Ecosystem engineering by the Eurasian crane - new paper in LDD

12/05/2022

Our new paper about the impressive ecosystem engineering effect of a large bird has recently been published.

The citation of the paper:

Valkó, O., Borza, S., Godó, L., Végvári, Z., Deák, B. (2022) Eurasian crane (Grus grus) as ecosystem engineer in grasslands ‒ conservation values, ecosystem services and disservices related to a large iconic bird species. Land Degradation and Development https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.4314
The paper is open access and can be freely downloaded from the journal homepage by clicking here.


In this study we show the effect of an iconic large bird species on alkaline grassland ecosystems. Our study showed that foraging cranes have a fundamental effect on the structure and functioning of alkaline grassland ecosystems, by creating patches with altered vegetation composition and ecosystem functioning. You can read more about this study in our blog post by clicking here.


Crane feather and pioneer plants on a crane-disturbed patch.
Crane feather and pioneer plants on a crane-disturbed patch.