The impact of sugar beet farming practice on wintering pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus populations Original Research Article

The size of the pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus population that a wintering area can support generally depends upon the amount and availability of food in that area. As pink-footed geese feed primarily on agricultural crops, farming practices will be the major determinant of food abundance and availability. The pink-footed geese wintering in north Norfolk, England spend the majority of their time feeding on harvested sugar beet remains. The effect of sugar beet farming practices on the goose population was examined both by comparisons of fields farmed in different ways and by experimental manipulation of the conditions within fields. The age and density of beet roots, determined by the timing of sugar beet harvest and the type of harvester used, have little effect on the number of geese each field supports. However, the use of harvested beet fields for feeding livestock has a large potential to affect goose numbers. Harvested sugar beet remains not being used for livestock are of no commercial value. Sugar beet farming practice can thus be directed towards maximising goose numbers on this crop in order to minimise numbers on more vulnerable crops such as winter-sown cereals.