Download or read book The Roles of Behaviour and Habitat Features in Breeding Site Selection by Grassland Birds written by Joseph John Nocera and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Habitat Selection in Birds written by Martin L. Cody and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 1985-06-28 with total page 581 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leading researchers in behavioural ecology discuss specific aspects of this important topic including: The mechanism of habitat selection and how it operates Its relevance to population biology Behavioural and physiological implications The ecological and evolutionary significance of habitat choice and survival and reproduction in various habitat types.

Download or read book Habitat Selection and Breeding Ecology of Grassland Birds in Areas Managed with Fire and Grazing written by 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 Ecology and Conservation of Grassland Birds written by Paul D. Goriup and published by International. This book was released on 1988 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Aspects of Habitat Selection in Grassland Birds written by Keith Graham Harrison and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Habitat Selection in Grassland Birds written by Julie A. Elzanati and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Habitat Selection and Reproductive Success of Grassland Birds in Western Maryland written by Marie V. Brady and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Post fire Successional Effects on Breeding Grassland Birds in Mesquite Savanna Habitats of the Texas Rolling Plains written by Stephanie L. Lee and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: North American grasslands and grassland birds have declined drastically due to habitat degradation by fire suppression (i.e., woody encroachment), fragmentation, and conversion to croplands. A better understanding is needed of the relationships among disturbance regimes (e.g., fire), resultant vegetation changes, and grassland bird communities to effectively manage remaining grasslands and grassland birds. I assessed the relationship between post-fire succession, and mean relative abundance and nesting ecology of breeding grassland birds (i.e., nest-site selection and nest success) in mesquite-dominated rangeland of the Texas Rolling Plains, where prescribed fire is used as a tool to manage shrub encroachment. Brush cover, grass cover, and visual obstruction generally increased with post-fire succession, and bare ground decreased with post-fire succession. Species richness, grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), Cassin's sparrows (Aimophila cassinii), and dickcissels (Spiza americana) responded positively to post-fire succession, and lark sparrows (Chondestes grammacus) responded negatively to post-fire succession.; abundance of these avian groups was low on the control sites. During 2004-2005, 90 grassland bird nests were monitored. I found conflicting results for vegetation parameters important to nest site selection and probability of nest success. For all species except lark sparrows, nest-site location was positively associated with visual obstruction and with grass or forb cover. However, the probability of nest success increased with lower visual obstruction, bare ground cover, or grass cover. Grassland bird abundance, nest-site location, and nest success had differing associations with vegetation variables. These results suggest that to effectively manage remaining grasslands for sustainable breeding grassland bird populations, managers should engage in practices that keep habitat in multiple vegetative successional stages.

Download or read book Restored Heterogeneity as a Conservation Strategy for Grassland Birds written by Torre James Hovick and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grasslands are inherently dynamic in space and time evolving with frequent disturbance from fire and herbivores. Throughout much of the world, grasslands have been converted and fragmented and many remaining grasslands have become homogenous as a consequence of human actions. As a result, ecosystem function has declined and biodiversity loss has led to decreased ecological services. Of particular concern are highly imperiled grassland birds which have experienced greater population declines than any other habitat associated guild of birds in North America. Conservation efforts that restore heterogeneity to grasslands through the re-coupling of fire and grazing may be an effective strategy for stabilizing or increasing grassland bird populations. We examined Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) ecology, breeding bird community diversity and stability, and non-breeding bird community diversity and patch occupancy in tallgrass prairie with restored structural and compositional heterogeneity. We found that Greater Prairie-Chickens selected for patches with greater time since fire and grazing and that taller vegetation increased nest survival. Additionally, nests that survived were in cooler environments and prairie-chickens displayed fine scale thermal habitat selection as nest sites were nearly 4°C cooler than micro-sites within 2 meters of nests. We found that heterogeneity increased breeding bird community diversity and that increased heterogeneity resulted in greater community stability over time. Finally, non-breeding bird community diversity increased as a result of structural heterogeneity and occupancy modeling revealed that certain species selected for varying patches along a disturbance gradient (i.e, recently disturbed to relatively undisturbed) that resulted from fire and grazing dependent heterogeneity. Our findings add to a growing body of literature supporting the use of fire and grazing to create a shifting grassland mosaic that increases vegetation structural and compositional heterogeneity and maximizes native biodiversity within rangeland ecosystems through the conservation of natural patterns and processes. Additionally, these data provide evidence that variation in grassland structure resulting from the fire-grazing interaction may be important in moderating thermal environments and highlights the complex and interactive effects of restored ecological processes on ecosystems. We recommend future management efforts in rangelands focus on restored disturbance process to increase heterogeneity and improve grassland bird conservation.

Download or read book Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Predator Activity to Grassland Birds written by Jennifer Lee Thieme and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Grassland birds are declining at greater rates than any other habitat guild in North America, yet conservation remains difficult due to extensive habitat loss and fragmentation throughout the urbanizing Midwest. Human presence is often associated with non-native predators (e.g., cats) and anthropogenic food sources, which collectively can promote high densities of nest predators in urban landscapes. High densities of nest predators are a concern because predation is the leading source of nest failure. Behavioral responses to predators may further diminish the value of urban habitats if birds avoid areas with high levels of predator activity, which could result in lower occupancy rates or densities of birds in urban habitat patches. In my research, I examined how habitat heterogeneity and variation in the predator community influenced the breeding ecology of grassland and early successional birds in urban parks. I asked two broad questions: (1) how do birds respond behaviorally to abundance and activity of predators in urban natural areas? (2) to what extent is avian reproductive success linked to predator communities and/or activity at plot and site scales? I collected data on avian density, nest placement, and reproductive success of eight focal species of grassland birds within 46 2-ha plots at seven urban parks near Chicago, Illinois, during 2009 and 2010. Relative abundance and activity levels of potential nest predator species, including mesopredators, small mammals, snakes, and avian predators, were estimated for each plot during surveys and as part of a collaborative study. As capture rates of small mammals increased, territory densities of Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla), Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), and Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) declined, but density of Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) rose. Mesopredator capture rates were negatively associated with Common Yellowthroat and Savannah Sparrow densities within 2-ha plots, as well as Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) at the site level. Whereas small mammal and mesopredator capture rates explained some of the observed variation in territory density, daily nest survival of both Field and Song Sparrows was best explained by numbers of snakes observed within plots. Interestingly, snake activity was positively associated with nest survival of Field Sparrows, though negatively associated with that of Song Sparrows. At large scales, vegetation characteristics best predicted nest survival of both species, with nest survival of Field Sparrow improving as density of groundcover increased and nest survival of Song Sparrow improving as structural complexity increased. While the structural complexity of vegetation at nest sites was not explained by predator activity, Song Sparrows selected nest sites with lower groundcover density than available as activity of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) increased. As a whole, these results provide evidence that breeding grassland and early successional birds respond to both habitat structure and activity of potential predators at different scales. I also found that behavioral (e.g., territory selection) and demographic (e.g., nest survival) associations with predators do not necessarily match. For example, snakes had the strongest, though sometimes counterintuitive, relationship with nest success of Field and Song Sparrows, yet appeared to elicit no response during territory or nest site selection. My results are also consistent with other studies demonstrating the importance of vegetation structure to both settlement and reproductive success. Consequently, the best management practices in urban parks will both maintain vegetation structure that promotes successful nesting and discourage activities that promote high abundances of predators.

Download or read book Grassland Bird Conservation on Reclaimed Surface Mines written by Bret M. Graves and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Reclaimed surface mines represent a conservation paradox in the Midwest in that they are occupied by grassland birds, yet they are highly disturbed areas and often dominated by introduced grasses. I examined 1) associations among woody vegetation and relative abundance of the grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii), eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna), Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and dickcissel (Spiza americana) and 2) the influence of vegetation composition and structure on nest placement and nest survival of the grasshopper sparrow, Henslow's sparrow and eastern meadowlark. From May -August 2005 and 2006, I surveyed grassland birds, monitored nesting success, and quantified vegetation structure and composition within reclaimed surface mines in eastern Ohio. Abundance estimates were derived from 101 point-counts along randomly located transects, and nest monitoring focused on eight study plots. I applied a principle components analysis to 3 woody vegetation metrics (i.e., percent cover of woody vegetation and number of woody patches within 100-m, and distance to woodland edge) to create a single index of woody vegetation that was used in subsequent analyses. Relationships between woody vegetation and relative bird abundance were analyzed using generalized linear models, whereas differences in vegetation structure and composition between nest and random locations were examined using a discriminant function analysis for each species. I used an information-theoretic approach, incorporating a set of a priori models into a logistic-exposure method to model daily nest survival. Grasshopper sparrows and Henslow's sparrows were the most abundant grassland species recorded within both management areas. Although numbers of grasshopper sparrows, Henslow's sparrows, Savannah sparrows and bobolinks were negatively related to woody vegetation cover within 100-m of survey locations, only the grasshopper sparrow showed strong evidence of responding to woody vegetation within 100-m of nest locations. Grasshopper sparrow nests were located in areas with less visual obstruction of the surrounding vegetation and more bare ground, whereas Henslow's sparrow and eastern meadowlark nests were associated with deeper and greater coverage of litter within 100-m of the nest than randomly located plots. Daily nest survival was negatively related to the amount of woody vegetation in proximity to nests of grasshopper sparrow (n = 45) and Henslow's sparrow (n = 18) and marginally related to eastern meadowlark nests (n = 18). Although grassland birds seem to select nest sites based on a variety of habitat features surrounding nests, the amount of woody vegetation may be one of the factors that most strongly influences nest survival. Thus, managers should consider controlling woody encroachment on reclaimed surface mines if the goal is to provide quality habitat for a diverse community of grassland-breeding birds.

Download or read book Habitat Ecology and Analysis written by Joseph A. Veech and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-01-29 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The identification and analysis of the particular habitat needs of a species has always been a central focus of research and applied conservation in both ecology and wildlife biology. Although these two academic communities have developed quite separately over many years, there is now real value in attempting to unify them to allow better communication and awareness by practitioners and students from each discipline. Despite the recent dramatic increase in the types of quantitative methods for conducting habitat analyses, there is no single reference that simultaneously explains and compares all these new techniques. This accessible textbook provides the first concise, authoritative resource that clearly presents these emerging methods together and demonstrates how they can be applied to data using statistical methodology, whilst putting the decades-old pursuit of analyzing habitat into historical context. Habitat Ecology and Analysis is written for senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in wildlife ecology, conservation biology, and habitat ecology as well as professional ecologists, wildlife biologists, conservation biologists, and land managers requiring an accessible overview of the latest methodology.

Download or read book The Hornbills written by Alan C. Kemp and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1995 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introducing a major new series... Bird Families of the World Editors: Christopher Perrins, Walter J. Bock, Jiro Kikkawa Providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date information available. Bird Families of the World is a new multi-volume series of handbooks, intended to serve the interests of both the professional scientist and the ever-growing body of amateur ornithologists. Each volume will provide acomprehensive and accurate synthesis of our knowledge of one bird family or several related families. Features include:- * Authoritative chapters on the birds' biology, feeding, ecology, breeding behaviour, evolutionary relationships and conservation * Specially commissioned colour plates by leading artists * Black and white drawings illustrating special features and behaviour * Full bibliography and index The Hornbills is a comprehensive account of all 54 species of these fascinating birds known for their interesting social behaviour and nesting habits. Introductory chapters provide a detailed overview of the family. These are followed by the 54 species accounts, each one giving a completedescription of the bird in its natural state. Much of the information is based on the author's own research in Africa and Asia.

Download or read book Handbook of Meta analysis in Ecology and Evolution written by Julia Koricheva and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2013-04-21 with total page 515 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meta-analysis is a powerful statistical methodology for synthesizing research evidence across independent studies. This is the first comprehensive handbook of meta-analysis written specifically for ecologists and evolutionary biologists, and it provides an invaluable introduction for beginners as well as an up-to-date guide for experienced meta-analysts. The chapters, written by renowned experts, walk readers through every step of meta-analysis, from problem formulation to the presentation of the results. The handbook identifies both the advantages of using meta-analysis for research synthesis and the potential pitfalls and limitations of meta-analysis (including when it should not be used). Different approaches to carrying out a meta-analysis are described, and include moment and least-square, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian approaches, all illustrated using worked examples based on real biological datasets. This one-of-a-kind resource is uniquely tailored to the biological sciences, and will provide an invaluable text for practitioners from graduate students and senior scientists to policymakers in conservation and environmental management. Walks you through every step of carrying out a meta-analysis in ecology and evolutionary biology, from problem formulation to result presentation Brings together experts from a broad range of fields Shows how to avoid, minimize, or resolve pitfalls such as missing data, publication bias, varying data quality, nonindependence of observations, and phylogenetic dependencies among species Helps you choose the right software Draws on numerous examples based on real biological datasets

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 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Adaptive Strategies and Population Ecology of Northern Grouse written by A. T. Bergerud and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 836 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Adaptive Strategies and Population Ecology of Northern Grouse" was first published in 1988. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. This book is at once a major reference to the species of grouse that inhabit North America and the Holarctic and a synthesis of all the available data on their ecology, sociobiology, population dynamics, and management. The book undertakes to answer two long-standing questions in population ecology: what actually regulates the numbers within a population, and what are the breeding and survival strategies evolved in this northern environment? For Volume I, editors Arthur T. Bergerud and Michael W. Gratson have drawn together their own work and that of colleagues in North America, Iceland, and Norway--in all, eleven research studies, averaging six years' duration, on eight species of grouse. These studies deal with the blue and ruffed grouse of the forest habitat; the sharp-tailed grouse, prairie chicken, and sage grouse of the prairie or steppe; and the white-tailed, rick, and willow ptarmigan found in alpine and arctic tundras. The authors describe the rich repertoire of behavior patterns developed by the hen and the cock to achieve their two primary objectives--first, to stay alive, and then to breed. Volume II, primarily the work of Bergerud, synthesizes the evidence in Volume I and in the grouse research literature from a theoretical perspective. Several potentially controversial sociobiological hypotheses are advanced to account for flocking behavior, migration, dispersal, roosting and feeding behavior, mate choice and mating systems. The demographic analysis provides new insights into cycles of abundance, the limitation of numbers, and the demographic factors that determine densities. The contributors, besides Bergerud and Gratson: R.C. Davies, A. Gardarson, J.E. Hartzler, R.A. Huempfner, D.A. Jenni, D.H. Mossop, S. Myrberget, R.E. Page, R.K. Schmidt, W.D. Svedarsky, and J.R. Tester.

Download or read book Canadian Journal of Zoology written by and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 666 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: