Effects of urbanization on site occupancy and density of grassland birds in tallgrass prairie fragments

McLaughlin, Melissa E.; Janousek, William M.; McCarty, John P.; Wolfenbarger, L. LaReesa

doi:10.1111/jofo.12066

Cited by 24 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…Increasing urbanization had a strong negative effect on the density of a congeneric species, Eastern Meadowlark ( Sturnella magna ), in grasslands (McLaughlin et al. ). Conversely, TAT, where no displacement effects were observed for Western Meadowlarks, has undergone little land conversion, was composed of 92% perennial grasslands (Loesch et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of wind‐energy facilities on breeding grassland bird distributions

Shaffer

Buhl

2015

Conservation Biology

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The contribution of renewable energy to meet worldwide demand continues to grow. Wind energy is one of the fastest growing renewable sectors, but new wind facilities are often placed in prime wildlife habitat. Long-term studies that incorporate a rigorous statistical design to evaluate the effects of wind facilities on wildlife are rare. We conducted a before-after-control-impact (BACI) assessment to determine if wind facilities placed in native mixed-grass prairies displaced breeding grassland birds. During 2003-2012, we monitored changes in bird density in 3 study areas in North Dakota and South Dakota (U.S.A.). We examined whether displacement or attraction occurred 1 year after construction (immediate effect) and the average displacement or attraction 2-5 years after construction (delayed effect). We tested for these effects overall and within distance bands of 100, 200, 300, and >300 m from turbines. We observed displacement for 7 of 9 species. One species was unaffected by wind facilities and one species exhibited attraction. Displacement and attraction generally occurred within 100 m and often extended up to 300 m. In a few instances, displacement extended beyond 300 m. Displacement and attraction occurred 1 year after construction and persisted at least 5 years. Our research provides a framework for applying a BACI design to displacement studies and highlights the erroneous conclusions that can be made without the benefit of adopting such a design. More broadly, species-specific behaviors can be used to inform management decisions about turbine placement and the potential impact to individual species. Additionally, the avoidance distance metrics we estimated can facilitate future development of models evaluating impacts of wind facilities under differing land-use scenarios.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of wind‐energy facilities on breeding grassland bird distributions

Shaffer

Buhl

2015

Conservation Biology

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“…First, year was assigned as a categorical covariate corresponding to each year of the study (McLaughlin et al 2014). First, year was assigned as a categorical covariate corresponding to each year of the study (McLaughlin et al 2014).…”

Section: Data Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring fire to grasslands is critical for migrating shorebird populations

Hovick

Carroll

Elmore

et al. 2017

Ecological Applications

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Fire is a disturbance process that maintains the structure and function of grassland ecosystems while sustaining grassland biodiversity. Conversion of grasslands to other land uses coupled with altered disturbance regimes has greatly diminished the habitat available to many grassland-dependent species. These changes have been linked to declines in breeding bird populations, but may also be critical for migrating bird populations such as those shorebird species that depend on mesic grasslands during migration. We examined migratory shorebird use of burned grasslands in the southern Great Plains of North America using DISTANCE sampling to estimate and compare bird densities across recently burned and not recently burned landscapes (1-5 yr post fire). We conducted two surveys per week for 8-10 weeks along a 54-km route starting at the end of March and concluding in mid-May during 2014-2015. We encountered 2,509 total shorebirds in recently burned areas compared to 130 individuals in areas that were unburned. Fire was a major attractant for our three focal species with American Golden-plover (Pluvialis dominica), Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), and Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) densities of 20.48, 11.09, and 26.09 birds/km in burned areas compared with 0.00, 1.27, and 0.92 birds/km in unburned areas, respectively. This research illustrates the importance of burned grassland for migrating shorebirds, a phenomenon that has largely gone unreported previously. Generally, these findings add to a body of knowledge that demonstrates the value of managing grasslands with historic disturbances that vary over space and time. The application of these findings should improve decision-making for shorebird conservation and provides evidence that prescribed fire planning should include consideration for breeding, transient, and non-breeding populations that vary in their temporal use of the landscape.

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“…, McLaughlin et al . ). However, the effects of the urban matrix on reproductive performance of grassland birds have been little studied.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of fragmentation and landscape matrix on the nesting success of grassland birds in the Pampas grasslands of Argentina

Pretelli

Isacch

Cardoni

2015

Ibis

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The loss of grasslands in southeastern South America has negatively affected grassland birds, leading to marked declines in their populations. However, the extent to which habitat transformation impacts on their reproductive performance, and whether the magnitude of these effects may be modulated by landscape matrices, is unknown. We assessed the effect of fragmentation on grassland bird reproduction by comparing the combined influence of fragmentation and landscape matrix on nesting success, brood parasitism and productivity of the Spectacled Tyrant Hymenops perspicillatus and the Brown‐and‐yellow Marshbird Pseudoleistes virescens. Surveys were undertaken in small grassland patches embedded within different landscape matrices (urban and agro‐ecosystem) and in a large patch within a reserve. Reproductive performance was adversely affected by fragmentation. However, these effects were conditioned by matrix type, and the response was not the same for the two species. For Brown‐and‐yellow Marshbird, fragmentation resulted in higher rates of brood parasitism and lower productivity regardless of the matrix type, whereas for Spectacled Tyrant, we found a negative effect only in an agricultural matrix. The lack of extensive grasslands makes small patches important; however, knowing the effects of different matrix types is critical to predicting the conservation value of grassland patches, and the response of different species is not uniform.

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Effects of urbanization on site occupancy and density of grassland birds in tallgrass prairie fragments

Cited by 24 publications

References 75 publications

Effects of wind‐energy facilities on breeding grassland bird distributions

Effects of wind‐energy facilities on breeding grassland bird distributions

Restoring fire to grasslands is critical for migrating shorebird populations

Effects of fragmentation and landscape matrix on the nesting success of grassland birds in the Pampas grasslands of Argentina

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