Florida Grasshopper Sparrow Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Availability

Delany, Michael F.; Shumar, Matthew B.; McDermott, Molly E.; Kubilis, Paul; Hatchitt, James; Rivero, Rosanna G.

doi:10.1656/1528-7092(2007)6[15:fgsdaa]2.0.co;2

Cited by 10 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The subspecies are nearly indistinguishable in the field, making it doubtful that technicians could have differentiated between the two while conducting surveys. Despite intensive sampling during the breeding season (Delany et al 2007(Delany et al , butler 2007, however, the endangered Florida grasshopper Sparrow has not been found near our field sites, so we believe that our results apply to migrants only.…”

Section: Avian Surveysmentioning

confidence: 77%

Winter Use of South Florida Dry Prairie by Two Declining Grassland Passerines

Butler

Martin

Palmer

et al. 2009

Condor

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Resumen. Las aves que obligatoriamente viven en pastizales están sufriendo algunas de las disminuciones poblacionales más pronunciadas de todos los paserinos de América del Norte. Pocos estudios han tratado los patrones de uso de hábitat de estas especies mientras están invernando en el sudeste de Estados Unidos. La pradera seca del sur-centro de Florida constituye una de las mayores áreas remanentes de pastizal continuo dentro de esta región y durante el invierno mantiene un grupo diverso de aves migratorias que obligatoriamente viven en pastizales. El uso actual del suelo de esta región ha alterado el régimen natural del fuego del ecosistema y ha desplazado la comunidad vegetal de graminoideas y herbáceas de hoja ancha hacia una sobreabundancia de especies leñosas como Sereona repens. Simultáneamente, la distribución histórica del hábitat ha decrecido con el desarrollo urbano y la transformación para agricultura. Para entender cómo estos cambios afectan a las aves que invernan en los pastizales, documentamos la comunidad invernal de aves de las praderas secas y evaluamos los efectos de las características del hábitat y del tiempo transcurrido desde un incendio en la presencia de Ammodramus savannarum pratensis y Cistothorus platensis, dos residentes invernales. Muestreamos las aves a lo largo de transectas y empleamos un enfoque teórico de la información para seleccionar los modelos que mejor predijeron la presencia de las especies. El tiempo desde el incendio fue la variable que mejor predijo a A. s. pratensis en ambos años de nuestro estudio. La ocupación por parte de esta especie fue seis veces más probable si las transectas habían sido quemadas en el transcurso del año anterior. Cistothorus platensis se vio favorecida por intervalos más prolongados entre los incendios y su respuesta a las covariables de hábitat difirieron en los dos años. Estos resultados enfatizan la necesidad de que la pradera seca sea manejada con intervalos naturales (1-3 años) de retorno del fuego para mantener hábitat invernal para las aves de pastizal que están declinando.Abstract. grassland-obligate birds are undergoing some of the steepest population declines of all North American passerines. Few studies have addressed these species' patterns of habitat use in their winter ranges in the southeastern United States. The dry prairie of south-central Florida constitutes one of the largest areas of contiguous grassland remaining within this region and during winter supports a diverse group of migratory grassland-obligate birds. Modern land-use of this region has altered the ecosystem's natural fire regimes and shifted the vegetative community away from graminoids and forbs toward overabundance of woody-stemmed species such as the saw palmetto (Sereona repens). Simultaneously, the prairie's historic range has decreased with urban development and conversion to agriculture. In order to understand how these changes affect overwintering grassland birds, we documented the dry prairie's winter bird community and evaluated the effects of habita...

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Section: Avian Surveysmentioning

confidence: 77%

Winter Use of South Florida Dry Prairie by Two Declining Grassland Passerines

Butler

Martin

Palmer

et al. 2009

Condor

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“…The Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (FGSP, Ammodramus savannarum floridanus ) is an endangered subspecies endemic to dry prairies of south‐central Florida. The numbers and occupied range of this subspecies have declined because of habitat loss and degradation (Delany and Linda 1994, Shriver and Vickery 1999, Delany et al 2007b). Florida dry prairie is an endemic landscape restricted to south‐central Florida (Bridges 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The dry prairie landscape is maintained by frequent, lightning‐season (roughly May–August) fires followed by temporary, seasonal flooding (Platt et al 2006) and consists of large, open expanses of prairie dominated by a diversity of grasses and forbs interspersed with low growing shrubs (Orzell and Bridges 2006a, 2006b). Delany et al (2007b) reported that extensive surveys in 2004 found FGSPs only at six locations: one small aggregation (i.e., spatially distinct group of sparrows occupying relatively contiguous habitat) on private property in Okeechobee County, and five aggregations on protected public properties. Surveys conducted from 1996 to 1998 and again in 2004 indicated that numbers at two of the five aggregations on public properties were relatively large and stable, but numbers at the other three aggregations had declined (Delany et al 2007b).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Delany et al (2007b) reported that extensive surveys in 2004 found FGSPs only at six locations: one small aggregation (i.e., spatially distinct group of sparrows occupying relatively contiguous habitat) on private property in Okeechobee County, and five aggregations on protected public properties. Surveys conducted from 1996 to 1998 and again in 2004 indicated that numbers at two of the five aggregations on public properties were relatively large and stable, but numbers at the other three aggregations had declined (Delany et al 2007b). The aggregation on private property was first reported in 2002 (Delany et al 2007b), and little is known about its status.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Surveys conducted from 1996 to 1998 and again in 2004 indicated that numbers at two of the five aggregations on public properties were relatively large and stable, but numbers at the other three aggregations had declined (Delany et al 2007b). The aggregation on private property was first reported in 2002 (Delany et al 2007b), and little is known about its status.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Metapopulation structure, population trends, and status of Florida Grasshopper Sparrows

Tucker

Schrott

Delany

et al. 2010

Journal of Field Ornithology

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P < 0.001). Estos patrones sugieren que existe una metapoblación de A. s. floridanus cual consiste de tres poblaciones distintas (APAFR, KPPSP, y TLWMA), y que las agregaciones espacialmente distintas en APAFR constituyen una población cual utiliza diferentes parches de hábitat. La población en APAFR esta bajo riesgo de extirpación, y se necesita de acción inmediata para recuperarla. Tomando en cuenta las dinámicas metapoblaciones mas amplias será util para guiar los esfuerzos de manejo enfocados en la conservación de A. s. floridanus en el paisaje del centro de la Florida.

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Optimizing reproductive opportunity for Florida grasshopper sparrows: When to burn?

2019

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The critically endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) is dependent on dry prairies managed with prescribed fires that are applied every 1–3 years. Timing of prescribed fires shifted from predominantly the dormant season (Jan–Mar) to the transition (Apr–Jun) and growing (Jul–Aug) seasons starting in the early 2000s to better mimic natural fire regimes. Populations have continued to decline, however, and the presumption that natural fire regimes are beneficial to the small extant Florida grasshopper sparrow populations needs to be evaluated. We monitored 167 Florida grasshopper sparrow nests across 6 fire treatments at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area, Osceola County, Florida, USA, 2013–2016, and investigated the role of fire season and interval on clutch initiation date, nest site selection, nest survival, productivity, and nestling mass. Clutch initiation was delayed by ≥33 days in prairies burned during the current transition season and we found no nests in prairies burned during the current growing season. Transition season burns also overlapped with the early breeding season, which could result in the destruction of nests. Clutches were larger at the beginning of the breeding season and nestling mass was highest in the middle of the breeding season, indicating that early and mid‐season nests may be more valuable to annual fecundity than late‐season nests. Florida grasshopper sparrows nested in prairies burned in the current dormant season or previous growing season more than expected based on their availability and as expected or less than expected in prairies burned in the current transition season, previous transition season, previous dormant season, or >2 years ago. However, we found no effect of fire treatment on daily nest survival, clutch size, number of fledglings per successful nest, or nestling mass. We recommend dormant season burning in prairies occupied by Florida grasshopper sparrows to increase reproductive potential given the subspecies’ small population and the importance of each nest attempt to population growth. We recommend transition or growing season burns in unoccupied adjacent prairies to maintain high‐quality dry prairie for nesting in future years. Prescribed fire management goals for Florida grasshopper sparrow populations should be guided by demographic responses rather than natural fire regimes. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

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Florida Grasshopper Sparrow Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Availability

Cited by 10 publications

References 12 publications

Winter Use of South Florida Dry Prairie by Two Declining Grassland Passerines

Winter Use of South Florida Dry Prairie by Two Declining Grassland Passerines

Metapopulation structure, population trends, and status of Florida Grasshopper Sparrows

Optimizing reproductive opportunity for Florida grasshopper sparrows: When to burn?

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