The bittern in Europe: a guide to species and habitat management

Edited by Graham White, Jochen Purps and Sarah Alsbury. Published by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 2006, 194 pages

In 2004, a LIFE Co-op project ("Handbook for actions to promote Bittern population in Europe"- LIFE2003NAT/CP/C/000009) was launched to collect, interpret, prepare and disseminate the experiences, results and know-how of Bittern EU-LIFE Projects. This Handbook "The bittern in Europe: a guide to species and habitat management", offers detailed guidelines for actions to promote bittern protection, enriched by many vivid practical examples from all over Europe. With a very practical focus, it is aimed at land managers, advisors and interested groups in wetland conservation and also Government departments and agencies, water suppliers and local authorities.

Recueil d’expériences du programme LIFE Butor étoilé : biologie et gestion des habitats du Butor étoilé en France

LPO 2006, 96 pages

Publication of the project: LIFE00 NAT/F/007269 - Programme for the restoration and management of the habitats used by the Bittern in France. For more information consult the project website.

Identifying autumn migration routes for the globally threatened Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola

British Ornithologists’ Union, 2006, 8 pages

The migration strategy of the globally threatened Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola needs to be known to ensure that effective action is taken to conserve its principal stopover sites. Using data from ringing stations during the autumn migration of reedbed warblers, a LIFE project (Conservation of the Aquatic Warbler in Brittany - LIFE04 NAT/FR/000086) developed an index that allowed countries and sites to be compared in terms of their numerical importance to migrating Aquatic Warblers. It also identified some French sites that are of major importance to migrating Aquatic Warblers depositing reserves on migration.

Contribution à la conduite des peuplements de pin laricio et habitats associés

Office National de Forest, Conseil Exécutif de Corse, 2005, Tome 1, 262 pages, Tome 2, 284 pages

Publication of the project : LIFE00 NAT/F/007273 For a conservatory management of the laricio pine habitats.
For more information visit the project website.

Conservation des populations francaises des vipères d'Orsini

Protection of the French populations of the Orsini's Viper - 16 pages

This brochure, published by the regional environment agency of Provence-Alpes Côte-d'Azur, focuses on the French’s populations of the Orsini’s viper (Vipera ursinii) and its habitats. Furthermore, the publication highlights threats to the species and how the LIFE project aims to overcome them. It presents planned LIFE protection measures, expected project results and actors involved.

Publications on the reinforcement of the migratory breeding populations of the Little Bustard

The following three publications have been produced by the LIFE project "Reinforcement of the migratory breeding populations of the Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) in France" - LIFE04 NAT/FR/000091.

Manipulating Lek Size and Composition Using Decoys: An Experimental Investigation of Lek Evolution Models

The american naturalist (vol. 168, no. 6) 2006, 11 pages

This study looks at four theoretical models that have been proposed to account for the origin and maintenance of leks: hotspot, female preference, hotshot, and black hole models. A study of responses of wild males and females allowed the project to test specific predictions derived from the four classical models of lek evolution. In consequence, three models of lek evolution were partly or fully supported by the experimental results.

Modelling population reinforcement at a large spatial scale as a conservation strategy for the declining little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) in agricultural habitats

The Zoological Society of London, 2005, 9 pages

An age and sex-structured stochastic metapopulation model was formulated for the remaining little bustard population in south-west France and its extinction risk estimated. Different strategies for the reinforcement of fledglings were evaluated in terms of their effect in reducing the extinction risk of local populations and of the metapopulation.

Predicting short-term extinction risk for the declining Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) in intensive agricultural habitats

Elsevier, Biological Conservation 122, 2005, 9 pages 

A comprehensive sensitivity analysis showed that the formulated age and sex-structured stochastic metapopulation model was robust to changes of a wide range of combinations assessed. Implications of the project findings for the conservation of this endangered species are suggested.

WOLF management plan for Croatia : towards understanding and addressing key issues in wolf management planning in Croatia

Consolidated and edited by Ana Štrbenac, Zagreb: State Institute for Nature Protection, 2005

Publication of the project LIFE02 TCY/CRO/014 - Conservation and management of Wolves in Croatia. For more information consult the project website.

Contribution de l’Instrument LIFE Nature à la protection des oiseaux en France

Contribution of the LIFE-Nature instrument to the protection of birds in France, Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, June 2002 - 41 pages

This publication is an extensive document on the contribution of the LIFE Programme to bird protection in France. It shows a summary of the results of several successful projects. Published in French only.