Download or read book Effects of Shallow Gas Development on Relative Abundances of Grassland Songbirds in a Mixed grass Prairie written by Jennifer Anne Rodgers and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mixed-grass prairie -- grassland songbirds.

Download or read book Effects of Natural Gas Well Development on Songbird Reproductive Success in Mixed grass Prairies of Southeastern Alberta written by Jenny Yoo and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grassland songbird populations have experienced declines due to habitat loss. In Canada, gas well development continues to fragment and disturb prairie habitat. From 2010-2012, I monitored a total of 374 nests in mixed-grass prairie located in southeastern Alberta. I estimated the probabilities of nesting success relative to gas well infrastructure to test for effects on reproductive success. There was very little effect of well pads on nesting success, while roads had a greater impact. Savannah sparrow and chestnut-collared longspur clutch sizes and fledgling numbers per nest were lower near gas well pads and cattle water sources, suggesting lower quality habitat in these areas. Large-sized predators occurred less in areas with older well pads. Concentrations of new well pads may have greater effects on chestnut-collared longspur reproductive success. Minimizing habitat disturbance surrounding gas well pads, and reducing abundance of roads, should minimize impacts on reproductive success for most grassland songbirds.

Download or read book The Effects of Oil and Gas Development on Songbirds of the Mixed grass Prairie written by Jacy Bernath-Plaisted and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Natural Gas Development and Grassland Songbird Abundance in Southwestern Saskatchewan written by Holly Jayne Kalyn Bogard and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Effects of Twice over Rotation Grazing on the Relative Abundances of Grassland Birds in the Mixed grass Prairie Region of Southwestern Manitoba written by Cristina lynn Ranellucci and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twice-over -- rotation -- grazing -- grasslands -- songbirds -- mixed-grass prairie.

Download or read book Relative Effects of Landscape and Local Habitat Characteristics on Grassland Songbird Abundance and Occurrence in Southwestern Manitoba written by Jessica Lockhart and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I investigated the relative effects of grassland cover and fragmentation per se, and the relative influence of landscape and local habitat characteristics on grasslands songbirds in the moist mixed-grass prairies of Manitoba. In 2013, 361 avian point counts were conducted across 47, 2.4-km radii landscapes in the southwest part of the province. I used an information-theoretic approach to rank and select models describing effects of landscape and local-scale habitat variables on grassland songbird abundance and occurrence. Overall, my results indicate that grassland amount, fragmentation and quality, and matrix composition had relatively small and variable effects on grassland songbird abundance and occurrence, but that abundance of obligate species when pooled showed a strong negative response to grassland fragmentation. While fragmentation through edge effects may contribute to obligate species declines, my results suggest that these factors alone are unlikely to explain ongoing declines of grassland birds in southwestern Manitoba.

Download or read book The Effects of Conventional Oil Wells and Associated Infrastructure on the Abundances of Five Grassland Songbird Species in Alberta s Mixed grass Prairie written by Heather R. Nenninger and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although grassland bird populations have steadily declined, little research has examined the effect of oil infrastructure on abundances of grassland songbirds. Even less research has identified mechanisms that explain observed effects. To evaluate this, I sampled abundance of 5 songbird species at oil well sites with different pump mechanisms, power sources, and activity levels; I also evaluated the effects of perch and road density and exotic vegetation, all of which are associated with oil development. Both Baird's sparrows (Ammodramus bairdii) and Sprague's pipits (Anthus spragueii) had lower abundances at all sites that contained oil infrastructure. The other 3 species, chestnut-collared longspurs (Calcarius ornatus), western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta), and Savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis), were relatively unaffected by oil wells, linear features, or exotic vegetation. Given that oil well sites negatively affected two species of concern, more research is needed to determine mitigation strategies.

Download or read book Grassland Songbird Community Relationships Mediated by Cattle Stocking Rates and Plant Community Composition in Two Habitats in a Northern Mixed Grass Prairie written by Kelsey Molloy and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grassland birds are experiencing the most significant declines of any avian guild in North America. Grazing is an important tool to manage habitats for these species, as they respond to structural changes in vegetation, and grazing affects vegetation structure. I studied the impact of cattle stocking rates grassland songbird abundances, with upland and lowland habitats in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada, 2006 to 2012. I also examined relationships between songbird abundance and plant community composition. Generalized linear mixed models were used for analyses. Species differed in responses to increased grazing (0 to 0.85 AUM/ha); Sprague's pipit responded negatively, whereas chestnut-collared longspur responded positively. Above average precipitation during the study likely reduced the grazing effects. Overall, a range of cattle stocking rates makes habitat available for a complete songbird community. Efforts focused on prairie conservation should manage grazing at stocking rates that produce habitats that are under-represented relative to surrounding grasslands.

Download or read book Changes in Grassland Songbird Abundances Through Time in Response to Burning and Grazing in the Northern Mixed grass Prairie written by Alexis Richardson and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Developing Grassland Songbird Management Targets for Multi Species Conservation on Native Mixed Grass Prairie written by Phillip Kelsey Rose and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grassland birds are declining at steeper rates than birds from nearly every other habitat type, and the primary reasons for these declines are loss and degradation of native grasslands. Moisture, along with other environmental conditions such as soil type, topography, fire, and grazing, play important roles in determining the extent of habitat features important to grassland songbirds. I examined the associations between the abundance/occurrence of 14 grassland songbird species and vegetation characteristics along a moisture gradient in southwest Saskatchewan. Associations with at least one vegetation characteristic changed along the moisture gradient for 12 of the 14 species. Songbird abundance/occurrence was typically greater in areas with dense cover at drier sites along the moisture gradient when overall cover was sparse and greater in areas with sparser cover at wetter sites when overall cover was dense; however, absolute values for vegetation characteristics associated with peak abundance/occurrence often remained similar along the moisture gradient. The umbrella species concept is based on the premise that the conservation of a single species can also aid in conservation of a wide range of other co-occurring species with overlapping habitat requirements. I examined how the vegetation attributes of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) critical habitat influenced grassland songbirds, and whether sage-grouse could potentially serve as an umbrella species for the grassland songbird community at the northern extent of the sage-grouse range. I found that abundance of Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii) and Baird's sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii) was lower and abundance of lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) was higher within greater sage-grouse critical habitat in comparison to a 1.6 km buffer surrounding critical habitat. The abundance of all endemic grassland songbirds, except lark bunting, was negatively associated with vegetation attributes that characterized sage-grouse critical habitat (i.e., shrub and sagebrush cover). The vegetation characteristics associated with shrub-steppe songbirds and several grassland generalists overlapped with vegetation characteristics that defined greater sage-grouse critical habitat. Greater sage-grouse conservation is likely to have a positive influence on shrub-tolerant species, such as lark bunting, and a neutral or positive effect on generalist grassland species, but will provide few benefits to other grassland species at risk.

Download or read book Breeding Biology of Grassland Songbirds and the Effects of Oil and Natural Gas Development on Their Density and Reproductive Success written by Sarah Maureen Ludlow and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Effects of Oil Development on Habitat Quality and Its Perception by Mixed grass Prairie Songbirds written by Paulson G. Des Brisay and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oil development has altered mixed-grass prairies in south-eastern Alberta, potentially impacting habitat quality and suitability for grassland birds. I tested whether three passerines can accurately assess habitat quality in the presence of this anthropogenic disturbance. I monitored nesting success and stress hormones and tested for differences in settlement patterns at sites impacted by real oil infrastructure, simulated noise, and control sites. Corticosterone levels suggested that habitat quality was reduced in some cases by disturbance. I also found disturbance impacted perceived habitat quality; however, perceived and realized quality were not always affected similarly. Both Chestnut-collared Longspurs and Savannah Sparrows exhibited stress near infrastructure, but higher-quality Longspur females nested near infrastructure while Savannah Sparrows avoided it. This mismatch may help explain why species suffer disproportionately in response to disturbances. Managers should reduce human presence by concentrating above-ground infrastructure using directional drilling, decommissioning old well heads, reclaiming roads, and reducing traffic.

Download or read book Effects of Marcellus Shale Development on Songbird Abundance and Habitat Use in Northcentral Pennsylvania Forests written by Ethan Barton and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Due to recent instability in the international petroleum products market, American industries are seeking to develop domestic sources of energy, and foremost among these domestic sources is natural gas. The Marcellus Shale formation in the northeastern portion of the United States contains a vast portion of the natural gas reserve of North America; the northeastern US also contains many large core forest reserves important for breeding songbirds. Within the last decade, development of wells within the Marcellus has rapidly expanded, and the number of wells permitted for drilling has increased steadily. In forested areas, Marcellus development creates large disturbances and causes substantial fragmentation, but the landscape matrix remains dominated by stands of mature forest. I examined the effects of Marcellus Shale gas development on songbird abundance and habitat use surrounding 30 well pads, mean size 2 hectares, placed within an extensive forest landscape in northcentral Pennsylvania. I used fixed-radius point counts to assess songbird abundance relative to well pads at four distances from the pad edge: two points in new edge habitat (0m and 50m) created by pad development and two points in remnant post-development interior habitat (150m and 250m), which served as a reference. I conducted bird and vegetation surveys in both northern hardwood and mixed oak habitat. To determine whether bird abundance and species composition differed between edge and reference points, I analyzed the aggregate avian community at edge and interior points and also built linear mixed models for three guilds of species based upon habitat preference: forest interior, early-successional, and synanthropic species. I also constructed linear mixed models for individual bird species within the guilds observed at >=50% of field sites. Avian communities differed between forest interior and pad edge, and they also differed by forest habitat type (northern hardwood or oak) overall and at interior reference points. However, communities did not differ by forest habitat type at edge points, indicating biotic homogenization may be occurring near well pads. Forest interior species were significantly less abundant near the pad edge relative to interior reference points. Interior habitat associates such as black-throated green warblers (Setophaga virens), black-throated blue warblers (Setophaga caerulescens), ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla), red-eyed vireos (Vireo olivaceus), hermit thrushes (Catharus guttatus), and scarlet tanagers (Piranga olivacea) were less abundant at edge points than within the forest interior. In contrast, synanthropic species were more abundant near pad edges than at interior points. American robins (Turdus migratorius) were more abundant within 100m of well pad edges than at reference points within the forest interior surrounding well pads. Distance from edge was not a significant predictor of abundance for the early successional species guild or individual species associated with the guild. Common yellowthroats (Geothlypus trichas) and eastern towhees (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), two species associated with early successional habitat, did not exhibit a detectable response to development. I took nested-plot vegetation samples at points surrounding well sites to assess vegetative changes near well pads as a possible explanation for bird distribution. Average canopy cover, mean litter depth, the number of tree stems >8cm diameter at breast height, and the number of small sapling stems

Download or read book Demographic Responses of Grassland Songbirds to Rangeland Management in the Tallgrass Prairie written by Bram Hendrik Ferdinand Verheijen and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grasslands are among the most rapidly declining ecosystems in the world. The Flint Hills ecoregion contains one of the largest remaining tracts of tallgrass prairie, but most of the area is managed with high densities of grazing animals and frequent prescribed burns, thereby reducing variation in vegetative structure. A homogeneous landscape leads to lower diversity and abundance of wildlife species, including grassland songbirds. Patch-burn grazing management has been proposed to more closely match the historical interaction between fire and selective grazing by native ungulates. Pastures managed with patch-burn grazing have a greater variety of vegetative structure and plant species composition, and as a result, higher species diversity, abundance, and reproductive success of grassland birds. However, past work has not considered potential effects of regional variation in predation risk and rates of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater), or annual variation in climatic conditions on the effects of patch-burn grazing management on the reproductive success of grassland songbirds. Over a six year period and at two tallgrass prairie sites, I tested the effects of patch-burn grazing on the reproductive success of three native grassland songbird species, Dickcissels (Spiza americana), Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), and Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), as well as subsequent effects on the space use, movements, and survival of fledgling Dickcissels. I found only minor effects of patch-burn grazing on the reproductive success of grassland songbirds, supporting previous studies that show that patch-burn grazing does not have negative effects on demographic rates of grassland songbirds. Management regime did not affect densities or territory size of male Dickcissels, but bird densities tended to be higher and territories tended to be smaller on patches within the patch-burn grazing treatment that were burned in the previous year. Thus, patch-burn grazing management might benefit Dickcissel populations by providing higher quality breeding habitat in unburned patches. Last, I found evidence for a potential tradeoff between habitat selection for nests vs. fledglings of Dickcissels in some rangeland management strategies. Parents that realized high reproductive success by nesting in pastures with lower cowbird densities, produced fledglings that faced high rates of depredation by snakes and showed greater movements away from those pastures. Survival rates and movements of Dickcissel fledglings were low, especially during the first week after leaving the nest, which stresses the importance of local habitat conditions. At a larger spatial scale, I tested whether regional differences in habitat structure could drive variation in apparent survival of grassland songbirds. I found that grassland- and shrubland-breeding species had higher estimates of apparent survival than forest-breeding species, contrary to the prevailing viewpoint that birds breeding in dynamic landscapes, such as frequently burned grasslands, should show lower apparent survival than species that breed in woody habitats. The results of my field study show that restoring the historical interaction between fire and grazing on the landscape via patch-burn grazing management could benefit grassland songbirds. Moreover, my dissertation is the first study that tests the effects of patch-burn grazing management on the survival and movements of fledgling Dickcissels, and shows that high cowbird densities can cause a tradeoff between different life-stages. Future conservation efforts should take into account regional variation in species abundance, predator community composition and abundance of Brown-headed Cowbirds when assessing the effects of rangeland management on the demography of grassland songbirds.

Download or read book Conspecific Attraction and Area Sensitivity of Grassland Songbirds in Northern Tall grass Prairie written by David Bruinsma and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many grassland songbird species exhibit sensitivity to patch size in North America's fragmented prairie ecosystems, but the mechanisms explaining this area sensitivity are not well understood. I tested the effects of patch size and artificial conspecific location cues (song playback and decoys) on grassland songbird abundance in 23 northern tall-grass prairies in Manitoba, Canada, in 2010 and 2011. Richness and relative abundances increased with patch area; this effect was not explained by differences in local habitat structure, patch configuration, and adjacent matrix. Artificial cues elicited putative territory prospecting in small, previously unoccupied treatment patches from two focal species, Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis; n=3 treatment sites) and Le Conte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii; n=4 treatment sites), but not in control patches (n=3 for both focal species). Social information may influence the focal species' settlement decisions, but the lack of permanent settlement response suggests social cues are unable to reverse their area sensitivity.

Download or read book Changes in Grassland Songbird Abundance and Diversity in Response to Grazing by Bison and Cattle in the Northern Mixed grass Prairie written by Maggi Sliwinski and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mixed-grass prairie -- songbirds.

Download or read book Effects of Habitat Restoration on Breeding Grassland Songbird Habitat Use in Remnant Prairies of the Loess Hills Iowa written by Tracy A. Walker and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the central US, land use change has resulted in the loss and fragmentation of grassland habitats. We examined the influence of different restoration practices (burning and grazing, both separately and in combination) on native plants and grassland birds within the Loess Hills, Iowa at Broken Kettle Grasslands (BKG) Preserve in 2003-04. Vegetation characteristics varied significantly with treatment. Burned-only plots had more native plant species and a higher percentage of bare ground compared to other treatments, while grazed plots tended to have fewer shrubs, higher litter depth, and greater litter cover. Bird response to habitat restoration varied with treatment and species life history traits. Obligate grassland species, such as Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) and Western Meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta), were consistently less abundant in burned-only treatments. In contrast, Dickcissels (Spiza americana), showed no difference among treatments, and woodland edge species, such as Lark Sparrows (Chondestes grammacus), were more abundant in these areas. Grasshopper Sparrows selected nest sites with short vegetation and a shallow litter layer, whereas Dickcissels selected nesting habitat closer to and with a higher percentage of tall shrubs. Patterns in nest success and seasonal productivity were opposite those shown in relative abundance. Grasshopper Sparrows preferred to nest in habitat that had been grazed, yet nest success and seasonal productivity were highest in burned-only treatments. These results suggest that grazing may have a negative effect on grassland bird populations at BKG. Consequently, we recommend a restoration approach that includes both burning and grazing, considering timing and distribution of grazing regimes, for sustaining populations of threatened grassland bird species with varying habitat preferences.