Assessing plastic pollution in farmland: Impact of agricultural practices on bird nesting materials
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Farmland, a vital terrestrial environment, has seen significant changes due to intensified agricultural practices and plastic pollution. Assessing plastic pollution in farmed areas remains challenging, and understanding its impacts on agricultural ecosystems is limited. The aim of the was to determine whether plastic pollution in agricultural landscapes depends on the type of crops. We used the Red-backed Shrike ( Lanius collurio ), an indicator bird species and investigated plastic contamination of 122 of its nests. We found plastic waste in 82.1 % of nests, totalling 6234 items weighing 197.2 g. On average, each nest contained 55.7 waste items, constituting approximately 4.3 % of the nest's mass. Plastic string fibres were predominant, making up 95.6 % of the items and 90.7 % of the mass. This variation may be due to different straw and hay management practices and varying levels of vigilance in removing plastic remnants. Contamination levels varied significantly among farmland types, with cultivated fields showing the highest contamination and meadows the lowest. • Intensive farming involves the use of plastic foil, netting and string. • Plastic waste items were recorded in 82.1 % of Red-backed Shrike nests. • Plastic string fibres and intact string made up 90.1 % of the total waste mass. • On average, plastic constituted 4.3 % of a nest’s mass. • Plastic pollution levels were higher in cultivated fields than in meadows.
Institutions: Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, University of Siedlce
Language: English
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,990
OpenAlex ID: W4402691198