Managing grassland for wild geese in Britain: a review

Of the six species of wild geese which winter in Britain in large numbers, five are increasing in number and cause agricultural damage on a local scale. The management of grassland as feeding areas, to attract geese off agricultural land, is widely acknowledged as a potential solution to the problem. Similarly, grassland refuges are commonly established as a means of conserving rare or localised species of geese in Britain. Both require precise management guidelines if grassland areas are to be managed effectively. This paper summarises the information available concerning the management of grassland for wild geese wintering in Britain. We consider criteria for the location of feeding areas and the size of feeding areas required to support given populations of geese on local and national scales. Sward management is considered in terms of species composition and height, the value of fertiliser application and the relative merits of management through livestock grazing or mechanical cutting of grass pastures over the summer. The greatest potential for maximising goose numbers within an area appears to be through manipulation of sward height and fertiliser application. We discuss potential conflicts between managing grassland for geese and for other species and highlight possible directions for future research.