Conservation management of target species or conservation of processes -Winners and losers of two different conservation strategies

Abstract

Studies on insect and amphibian communities as well as on selected meadow bird species were carried out in the floodplain of the Lower Oder Valley National Park. The aim of these three studies was to analyse the effects of the present land use and management of the flooding regime on the selected species. The floodplain mainly consists of grassland habitats. Parts of the grassland are extensively used for farming whereas other parts were taken out of use in 1995. Currently, dykes bordering the river Oder prevent natural inundation of the floodplain during the summer months. During winter, floodgates, that are integrated into the dykes, stay open. Thus, the typical winter flooding can inundate the floodplain. The national park is still in the developmental stage. In plans for the future development of the national park, two main conservation strategies are discussed. On one hand conservation management is proposed with the aim to preserve and generate suitable habitats for the selected target species, corncrake (Crex crex). On the other hand, process conservation is suggested intending to create habitats suitable for the typical wetland fauna and flora by leaving some areas to natural processes and succession. On the basis of the three case studies the effects of the two conservation strategies on the selected taxa are discussed. On one hand Auchenorrhyncha and Anura will not necessarily benefit from conservation effort carried out for the benefit of the target species corncrake. These results call the selection of the corncrake as umbrella species into question. On the other hand, conservation of processes negatively affects corncrake populations while the anuran community is neither positively nor negatively affected and insect communities benefit fromthe conservation strategy. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.