Brilliant post and comments.

Solid woodland is not the wildlife heaven usually assumed. Neither are the huge monocultures of modern farming.

In Europe there is the problem of small farmers leaving the land and the forest taking over. One species that benefits is wild boar, which in turn press whatever ground nesting birds remain in the woods. No wonder there are wild boar inside urban areas now. And it is not only gamebirdfs that suffer, biodiversity as a whole is diminishing, but it is more convenient to blame it all on "global warming" rather than apathy and inaction.

The British Game Conservancy, now called the Wildlife Trust, has done excellent work for nearly a century on this subject.

Last edited by Shotgunlover; 09/10/13 03:40 AM.