Agricultural Land Use and Grassland Habitat in Illinois: Future Shock for Midwestern Birds?

Abstract

Populations of many common grassland birds in the midwestern United States have been declining in recent decade~ These declines have been particularly pronounced in Illinoi.~ where the prairie has been severely fragmented and disturbed by farming. This article describes transitions in agricultural land use in Hlinois since the early 1800~ their effects on grassland habitag and responses by avtfauna Furthermor~ factors affecting nesting by birds are considered from a landscape perspective for a study area in central Illinois during the period (1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977)(1978)(1979)(1980)(1981) when cropping became so intensive that grassland persisted primarily as tinear edge~ There was a paucity of avifauna nesting on grassy edge habitats on the study area~ with a mean of 2.2 nests per i~ representing only eight specie~ Nest densities and species diversity were highest on study plots where grassland urns nearby, where cover types were heterogeneou~ and where there were corridors connecting plots to the surrounding landscape Nest success was variable from year to year, and for Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) the average annual nest success on edge habitats was positively related to the total amount of grassy cover (including hay and small grains) per nesting pheasant The findings suggest that it is too simplistic to conclude that linear habita~ compared to field settlng~ are "predator trapx " Responses by birds to habitat deterioration in Illinois may foretell future trends eisewhere in North America where faming practices are becoming more intensive Uso Aglcola de la Tierra y Hfibitat del Pastizal eta nlinois: Futura Conmoci6n para las Aves del Oeste Medio?Resumen: Las Poblactones de muchas aves comunes de los pastizales del oeste medio de los Estados Unidos ban venldo declinando en ddcadas reciente& Estas declinaclones ban sldo particularmente pronunciadas en Illinoi,~ d6nde la pradera ha sldo severamente fragmentada y perturbada por el uso agrtcola Este articulo describe las transiciones en el uso agricola de la tierra en Illinois desde principios del 1800~ sus efectos en el hdbttat de los pastizales y las respuestas de la avifauna Mds a~r~ los factores que afectan la nidificaci6n de las ayes son conslderados desde una perspectiva paisajtstica para un drea de estudio en Illinois central durante el pertodo (1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977)(1978)(1979)(1980)(1981) cuando el cultivo se hizo tan intensivo que los pastizales persistieror~ primariament~ como hordes lineare~ Hubo una escasez en la nidtficaci6n de la avifauna en los hordes de los hdbitats herbdceos en el drea de estudio, con una media de 2.2 nldos por ha~ repre. sentando solamente 8 especie~ La densldad de los nidos y la diversldad de especies fueron mds altas en los plots de estudio d6nde el pastizal se encontraba en las inraedlacione~ d6nde los tipos de cobertura fueron heterogdneos y ddnde existian corredores que conectaOan los plots con el paisaje lindante. El dxito de los nldos fud variable de aho en aho y, para los fatsanes de cuello ...

Bird communities in future bioenergy landscapes of the Upper Midwest

“…First, model coefficients are derived from variation in HILD and LIHD crops in space, and conclusions assume that variation in space will have similar effects as variation in time (i.e., a space-for-time substitution) (30). This assumption is supported by the fact that much of the region was recently covered by open perennial habitat (10) and by observations that conversion from perennial to annual habitats (21,31), and back again (19,32), is associated with changes in bird community structure. Second, conclusions are based on the assumption that future management of HILD crops will resemble current management, and that future management of LIHD crops will have similar effects as the combined management of open perennial habitats in this analysis, which contain an unspecified fraction of grazed, mowed, burned, and unmanaged grasslands and prairie.…”

Mine Spoil Prairies Expand Critical Habitat for Endangered and Threatened Amphibian and Reptile Species

“…It follows that where habitats are lost, animals that rely on these habitats also will be lost too [6,[26][27][28]. The recently completed -State of the Birds‖ report notes that of 46 grassland-breeding bird species, 48% are of conservation concern, including four with populations that are federally endangered [29].…”

Combining data from state and national monitoring surveys to assess large-scale impacts of agricultural policy

“…In Iowa, almost 1 million hectares (ha) of land were converted from corn and soybean cropland to perennial grassland in two to three years, starting in earnest in late 1986. Since CRP implementation, local conditions for population growth and increased diversity have been improved for many avian species (Warner 1994;Kimmel et al 1992;King and Savidge 1995;Best et al 1997;Clark, Schmitz, and Bogenschutz 1999). Although conservationists have used such information about the potential value of changes in amount and diversity of habitat for wildlife since the outset of the program (Berner 1988;Brady and Hamilton 1988) to justify CRP policy alternatives, few studies have addressed the large-scale effects.…”