Globally, there are at least 45 species of game bird
that have the word partridge in their name, but in this
book G. R. Potts devotes himself to the Grey, Red-legged
and Chukar Partridges, with particular emphasis on the
Grey Partridge due to its well-known decline in Britain.
In this groundbreaking addition to the New Naturalist
series, Potts explores how mankind and partridges have
evolved together, both ultimately dependent on
grasslands rather than forests. For thousands of years,
both ate grass seeds and this continued until cereals
largely replaced them. Hundreds of species of plant and
insect that partridges and other birds eat thrived on
farms for thousands of years until the dawn of the
pesticides era. Since then the long decline in partridge
abundance has been a barometer for biodiversity over
vast swathes of the Northern Hemisphere. Highlighting
the positive example of the Norfolk Estate in the Sussex
Study area, Potts investigates how both Grey and
Red-legged Partridge numbers have been increased,
flourishing in a highly productive and profitable system
of farming and an oasis in what has often looked and
sounded like a desert.In a small corner of England
farmland wildlife is able to thrive much as it did
before pesticides were introduced. This is a complex and
fascinating story, with a heady mix of hunting, farming,
predation, parasites, disease and climate change. The
way these factors have interacted tells us a lot about
how lesser known species have fared and how they can be
conserved for the future. Potts stresses the importance
of these conservation efforts, as farmers respond to the
needs of an extra three billion people worldwide, not
just for food but for bio-fuels. Additionally, the
pressures on farmland wildlife will further intensify in
the coming years. |
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