Adaptive rangeland management benefits grassland birds utilizing opposing vegetation structure in the shortgrass steppe

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin P. Davis ◽  
David J. Augustine ◽  
Adrian P. Monroe ◽  
Justin D. Derner ◽  
Cameron L. Aldridge
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Grassland Birds ◽  
Rangeland Management ◽  
Shortgrass Steppe

scholarly journals Associations of grassland birds with vegetation structure in the Northern Campos of Uruguay

The Condor ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrián B. Azpiroz ◽  
John G. Blake
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Grassland Birds

scholarly journals Remnants of Native Vegetation Surrounding Do Not Affect the Diversity and Density of Birds in Brazilian Grassland-Restoration Sites

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thaiane Weinert da Silva ◽  
Carla Suertegaray Fontana
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Grassland Birds ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Native Grassland ◽  
Surrounding Landscape

Since in general the surrounding landscape influences the species diversity and abundance in fragments of native vegetation, an amount of native-vegetation cover nearby may also positively affect communities in restored areas, regardless of the sizes of individual habitat patches. We investigated for the first time whether the species richness, total abundance, and density of grassland birds in restoration sites are influenced by the amount of native grassland in the surrounding landscape in the Brazilian Pampa. We sampled birds by point counts in five restoration sites in the most representative area of grasslands in Brazil. We established an outer buffer zone with a 1 km-radius around the point-count areas in each site, and calculated the percentage of native grassland vegetation in the surrounding landscape. Bird species richness and abundance did not show a significant response to the amount of neighboring native grassland in restored areas. Individual analyses of the density of seven bird species associated to grassland also showed similar pattern. We believe the vegetation structure in these restoration sites may already been sufficiently re-established to provide necessary resources and a suitable habitat for the birds. Even so, we assume that previously existing landscape features were important for recovery of the vegetation structure, as continuous native grassland in the surroundings. Thus, we recommend consider the landscape context as an additional issue in studies dealing with conservation strategies for recovery of grasslands in Brazil.

Birds of the Shortgrass Steppe

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Wiens ◽  
Nancy E. McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Grassland Birds ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Shortgrass Steppe ◽  
Population Fluctuations ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Habitat Occupancy ◽  
Grassland Ecology ◽  
History Of ◽  
Conservation Concern

Birds are part of the special magic of grasslands. Birds such as McCown’s Longspurs (scientific names are given in the Appendix) or Horned Larks, which seem to disappear against the background of grass, soil, and stones when they are on the ground, launch breathtaking courtship flights punctuated by tinkling songs and mothlike flutterings. Male Lark Buntings, incongruously black and white (Fig. 9.1A) against the subdued tones of the grassland, may break into their morning territorial displays or gather together spontaneously in melodious group choruses. Mountain Plovers may burst from underfoot into utterly convincing broken-wing distraction displays. Ferruginous and other hawks (Fig. 9.1B) may suddenly plummet from the blue skies above. Sightings of relatively rare species such as Chestnut-collared Longspurs (Fig. 9.1C) may bring joy to dedicated bird-watchers. Birds give the shortgrass steppe an aura that Bouteloua alone cannot. Yet birds have not figured importantly in most discussions of grassland ecology. They are generally drab and brownish, so they have not attracted much attention from the general public, and their contributions to ecosystem production and energy flow are small, so they have not been of much interest to ecologists studying ecosystem processes. However, grassland birds are showing the most widespread and consistent population declines of any group of North American birds (Herkert, 1995; Knopf, 1994; Peterjohn and Sauer, 1999). As a consequence, they have become a focus of conservation concern (Brennen and Kulvesky, 2005; Vickery and Herkert, 2001). The history of ornithological research in the shortgrass steppe is closely intertwined with the broadly interdisciplinary work conducted during the IBP in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and more recently (since 1982) as part of the NSF LTER program. In this chapter we describe the birds of the shortgrass steppe and summarize pertinent research that has been conducted on them during the past 40+ years. Our aim is to synthesize this information to provide a perspective on how environmental factors may relate to population fluctuations, on spatiotemporal shifts in community composition, and on patterns of habitat occupancy among the birds of the shortgrass steppe. We conclude by noting some continuing research priorities that have become more critical as conservation concerns about these birds have heightened.

scholarly journals Area Sensitivity in Grassland Passerines: Effects of Patch Size, Patch Shape, and Vegetation Structure on Bird Abundance and Occurrence in Southern Saskatchewan

The Auk ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 1130-1145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen K. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Grassland Birds ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Mixed Grass Prairie ◽  
Mixed Grass ◽  
Area Sensitivity

Abstract Information on area sensitivity and effects of habitat fragmentation has come largely from forest and tallgrass-prairie habitats. Research from other ecosystems is required to determine whether the fragmentation paradigm derived from those studies is applicable to passerine communities elsewhere. I examined the effects of habitat fragmentation on abundance and occurrence of nine species of mixed-grass prairie passerines in southern Saskatchewan. I conducted 190 point-counts in 1996 and 1997 on 89 pastures ranging in size from 8 to 6,475 ha. Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii), Baird's Sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii), Grasshopper Sparrow (A. savannarum), and Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus) were found to be area-sensitive, in that they were more abundant or occurred more frequently, or both, in larger patches of mixed-grass prairie. However, the ratio of edge to interior habitat was a better predictor of area sensitivity than patch size in most cases. Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris), Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida), Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), and Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) were insensitive to patch size, though occurrence of Clay-colored Sparrow and Western Meadowlark tended to be greater in smaller pastures. Vegetation structure was also found to be an important predictor of grassland songbird abundance and occurrence, in that it explained additional variation not accounted for by patch size or the ratio of edge to interior habitat. Although protection of large contiguous tracts of habitat is essential to conservation of native species, small native-prairie patches with minimal edge habitat also play a vital role in conservation of grassland birds.

Analisis Keragaman Tanaman Sebagai Jasa Lingkungan Pada Lanskap Agroforestri di Daerah Aliran Sungai Krueng Aceh

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zulkifli Aiyub Kadir ◽  
Bahagia Bahagia
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Middle Stream ◽  
Land Management System ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Aleurites Moluccana ◽  
Lansium Domesticum ◽  
Agroforestry Practices

<p>Humans have utilized landscape for  produces a diverse character of the wider area of the watershed. Agroforestry is a land management system in addressing the problems that arise due to changes in land use of soil and water conservation. The aim of the study was to analyze plant diversity in agroforestry practices that have services in the Krueng watershed landscape in Aceh watershed. Develop strategies in the Krueng Aceh DAS agroforestry service. This research was conducted in the upper, middle and downstream of the Krueng Aceh watershed, with a rapid method of Agro-Biodiversity Appraisal and SWOT. The results showed that the composition of the vegetation structure found in the study sites tended to vary with the diversity index of agroforestry that was currently in the upstream and middle of the Krueng Aceh watershed. Based on SWOT analysis, internal scores are 2.45 and external scores are 3.21. Agroforestry practices in the upper stream of Krueng Aceh watershed were dominated by <em>Aleurites moluccana</em>, <em>Areca cathecu</em>, and  <em>Averrhoa bilimbi</em> L  species with the highest INP in the upper stream of Krueng Aceh watershed. Vegetation at the middle stream of Krueng Aceh watershed dominated by <em>Areca cathecu,</em> <em>Lansium domesticum</em> and Musa<em> paradisiaca</em>.  </p>

The Vegetation Structure of Evergreen Coniferous Forests of Daehuksan Island in the Dadohaehaesang National Park

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeongjun Cho ◽  
Hasong Kim ◽  
Hyeonho Myeong ◽  
Jungwon Park ◽  
Janggeun Oh
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
National Park ◽  
Coniferous Forests
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