Effects of drought and fire on bird communities of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona

Abstract

For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment-visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprodTo order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.Suggested citation: McCreedy, C., van Riper, C., III, Esque, T.C., and Darrah, A.J., 2015, Effects of drought and fire on bird communities of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1240, 34 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151240. ISSN 2331ISSN -1258 iii Tables-Chapter 2 Table 2 Research presented here demonstrates that bird communities within a well-managed and remote Sonoran Desert portfolio site can nonetheless be negatively affected by human-caused stressors like fire and Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism, which originate from beyond the Kofa NWR's boundaries.In chapter 1, we examine how avian productivity can be influenced by timing of nest initiation. We demonstrate that (1) late nesting dates are correlated with low winter precipitation levels, a condition expected to occur in greater frequency in coming decades due to climate change (Seager and others, 2007) and that (2) late nesting dates result in decreased productivity, due to higher rates of nest depredation and, in the case of an open-cup nesting species, higher rates of brood parasitism experienced later in the breeding season. The brood parasite, the Brown-headed Cowbird, appears to forage and roost on agricultural lands north of the Kofa NWR's boundary. From that location, they commute to the refuge to parasitize other passerine bird nests. Drought and subsequent loss in primary production have been correlated with decreased productivity for birds that breed in arid habitats (Preston and Rotenberry, 2006; Chase and others, 2005; Johnson and others, 2002;Morrison and Bolger, 2002;Brown and Li, 1996;Anderson and Anderson, 1973), yet drought's standing as a threat to bird populations has been underestimated in recent regional conservation planning efforts (McCreedy and others, 2009; Latta and others, 1999).In chapter 2, we examine the effects of the King Valley fire on breeding and migrant birds within the Kofa NWR. This fire was caused by incendiary weapons testing within Yuma Proving Ground, south of the Kofa NWRboundary (Esque and others, 2013). We found large differences in spring migrant and breeding species abundance and richness between bird count stations within the 2005 King Valley fire zone and bird count stations immediately ...

Bird Species Responses to Drought in Two Southern California Coastal Sage Scrub Communities

“…Recent drought events are thought to have been exacerbated by climate change, where warming due to anthropogenic activity has increased the likelihood of extreme drought (Williams et al, 2015). Coastal sage scrub (CSS) is a biodiversity hotspot that hosts multiple endemic species and is prone to adverse drought effects (George et al, 1992; Patten and Rotenberry, 1999; Bolger et al, 2005; Albright et al, 2010; McCreedy et al, 2015; Myers et al, 2019). Drought within CSS can have potentially drastic effects on this habitat, given that only 10% of the original range of CSS still exists (Atwood, 1993; McCaull, 1994).…”

Trends in Bird Species Richness in the Midst of Drought

“…there is a growing body of work on the effects of drought on birds that breed in arid and semiarid habitats. For example, periods of drought or atypically low rainfall have led to lower levels of species richness and abundance in birds (albright et al 2010), reduction of birds' reproductive rates (McCreedy et al 2015), reproductive failure of passerines (Bolger et al 2005), a decline of over 60% in density of grassland birds (George et al 1992), short-term declines in both resident and migratory species (Bock and Bock 1999), and smaller clutch sizes of the California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica; Patten and rotenberry 1999).…”