DOI: 10.5061/dryad.62b84
title: Data from: Is it worthwhile scaring geese to alleviate damage to crops? – an experimental study

description: Increasing population sizes of geese are the cause of numerous
 agricultural conflicts in many regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Scaring
 is often used as a tool to chase geese away from fields, either as a means
 to protect vulnerable crops or as part of goose management schemes to
 drive geese to accommodation areas. Geese are quick to habituate to
 stationary scaring devices; hence, active scaring by humans is often
 employed. However, it remains undocumented how much effort is required for
 active scaring to be effective. We explored the relationship between
 intensity of active human scaring on field use and behaviour by geese.
 Using an experimental framework, we applied four different scaring doses
 per day (geese were scared either 2, 5, 7 or 10 times per day), to random
 pastures in a pink-footed goose spring staging area in mid-Norway, and
 recorded goose flock sizes, fleeing response distances, and average weekly
 goose densities assessed by dropping densities. In addition, we counted
 droppings in fields without scaring. We used mixed models to test for
 changes in the effects of different scaring doses over time and compared
 observed with predicted dropping levels. Cumulative dropping densities
 increased at different rates depending on the scaring dose. Scaring dosage
 did not affect flock size and fleeing response distance during the study
 period, but both flock sizes and fleeing response distances changed with
 time. Scaring dose 2 did not show any decrease in relative goose use
 compared to the fields without scaring, whereas doses 5, 7 and 10 all
 showed 74–78% fewer droppings by the end of the spring staging period,
 indicating a possible threshold between dose 2 and 5. The largest effect
 of scaring appeared during the first week of scaring. Synthesis and
 applications. This study is the first to show a dose–response relationship
 between active scaring and field use of flocking geese. For individual
 farmers, the study provides guidance on the level of scaring effort needed
 to be cost-effective. If implemented as part of a management scheme with
 subsidy/accommodation areas in combination with systematic and persistent
 scaring, it can be used as a tool to keep geese away from areas where they
 are not wanted, thereby assisting in the alleviation of goose–agriculture
 conflicts. The approach in this study can be adapted and used in a wider
 range of wildlife interactions with human economic interests.
description: Dropping count
 dataPink-footed goose
 dropping counts from fieldwork in Nord-Trøndelag in
 Norwaycount_final.txtGoose scaring distance dataFlight distance between scarer and goose flock when fleeing. Data are from fieldwork in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway 2012dist_final.txtObserved goose flock sizeFlock sizes of Pink-footed geese observed mornings and evening during fieldwork in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway 2012flockeq_final.txtField info related to goose scaring experimentsPhysical data on field level in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway 2012poly_final.txtR script of analyses of dropping counts, fleeing distance and flock sizeComplete script of analyses of all data used in the MS 'Is it worthwhile scaring geese to alleviate damage to crops? – An experimental study' by Simonsen, Caroline; Madsen, Jesper; Tombre, Ingunn; Nabe-Nielsen, Jacob. J. Appl. Eco.scar_all_scripts_appl_eco.R