Farmland bird responses to land abandonment in Western Siberia

Abandoned land had taller, but not denser vegetation and higher plant litter cover than used pastures and hay meadows. The vegetation structure of abandoned land explained differences in bird abundance well, and responses to vegetation parameters were non-linear and species-specific. Future land-use trends are difficult to predict, but cropland recultivation and intensification seem likely. Conservation strategies should entail minimized reclamation of abandoned cropland (perhaps coupled with sustainable intensification on existing farmland), and low-input management of pastures and hay meadows. As a large proportion of the grassland is managed for subsistence farming, measures to slow down further rural human outmigration would also benefit bird biodiversity.