Delineating Grassland Bird Conservation Areas in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rex R. Johnson ◽  
Diane A. Granfors ◽  
Neal D. Niemuth ◽  
Michael E. Estey ◽  
Ronald E. Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Data ◽  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Prairie Pothole Region ◽  
Grassland Birds ◽  
Spatial Models ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Prairie Pothole ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Grassland Bird ◽  
Landscape Characteristics

Abstract Conservation of birds is increasingly focused on the importance of landscape characteristics to sustain populations. Implementing conservation on a landscape scale requires reliable spatial models that provide biological context for conservation actions. Before species-specific models relating grassland birds to their habitat at landscape scales existed, we created a conceptual model and applied it to spatial data to identify priority grassland habitats for the protection and restoration of populations of area sensitive grassland birds in the Prairie Pothole Region. Since that time, these Grassland Bird Conservation Areas have been widely used to guide conservation, and variations of these models have been adopted in other regions; however, the process used to delineate them (i.e., the conceptual models) is poorly understood by many users. We describe that process here and offer perspectives on the utility and limitations of conceptual models, especially on the value of making assumptions that commonly underlie management decisions explicitly, thereby making the assumptions testable, and hopefully increasing management transparency, credibility, and efficiency.

scholarly journals Distribution of priority grassland bird habitats in the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley C. Fedy ◽  
James H. Devries ◽  
David W. Howerter ◽  
Jeffrey R. Row
Keyword(s):  
Prairie Pothole Region ◽  
Prairie Pothole ◽  
Grassland Bird

scholarly journals Spring Migration of Mallards from Arkansas as Determined by Satellite Telemetry

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Krementz ◽  
Kwasi Asante ◽  
Luke W. Naylor
Keyword(s):  
Mississippi River ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Prairie Pothole Region ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Large River ◽  
Spring Migration ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Prairie Pothole ◽  
The North

Abstract We used satellite telemetry to document spring migration phenology, routes, stopover regions, and nesting sites of mallards Anas platyrhynchos marked in Arkansas during the winters of 2004–2007. Of the 143 marked mallards that migrated from Arkansas, they did so, on average, by mid-March. Mallards flew over the Missouri Ozarks and 42% made an initial stopover in Missouri, where they used areas that had larger rivers (Mississippi River, Missouri River) embedded in an agricultural landscape. From this stopover region they either migrated directly to the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) or they migrated north to Minnesota where they either moved next to the PPR or to the north and east of the PPR. For those mallards (83%) that stopped for >1 d before entering the PPR, the average length at each stop was 12 d (SE  =  0.90 d, range  =  2–54 d). Mallards made more stopovers, made shorter migration movements, and took longer to move to the PPR in wetter than drier years. Mallards arrived in the PPR earlier in 2006 (x¯  =  30 March, SE  =  2.18 d) than in 2005 (x¯  =  7 April, SE  =  2.30 d). Females nested across nine Bird Conservation Regions. Nesting occurred most frequently in South Dakota (n  =  9). The average date when females nested was 19 April (SE  =  2.44 d, range  =  12 March–26 May). Because many mallards headed for the large river corridors in Missouri for their first stopover, this region is an important spring migration stopover of continental importance to mallards and might be considered a focal area for conservation.

scholarly journals Nest density drives productivity in chestnut-collared longspurs: Implications for grassland bird conservation

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256346
Author(s):  
John P. Pulliam ◽  
Scott Somershoe ◽  
Marisa Sather ◽  
Lance B. McNew
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Survival ◽  
Grassland Birds ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Survival Models ◽  
Nest Density ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Grassland Bird ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Conservation Concern

Grassland birds are declining faster than any other avian guild in North America and are increasingly a focus of conservation concern. Adaptive, outcome-based management of rangelands could do much to mitigate declines. However, this approach relies on quantitative, generalizable habitat targets that have been difficult to extrapolate from the literature. Past work relies heavily on individual versus population response, and direct response to management (e.g. grazing) versus response to outcomes. We compared individual and population-level responses to vegetation conditions across scales to identify quantitative targets of habitat quality for an imperiled grassland songbird, the chestnut-collared longspur (Calcarius ornatus) in northern Montana, USA during 2017–2018. We estimated nest density and nest survival within 9-ha survey plots using open N-mixture and nest survival models, respectively, and evaluated relationships with plot- and nest-site vegetation conditions. Plot-scale conditions influenced nest density, whereas nest survival was unaffected by any measured condition. Nest-site and plot-scale vegetation measurements were only weakly correlated, suggesting that management targets based on nest sites only would be incomplete. While nest survival is often assumed to be the key driver of bird productivity, our results suggest that nest density and plot-scale conditions are more important for productivity of longspurs at the core of the breeding distribution. Habitat outcomes for grassland birds should incorporate nest density and average conditions at scale(s) relevant to management (e.g. paddock or pasture).

scholarly journals An ABC-optimized fuzzy ELECTRE approach for assessing petroleum potential at the petroleum system level

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 580-597
Author(s):  
Mohamad Hamzeh ◽  
Farid Karimipour
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Data ◽  
Spatial Models ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Petroleum System ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
System Level ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Petroleum Potential ◽  
Spatial Data Sets

AbstractAn inevitable aspect of modern petroleum exploration is the simultaneous consideration of large, complex, and disparate spatial data sets. In this context, the present article proposes the optimized fuzzy ELECTRE (OFE) approach based on combining the artificial bee colony (ABC) optimization algorithm, fuzzy logic, and an outranking method to assess petroleum potential at the petroleum system level in a spatial framework using experts’ knowledge and the information available in the discovered petroleum accumulations simultaneously. It uses the characteristics of the essential elements of a petroleum system as key criteria. To demonstrate the approach, a case study was conducted on the Red River petroleum system of the Williston Basin. Having completed the assorted preprocessing steps, eight spatial data sets associated with the criteria were integrated using the OFE to produce a map that makes it possible to delineate the areas with the highest petroleum potential and the lowest risk for further exploratory investigations. The success and prediction rate curves were used to measure the performance of the model. Both success and prediction accuracies lie in the range of 80–90%, indicating an excellent model performance. Considering the five-class petroleum potential, the proposed approach outperforms the spatial models used in the previous studies. In addition, comparing the results of the FE and OFE indicated that the optimization of the weights by the ABC algorithm has improved accuracy by approximately 15%, namely, a relatively higher success rate and lower risk in petroleum exploration.

scholarly journals Spatial analysis for political scientists

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Jessica Di Salvatore ◽  
Andrea Ruggeri
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Politics ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Spatial Clustering ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Spatial Regression ◽  
Spatial Models ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Spatial Relationships ◽  
Electoral Studies ◽  
Data Points

Abstract How does space matter in our analyses? How can we evaluate diffusion of phenomena or interdependence among units? How biased can our analysis be if we do not consider spatial relationships? All the above questions are critical theoretical and empirical issues for political scientists belonging to several subfields from Electoral Studies to Comparative Politics, and also for International Relations. In this special issue on methods, our paper introduces political scientists to conceptualizing interdependence between units and how to empirically model these interdependencies using spatial regression. First, the paper presents the building blocks of any feature of spatial data (points, polygons, and raster) and the task of georeferencing. Second, the paper discusses what a spatial matrix (W) is, its varieties and the assumptions we make when choosing one. Third, the paper introduces how to investigate spatial clustering through visualizations (e.g. maps) as well as statistical tests (e.g. Moran's index). Fourth and finally, the paper explains how to model spatial relationships that are of substantive interest to some of our research questions. We conclude by inviting researchers to carefully consider space in their analysis and to reflect on the need, or the lack thereof, to use spatial models.

scholarly journals Is Hay for the Birds? Investigating Landowner Willingness to Time Hay Harvests for Grassland Bird Conservation

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1030
Author(s):  
Matthew Gruntorad ◽  
Katherine Graham ◽  
Nico Arcilla ◽  
Christopher Chizinski
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Grassland Bird ◽  
The North ◽  
Hunting Activity

Birds in agricultural environments have exhibited steep global population declines in recent decades, and effective conservation strategies targeting their populations are urgently needed. In grasslands used for hay production, breeding birds’ nest success improves substantially if hay harvests are delayed until after mid-July. However, few studies have investigated private hay producers’ willingness to alter their harvesting practices, which is a critical factor for bird conservation where most land is privately owned, such as in the North American Great Plains. We surveyed Nebraska hay producers to examine whether livestock production, wildlife knowledge, and hunting activity affects their willingness to alter haying practices for bird conservation. The majority (60%) of respondents expressed willingness to delay harvesting hay to allow birds time to nest successfully. Livestock producers and those more knowledgeable about wildlife were more willing to delay hay harvests, whereas active hunters were less willing to do so. Our findings suggest that a majority of private producers show a high potential for engaging in grassland bird conservation activities. Landowners’ willingness to participate in bird conservation programs and actions could be further encouraged through extension and education efforts connecting hay producers with information, support, and funding for bird conservation.

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