Effects of grazing on vegetation structure, prey availability, and reproductive success of Grasshopper Sparrows

Sutter, Benjamin J.; Ritchison, Gary

doi:10.1648/0273-8570-76.4.345

Cited by 54 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Grassland ants prey upon various invertebrates, most of which are phytophagous and compete with ungulates for plant biomass (Watts et al 1982). When ungulates are stocked heavily, they can consume enough plant biomass to reduce the amount of phytophagous invertebrate prey available to ants (Tscharntke andGreiler 1995, Sutter andRitchison 2005). At our study tracts, grazing reduced vegetation height by almost 50% in 2008 and 2009 (Moranz et al 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…Grazing, like fire, is a disturbance that can affect the abundance and diversity of fauna (Andresen et al 1990, Sutter and Ritchison 2005, Warui et al 2005) and flora (Towne et al 2005). Fire and grazing have also interacted for millennia Engle 2001, Archibald et al 2005), a process labeled as pyric herbivory (Fuhlendorf et al 2009) because fire alters distribution and foraging behavior of large ungulates in space and time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Effects of grassland management practices on ant functional groups in central North America

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tallgrass prairies of central North America have experienced disturbances including fire and grazing for millennia. Little is known about the effects of these disturbances on prairie ants, even though ants are thought to play major roles in ecosystem maintenance. We implemented three management treatments on remnant and restored grassland tracts in the central U.S., and compared the effects of treatment on abundance of ant functional groups. Management treatments were: (1) patch-burn graze-rotational burning of three spatially distinct patches within a fenced tract, and growing-season cattle grazing; (2) graze-and-burn-burning entire tract every 3 years, and growing-season cattle grazing, and (3) burn-only-burning entire tract every 3 years, but no cattle grazing. Ant species were classified into one of four functional groups. Opportunist ants and the dominant ant species, Formica montana, were more abundant in burn-only tracts than tracts managed with either of the grazing treatments. Generalists were more abundant in graze-and-burn tracts than in burn-only tracts. Abundance of F. montana was negatively associated with pre-treatment time since fire, whereas generalist ant abundance was positively associated. F. montanawere more abundant in restored tracts than remnants, whereas the opposite was true for subdominants and opportunists. In summary, abundance of the dominant F. montana increased in response to intense disturbances that were followed by quick recovery of plant biomass. Generalist ant abundance decreased in response to those disturbances, which we attribute to the effects of competitive dominance of F. montana upon the generalists. Abstract. Tallgrass prairies of central North America have experienced disturbances including fire and grazing for millennia. Little is known about the effects of these disturbances on prairie ants, even though ants are thought to play major roles in ecosystem maintenance. We implemented three management treatments on remnant and restored grassland tracts in the central U.S, and compared the effects of treatment on abundance of ant functional groups. Management treatments were: 1) patch-burn grazerotational burning of three spatially distinct patches within a fenced tract, and growing-season cattle grazing; 2) graze-and-burn -burning entire tract every 3 yrs, and growing-season cattle grazing, and 3) burn-only -burning entire tract every 3 yrs, but no cattle grazing. Ant species were classified into one of four functional groups. Opportunist ants and the dominant ant species, Formica montana, were moreThe final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10841-013-9554-z.2 abundant in burn-only tracts than tracts managed with either of the grazing treatments. Generalists were more abundant in graze-and-burn tracts than in burn-only tracts. Abundance of F. montana was negatively associated with pre-treatment time since fire, whereas generalist ant abundance was positively associated. Formica montana were more abundant in restored tracts than ...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of grassland management practices on ant functional groups in central North America

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Within British Columbia, the rate of decline has been less severe for Vesper Sparrows (-0.6%, non-significant), but more severe for Western Meadowlarks (-1.5%, significant; Sauer et al 2008). Habitat loss and degradation due to grazing is one factor that is commonly blamed for the decline of grassland birds (reviewed in Bock et al 1993and Saab et al 1995, Fondell and Ball 2004, Sutter and Richison 2005. Tree encroachment due to long-term fire suppression is an additional factor that is limiting habitat availability in the area, but that is not being explicitly examined in this study.…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Livestock grazing is one of the principal land uses in grasslands and can alter the composition, structure, and functionality of grassland habitats (Bock et al 1993, Fleischner 1994. Several studies have found that the habitat changes associated with livestock grazing have affected grassland bird populations (reviewed in Bock et al 1993and Saab et al 1995, Fondell and Ball 2004, Sutter and Richison 2005. The nature and severity of the effects of grazing on grassland birds and their habitats depend largely on the intensity, i.e., stocking rates, timing, and duration of the grazing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Saab et al (1995) conducted a meta-analysis of 31 studies that surveyed birds within grazed and ungrazed habitats in shrubsteppe and grassland steppe ecosystems in the Western United States, and found that 9 of 13 ground-nesting species surveyed trended toward lower abundance in grazed versus ungrazed habitats. Ground-nesting birds are likely to be most affected by grazing because the vegetation features that they rely on for nest substrate, nest concealment, and foliar invertebrate food sources are all potentially altered by the presence of livestock (Sutter andRichison 2005, Walsberg 2005). Ground-nesting birds are expected to be similarly affected by grazing at the northern extent of the Intermountain region in British Columbia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Vesper Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks Show a Mixed Response to Cattle Grazing in the Intermountain Region of British Columbia

Harrison¹,

Mahony²,

Robinson³

et al. 2010

ACE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Green. 2010. Vesper sparrows and western meadowlarks show a mixed response to cattle grazing in the intermountain region of British Columbia. Avian Conservation and Ecology -Écologie et conservation des oiseaux 5(1): ABSTRACT. Livestock grazing in the shortgrass steppe of the Intermountain region of British Columbia is predicted to have significant effects on grassland habitats and their associated ground-nesting bird communities. We tested whether grazed and ungrazed sites could be discriminated on the basis of their vegetation communities, whether the abundance of two ground-nesting bird species, Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) and Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), differed between grazed and ungrazed sites, and whether vegetation variables found to differ between grazed and ungrazed plots could be used to predict the abundance of the two bird species at a fine scale. Grazed sites were easily distinguishable from a site that had been ungrazed for >30 years based on the structure and composition of their vegetation communities. However, more detailed grazing categories could not be distinguished on the basis of vegetation characteristics. Despite the existence of grazing effects on vegetation structure and composition, we found no consistent differences in abundance of Vesper Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks between the grazed and ungrazed sites. However, there was weak evidence that the abundance of both species was higher at fine-scale plots (100 m radius point count station) with less bare ground and taller vegetation. Bare ground cover was lower on grazed plots, but vegetation was taller on ungrazed plots. Combined, our results suggest that low intensity grazing leads to grassland habitat change with both negative and positive effects on Vesper Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks, resulting in no net change in their broad-scale abundance.RÉSUMÉ. On pense que le broutement du bétail dans la steppe de la région intramontagnarde de la Colombie-Britannique a des effets significatifs sur les milieux de prairie et les communautés d'oiseaux nichant au sol qui y sont associées. Nous avons testé les hypothèses suivantes : 1) Est-il possible de discriminer les sites broutés des sites non broutés à partir de leur communauté végétale? 2) L'abondance de deux espèces d'oiseaux nichant au sol, le Bruant vespéral (Pooecetes gramineus) et la Sturnelle de l'Ouest (Sturnella neglecta), diffère-t-elle selon le type de sites (broutés vs non broutés)? 3) Les variables relatives à la végétation qui diffèrent entre les sites broutés et les sites non broutés peuvent-elles servir à prévoir l'abondance des deux espèces d'oiseaux à une échelle fine? Les sites broutés ont été faciles à distinguer des sites qui n'avaient pas été broutés depuis plus de 30 ans, d'après la structure et la composition de leur communauté végétale. Toutefois, des catégories de broutement plus détaillées n'ont pas pu être déterminées à partir des caractéristiques végétales. Bien que le broutement ait des effets sur la structure et la composition végé...

show abstract

Migratory patterns and connectivity of two North American grassland bird species

Hill¹,

Renfrew²

2018

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Effective management and conservation of migratory bird populations require knowledge and incorporation of their movement patterns and space use throughout the annual cycle. To investigate the little‐known migratory patterns of two grassland bird species, we deployed 180 light‐level geolocators on Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) and 29 Argos‐GPS tags on Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) at Konza Prairie, Kansas, USA, and six US Department of Defense (DoD) installations distributed across the species' breeding ranges. We analyzed location data from 34 light‐level geolocators and five Argos‐GPS tags attached for 1 year to Grasshopper Sparrows and Eastern Meadowlarks, respectively. Grasshopper Sparrows were present on the breeding grounds from mid‐April through early October, substantially longer than previously estimated, and migrated on average ~2,500 km over ~30 days. Grasshopper Sparrows exhibited strong migratory connectivity only at a continental scale. The North American Great Lakes region likely serves as a migratory divide for Midwest and East Coast Grasshopper Sparrows; Midwest populations (Kansas, Wisconsin, and North Dakota; n = 13) largely wintered in Texas or Mexico, whereas East Coast populations (Maryland and Massachusetts, n = 20) wintered in the northern Caribbean or Florida. Our data from Eastern Meadowlarks provided evidence for a diversity of stationary and short‐ and long‐distance migration strategies. By providing the most extensive examination of the nonbreeding movement ecology for these two North American grassland bird species to date, we refine information gaps and provide key insight for their management and conservation.

show abstract

Effects of grazing on vegetation structure, prey availability, and reproductive success of Grasshopper Sparrows

Cited by 54 publications

References 9 publications

Effects of grassland management practices on ant functional groups in central North America

Effects of grassland management practices on ant functional groups in central North America

Vesper Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks Show a Mixed Response to Cattle Grazing in the Intermountain Region of British Columbia

Migratory patterns and connectivity of two North American grassland bird species

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About