experience, they are not linked to PAC.
I wish to see bear, lynx or wolves in UK, as I can see then in the offending countries. Alas, I don't think it will happen.
Because of the PAC? well, according to the OP, likely.....

 

[JTweedie]

Isn't the problem here in the UK that many of the small fields and the hedgerows that surrounded them have been ripped out and replaced by megafields because farmers can get more yield from them? And this has led to a decline in birds like Tree Sparrows and Yellowhammers and other traditional farmland birds? I'm sure there might be some areas where small fields still exist, but I get the impression that these are few and far between now.

We read about organisations like the RSPB working with some farmers to leave parts of fields set aside so some birds have a place to nest or for wildflowers to grow, supporting insects and by extension the birds and other animals that prey on those insects.

 

[498 Ramblin Alex]

Thank you for the viewpoints.

Maybe the next question I have is how different is the countryside within England. I am familiar strictly with North Yorkshire to Borders, maybe further south it is very different.

Birdlife here is quite abundant from my point. And compared to where I have been in Laos and Vietnam recently, it is bird paradise in comparison. Recorded well over 50 species in one day last week.

Next 6 months going to travel to parts of England I have not necessarily seen, see what it is like there.

 

[vergan]

Thank you for the viewpoints.

Maybe the next question I have is how different is the countryside within England. I am familiar strictly with North Yorkshire to Borders, maybe further south it is very different.

Birdlife here is quite abundant from my point. And compared to where I have been in Laos and Vietnam recently, it is bird paradise in comparison. Recorded well over 50 species in one day last week.

Next 6 months going to travel to parts of England I have not necessarily seen, see what it is like there.

Well, you bring your opinion/viewpoint, others bring facts. That's a difference, you agree?
Where on hell, so impoverished landscapes can maintain top predators, and the so healthy British ones cannot have them?
How can this wildlife deserts from the offending countries cope with a much diverse wildlife, from ants to butterflies or birds, than the rich meadows of Brtitain... not to mention mammals....

 

[Richard D]

https://www.rspb.org.uk/globalassets/downloads/projects/48398rspb-biodivesity-intactness-index-summary-report-v5-1-1.pdf

Some data sources:

Explore and use data - National Biodiversity Network

The NBN Trust wants to develop a data literate culture, where the value of wildlife data is appreciated, especially in … Continued

nbn.org.uk

Biodiversity indicators

The Biodiversity Trends Explorer uses abundance data on plants, fungi and animals from around the world. The explorer shows how local, terrestrial biodiversity is responding to human pressures such as land use change and intensification. It can be used to track our our progress towards UN...

www.nhm.ac.uk

 

[01101001]

I have yet to see hedgerows or those low rock fences in Poland, but I think that there are bits of untouched habitat every here and there, in many towns and cities as well--which, I think, is officially called 'nature of the fourth kind' (Kowarik) or the 'third landscape' (Clément). The agricultural land structure in Poland is strongly fragmented, and more people are employed in farming (some 8%, but it used to be around 1/3 some 30 years ago, vs 1% in the UK), which also means they have a different attitude towards their (often ancestral) land than do more intensive, for-the-market ventures (a large chunk of farmers in Poland practise subsistence agriculture up to some point). On the other hand, I've read somewhere that the Stone-curlew protection programme in Southern England is quite successful, and enviably so.

 

[jenyReese]

I have yet to see hedgerows or those low rock fences in Poland, but I think that there are bits of untouched habitat every here and there, in many towns and cities as well--which, I think, is officially called 'nature of the fourth kind' (Kowarik) or the 'third landscape' (Clément). The agricultural land structure in Poland is strongly fragmented, and more people are employed in farming (some 8%, but it used to be around 1/3 some 30 years ago, vs 1% in the UK), which also means they have a different attitude towards their (often ancestral) land than do more intensive, for-the-market ventures (a large chunk of farmers in Poland practise subsistence agriculture up to some point). On the other hand, I've read somewhere that the Stone-curlew protection programme in Southern England is quite successful, and enviably so.

Hi!
Yeah, I haven't seen those hedgerows or low rock fences in Poland either, but I agree that there are pockets of untouched habitats in many towns and cities.

I would have a few thoughts and experiences with nature conservation in Poland to share, but I'm not sure it will be fit here... I'd love to hear your "aproval"

 

[01101001]

This thread has been inactive for a while anyway, so why not. Curious to hear about it.

EDIT: What I do know is that both the Polish rarities committee and society for the protection of birds have been modelled on their British counterparts. (I'm wandering off topic now, but even the makeup of the political system in Poland--parties, political programmes and all--has drawn upon its UK and US counterparts.)

 

[01101001]

I'm totally on board with your starting a new thread as well, which may be a better solution depending on how much you have to say.

 

[01101001]

Hi!
Yeah, I haven't seen those hedgerows or low rock fences in Poland either, but I agree that there are pockets of untouched habitats in many towns and cities.

I would have a few thoughts and experiences with nature conservation in Poland to share, but I'm not sure it will be fit here... I'd love to hear your "aproval"

Don't forget!