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Swans and geese occur in larger numbers near more people than ever before,  in Sweden as well as in Western Europe.

• Increasing populations sometimes lead to problems and conflicts. On agricultural land geese and swans can cause costly damage to growing crops. Intense grazing by these birds may also affect natural vegetation, sometimes leading to conflict with conservation and biodiversity goals.

• Geese and swans are obligate herbivores, consuming leaves, stems, seeds and root parts of terrestrial and aquatic  plants.

• Grazing on growing crops may cause conflicts of interest also when geese and swans congregate in large numbers in wetlands adjacent to  cropland.

• Geese and swans provide a multitude of ecosystem services, for example viewing, hunting, meat, and eco-tourism revenues.

GEESE AND SWANS AS   HERBIVORES

• As their diet is very rich in fibres and water, geese and swans must consume large amounts of plant material in order to obtain enough nutrients (mainly proteins and carbohydrates).

• Geese and swans have a highly developed capability to assess the nutrient compo- sition of different species and parts of plants. This is true for proteins and easily digestible carbohydrates, and also for components that are hard to digest or unpala- table. As a consequence, these birds are very selective feeders, if given a   choice.

• Nutrient needs vary over the year; in autumn and spring relatively more proteins are consumed, whilst plants rich in energy are favoured in winter.

• In general, agricultural crops contain more nutrients than the natural food plants of geese and swans. As a result, feeding on agricultural land is almost always marter choice’ for them.