▁be ▁positive ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁these ▁dam ages , ▁and ▁this ▁has ▁helped ▁in ▁conser ving ▁the ▁species ▁within ▁agricult ural ▁areas . ▁The ▁role ▁of ▁rice ▁p add ies ▁and ▁associated ▁ir rig ation ▁structures ▁may ▁be ▁particularly ▁important ▁for ▁the ▁birds ' ▁conservation , ▁since ▁natural ▁wet lands ▁are ▁increasing ly ▁threatened ▁by ▁human ▁activity . ▁The ▁conversion ▁of ▁wet lands ▁to ▁far ml and , ▁and ▁far ml and ▁to ▁more ▁urban ▁uses ▁are ▁major ▁causes ▁for ▁habitat ▁loss ▁and ▁long - term ▁population ▁decl ine . ▁Comp ens ating ▁far mers ▁for ▁c rop ▁losses ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁as ▁a ▁measure ▁that ▁may ▁help , ▁but ▁needs ▁to ▁be ▁implemented ▁jud ici ously ▁so ▁as ▁not ▁to ▁cor rupt ▁and ▁remove ▁existing ▁local ▁trad itions ▁of ▁toler ance . ▁Farm ers ▁in ▁sar us ▁c rane ▁winter ing ▁areas ▁in ▁Australia ▁are ▁beginning ▁to ▁use ▁efficient ▁methods ▁to ▁har vest ▁cro ps , ▁which ▁may ▁lead ▁to ▁lower ed ▁food ▁avail ability . ▁Farm ers ▁are ▁also ▁transition ing ▁from ▁field ▁cro ps ▁to ▁per enn ial ▁and ▁tree ▁cro ps ▁that ▁have ▁higher ▁returns . ▁This ▁may ▁reduce ▁available ▁for aging ▁habitat ▁for ▁c ran es , ▁and ▁may ▁increase ▁conflict ▁with ▁far mers ▁in ▁the ▁remaining , ▁few ▁c rop ▁fields . ▁ ▁A ▁review ▁of ▁literature ▁and ▁assess ment ▁of ▁abund ance ▁of ▁Sar us ▁C ran es ▁in ▁Nep al ▁suggests ▁that ▁past ▁field ▁methods ▁were ▁either ▁in ade qu ate ▁or ▁incomplete ▁to ▁properly