Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T19:08:12.888Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Management responses of three species of declining sparrows in tallgrass prairie

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2010

Scott R. Swengel
Scott R. Swengel
Affiliation:
909 Birch Street, Baraboo, Wisconsin 53913, U.S.A.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Three species of declining grassland songbirds were counted in June transects at 42 south-western Missouri (U.S.A.) prairie preserves managed three different ways: biennial July haying, spring burning on a 1–4 year cycle, and sites both burned and hayed every 2–4 years. Hayed prairies had twice as many Henslow's Sparrows Ammodramus henslowi as burned prairies and 2.5 times as many as sites which had been burned and hayed. Hayed prairies had 59% more Grasshopper Sparrows A. savannarum and 14% more Dickcissels Spiza americana than burned prairies. Fired and hayed sites had 34% higher detection rates of Grasshopper Sparrows than sites only burned and similar numbers of Henslow's Sparrows and Dickcissels as burned sites. The three species summed were 60% more abundant in hayed as in fired or fired and hayed prairies. Henslow's Sparrows increased and Grasshopper Sparrows decreased with time since the last management. Grasshopper Sparrows peaked one year earlier after haying than after burning. Dickcissels did not vary by time since last management. Henslow's Sparrows and Dickcissels were significantly more abundant in larger prairies. Preserve management for these three prairie birds should emphasize biennial to triennial mid-summer haying, instead of burning.

Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , September 1996 , pp. 241 - 253
Copyright
Copyright © Birdlife International 1996

References

REFERENCES

anderson-Bell, (1994) ABSTAT user manual, version 7.20. Arvada, Colorado: anderson-Bell.Google Scholar
Beintema, A. J. (1988) Conservation of grassland bird communities in The Netherlands. Pp. 105–111 in Goriup, P. D., ed. Ecology and conservation of grassland birds. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Techn. Publ. 7).Google Scholar
Bollinger, E. K., Bollinger, P. B. and Gavin, T. A. (1990) Effects of hay-cropping on eastern populations of the Bobolink. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 18: 142–150.Google Scholar
Butcher, G. (1989) Bird conservation: establishing priorities. Birdscope 3(1): 1–3.Google Scholar
Collar, N. J. and andrew, P. (1988) Birds to watch: the ICBP world check-list of threatened birds. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Techn. Publ. 8).Google Scholar
Emlen, J. T. (1971) Population densities of birds derived from transect counts. Auk 88: 323–342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
England, R. E. and DeVos, A. (1969) Influence of animals on pristine conditions on the Canadian grasslands. J. Range Mgmt. 22: 87–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fitzherbert, J. C. and Baker-Gabb, D. J. (1988) Australasian grasslands and their threatened avifauna. Pp. 227–250 in Goriup, P. D., ed. Ecology and conservation of grassland birds. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Techn. Publ. 7).Google Scholar
Fretwell, S. (1973) The regulation of bird populations on Konza Prairie: the effects of events off the prairie. Pp. 71–76 in Hulbert, L. C., ed. Third midwest prairie conference proceedings. Manhattan: Kansas State University.Google Scholar
Hands, H. M., Drobney, R. A. and Ryan, M. R. (1989) Status of the Henslow's Sparrow in the northcentral United States. Twin Cities, Minnesota: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Google Scholar
Henderson, R. (1982) Vegetation - fire ecology of tallgrass prairie. Nat. Areas J. 2(3): 17–26.Google Scholar
Herkert, J. R. (1994a) The effects of habitat fragmentation on midwestern grassland bird communites. Ecol. Appl. 4: 461–471.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herkert, J. R. (1994b) Status and habitat selection of the Henslow's Sparrow in Illinois. Wilson Bull. 106: 35–45.Google Scholar
Higgins, K.F. (1984) Lightning fires in North Dakota grasslands and in pine-savanna lands of South Dakota and Montana. J. Range Mgmt. 37: 100–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Higgins, K.F. (1986) Interpretation and compendium of historical fire accounts in the northern Great Plains. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Resource Publication 161).Google Scholar
Hill, G. R. and Platt, W. J. (1975) Some effects of fire upon a tall grass prairie plant community in northwestern Iowa. Pp. 103–113 in Wali, M., ed. Prairie: a multiple view. Grand Forks, U.S.A.: University of North Dakota.Google Scholar
Hopkins, J. J. (1991) Management of semi-natural lowland dry grasslands. Pp. 119–124 in Goriup, P. D., Batten, L. A. and Norton, J. A. eds. The conservation of lowland dry grasslands in Europe. Peterborough, U.K.: Joint Nature Conservation Council.Google Scholar
Howe, H. F. (1994) Managing species diversity in tallgrass prairie: assumptions and implications. Conserv. Biol. 8: 691–704.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huber, G. E. and Steuter, A. A. (1984) Vegetation profile and grassland bird response to spring burning. Prairie Nat. 16: 55–61.Google Scholar
Hulbert, L. C. (1973) Management of Konza Prairie to approximate pre-white man influences. Pp. 14–19 in Hulbert, L. C., ed. Third midwest prairie conference proceedings. Manhattan, U.S.A.: Kansas State University.Google Scholar
Illinois Natural History Survey (1983) The declining grassland birds. Illinois Nat. Hist. Surv. Notes 227: 1–2.Google Scholar
Johnson, D. H. and Schwartz, M. D. (1993) The Conservation reserve program: habitat for grassland birds. Great Plains Res. 3: 273–295.Google Scholar
Johnson, R. G. and Temple, S. A. (1986) Assessing habitat quality for birds nesting in fragmented tallgras prairies. Pp. 245–249 In Verner, J., Morrison, M. L. and Ralph, C. J., eds. Wildlife 2000: modeling habitat relationships of terrestrial vertebrates. Madison, U.S.A.: University of Wisconsin.Google Scholar
Kahl, R. B., Baskett, T. S., Ellis, J. A. and Burroughs, J. N. (1985) Characteristics of summer habitats of selected nongame birds in Missouri. Missouri Agric. Exp. Sta. Res. Bull. 1056.Google Scholar
Kantrud, H. A. (1981) Grazing intensity effects on the breeding avifauna of North Dakota native grasslands. Canadian Field-Nat. 94: 404–417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirby, P. (1992) Habitat management for invertebrates: a practical handbook. Sandy, Bedfordshire, U.K.: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.Google Scholar
Knopf, F. L. (1988) Conservation of steppe birds in North America. Pp. 27–41 in Goriup, P. D., ed. Ecology and conservation of grassland birds. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Techn. Publ. 7).Google Scholar
Knopf, F. L. (1995) Declining grassland birds. Pp. 296–298 in LaRoe, E. T., Farris, G. S., Puckett, C. E., Doran, P. D., and Mac, M. J., eds. Our living resources. Washington, D.C.: National Biological Service.Google Scholar
Kucera, C. L. and Ehrenreich, J. H. (1962) Some effects of annual burning on central Missouri prairie. Ecology 43: 334–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McNaughton, S. J. (1985) Ecology of a grazing ecosystem: the Serengeti. Ecol. Monogr. 55: 259–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peterjohn, B. G., Sauer, J. R. and Link, W. A. (1994) The 1992 and 1993 summary of the North American breeding bird survey. Bird Popul. 2: 46–61.Google Scholar
Peterjohn, B. G., Sauer, J. R. and Orsillo, S. (1995) Breeding bird survey: population trends 1966–92. Pp. 17–21 in LaRoe, E. T., Farris, G. S., Puckett, C. E., Doran, P. D., and Mac, M. J.. Our living resources. Washington, D.C.: National Biological Service.Google Scholar
Rohrbaugh, R. (1995) Tallgrass prairie study yields preliminary findings. The Sutton Newsletter 6(winter): 11–13.Google Scholar
Russell, E. W. B. (1983) Indian-set fires in the forests of the northeastern United States. Ecology 64: 78–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sample, D. W. (1989) Grassland birds in southern Wisconsin: habitat preference, population trends, and response to land use changes. M.Sc. thesis, University of Wisconsin, Madison, U.S.A.Google Scholar
Sauer, C. (1950) Grassland climax, fire and management. J. Range Mgmt. 3: 16–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sauer, J. R. and Droege, S., eds. (1990) Survey designs and statistical methods for the estimation of bird population trends. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Biol. Rep. 90 (1)).Google Scholar
Sibley, C. G. and Monroe, B. L. Jr. (1990) Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. New Haven, U.S.A.: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Skinner, R. M. (1975) Grassland use patterns and prairie bird populations in Missouri. Pp. 171–180 In Wali, M. K., ed. Prairie: a multiple view. Grand Forks, U.S.A.: University of North Dakota.Google Scholar
Skinner, R. M., Baskett, T. S. and Blenden, M. D. (1984) Bird habitat on Missouri prairies. Jefferson City, U.S.A.: Missouri Dept. of Conservation (Terrestrial Ser. 14).Google Scholar
Smith, D. J. and Smith, C. R. (1992) Henslow's Sparrow and Grasshopper Sparrow: a comparison of habitat use in Finger Lakes National Forest, New York. Bird Obs. 20: 187–194.Google Scholar
Solecki, M. K. and Toney, T. (1986) Characteristics and management of Missouri's public prairies. Pp. 168–171 in Clambey, G. K. and Pemble, R. H., eds. Proceedings ninth North American prairie conference. Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.A.: Tricollege University Center for Environmental Studies.Google Scholar
Swengel, A. B. (1996) Effects of fire and hay management on abundance of prairie butterflies. Biol. Conserv. (76: 73–85).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
The Nature Conservancy (1991) Discover natural Missouri. St. Louis, U.S.A.: The Nature Conservancy.Google Scholar
Toney, T. E. (1993) Public prairies of Missouri. Jefferson City, U.S.A.: Missouri Department of Conservation.Google Scholar
van Dijk, G. (1991) The status of semi-natural grasslands in Europe. Pp. 15–36 in Goriup, P. D., Batten, L. A. and Norton, J. A. eds. The conservation of lowland dry grasslands in Europe. Peterborough, U.K.: Joint Nature Conservation Council.Google Scholar
Vickery, P. D. (1994) Effects of habitat area on the distribution of grassland birds in Maine. Conserv. Biol. 8: 1087–1097.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vickery, P. D., Hunter, M. L. Jr and Wells, J.V. (1992) Is density an indicator of breeding success? Auk 109: 706–710.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Volkert, W. R. (1992) Response of grassland birds to a large-scale prairie planting project. Passenger Pigeon 54: 191–196.Google Scholar
Zimmerman, J. L. (1988) Breeding season habitat selection by the Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowi). Wilson Bull. 100: 17–24.Google Scholar
Zimmerman, J. L. (1992) Density-independent factors affecting the avian diversity of the tallgrass prairie community. Wilson Bull. 104: 85–94.Google Scholar