title: Waterfowl foraging in winter-flooded ricefields: Any agronomic benefits for farmers?
abstract: Winter-flooding of ricefields provides foraging habitat to waterfowl, which in return may bring agronomic benefits to farmers. Our study experimentally tested the effect of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) on the standing stalks and weed seed bank in the Camargue (France), both of which present major challenges for farmers. Three duck densities were tested: (D1) 5 ducks ha(-1) (historical nocturnal density), (D2) 23 ducks ha(-1) (present nocturnal density), and (D3) 300 ducks ha(-1) (Asian rice-duck farming density). The ducks reduced the stalks significantly: -27 % (D1), -52 % (D2), and -91 % (D3). Conversely, they decreased the number of seeds by only 3 % (D3) and the seed mass by about 21 % (D1 and D3), which was not significant. Besides they had no effect on seed species richness. This study clearly demonstrates that the winter-flooding effect on straw decomposition can be enhanced by waterfowl foraging, hence showing an agronomic benefit from ducks to farmers. However, there was no clear effect in terms of seed bank reduction.
authors.affiliation: Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune Migratrice, La Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France. anne.brogi@gmail.com.|ISARA-Lyon, 23 Rue Jean Baldassini, 69364, Lyon, France. anne.brogi@gmail.com.|, Lèbre, 04200, Authon, France. anne.brogi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brogi
authors.affiliation: Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune Migratrice, La Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France. claire.pernollet@oncfs.gouv.fr.|Centre de Recherche de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France. claire.pernollet@oncfs.gouv.fr.
authors.forename: Claire A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pernollet
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France. gauthierclerc.lagarenne@gmail.com.|Chrono-Environment UMR CNRS Unité 6249, University of Franche-Comté (UFC), 16 route de Gray, 25000, Besançon, France. gauthierclerc.lagarenne@gmail.com.|, Place du Zoo, 1261, Le Vaud, Switzerland. gauthierclerc.lagarenne@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gauthier-Clerc
authors.affiliation: Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune Migratrice, La Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France. matthieu.guillemain@oncfs.gouv.fr.
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guillemain
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D004372:Ducks / Q000502:physiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D055868:Floods; D005602:France; D011156:Population Density; D012621:Seasons; D053833:Wetlands
keywords: Rice; Straw disposal; Waterfowl; Weeds; Winter-flooding