Swan populations grow 30 times faster in nature reserves - University of Exeter
Populations of whooper swans grow 30 times faster inside nature reserves, new research shows.
Whooper swans commonly spend their winters in the UK and summers in Iceland.
In the new study, researchers examined 30 years of data on swans at 22 UK sites – three of which are nature reserves managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT).
Survival rates were significantly higher at nature reserves, and population growth was so strong that many swans moved to non-protected sites.
Based on these findings, the research team – led by the universities of Exeter and Helsinki – project that nature reserves could help double the number of whooper swans wintering in the UK by 2030.
Swans in the nature reserves had a lower annual probability of breeding, but the researchers stress that these birds have more lifetime opportunities to breed and will produce more offspring on average.
The findings highlight the major effect that nature reserves can have on conservation, even when the areas protected are relatively small and are only used during short periods of a species’ life cycle.
“Protected areas are the main tool being used to stem declines in biodiversity, and there is a growing consensus that 30% of the planet’s surface should be protected by 2030,” said Dr Andrea Soriano-Redondo, from the universities of Exeter and Helsinki.
“However, the effectiveness of protected areas is not always clear – especially when species move between protected and non-protected areas throughout their lives. Our findings provide strong evidence that nature reserves are hugely beneficial for whooper swans, and could dramatically increase their numbers in the UK.”
Using the 30-year dataset, which included observations of more than 10,000 whooper swans, the research team built a population model that projected winter numbers could double by 2030.
More on:
Posted On: 14/03/2023