Rangeland Ecology & Management

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UNDERSTANDING THE INTERACTION OF PRAIRIE DOGS AND LIVESTOCK HERBIVORY ON PASSERINE BIRD POPULATIONS
Author
Muscha, Jennifer M.
Petersen, Mark K.
Espeland, Erin
Kilian, Robert
Scianna, Joe
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2015
Body

The mixed-grass prairie is a dynamic ecosystem that evolved under periodic disturbance. Prairie dogs and livestock are two disturbance agents that continue to influence areas of the mixed-grass prairie in North America. Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), once abundant in both the short and mixed-grass prairie, influence the environment with their soil excavation and herbivory of both above- and below-ground plant material. Livestock herbivory, a common use of mixed-grass prairie, has the ability to alter the local plant community over time. Grassland birds, like the mixed-grass prairie, evolved under similar disturbance pressures. However, since European settlement, millions of hectares of prairie habitat are lost to crop production and urbanization, while much of the remaining prairie is fragmented and colonized by exotic plants. Much like native prairie, prairie dogs and grassland birds experienced declines in recent years. As part of a larger study designed to evaluate the environmental consequences of beef production on mixed-grass prairie occupied by prairie dogs, we examined the effect of livestock and prairie dog herbivory on local grassland bird populations. Bird surveys both on and off prairie dog colonies indicated that some birds are negatively correlated with on-town sites such as grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) r = -0.90, and dickcissel (Spiza americana) r = -0.51, while others, including the horned lark (Eremophila alpestris) and vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus), are positively correlated with on-town sites r = 0.73 and r = 0.61, respectively. In addition to bird surveys, we monitored 121 nests belonging to grassland birds from 2012 – 2014. Similar to bird survey results, grasshopper sparrows were found nesting in off-town sites while horned larks tended to select prairie dog colonies as nest sites.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Sacramento, CA