Download or read book Nesting Ecology of Grassland Birds in an Agricultural Landscape written by Jeffery William Walk and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Influence of Habitat Features on Grassland Birds Nesting in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota written by David Joseph Horn and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Results of habitat fragmentation studies on grassland and wetland birds are not consistent. Some studies have found positive relationships among abundance, nest success, field size, and distance to edges, whereas others have found no relationship. One reason for differing results may be the landscape composition in which the study took place. I examined how landscape composition influenced relations among: 1) occurrence and abundance of grassland songbirds and field size and 2) nest success of ducks, field size, and edges. I also investigated the effects of mowing on grassland songbirds, and how landscape features, such as amount of perennial grassland, and predator community composition influenced the nest success of ducks in fields. The study took place in the Prairie Pothole Region of central North Dakota during the 1996-1997 breeding seasons. Two types of 6.4 x 6.4 km study areas were selected based on the amount of perennial grassland they contained: 15-20% and 51-55%. The remaining portion of the study areas was primarily cropland and wetland.

Download or read book Ecological Niches written by Jonathan M. Chase and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2003-07 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do species live where they live? What determines the abundance and diversity of species in a given area? What role do species play in the functioning of entire ecosystems? All of these questions share a single core concept—the ecological niche. Although the niche concept has fallen into disfavor among ecologists in recent years, Jonathan M. Chase and Mathew A. Leibold argue that the niche is an ideal tool with which to unify disparate research and theoretical approaches in contemporary ecology. Chase and Leibold define the niche as including both what an organism needs from its environment and how that organism's activities shape its environment. Drawing on the theory of consumer-resource interactions, as well as its graphical analysis, they develop a framework for understanding niches that is flexible enough to include a variety of small- and large-scale processes, from resource competition, predation, and stress to community structure, biodiversity, and ecosystem function. Chase and Leibold's synthetic approach will interest ecologists from a wide range of subdisciplines.

Download or read book Vertebrate Conservation and Biodiversity written by David L. Hawksworth and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-09-09 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book draws together a wide range of papers from researchers around the world that address the conservation and biodiversity of vertebrates, particularly those in terrestrial habitats. Collectively, the papers provide a snap-shot of the types of studies and actions being taken in vertebrate conservation and provide topical examples that will make the volume especially valuable for use in conservation biology courses.

Download or read book Ecology and Conservation of Grassland Birds of the Western Hemisphere written by Peter D. Vickery and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Grassland Birds in Natural and Cultivated Grasslands in the Northern Campos of Uruguay written by Adrián B. Azpiroz and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grassland bird populations are declining in many regions of the world as a consequence of habitat modification but research efforts have been concentrated in North America and Europe. In the Neotropics, however, many aspects of grassland bird ecology remain virtually unexplored. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of habitat modification on the distribution, abundance, and reproductive success of grassland birds in the Northern Campos of Uruguay. The study focused on birds that inhabit four grassland habitats which differed in terms of agricultural management in the Northern Campos of Uruguay. First, distance sampling was used to characterize bird diversity patterns and population densities along the agricultural gradient. Second, nine vegetation structure variables were quantified and the response of birds species to these variables was assessed with multivariate analyses. Finally, systematic nest searching and monitoring activities were conducted during two breeding seasons and this information was used to estimate nest success patterns of both common and globally threatened species. Overall, a total of 50 species were recorded; cultivated and natural grasslands were dominated by grassland facultative and obligate species, respectively. Some threatened species (Anthus nattereri, Sturnella defilippi) were largely restricted to natural grasslands. In terms of vegetation structure, grass cover and vegetation height were the two variables to which birds responded most strongly. With respect to nest survival, models that included temporal trends (i.e., seasonal effects) and habitat type effects were the ones best supported by the data. Contrary to expectation, nest survival of threatened taxa did not differ from that of common congenerics. This study is the first characterization of grassland bird communities inhabiting an agricultural landscape in the Northern Campos of Uruguay. Using modern sampling techniques and inferential procedures, information on bird diversity patterns and species-habitat relationships was combined with reproductive success data to provide a clear understanding of the effects of habitat alteration on grassland bird populations. The results from this study provide a useful baseline for the development of guidelines targeting bird conservation and land management in the grasslands of the Pampas region.

Download or read book Nesting Ecology and Nesting Habitat Requirements of Ohio s Grassland nesting Birds written by David Anthony Swanson and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Managing Habitat for Grassland Birds written by David W. Sample and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Restoring North America s Birds written by Robert Askins and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2002-01-01 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This accessible book draws on recent research on bird species and their habitats to explain how basic principles of bird ecology and landscape ecology can help us create scientifically sound plans for protecting and restoring the rich diversity of North American birds. This edition includes an afterword that reviews noteworthy literature that has appeared since the first edition was completed in 1999. This new material--on such key issues as the importance of preserving large expanses of natural habitat, the importance of maintaining early successional habitats, and the habitat requirements of neotropical migrants--shows how the research on landscape ecology of birds has shaped conservation policy more rapidly than most would have predicted. Praise for the earlier edition: "This book is first-rate--very broad in scope and appeal, readable, and truly integrative in its coverage of landscape ecology and its implications for avian conservation biology. . . . It will be of significant interest to researchers and students of conservation biology, ornithology and ecology; land managers; conservation agencies; and anyone with an interest in protecting the rich avian diversity of North America."--Trevor E. Pitcher, American Scientist "This wonderful book . . . is especially relevant for conservation biologists from all walks of life."--Kathryn E. Sieving, Auk "An enjoyable read for anyone, from the amateur birder to the professional scientist."--J. Michael Reed, Ecology

Download or read book The Ecology of Bird Communities written by John A. Wiens and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1989 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major study of avian community ecology.

Download or read book Conserving Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes written by Robert K. Swihart and published by Purdue University Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Habitat loss and fragmentation arguably pose the greatest threats to biological diversity. Agriculture is a dominant land use that, along with urban sprawl and residential development, can reduce the amount and connectedness of natural areas required by many native species. Unfortunately, progress has been slow in integrating nature and biodiversity protection into community planning in intensively farmed regions, especially in America's heartland. Seldom do issues related to species conservation receive consideration during local planning activities. Lack of progress stems partly from scientific inadequacies in understanding the dynamics of complex landscapes, and from a lack of engagement of non-scientific stakeholders by scientists and modelers. The result of these shortcomings is a critical disconnect of conservation issues from the planning infrastructure. This book provides a blueprint for advancing conceptual understanding of conservation in agricultural regions. It accomplishes this with a two-pronged approach: first, by developing spatially structured models that acknowledge the link between socio-economic drivers of land-use change and the dynamics of species occupying agricultural landscapes with abrupt changes in land cover (i.e., sharp edges); and second, by providing guidelines and examples to enable scientists to effectively engage stakeholders in participatory learning and planning activities that integrate biodiversity with other, more traditional, considerations. The structure of the book is truly interdisciplinary, linking the efforts of ecologists, economists, statisticians, mathematicians, and land-use specialists.

Download or read book Essentials of Landscape Ecology written by Kimberly A. With and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-07-01 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human activity during the Anthropocene has transformed landscapes worldwide on a scale that rivals or exceeds even the largest of natural forces. Landscape ecology has emerged as a science to investigate the interactions between natural and anthropogenic landscapes and ecological processes across a wide range of scales and systems: from the effects of habitat or resource distributions on the individual movements, gene flow, and population dynamics of plants and animals; to the human alteration of landscapes affecting the structure of biological communities and the functioning of entire ecosystems; to the sustainable management of natural resources and the ecosystem goods and services upon which society depends. This novel and comprehensive text presents the principles, theory, methods, and applications of landscape ecology in an engaging and accessible format that is supplemented by numerous examples and case studies from a variety of systems, including freshwater and marine "scapes".

Download or read book The Influence of Patch and Landscape Characteristics on Grassland Passerine Density Nest Success and Predators in Southwestern Wisconsin Pastures written by Rosalind B. Renfrew and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Video Surveillance of Nesting Birds written by Christine Ann Ribic and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2012-06-12 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Declining bird populations, especially those that breed in North American grasslands, have stimulated extensive research on factors that affect nest failure and reduced reproductive success. Until now, this research has been hampered by the difficulties inherent in observing nest activities. Video Surveillance of Nesting Birds highlights the use of miniature video cameras and recording equipment yielding new important and some unanticipated insights into breeding bird biology, including previously undocumented observations of hatching, incubation, fledging, diurnal and nocturnal activity patterns, predator identification, predator-prey interactions, and cause-specific rates of nest loss. This seminal contribution to bird reproductive biology uses tools capable of generating astonishing results with the potential for fresh insights into bird conservation, management, and theory.

Download or read book Handbook of Field Methods for Monitoring Landbirds written by and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Eastern Tallgrass Prairie Management and Its Impact on Grassland Birds written by Heather Herakovich and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The majority of tallgrass prairie has been converted to agriculture over the past two centuries, making it one of the most threatened ecosystems globally. Agricultural conversion of prairie fragmented the landscape, causing declines and local extirpation of many grassland birds. Restoration projects have sought to increase the quality and size of prairie fragments by converting cultivated land back to prairie through revegetation and management with prescribed fire, hypothetically increasing breeding habitat for grassland birds. Bison and other grazers are now being reintroduced to prairie restorations as a final step in the restoration process to increase habitat heterogeneity. The goal of my dissertation was to determine how a recent bison reintroduction at Nachusa Grasslands impacted grassland bird nest success, nest predator composition, and grassland bird detection frequency and to see if it is similar to other studies. I measured daily survivorship rate, visual obstruction of vegetation around nests, and species composition of fourteen species of known avian breeders in areas with and without bison from 2014 to 2018 (Chapter 2). Reduced vegetation obstruction and Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism resulted in decreased nest success overall. Generalist nesters did not differ with respect to any measured variables, including presence of bison. In contrast, facultative and obligate grassland nesting birds occurred at lower nest densities and experienced reduced and more variable nest success in areas with bison. In addition, I constructed artificial nests and placed them at a set density in sites with and without bison and with varying fire frequencies over the same time period (Chapter 3). I found that nest success decreased, and total proportion of depredation events and proportion of Cricetid depredation events increased with prescribed fire. Yearly differences influenced nest success the most and were not related to precipitation during the experiment. I found less nest depredation in the sites with bison, but I found no interaction between fire and grazing. Lastly, I sought to quantify overall species richness and the detection frequency as a proxy for relative abundance of certain grassland bird species that are thought to be impacted by bison grazing (Henslow's Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlarks, Dickcissels, and Brown-headed Cowbirds) from 2016- 2018 (Chapter 4). I used stationary bioacoustics recorders to record the soundscape just after dawn and just before dusk during the summer breeding season in areas with and without bison. I found that species richness and detection frequency of the majority of my target species were not influenced by bison presence. Grasshopper Sparrows were the only species to respond to bison presence and prescribed fire with increase detection frequency in areas burned and grazed. Henslow's Sparrows also showed a species-specific response, but only to prescribed fire, where detection frequency was lower in areas burned. These results are consistent with other research in remnant prairie with both cattle and bison grazing. Site age was the predominant influence on detection frequency of Henslow's Sparrows, Dickcissels, and Eastern Meadowlarks likely due to the vegetation differences in sites that are planted versus remnant sites, with Brown-headed Cowbird abundance only influenced by year. My results suggest that nesting success and detection frequency may be being impacted by bison

Download or read book Little Bustard Ecology and Conservation written by Vincent Bretagnolle and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-03-23 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is devoted to the Little Bustard, a medium sized Paleartic steppe bird whose distribution ranges from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Asia. At present, the European population is suffering a severe decline mainly due to agricultural intensification, although its status and concerns in non-European countries are relatively unknown. In spite of this dramatic situation, the Little Bustard is an interesting model species for topics as varied as phylogeny, life history evolution and demographic traits, sexual selection and lekking behavior, habitat selection, intra- and interspecific relationships, or interaction with farming and other anthropogenic disturbances. This book provides an updated, interdisciplinary, and worldwide review of the most recent information of this crucial species in the Palearctic steppe-bird community, from specific biological aspects and traits to research-focused management. Some of the most prominent scientists from different fields (systematics, breeding ecology, behavior, competence, predation, population dynamics, farming, conservation) update and synthesize the existing information on a singular, threatened and vulnerable species.