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Breeding bird communities of reclaimed coal-mine grasslands in the American Midwest
Abstract
We studied the breeding bird communities of 19 reclaimed surface coal-mine grasslands in southwestern Indiana in 1997–1998, using roadside point counts and off-road transects. The mine grasslands in this study were large, ranging from 110 to 3180 ha in area (median, 590 ha). Although dominated by a few Eurasian grass species, they supported diverse bird communities in which grassland-dependent species were prominent along with grassland-associated and successional scrub species. The mean abundances of species (relative to one another) on roadside and off-road counts were positively correlated. Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), and Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) were present at >90% of point count locations. Other common species, in descending order, included Dickcissels (Spiza americana), Common Yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas), Killdeers (Charadrius vociferus), Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea), Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii), Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla), and Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia). Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) were rare, as were seven grassland-dependent species that were near the edges of their geographic distributions.
... Populations of several grassland bird species in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States are declining (Helzer and Jelinski 1999, Sauer et al. 2005, Swanson 1996, largely as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation (Askins 2002, Vickery et al. 2005. Reclaimed surface mines, although heavily disturbed systems, are often vast and secluded and provide potentially suitable nesting habitat for several obligate-grassland bird species which might not be able to persist in regions otherwise lacking in extensive grasslands (Bajema et al. 2001, DeVault et al. 2002, Ingold 2002, Swanson 1996. The nesting success of several grassland bird species on reclaimed surface mines has been shown to be comparable to that on a variety of unmined lands (Galligan et al. 2006, Monroe andRitchison 2005). ...
... In addition to demography and habitat association (see DeVault et al. 2002, Galligan et al. 2006, Monroe and Ritchison 2005, nest-site fi delity can also be used to assess habitat quality of reclaimed surface mines for breeding grassland birds. Nest-site fi delity, the proclivity for individuals to return to breed at a previous breeding site, has been documented in several species (Bollinger and Gavin 1989, Gavin and Bollinger 1988, Greenwood 1980, and its presence in grassland birds has been positively associated with hatching and/or fl edging success of breeding individuals during the previous year (Gavin and Bollinger 1988). ...
... Results from this investigation are consistent with previous work suggesting that reclaimed surface mines can provide useful habitat for these species of grassland birds (Bajema et al. 2001, DeVault et al. 2002, Monroe and Ritchison 2005, Galligan et al. 2006. Nonetheless, developing longterm strategies for successful conservation of these species will likely require addressing a number of additional questions. ...
We monitored return rates of 324 color-banded Ammodramus savannarum (Grasshopper Sparrow), 138 Passerculus sandwichensis (Savannah Sparrow), and 49 Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Bobolink) on mowed and unmowed areas on a reclaimed surface mine during seven breeding seasons. We observed 61 returns among Grasshopper Sparrows, 40 returns among Savannah Sparrows, and 11 returns among Bobolinks. Grasshopper Sparrows and Savannah Sparrows returned to mowed and unmowed areas at about equal rates (21 vs. 18% and 26 vs. 31%, respectively), while Bobolinks returned to unmowed areas at a higher rate than mowed areas (28% vs. 17% respectively). When hatching-year birds were excluded, overall return rates increased slightly for Grasshopper Sparrows and Bobolinks (19 to 20% and 22 to 23%, respectively), but more substantially for Savannah Sparrows (from 29 to 36%). Sixteen of 51 returning Grasshopper Sparrows (31%), 12 of 27 Savannah Sparrows (44%), and 2 of 10 Bobolinks (20%) were observed during multiple years. These observations support previous findings that reclaimed surface mines provide suitable nesting habitat for these species. Early-season mowing did not appear to influence the return rates of Grasshopper Sparrows or Savannah Sparrows, although it may have influenced Bobolink returns.
... Instead their history was primarily deciduous forest with scattered prairies [3,5] cleared for agriculture then dug for coal before being reclaimed. Despite the fact that these grasslands are about 175 km south of the historic prairie peninsula, they have been colonized by a large number of native grassland birds, including Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii), Dickcissels (Spiza americana), Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus), Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), and Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) [6][7][8]. Prairie restorations have also been shown to support increases in grassland-dependent small mammal numbers [9,10]. ...
... HFWA, along with the Chinook Fish and Wildlife Area (927 ha) located to the north, and the Minnehaha Fish and Wildlife Area (~2,428 ha) located to the west, represent a large complex of reclaimed mine spoils managed as prairie by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Division of Fish and Wildlife. Our HFWA field sites are in the western section of the property (HFWA-W, or Hillenbrand-1 [6]), encompassing 729 ha of essentially continuous habitat interrupted by occasional gravel roads, wildlife food plots, and a railroad track. ...
... Most grassland loss is due to intensive agriculture [16,[21][22][23][24]. It follows that where habitats are lost, animals that rely on these habitats also will be lost too [6,[26][27][28]. The recently completed -State of the Birds‖ report notes that of 46 grassland-breeding bird species, 48% are of conservation concern, including four with populations that are federally endangered [29]. ...
Coal extraction has been occurring in the Midwestern United States for over a century. Despite the pre-mining history of the landscape as woodlands, spent surface coalfields are often reclaimed to grasslands. We assessed amphibian and reptile species on a large tract of coal spoil prairie and found 13 species of amphibians (nine frog and four salamander species) and 19 species of reptiles (one lizard, five turtle, and 13 snake species). Two state-endangered and three state species of special concern were documented. The amphibian diversity at our study site was comparable to the diversity found at a large restored prairie situated 175 km north, within the historic prairie peninsula.
... Portions of both the ZR and SS sites include a variety of scattered tree species including black locusts (Robinia pseudoacacia), honey locusts (Gleditsia triacanthos), black willows (Salix nigra), and common cottonwoods (Populus deltoides). This mixed plant community provides potential habitat for a variety of scrubland/savannah bird species (DeVault et al. 2002). Finally, an approximately 5.5 ha lake-the location of 3 pointcount stations-ran parallel to a portion of the ZR site. ...
... Piper and Wiley (1989) reported that wintering Song Sparrows on a biological reserve in North Carolina were most concentrated along field edges and shrubland borders-similar to the habitat structure on portions of the reclaimed mine in the current study. DeVault et al. (2002) and Ingold (2002) found Song Sparrows on a reclaimed surface mine, during the breeding season, to be common. As Song Sparrows may be found year-round in the same area (Arcese et al. 2020), it is not surprising that some individuals were present during the winter months on the current study site, both in the switchgrass plot and in patches of autumn olive and bush honey suckle in the cool-season areas. ...
Several studies have examined how grassland birds use reclaimed surface mines during the breeding season, but few studies have documented how these birds use these areas during the winter and early spring months. Using point counts, birds occupying a reclaimed surface-mine site in southeastern Ohio were surveyed from late December 2020 to April 2021. The primary objective was to document bird abundance and species richness across a temporal gradient spanning from late December 2020 through April 2021. Additionally, bird species composition was examined in habitat patches dominated by cool-season plants and in a single warm-season plot dominated by switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). A total of 1,452 bird sightings were made consisting of 40 species in 7 orders. Songbirds (order Passeriformes) comprised 60% of all sightings, and most of these (53%) were Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), and Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia). Thirty-nine species were observed on cool-season sites versus 13 species in the switchgrass plot. Species including returning Eastern Meadowlarks, Henslow's Sparrows (Centronyx henslowii), and Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla) were common on the cool-season plots, but uncommon or absent in the switchgrass plot. Conversely, the switchgrass plot had more wintering American Tree Sparrows (Spizelloides arborea) and returning Swamp Sparrows (Melospiza georgiana). Return rates of long-distance migratory species fell within the time frames for these species as obtained from previous studies in this region. The diverse habitat structure of the cool-season portions of this study site attracted some winter species, including birds of prey, as well as several returning migratory species.
... In reclaimed strip-mined uplands in Indiana, grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum Gmelin), Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii Gmelin), and dickcissel (Spiza americana Gmelin) were common in grasslands that had been planted in nonnative grasses over 10 yr previously (DeVault et al., 2002;Scott and Lima, 2004). They indicated that the slowing of succession to forest in the grasslands was likely due either to soil conditions, dominance by nonnative grasses, or distance from forest edge (DeVault et al., 2002). ...
... In reclaimed strip-mined uplands in Indiana, grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum Gmelin), Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii Gmelin), and dickcissel (Spiza americana Gmelin) were common in grasslands that had been planted in nonnative grasses over 10 yr previously (DeVault et al., 2002;Scott and Lima, 2004). They indicated that the slowing of succession to forest in the grasslands was likely due either to soil conditions, dominance by nonnative grasses, or distance from forest edge (DeVault et al., 2002). Researchers studying wildlife response to RPM oaks in Lower Missouri River floodplains (Dey et al., 2004) found that use of bottomland old fields by breeding grassland songbird was much longer in plots where a cover crop of redtop grass was used to control invasive vegetation. ...
... Early successional plant communities, primarily grasslands, are often predominant following mine closure ( Chaney et al. 1995). The outcome of revegetating primarily with grasses is the creation of extensive grasslands on mines, which benefits grassland birds ( DeVault et al. 2002, Galligan et al. 2006, Wood and Ammer 2015. In North America, grassland bird populations have substantially declined over the last several decades ( Ribic et al. 2009, Sauer et al. 2014) because of reduced areas in grasslands from land conversion, e.g., agriculture, or woody encroachment ( Coppedge et al. 2001, Grant et al. 2004). ...
... When surface mines are reclaimed using the grassland approach, they are often in an arrested state of succession because of the compaction and acidity of soils. Studies have reported grassland birds using these areas 20 years after mine reclamation ( DeVault et al. 2002, Ingold and Dooley 2013, Borthwick and Wang 2015, Wood and Ammer 2015, and this was evident in our study, where grassland species were present 19 years after mine reclamation. Despite reclaimed mines providing long-term habitat for grassland birds, quality can decline over time leading to reduced nesting productivity (Wood and Ammer 2015). ...
Surface mining in the Appalachian region (USA) converts large areas of mature forest to early successional habitat. This shift in landscape structure has the potential to reduce habitat availability and suitability for forest-dwelling songbirds by reducing and fragmenting mature forest, but also to increase habitat availability for grassland- and shrubland-associated songbirds. We examined the influence of mountaintop mining/valley fill (MTMVF) reclamation habitats (grassland, shrubland, and remnant forest) on songbird community composition and abundance at three former MTMVF mines in southwestern West Virginia, relative to intact forest. We quantified the songbird community in 1999 and 2000 using point counts arranged throughout the mine complexes to assess landscape composition of the songbird community. Community analysis showed songbirds had strong associations with their respective guild based on species habitat preferences. Although remnant and intact forest treatments had similar species compositions, the forest interior guild had greater richness in intact rather than remnant forest. Total species richness was greatest in the reclaimed shrubland treatment. Focal species analysis followed similar trends as community assessments, because most species abundances within treatment types were strongly associated with species habitat preferences. Our results indicate that reclamation habitat decisions, i.e., grasslands versus forests, can have large effects on avian community composition. Determining appropriate mine restoration actions depends on the suite of species desired for long-term occupancy and their conservation priority.
... Scott and Lima (2004) state that the largest grasslands in Indiana and Illinois are on reclaimed surface mines. Because rapid establishment of ground cover is required and reforestation proved unsuccessful, most surface mine reclamation sites are dominated by cool-season non-native grasses (DeVault et al. 2002). However as cost of native seed declines and more is known about how to restore native grassland, there are efforts to test replacement of cool-season with native warm-season grasses (Scott and Lima 2004). ...
... Many reclaimed sites are undisturbed, while some are managed by mowing or grazing; this may have to do with whether sites have a tendency to undergo succession toward a woody plant community or not. The sizes of these sites can vary substantially geographically; sites in southwestern Indiana ranged from 110 – 3180 ha (DeVault et al. 2002); in western Pennsylvania from 1 – 180 ha (Mattice et al. 2005; Stauffer et al. 2011); in West Virginia from 40 – 2431 ha (Wray et al. 1982; Ammer 2003); and in Ohio from 1200 – 3700 ha (Ingold 2002; Graves et al. 2010). Grasshopper Sparrows were among the most abundant grassland species found on reclaimed minelands planted to grass (Wray et al. 1982; Ingold 2002; Scott et al. 2002; Mattice et al. 2005; Galligan et al. 2006; Graves et al. 2010; Duncan 2011). ...
The Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) breeds in grassland habitats throughout much of the U.S., southern and southeastern Canada, and northern Mexico. Additional subspecies are resident in Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. It winters primarily in the coastal states of the southeastern U.S., southern portions of the southwestern states, and in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. The species prefers relatively open grassland with intermediate grass height and density and patchy bare ground; because it is widely distributed across different grassland types in North America, it selects different vegetation structure and species composition depending on what is available. In the winter, they use a broader range of grassland habitats including open grasslands, as well as weedy fields and grasslands with woody vegetation. Analyses show significant range-wide population declines from the late 1960s through the present, primarily caused by habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation. Grasshopper Sparrow is still a relatively common and broadly distributed species, but because of significant population declines and stakeholder concerns, the species is considered of conservation concern nationally and at the state level for numerous states. Many factors, often related to different grassland management practices (e.g., grazing, burning, mowing, management of shrub encroachment, etc.) throughout the species’ range, have impacts on Grasshopper Sparrow distribution, abundance, and reproduction and may represent limiting factors or threats given steep declines in this species’ population.
... In reclaimed strip-mined uplands in Indiana, grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum Gmelin), Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii Gmelin), and dickcissel (Spiza americana Gmelin) were common in grasslands that had been planted in nonnative grasses over 10 yr previously (DeVault et al., 2002;Scott and Lima, 2004). They indicated that the slowing of succession to forest in the grasslands was likely due either to soil conditions, dominance by nonnative grasses, or distance from forest edge (DeVault et al., 2002). ...
... In reclaimed strip-mined uplands in Indiana, grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum Gmelin), Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii Gmelin), and dickcissel (Spiza americana Gmelin) were common in grasslands that had been planted in nonnative grasses over 10 yr previously (DeVault et al., 2002;Scott and Lima, 2004). They indicated that the slowing of succession to forest in the grasslands was likely due either to soil conditions, dominance by nonnative grasses, or distance from forest edge (DeVault et al., 2002). Researchers studying wildlife response to RPM oaks in Lower Missouri River floodplains (Dey et al., 2004) found that use of bottomland old fields by breeding grassland songbird was much longer in plots where a cover crop of redtop grass was used to control invasive vegetation. ...
... The increased presence of breeding grassland specialists within Freshkills Park can be used as a benchmark to monitor the success of ongoing restoration and management efforts. While it has been found that reclaimed surface mines in the midwestern United States can host healthy populations of grassland birds (Bajema et al. 2001, DeVault et al. 2002, Galligan et al. 2006 , there are many opportunities at the regional-level to develop and apply new management strategies. Sedge Wrens are known to use restored grasslands in North America (Schramm et al. 1986) but no data has been published on their use of reclaimed grasslands, nor on their use of grasslands in urban areas generally. ...
Cistothorus platensis (Naumann) (Sedge Wren) are highly specialized songbirds typically associated with grasslands, wet meadows, and the fringes of marshes. In New York State, where they are listed as a threatened species, Sedge Wrens breed in low numbers far from coastal urban areas. Nevertheless, from August–October 2020, we documented breeding by three pairs of Sedge Wrens at a reclaimed urban landfill in New York City, within Freshkills Park on Staten Island’s west shore. The birds were observed to have fledged at least three young and remained on-site until at least 11 October 2020. This nesting represents the first successful breeding by Sedge Wrens in New York City since 1960 and shows that this species may persist, even in highly urbanized areas, if suitable habitats are retained or created.
... Although management has typically been targeted on promoting populations of game animals for hunting and angling, the changes have generally benefited a range of non-game species as well. Mined lands are inhabited by diverse communities of mammals (Yeager 1942) but have also been found to provide suitable habitat for birds (Brenner and Hofius 1990;Bajema and Lima 2001;Devault et al. 2002) and herpetofauna (Myers and Klimstra 1963;Lannoo et al. 2009;Terrell et al. 2014;Stiles et al. 2017). ...
Creating and managing undeveloped lands is important for the perpetuation of species and communities they comprise, particularly for turtles, which are often impacted by human disturbance and are ill-equipped to adapt to sustained anthropogenic disturbance. Reclaimed land at the site of former surface mining operations often provides a large matrix of wetland, prairie, and woodland habitat that is protected from development. Such sites support robust communities of birds and amphibians, but few investigations have assessed their suitability for aquatic reptiles. To examine their suitability for turtle communities, we surveyed strip pit lakes and naturally occurring lakes at Mined Lands Wildlife Area in southeastern Kansas, USA. Community composition was different between the two classes of wetland due to differences in the abundance of Chelydra serpentina serpentina (Eastern Snapping Turtle), Chrysemys picta bellii (Western Painted Turtle), and Sternotherus odoratus (Eastern Musk Turtle). Catch per unit effort, however, only varied significantly for C. s. serpentina, which were captured at lower rates in strip pits. All other species were at least as abundant in strip pit lakes as in natural lakes, and C. p. bellii were slightly more abundant in strip pits. Sternotherus odoratus were very abundant in a single strip pit lake. Canonical correspondence analysis associated C. s. serpentina with shallow water and high percentage of canopy cover, while C. p. bellii were associated with deep water. Sternotherus odoratus were associated with abundant submerged vegetation; however, habitat features only explained 12% of the variation in species occurrence. Strip pit lakes appear to provide suitable habitat for most of the turtle species encountered, with the notable exception of C. s. serpentina, and may even be preferred over natural oxbows by some species.
... The extraction of minerals creates cliffs, ledges, crevices and burrows which, along with adits, shafts and grasslands, provide breeding and nesting sites for birds, bats and amphibians (e.g., DeVault et al. 2002;López González and Torres-Morales 2004;Pauley 2005;Ratcliffe 1974Ratcliffe , 1977, while toxic and calcareous metalliferous spoils provide refugia for metal-tolerant plants of conservation interest (e.g., Johnson et al. 1978). As a post-mining landscape, much of Halkyn Mountain now has significant conservation status and is protected for the rare plants and habitats that have emerged from the old mine workings (Countryside Council for Wales 2008). ...
This article discusses the shaping of Halkyn Mountain, an upland common in the county of Flintshire in northeast Wales. Extractive industry has had a dramatic impact on the area, and it was one of Britain’s major lead mining regions in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This extractive history is essential for understanding its contemporary character and is a key element of community identity and local heritage production. The mountain is a multilayered landscape that has been made and transformed by geomorphological and human action, by subterranean water flow, digging, burrowing and extraction, by internal rupture and the upheaval and movement of earth and rock, and by grazing, burning, clearing and churning up the surface. It continues to be shaped by management and conservation, by the lifeworlds of plants and animals, and by perspectives on what constitutes a landscape. Drawing from current anthropological research in Flintshire on the making and shaping of place, the article explores how Halkyn Mountain exemplifies the contested nature—and the contradictions and provocations—of landscape and the difficulties inherent in using, living on, defining and managing a place that has been reshaped by industry, but one that is continually coming into being. It does so through a consideration of the area as a landscape shaped and given form by lead mining, by multispecies encounters, by land management and conservation initiatives, and by how notions of heritage inform local identity and regional preservation.
... While Arctic rehabilitation efforts associated with industrial development have received relatively little attention with respect to birds, this has been a rich topic in more temperate latitudes in the context of grassland reclamation at abandoned mining sites (DeVault et al., 2002;Galligan et al., 2006;Duncan, 2011). The importance of the specific vegetation used to rehabilitate mines has been shown to affect which birds use the area (e.g., Scott and Lima, 2004). ...
Breeding bird response to habitat rehabilitation after anthropogenic disturbance has received little attention in the Arctic. The North Slope of Alaska is an important breeding ground for many populations of migratory birds and has also supported major oilfields since the late 1960s. The most obvious impacts of industrial development to nesting birds are direct habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from the construction of infrastructure, along with increased mechanical noise, vehicle traffic, and other forms of anthropogenic disturbance. In response to state and federal requirements, efforts have been made to rehabilitate abandoned portions of the oilfields. We compared bird use at rehabilitation sites and at nearby paired reference sites. Densities of shorebirds and passerines varied between rehabilitation sites and reference sites, but waterfowl densities did not. Specifically, passerine and shorebird densities were higher at reference sites in the early or mid-season and lower at reference sites in the late season. Additionally, birds on rehabilitation sites were primarily observed foraging and resting, while behavior observed on paired reference sites was more diverse and included courtship displays, nesting, and aggression. Further, rehabilitation sites supported significantly fewer nests and fewer species than recorded at reference sites. Our findings suggest that sites 3 to 10 years post rehabilitation do not provide bird habitat comparable to nearby reference sites and, by extension, do not provide shorebird and passerine habitat comparable to that found prior to development. However, rehabilitation sites appear to provide adequate habitat for waterfowl and are important to shorebirds and passerines as foraging areas. Continued monitoring will be needed to establish the long-term suitability of rehabilitation sites, compared to reference sites, as breeding habitat for birds.
... These reclaimed mine lands may play an important role in the conservation of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; bobwhite) populations, especially within the Central Hardwood Bird Conservation Region of the central United States (Applegate et al. 2011). Reclaimed mine land presents an opportunity to manage bobwhite at a larger scale not often afforded by fragmented agricultural landscapes (DeVault et al. 2002, Hern andez et al. 2013. Although regulations encourage reclaimed mine land be re-vegetated with native species, most reclamation has been completed with non-native invasive plant species because it is less expensive, growth is rapid, and bond requirements are satisfied (Koll 2002). ...
Surface coal mining and subsequent reclamation of surface mines have converted large forest areas into early successional vegetative communities in the eastern United States. This reclamation can provide a novel opportunity to conserve northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). We evaluated the influence of habitat management activities on nest survival, nest-site selection, and brood resource selection on managed and unmanaged units of a reclaimed surface mine, Peabody Wildlife Management Area (Peabody), in west-central Kentucky, USA, from 2010 to 2013. We compared resource selection, using discrete-choice analysis, and nest survival, using the nest survival model in Program MARK, between managed and unmanaged units of Peabody at 2 spatial scales: the composition and configuration of vegetation types (i.e., macrohabitat) and vegetation characteristics at nest sites and brood locations (i.e., microhabitat). On managed sites, we also investigated resource selection relative to a number of different treatments (e.g., herbicide, disking, prescribed fire). We found no evidence that nest-site selection was influenced by macrohabitat variables, but bobwhite selected nest sites in areas with greater litter depth than was available at random sites. On managed units, bobwhite were more likely to nest where herbicide was applied to reduce sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) compared with areas untreated with herbicide. Daily nest survival was not influenced by habitat characteristics or by habitat management but was influenced by nest age and the interaction of nest initiation date and nest age. Daily nest survival was greater for older nests occurring early in the breeding season (0.99, SE < 0.01) but was lower for older nests occurring later in the season (0.08, SE = 0.13). Brood resource selection was not influenced by macrohabitat or microhabitat variables we measured, but broods on managed units selected areas treated with herbicide to control sericea lespedeza and were located closer to firebreaks and disked native-warm season grass stands than would be expected at random. Our results suggest the vegetation at Peabody was sufficient without manipulation to support nesting and brood-rearing northern bobwhite at a low level, but habitat management practices improved vegetation for nesting and brood-rearing resource selection. Reproductive rates (e.g., nest survival and re-nesting rates) at Peabody were lower than reported in other studies, which may be related to nutritional deficiencies caused by the abundance of sericea lespedeza. On reclaimed mine lands dominated by sericea lespedeza, we suggest continuing practices such as disking and herbicide application that are targeted at reducing sericea lespedeza to improve the vegetation for nesting and brood-rearing bobwhite.
... Avifauna communities can serve as macroscopic indicators of ecosystem services (Gregory et al., 2003). In the case of mine reclamation, birds have been well documented in grassland reclaimed surface mines Devault et al., 2002), but little attention has gone towards species in formerly forested landscapes, assessing the cumulative impacts of mining from multiple sites at the landscape scale, and identifying management-related merits of various treatments and their related chronosequential successional status while protecting soil and water resources (Buehler & Percy, 2012). To address these issues, I have evaluated effects of mining on bird communities through a relatively long time-frame (~26 years) over a large area of northwestern Alabama. ...
Surface mining transforms landscapes and ecosystems through the removal of vegetation
and soil. In the Shale Hills Region (SHR) of northern Alabama, approximately 30,500 ha
of land were permitted for surface mining between 1980 and 2005. Losses of vegetation
correlate with declines and displacement of songbird communities, while mines and mine
reclamation influence songbird communities. I studied avian response to reclaimed
surface mines by evaluating the following: what are avian species diversity, richness, and
abundance at the reclaimed mines? How do avian composition and abundance vary by
vegetation type and by chronosequence? How do avian communities relate to vegetation
succession? And, how do environmental conditions affect the avifauna? Point counts
were carried out at 200 plots on mined and surrounding non-mined areas. Mine categories
were classified by habitat and time since closure. The least diverse (1.75 ± 0.07) and
species-rich (5.22 ± 0.23) habitat type was conifer forests less than 15 years since
closure, while the most diverse (2.23 ± 0.18) and species-rich (6.42 ± 0.45) was
grasslands less than 15 years since closure. Interactions between time since closure and
habitat type affected 16 bird species, while habitat type affected 3 species and time
affected 2 species. Habitat type had a stronger link to bird community dynamics than
chronosequence. General Linear Models were linked to landscape-level management and
ordination techniques were used to help refine smaller scale habitat relationships with
individual species. The presented findings demonstrate the importance of considering
cumulative effects, outline prospective timelines for ‘macroscopically successful’ mine
reclamation, and provide a scientific foundation for selecting management and restoration
objectives on mine sites, as related to avifauna biodiversity.
... Colinus virginianus; hereafter bobwhite) conservation because they tend to be large (>1,000 ha), contiguous, and under single-ownership (e.g., state wildlife agencies; DeVault et al. 2002). These factors are especially important in the eastern United States where >80% of the land base is privately owned (Heimlich 2003), and bobwhite habitat has been lost as a result of intensification of agriculture and increasing fragmentation (Brennan 1991). ...
... (Colinus virginianus; hereafter bobwhite) conservation because they tend to be large (>1,000 ha), contiguous, and under single-ownership (e.g., state wildlife agencies; DeVault et al. 2002). These factors are especially important in the eastern United States where >80% of the land base is privately owned (Heimlich 2003), and bobwhite habitat has been lost as a result of intensification of agriculture and increasing fragmentation (Brennan 1991). ...
More than 600,000 ha of mine land have been reclaimed in the eastern United States, providing large contiguous tracts of early successional vegetation that can be managed for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). However, habitat quality on reclaimed mine land can be limited by extensive coverage of non-native invasive species, which are commonly planted during reclamation. We used discrete-choice analysis to investigate bobwhite resource selection throughout the year on Peabody Wildlife Management Area, a 3,330-ha reclaimed surface mine in western Kentucky. We used a treatment-control design to study resource selection at 2 spatial scales to identify important aspects of mine land vegetation and whether resource selection differed between areas with habitat management (i.e., burning, disking, herbicide; treatment) and unmanaged units (control). Our objectives were to estimate bobwhite resource selection on reclaimed mine land and to estimate the influence of habitat management practices on resource selection. We used locations from 283 individuals during the breeding season (1 Apr–30 Sep) and 136 coveys during the non-breeding season (1 Oct–Mar 31) from August 2009 to March 2014. Individuals were located closer to shrub cover than would be expected at random throughout the year. During the breeding season, individuals on treatment units used areas with smaller contagion index values (i.e., greater interspersion) compared with individuals on control units. During the non-breeding season, birds selected areas with greater shrub-open edge density compared with random. At the microhabitat scale, individuals selected areas with increased visual obstruction >1 m aboveground. During the breeding season, birds were closer to disked areas (linear and non-linear) than would be expected at random. Individuals selected non-linear disked areas during winter but did not select linear disked areas (firebreaks) because they were planted to winter wheat each fall and lacked cover during the non-breeding season. Individuals also selected areas treated with herbicide to control sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) throughout the year. During the breeding season, bobwhites avoided areas burned during the previous dormant season. Habitat quality of reclaimed mine lands may be limited by a lack of shrub cover and extensive coverage of non-native herbaceous vegetation. Managers aiming to increase bobwhite abundance should focus on increasing interspersion of shrub cover, with no area >100 m from shrub cover. We suggest disking and herbicide application to control invasive species and improve the structure and composition of vegetation for bobwhites. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.
... In summary, we found that reclaimed mine complexes do provide breeding habitat for several grassland bird species (Wood et al. 2001, Ammer 2003, especially grasshopper sparrows (this study), as has been found for reclaimed mines in other areas (e.g., DeVault et al. 2002, Graves et al. 2010, Stauffer et al. 2011, Ingold and Dooley 2013. However, we also found that optimal habitat on these mine complexes is temporary. ...
We studied 3 mountaintop mining–valley fill (MTMVF) complexes in southern West Virginia, USA to examine grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum pratensis) demographic response to different age classes of mine land reclamation. For 71 nests monitored during the 2001–2002 breeding seasons, overall nest success (36%) was within the range of nest success rates previously reported for this species, but it was highest on more recently reclaimed sites (56%). Nest density and clutch size did not differ (P > 0.30) among reclamation age classes, whereas number of fledglings was greater (P = 0.01) on more recently reclaimed sites. We measured vegetation variables at 70 nest subplots and at 96 systematic subplots to compare nest vegetation with vegetation available on the plots. We found that nests occurred in areas with more bare ground near the nest, greater vegetation height–density surrounding the nest site, lower grass height, and fewer woody stems, similar to previous studies. As postreclamation age increased, vegetation height–density and maximum grass height increased, and sericea (Lespedeza cuneata) became more dominant. Nest success declined with increasing vegetation height–density at the nest. The grasslands available on these reclaimed mine complexes are of sufficient quality to support breeding populations of grasshopper sparrows, but nest success decreased on the older reclaimed areas. Without active management, grasslands on reclaimed MTMVF mines become less suitable for nesting grasshopper sparrows about 10 years after reclamation. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
... Some Midwestern CRP fields supported similar communities journal of soil and water conservation jan/feb 2010-vol. 65, no. 1 Table 6 Generalized linear models of the effects of field vegetation and landscape characteristics on density of singing males for the five most common species in Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program fields in south-central Pennsylvania, 2002 * p ≤ 0.05 ** p ≤ 0.01 *** p ≤ 0.001 Table 7 Presence of grassland birds was higher on cool-season (n = 77) than warm-season/mixed (n = 26) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program fields in south-central to those in south-central Pennsylvania with red-winged blackbirds being dominant, but grasshopper sparrows, dickcissels, and eastern meadowlarks were the next most common, and few had song sparrows, field sparrows, and indigo buntings as common species (McCoy et al. 2001;DeVault et al. 2002;Horn et al. 2002). Studies of grassland bird species have used a wide variety of methods to estimate bird density and rarely use detection probabilities, which confound comparisons of densities among studies (Diefenbach et al. 2003). ...
Since 2000, around 40,000 ha (99,000 ac) of conservation grasslands have been established in southern Pennsylvania through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). We tested whether CREP enrollment in 2000 to 2004 provided sufficient new habitat to elicit landscape-scale population responses among nine songbird species previously shown to nest in CREP fields. We used hierarchical spatial models to examine bird population trends in 90 landscapes (mean size 1,400 ha 13,460 ac]) with respect to rates of CREP enrollment. By 2004, an estimated 2.4% of farmland in our study region was enrolled in CREP with amounts within landscapes ranging from 0% to 17%. However, CREP fields were often small (mean = 3.9 ha [9.6 ac]), which may reduce their suitability for area-sensitive grassland obligates. Nonetheless, our predictive models suggest that by 2005, numbers of three species were significantly higher than they would have been if there was no CREP enrollment: field sparrow (Spizella pusilla; 19.4% higher), song sparrow (Melospiza melodia; 8.0% higher), and eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna; 31.6% higher). There were nonsignificant negative associations between CREP enrollment and trends of grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) and vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus ). Our study was conducted during the establishment phase of the program, and repeat surveys will be necessary to fully evaluate long-term responses. Detection of population-scale responses soon after program establishment: was encouraging, but the program does not appear to be benefitting all grassland songbirds.
... Reclaimed mine lands can be valuable to northern bobwhite conservation because they tend to be large (>1000 ha), contiguous, and under single-ownership (e.g. state wildlife agencies; DeVault et al. 2002). These factors are especially important in the eastern United States where more than 80% of the land base is privately owned (Heimlich 2003), and bobwhite habitat has been lost as a result of the intensification of agriculture and fragmentation of the landscape (Brennan 1991). ...
Northern bobwhite populations have declined range-wide over the past 40 years. The
intensification of agriculture, conversion of pastures to nonnative cool-season grasses, advanced
succession, and urbanization have resulted in the deterioration and elimination of bobwhite
habitat. Recent conservation efforts have called for a landscape-level approach to the
conservation of northern bobwhite populations. However, identifying large areas to manage
bobwhite populations is problematic. Reclaimed mine lands offer an opportunity to manage large
contiguous tracts of early successional vegetation to conserve northern bobwhite populations. We
studied northern bobwhite resource selection throughout the year from August 2009 to March
2014. We investigated the influence of disking, prescribed fire, and herbicide application on
bobwhite resource selection. Our study was conducted on Peabody Wildlife Management Area
(PWMA), which is a 3,300 ha reclaimed surface mine in Western Kentucky. We used the
discrete-choice analysis to compare resource selection on unmanaged and managed units of
PWMA. We used locations from 283 bobwhite during the breeding season (1 April – 30
September) and 136 coveys during the non-breeding season (1 October – 31 March). Resource
selection on PWMA was influenced most by availability of shrub cover, regardless of season.
Bobwhite were found closer to shrub cover than would be expected and selected areas with
greater amounts of shrub-open edge density. Similarly, bobwhite selected areas with vegetation
characteristics consistent with shrub cover on PWMA, including increased visual obstruction >1
m aboveground and an increased density of woody stems. Management aimed at reducing the
density of sericea lespedeza and increasing the openness at ground level positively influenced
resource selection. Bobwhite were found closer to disked areas than would be expected and
selected areas treated with herbicide to control sericea lespedeza. Bobwhite avoided burned areas
vi
during the breeding season but selected burned areas during the non-breeding season. Our results
suggest management should focus on increasing the interspersion of shrub cover on reclaimed
mine lands. Also, management focused on enhancing the composition and structure of the
vegetation (disking and herbicide) should continue. Reclaimed mine land can provide habitat for
northern bobwhite, and our results suggest habitat management can improve habitat quality for
bobwhite on these lands.
... Grassland obligates such as bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows, and eastern meadowlarks were less common. In contrast, grasshopper sparrows and dickcissels are the most common species in similar habitats further west (Johnson and Schwartz 1993;Best et al. 1997;Delisle and Savidge 1997;Klute et al. 1997 Table 6 Generalized linear models of the effects of field vegetation and landscape characteristics on density of singing males for the five most common species in Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program fields in south-central Pennsylvania, 2002 * p ≤ 0.05 ** p ≤ 0.01 *** p ≤ 0.001 Table 7 Presence of grassland birds was higher on cool-season (n = 77) than warm-season/mixed (n = 26) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program fields in south-central to those in south-central Pennsylvania with red-winged blackbirds being dominant, but grasshopper sparrows, dickcissels, and eastern meadowlarks were the next most common, and few had song sparrows, field sparrows, and indigo buntings as common species (McCoy et al. 2001;DeVault et al. 2002;Horn et al. 2002). Studies of grassland bird species have used a wide variety of methods to estimate bird density and rarely use detection probabilities, which confound comparisons of densities among studies (Diefenbach et al. 2003). ...
Almost 30,000 ha (74,100 ac) of grassland were created in south-central Pennsylvania through the USDA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) from 2000 to 2004.To assess the use of these fields by grassland and other birds and to develop region-specific management guidelines, we conducted transect counts of singing birds in 103 CREP fields during 2002 to 2004 and measured within-field vegetation and landscape characteristics.Thirty-two bird species were found on fields during the breeding season. Redwinged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were most numerous, followed by three shrub-scrub species. Grassland obligate species were rare and were most abundant on larger fields with a lower density of vegetation and a predominance of cool-season grasses. Abundances of shrub-scrub species were highest on smaller fields with a higher density of vegetation and a higher proportion of warm-season grasses. Avian use of CREP fields in Pennsylvania differs from Midwestern Conservation Reserve Program fields in a number of important ways. Shrub-scrub species were more common, which may be due to the small mean field size and the more forested landscape. In addition, grassland obligates were found in greater densi-ties on fields of cool-season grasses than in fields of warm-season or mixed grasses. Targeted enrollment and management of large fields or those adjoining other grasslands for grassland birds and small fields or those adjoining woodlands for shrub-scrub species may be the best approach to maximize the benefits of CREP for a range of bird species.
... This emphasis on grassland construction has expanded the available prairie habitat in the central and southern portions of the Midwest (Lannoo et al., 2009). The ability of vertebrates to colonize reclaimed mine spoil prairies is well known, and has been reported for birds (DeVault et al., 2002; Scott et al., 2002; Scott and Lima, 2004), small mammals (Hingtgen and Clark, 1984; Stone, 2007), amphibians (Myers and Klimstra, 1963; Timm and Meretsky, 2004; Anderson and Arruda, 2006; Kinney et al., 2010), and reptiles (Myers and Klimstra, 1963). Most studies on amphibian and reptile recolonizations have focused on documenting species presence, diversity, and abundance (Myers and Klimstra, 1963; Galán, 1997; Timm and Meretsky, 2004; Loughman, 2005; Carrozzino, 2009; Lannoo et al., 2009); fewer have reported on population sizes, reproductive potential, and malformation rates (but, see Galán, 1997; Loughman, 2005). ...
While habitat loss is a major driver of amphibian and reptile declines globally, a subset of post-industrial landscapes, reclaimed and restored, are creating habitat for these animals. In a previous work, we showed that amphibians and reptiles use reclaimed and restored grasslands. In the present work we quantify captures at drift-fence/pitfall trap arrays over two consecutive years and show that several species of amphibians are not only successfully reproducing but that juveniles are being recruited into the population. In particular, 15,844 amphibians and 334 reptiles representing 25 species (14 amphibians, 11 reptiles) were captured at drift fences in 2009 and 2010. Nine additional reptile species were found opportunistically while conducting other research activities at the study site. Out of a total of 8,064 metamorphosing juveniles we detected 126 malformations, a 1.6% rate. The major malformation types were limbs missing (amelia) or foreshortened (ectromely), eye discolorations, and digits foreshortened (ectrodactyly) or small (brachydactyly). Our data show that reclaimed, restored, and properly managed landscapes can support reproducing populations of amphibians and reptiles with low malformation rates, including species in decline across other portions of their range.
... Most conservation opportunities within developed nations must fit within confines of preexisting constraints, such as urbanization (this study), reclamation of coal mines (DeVault et al. 2002), or abandoned military bases (Jones andPreston 2000, Everette et al. 2001) which each have their own management problems and constraints. As such, some scientists advocate an alliance between environmental conservation and economic development (Rosenzweig 2003). ...
... Although several provide evidence of detrimental impacts to wildlife (e.g., loss of habitat, population decline, increased competition, etc.), others demonstrate examples of species that thrived in altered habitats. Furthermore, many cases have shown that reclamation of disturbed habitats can be successful in restoring native wildlife communities (Whitmore 1980, Hingtgen and Clark 1984, Bajema et al. 2001, DeVault et al. 2002, Fletcher and Koford 2002, Vetter 2004). ...
The potential effects of surface-discharged coal bed natural gas (CBNG) water on local wildlife populations are not yet fully understood, but the Powder River Basin Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), Biological Opinion (BO), and Biological Assessment (BA) acknowledge the potential for both benefits and negative impacts. A myriad of vertebrate species would likely benefit from the increased availability of aquatic habitats, particularly within this arid landscape. Wetland obligates such as fish, amphibians, turtles, muskrats, and mink would likely increase. Other benefits could include the increased availability of drinking water for big game, brood rearing habitat for waterfowl, and foraging habitat for shorebirds. The potential value however, is largely dependent on the type, quality, and temporal availability of these created and supplemented wetlands. One CBNG operator has initiated a study to investigate northern leopard frog use of wetlands on a development area in northern Campbell County, Wyoming. That ongoing project has included two years of spring and summer surveys for amphibians at seven to eight wetlands. Leopard frogs and several other species of amphibians were documented using both natural and CBNG-supplemented wetlands. Results to date have provided some insight regarding the site characteristics that are valuable for leopard frogs at different times of year. That information can influence impoundment design, construction practices, water management strategies, and final reclamation to benefit frogs and other wildlife.
... The dickcissel, a neotropical migrant of conservation concern (Hunter et al., 2001), is a grassland bird which has suffered a population decline during at least the last 30 years due to habitat loss, increased nest predation and parasitism (i.e., by brown-headed cowbirds), and control as a pest (i.e., lethally controlled as an agricultural pest on its wintering range in Central and South America (Basili and Temple, 1998;Temple, 2002)). Indeed, reclaimed surface-mined lands provide important breeding habitat for dickcissels in the United States (Cantle, 1978;DeVault et al., 2002;Scott et al., 2002), which emphasizes the importance of reclamation efforts. ...
Surface-mined land reclamation creates grass and shrub lands that provide important wildlife habitat, particularly for disturbance-dependent birds. Declines in disturbance-dependent birds have been observed for 30 years, emphasizing the importance of proper reclamation strategies. Understanding the influence of spatial factors on nesting ecology of avian populations can improve restoration strategies on reclaimed mines. We evaluated the influence of spatial factors on nest site selection, nest success, and nest parasitism of dickcissels (Spiza americana) on two sites reclaimed as wildlife habitat on the Big Brown Mine, Freestone County, Texas, in 2002–2003. We found 119 nests, 14 of which were parasitized by the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater). Dickcissels were more likely to select nest sites farther from riparian areas and closer to brush-encroached areas. Nest success was not clearly explained by one or few variables. Parasitism was more likely to occur near riparian areas and roads. For these reasons, we suggest the establishment of larger wildlife habitat blocks, which would provide more field-interior habitat for dickcissels and similar species.
Keys to Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) management include providing shrub-dominated edge habitat adjacent to grasslands or grasslands with a shrub component (both of which must include dense grass and moderately high litter cover) and avoiding disturbances that eliminate woody vegetation. Field Sparrows have been reported to use habitats with 16–134 centimeters (cm) vegetation height, 20–145 cm visual obstruction reading, 17–90 percent grass cover, 2–45 percent forb cover, less than 63 percent shrub cover, 3–7 percent bare ground, 14–30 percent litter cover, and 1–7 cm litter depth.
The Great Plains of North America is defined as the land mass that encompasses the entire central portion of the North American continent that, at the time of European settlement, was an unbroken expanse of primarily herbaceous vegetation. The Great Plains extend from central Saskatchewan and Alberta to central Mexico and from Indiana to the Rocky Mountains. The expanses of herbaceous vegetation are often referred to as native prairie or native grasslands. Native grasslands share the characteristics of a general uniformity in vegetation structure, dominance by grasses and forbs, a near absence of trees and shrubs, annual precipitation ranging from 25 to 100 centimeters, extreme intra-annual fluctuations in temperature and precipitation, and a flat to rolling topography over which fires can spread. To the west of the Great Plains lie the sagebrush communities of the Great Basin, which extend from British Columbia and Saskatchewan to northern Arizona and New Mexico and from the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges to western South Dakota. Sagebrush communities share similar characteristics to native grasslands, but their location east of the Rocky Mountains creates a more moderating influence from prevailing westerly winds that affect timing of peak precipitation and growth form of dominant vegetation. Native grasslands and sagebrush communities harbor a diverse array of grassland, wetland, and woodland plant and animal communities that are uniquely adapted to the natural forces of the Great Plains and Great Basin, namely the interactive forces of climate, fire, and grazing. The arrival of European settlers to North America brought profound change to native grassland and sagebrush communities, including the establishment of permanent towns and cities, the proliferation of cropland-based agricultural systems, and the suppression of wildfires. The near extirpation of bison by the 1860s paved the way for dramatic changes in the dominant grazers and a shift in the disturbance patterns that historically influenced vegetation structure. The greatest threat to native grasslands and sagebrush communities in modern times is their loss due to conversion to rowcrop agriculture and to urbanization. Concomitant with habitat loss is a precipitous decline in populations of bird species that evolved with, and are uniquely adapted to, the native grassland and sagebrush habitats. Avian population trends are linked strongly to agricultural land use. Besides outright loss of suitable breeding habitat, agricultural practices affect birds through factors such as pesticide exposure, habitat fragmentation, shifts in predator community composition, and occurrence of brood parasites. Bird populations face other stressors, such as loss of habitat to and behavioral avoidance of urbanized areas, roads, and infrastructure associated with energy production. Despite the many anthropogenic changes to North American grassland and sagebrush communities, some bird species are adaptable and opportunistic in their habitat selection and now utilize one or more human-created habitats. Human-created habitats include pastures, hayfields, agricultural terraces, crop buffer strips, field borders, grassed waterways, fencerows, road rights-of-way, airports, reclaimed coal mines, and planted wildlife cover. Fields of seeded grasslands enrolled in Federal long-term set-aside programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program in the United States and the Permanent Cover Program in Canada, provide important nesting habitat for grassland bird species. The array of habitats used by birds makes habitat and avian management a complex undertaking, and the scale (for example, local, regional, international) at which management actions can be implemented are such that a universal approach to managing grasslands for the conservation of the entire suite of bird species does not exist. Experienced land managers recognize that it is impossible to manage for all bird species simultaneously, and thus, prioritization is necessary towards those habitats or bird species that the manager or management agency ranks highest for a specific region or management unit. The primary tools available for management are burning, grazing, mowing, herbicide application, and idling, but before choosing a particular practice, a manager will want to consider issues of seasonality, intensity, and frequency. Despite the thousands of studies that are cited in this compendium, much remains unknown about the effects of management practices on bird species. The series of species accounts in this compendium review the current state of knowledge regarding management of grassland and sagebrush bird species and summarize information on the effects of management practices on individual species. The accounts do not give definitive statements on the effects of management practices for any particular species, primarily because there are very few replicated studies in which identical management practices have been applied in the same geographical area with consistent results, which are elements necessary to provide concrete recommendations for the management of a particular species in a particular area. Documentation of the effects of management treatments on individual species through statistically sound methods that incorporate multiple years and locations will further scientists’ and land managers’ knowledge far more than 1–2-year studies that are limited in scope as well as time, but studies of that scope and breadth are rare.
Coal mining is an anthropogenic stressor that has impacted terrestrial and semi-aquatic wildlife in the Appalachian Plateau since European settlement. Creation of grassland and early-successional habitats resulting from mining in a forested landscape has resulted in novel, non-analog habitat conditions. Depending on the taxa, the extent of mining on the landscape, and reclamation practices, effects have ranged across a gradient of negative to positive. Forest-obligate species such as woodland salamanders and forest-interior birds or those that depend on aquatic systems in their life cycle have been most impacted. Others, such as grassland and early-successional bird species have responded favorably. Some bat species, as an unintended consequence, use legacy deep mines as winter hibernacula in a region with limited karst geology. Recolonization of impacted wildlife often depends on life strategies and species’ vagility, but also on altered or arrested successional processes on the post-surface mine landscape. Many wildlife species will benefit from Forest Reclamation Approach practices going forward. In the future, managers will be faced with decisions about reforestation versus maintaining open habitats depending on the conservation need of species. Lastly, the post-mined landscape currently is the focal point for a regional effort to restore elk (Cervus canadensis) in the Appalachians.
Grassland birds have declined throughout North America. In the midwestern United States, reclaimed surface mines often provide expanses of contiguous grassland that support grassland birds. However, some reclaimed surface mines often experience severe woody vegetation encroachment, typically by invasive trees and shrubs, including black locust Robinia pseudoacacia, autumn olive Elaeagnus umbellate, and bush honeysuckle Lonicera spp. We conducted point-count surveys to investigate the effects of woody canopy cover and response to treatments of woody vegetation on the abundance of birds. Our treatments were a control, an herbicide application, and an herbicide application followed by cutting and shredding of standing dead woody vegetation. Estimated density of eastern meadowlark Sturnella magna, grasshopper sparrow Ammodramus savannarum, and Henslow's sparrow Centronyx henslowii was 670%, 958%, and 200%, respectively, greater on areas treated with herbicide and shredding and 279%, 666%, and 155%, respectively, greater on areas treated with herbicide-only when compared to control sites. When woody canopy cover increased from 0% to 20%, densities of eastern meadowlark, grasshopper sparrow, and Henslow's sparrow decreased by 83.9%, 74.9%, and 50.7%, respectively. Conversely, densities of eastern towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus, prairie warbler Setophaga discolor, yellow-breasted chat Icteria virens, and yellow warbler Setophaga petechia increased 67.4%, 57.0%, 34.6%, and 117.7%, respectively, as estimated woody canopy coverage increased from 20% to 60%. Our results showed treating encroaching woody vegetation on reclaimed surface mines with herbicide and shredding increases available habitat used by grassland birds. Maintaining grasslands on reclaimed surface mines at {less than or equal to}10% woody canopy coverage would be most beneficial to eastern meadowlarks, grasshopper sparrows, and Henslow's sparrows.
The Great Plains of North America is defined as the land mass that encompasses the entire central portion of the North American continent that, at the time of European settlement, was an unbroken expanse of primarily herbaceous vegetation. The Great Plains extend from central Saskatchewan and Alberta to central Mexico and from Indiana to the Rocky Mountains. The expanses of herbaceous vegetation are often referred to as native prairie or native grasslands. Native grasslands share the characteristics of a general uniformity in vegetation structure, dominance by grasses and forbs, a near absence of trees and shrubs, annual precipitation ranging from 25 to 100 centimeters, extreme intra-annual fluctuations in temperature and precipitation, and a flat to rolling topography over which fires can spread. To the west of the Great Plains lie the sagebrush communities of the Great Basin, which extend from British Columbia and Saskatchewan to northern Arizona and New Mexico and from the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges to western South Dakota. Sagebrush communities share similar characteristics to native grasslands, but their location east of the Rocky Mountains creates a more moderating influence from prevailing westerly winds that affect timing of peak precipitation and growth form of dominant vegetation. Native grasslands and sagebrush communities harbor a diverse array of grassland, wetland, and woodland plant and animal communities that are uniquely adapted to the natural forces of the Great Plains and Great Basin, namely the interactive forces of climate, fire, and grazing. The arrival of European settlers to North America brought profound change to native grassland and sagebrush communities, including the establishment of permanent towns and cities, the proliferation of cropland-based agricultural systems, and the suppression of wildfires. The near extirpation of bison by the 1860s paved the way for dramatic changes in the dominant grazers and a shift in the disturbance patterns that historically influenced vegetation structure. The greatest threat to native grasslands and sagebrush communities in modern times is their loss due to conversion to rowcrop agriculture and to urbanization. Concomitant with habitat loss is a precipitous decline in populations of bird species that evolved with, and are uniquely adapted to, the native grassland and sagebrush habitats. Avian population trends are linked strongly to agricultural land use. Besides outright loss of suitable breeding habitat, agricultural practices affect birds through factors such as pesticide exposure, habitat fragmentation, shifts in predator community composition, and occurrence of brood parasites. Bird populations face other stressors, such as loss of habitat to and behavioral avoidance of urbanized areas, roads, and infrastructure associated with energy production.
Despite the many anthropogenic changes to North American grassland and sagebrush communities, some bird species are adaptable and opportunistic in their habitat selection and now utilize one or more human-created habitats. Human-created habitats include pastures, hayfields, agricultural terraces, crop buffer strips, field borders, grassed waterways, fencerows, road rights-of-way, airports, reclaimed coal mines, and planted wildlife cover. Fields of seeded grasslands enrolled in Federal long-term set-aside programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program in the United States and the Permanent Cover Program in Canada, provide important nesting habitat for grassland bird species. The array of habitats used by birds makes habitat and avian management a complex undertaking, and the scale (for example, local, regional, international) at which management actions can be implemented are such that a universal approach to managing grasslands for the conservation of the entire suite of bird species does not exist. Experienced land managers recognize that it is impossible to manage for all bird species simultaneously, and thus, prioritization is necessary towards those habitats or bird species that the manager or management agency ranks highest for a specific region or management unit. The primary tools available for management are burning, grazing, mowing, herbicide application, and idling, but before choosing a particular practice, a manager will want to consider issues of seasonality, intensity, and frequency.
Despite the thousands of studies that are cited in this compendium, much remains unknown about the effects of management practices on bird species. The series of species accounts in this compendium review the current state of knowledge regarding management of grassland and sagebrush bird species and summarize information on the effects of management practices on individual species. The accounts do not give definitive statements on the effects of management practices for any particular species, primarily because there are very few replicated studies in which identical management practices have been applied in the same geographical area with consistent results, which are elements necessary to provide concrete recommendations for the management of a particular species in a particular area. Documentation of the effects of management treatments on individual species through statistically sound methods that incorporate multiple years and locations will further scientists’ and land managers’ knowledge far more than 1–2-year studies that are limited in scope as well as time, but studies of that scope and breadth are rare.
Recent studies on reclaimed surface mines showthat the encroachment of woody vegetation may have an adverse effect on breeding grassland birds. During the 2008-2011 breeding seasons, nests of ground- and shrub-nesting birds were monitored on The Wilds, a reclaimed surface mine in east-central Ohio. The study's objectives were to compare findings with those from a similar study on this site a decade earlier and to compare the nesting success of ground-versus above-ground and shrub-nesting species. The study found 291 nests from 18 bird species. Ground-nesting species had notably higher overall annual as well as Mayfield nest success rates (60% and 55% respectively) compared to the above-ground and shrub-nesting species (42% and 32% respectively). Grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), eastern meadowlarks (Stumella magna) and bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) had the greatest reproductive success rates (both annual and Mayfield), which were comparable to those reported by Ingold in 2002 for these species. Predation rates were higher in the above-ground and shrub-nesting (44%) versus the ground and near-ground nesting species (27%). Six shrub-nesting species were not found on this site a decade ago. Although these results suggest that this site continues to provide suitable nesting habitat for obligate grassland species, the increasing encroachment of autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellate) may be attracting more shrub-nesting bird species as well as mammalian predators which should be a focus in future research.
In Habitats and Ecological Communities of Indiana, leading experts assess the health and diversity of Indiana's eight wildlife habitats, providing detailed analysis, data-generated maps, color photographs, and complete lists of flora and fauna. This groundbreaking reference details the state's forests, grasslands, wetlands, aquatic systems, barren lands, and subterranean systems, and describes the nature and impact of two man-made habitats-agricultural and developed lands. The book considers extirpated and endangered species alongside invasives and exotics, and evaluates floral and faunal distribution at century intervals to chart ecological change. © 2012 by Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Indiana State University. All rights reserved.
Studies of population dynamics of grassland birds have often followed the source–sink paradigm of Pulliam (1988). We present examples of demographic, dispersal, and modeling studies done with bird species found in anthropogenic grasslands of the midwestern USA. Although we believe that we have gained valuable insights into the factors that affect bird populations found in restored grasslands, hayfields and pastures, some of the demographic and dispersal processes assumed in Pulliam (1988) are difficult to measure with grassland birds. More importantly, the population dynamics of many migratory birds do not follow the structure of individual-based models used in the study of source–sink dynamics as pioneered by Pulliam (1988). We suggest measures of population stability such as territory occupancy, age distribution of successful dispersers, production of offspring, and dispersal may be useful as an alternative for assessing the health of grassland breeding bird populations.
Many species of birds that depend on grassland or savanna habitats have shown substantial overall population declines in North America. To understand the causes of these declines, we examined the habitat requirements of birds in six types of grassland in different regions of the continent. Open habitats were originally maintained by ecological drivers (continual and pervasive ecological processes) such as drought, grazing, and fire in tallgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, shortgrass prairie, desert grassland, and longleaf pine savanna. By contrast, grasslands were created by occasional disturbances (e.g., fires or beaver [Castor canadensis] activity) in much of northeastern North America. The relative importance of particular drivers or disturbances differed among regions. Keystone mammal species-grazers such as prairie-dogs (Cynomys spp.) and bison (Bison bison) in western prairies, and dam-building beavers in eastern deciduous forests-played a crucial, and frequently unappreciated, role in maintaining many grassland systems. Although fire was important in preventing invasion of woody plants in the tallgrass and moist mixed prairies, grazing played a more important role in maintaining the typical grassland vegetation of shortgrass prairies and desert grasslands. Heavy grazing by prairie-dogs or bison created a low "grazing lawn" that is the preferred habitat for many grassland bird species that are restricted to the shortgrass prairie and desert grasslands. Ultimately, many species of grassland birds are vulnerable because people destroyed their breeding, migratory, and wintering habitat, either directly by converting it to farmland and building lots, or indirectly by modifying grazing patterns, suppressing fires, or interfering with other ecological processes that originally sustained open grassland. Understanding the ecological processes that originally maintained grassland systems is critically important for efforts to improve, restore, or create habitat for grassland birds and other grassland organisms. Consequently, preservation of large areas of natural or seminatural grassland, where these processes can be studied and core populations of grassland birds can flourish, should be a high priority. However, some grassland birds now primarily depend on artificial habitats that are managed to maximize production of livestock, timber, or other products. With a sound understanding of the habitat requirements of grassland birds and the processes that originally shaped their habitats, it should be possible to manage populations sustainably on "working land" such as cattle ranches, farms, and pine plantations. Proper management of private land will be critical for preserving adequate breeding, migratory, and winter habitat for grassland and savanna species.
We compared habitat features of Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) territories in the presence and absence of the Blue-winged Warbler (V. cyanoptera) on reclaimed coal mines in southeastern Kentucky, USA. Our objective was to determine whether there are species specific differences in habitat that can be manipulated to encourage population persistence of the Golden-winged Warbler. When compared with Blue-winged Warblers, Golden-winged Warblers established territories at higher elevations and with greater percentages of grass and canopy cover. Mean territory size (minimum convex polygon) was 1.3 ha (se = 0.1) for Golden-winged Warbler in absence of Blue-winged Warbler, 1.7 ha (se = 0.3) for Golden-winged Warbler coexisting with Blue-winged Warbler, and 2.1 ha (se = 0.3) for Bluewinged Warbler. Territory overlap occurred within and between species (18 of n = 73 territories, 24.7%). All Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers established territories that included an edge between reclaimed mine land and mature forest, as opposed to establishing territories in open grassland/shrubland habitat. The mean distance territories extended from a forest edge was 28.0 m (se = 3.8) for Golden-winged Warbler in absence of Blue-winged Warbler, 44.7 m (se = 5.7) for Golden-winged Warbler coexisting with Blue-winged Warbler, and 33.1 m (se = 6.1) for Blue-winged Warbler. Neither territory size nor distances to forest edges differed significantly between Golden-winged Warbler in presence or absence of Bluewinged Warbler. According to Monte Carlo analyses, orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) seedlings and saplings, and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) saplings were indicative of sites with only Golden-winged Warblers. Sericea lespedeza, goldenrod (Solidago spp.), clematis vine (Clematis spp.), and blackberry (Rubus spp.) were indicative of sites where both species occurred. Our findings complement recent genetic studies and add another factor for examining Goldenwinged Warbler population decline. Further, information from our study will aid land managers in manipulating habitat for the Golden-winged Warbler.
We examined the influence of woody vegetation on reclaimed surface mines on relative abundance of Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), Henslow's Sparrows (A. henslowii), Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis), Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), and Dickcissels (Spiza americana) as well as nest-site selection and nesting success of Grasshopper and Henslow's sparrows and Eastern Meadowlarks. Grasshopper and Henslow's sparrows were the most abundant grassland species on reclaimed mines. Numbers of Grasshopper, Henslow's, and Savannah sparrows, and Bobolinks were negatively associated with percent cover of woody vegetation within 100 m of survey locations. Only Grasshopper Sparrows responded to woody vegetation at nestpatch scales, as random locations had > 2.5 times as much woody cover as nest locations. Daily nest survival (DNS) was negatively associated with amount of woody vegetation within 100 m of Grasshopper (DNS 0.76 ± 0.001 SE) and Henslow's sparrow nests (DNS 0.94 ± 0.020 SE), but only marginally negatively related to daily nest survival of Eastern Meadowlark nests (DNS 0.87 ± 0.006 SE). Avoidance of woody vegetation by grassland birds and the comparatively lower daily nest survival of Grasshopper and Henslow's sparrow nests near woody vegetation suggests managers of reclaimed surface mines who manage to conserve grassland birds should direct efforts towards reducing woody encroachment.
Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii) are reported to have irregular patterns of return to breeding areas. I present data supporting these reports at rangewide extents, while testing potential biases inherent in the North American Breeding Bird Survey data. Two measures of population variability were used to show that Henslow's Sparrows are less likely to use breeding areas predictably and consistently, but have similar variance in numbers at occupied sites relative to other sympatric grassland sparrow species. I illustrate how restricting analyses to single-observer-collected Breeding Bird Survey data results in subtle but significant effects not detected in data aggregated from multiple observers through the study period. The most conservative analysis (single-observer, restricted distribution) showed that Henslow's Sparrows exhibited lower prevalence of occurrence than Grasshopper (Ammodramus savannarum) (P < 0.001) and Savannah (Passerculus sandwichensis) (P < 0.001) sparrows but no difference in variation of abundance (P > 0.05). These results suggest Henslow's Sparrows are not returning to previously used breeding habitat from year-to-year. Grassland management should consider the behavior documented in this study and attempt to incorporate this facet of Henslow's Sparrow biology into decisions that involve broad-scale landscape design.
Reclamation of surface coal mines in the midwestern United States has produced large grasslands, which support both obligate and facultative grassland birds. We sought to characterize vegetation and determine whether birds breeding in these habitats responded to vegetation as they do in other kinds of grasslands. We measured vegetation characteristics on 9 Indiana mine grasslands and related those measures to abundance or occurrence of 6 common bird species. Eurasian grasses such as tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and smooth brome (Bromus inermis), prominent in seed mixtures planted decades earlier, comprised 64% of canopy cover. Forb cover averaged 27%, with as much cover by native invaders such as goldenrod (Solidago spp.) as by legumes planted during reclamation. Despite a superficial appearance of homogeneity, mine grassland vegetation varied sufficiently to affect local abundances of birds. Abundances of 3 ubiquitous species varied and were correlated with at least 1 characteristic; red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were negatively associated with percent cover by litter and by grass, whereas eastern meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) and grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) were negatively associated with vegetation density. No variables were associated with occurrence of dickcissels (Spiza americana) or common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas), although yellowthroat abundance at the occupied sites appeared to increase with greater vegetation density. Occurrence of Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) was positively associated with 5 variables, including percent cover by litter and grass. Blackbirds, dickcissels, and yellowthroats did not differ in abundance between grass- and forb-dominated sites, whereas Henslow's and grasshopper sparrows and meadowlarks were more common on the former. Thus, obligate grassland birds benefited from the present dominance of non-native grasses over forbs on reclaimed mines. Despite a lack of native vegetation and their artificial nature, mine grasslands supported a typical array of midwestern grassland bird species that differ in specific vegetation preferences, showing patterns similar to those observed in natural and agricultural grasslands.
Our daytime walking surveys at Buena Vista Grassland, 1997–2008 and driving surveys during the day, evening, and night showed great variation in Short-eared Owl detection (1451 contacts) among daily time periods, seasons, and years. Snowy Owl de-tection (55 contacts) showed less variation among daily time periods but also had great variation among seasons and years. Snowy and Short-eared Owls overlapped only a little in occurrence, with Short-eared Owls less abundant and Snowy Owls more abundant in winters with higher percent-ages of snow cover. Short-eared Owls were most detectable in spring and usually by crepuscular timing (twilight), but were more detectable by nocturnal driving in summer and fall (when fledged young come to roads) than spring. Efficient methods for monitoring Short-eared Owls varied among seasons, but 1) driving surveys in the last hour before civil twilight were always relatively effective; 2) driving surveys after dark in summer and fall generated relatively high detection rates on dirt/gravel roads; 3) in spring when owls were active earlier before dark, very high detection rates could occur on driving surveys one to several hours before civil twilight; and, 4) walking surveys were never efficient but these otherwise valuable multi-species grass-land bird surveys generated a small number of supplementary Short-eared Owl observations at all seasons.
Our daytime walking surveys at Buena Vista Grassland, 1997–2008 and driving surveys during the day, evening, and night showed great variation in Short-eared Owl detection (1451 contacts) among daily time periods, seasons, and years. Snowy Owl de-tection (55 contacts) showed less variation among daily time periods but also had great variation among seasons and years. Snowy and Short-eared Owls overlapped only a little in occurrence, with Short-eared Owls less abundant and Snowy Owls more abundant in winters with higher percent-ages of snow cover. Short-eared Owls were most detectable in spring and usually by crepuscular timing (twilight), but were more detectable by nocturnal driving in summer and fall (when fledged young come to roads) than spring. Efficient methods for monitoring Short-eared Owls varied among seasons, but 1) driving surveys in the last hour before civil twilight were always rela-tively effective; 2) driving surveys after dark in summer and fall generated rela-tively high detection rates on dirt/gravel roads; 3) in spring when owls were active earlier before dark, very high detection rates could occur on driving surveys one to sev-eral hours before civil twilight; and, 4) walking surveys were never efficient but these otherwise valuable multi-species grass-land bird surveys generated a small number of supplementary Short-eared Owl observations at all seasons.
Amphibians are sensitive to changes in the environment and are, therefore, excellent indicators of success in restoring degraded habitats. As such, a clear understanding on how amphibian populations respond to changes in the environment is required. In order for conservationists to establish if the declining trends are changing, biodiversity recovery studies are essential especially in reclaimed habitats. This study focused on the recovery of amphibians, particularly on frogs, in reclaimed quarries of the Bamburi Cement Plant near Mombasa whereby the diversity, species abundances and composition at different stages of quarry re-establishment were assessed.
The study area was divided into three zones based on the 13-year interval since the beginning of the rehabilitation process. Transect surveys and time-constrained search and size method were used for sampling 20 randomly selected sites. Sampling was done during the rainy and the dry seasons, with searches conducted between 900 and 1,600 hours during the day and between 1,800 to 2,100 hours at night. Recording of basic morphological data of collected specimens was done in the field to aid in grouping specimens before voucher materials were preserved in 10% formalin and stored in 70% alcohol. Further identifications and confirmations matching specimens to species were carried out using specialized classification keys from the National Museum of Kenya.
Twelve species were encountered across the three zones, with Ptychadena anchietae and Phrynobatrachus acridoides, respectively, the most abundant. It was also noted that amphibian diversity across the quarries was independent of the age of ecological reestablishment (r = -0.5). This is indicated by the higher amphibian diversity in the south and north quarries (N = 1050 and 506 respectively) despite their relatively younger age since reestablishment compared to the central quarry (N = 438). Lower diversity in the central quarry, although the oldest, may be largely attributed to human disturbance. Additionally, exotic plantations across the study area are poor in species since they are monocultures and, thus, not heterogeneous enough to support higher anuran diversity. Since amphibians act as one of the best measure of environmental health, rehabilitation process in the quarries need to embrace mechanisms that support maximum biodiversity recovery such as replanting of more indigenous tree species as opposed to only exotic monocultures.
The largest grasslands in Indiana and Illinois are on reclaimed surface coal mines, which are numerous in the Illinois Coal Basin. The reclamation goal of establishing a vegetation cover with inexpensive, hardy exotic grass species (e.g., tall fescue, smooth brome) inadvertently created persistent, large grassland bird refuges. We review research documenting the importance of these sites for native prairie birds. On mines, grassland specialist birds (restricted to grassland throughout their range) prefer sites dominated by exotic grasses to those rich in forbs, whereas nonspecialist bird species show no significant preference. Midwestern mine grasslands potentially could be converted into landscapes that include native warm-season grasses and forbs adapted to the relatively dry, poor soil conditions, in addition to the present successful exotic grass stands. A key question is whether native mixtures will resist conversion to forb-rich or woody growth over the long term, as the exotic grasses have done. Nomenclature: Smooth brome, Bromus inermis Leyss.; tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreb. Additional index words: Avian conservation, grassland birds, mine grasslands.
Many species of birds that depend on grassland or savanna habitats have shown substantial overall population declines in North America. To understand the causes of these declines, we examined the habitat requirements of birds in six types of grassland in different regions of the continent. Open habitats were originally maintained by ecological drivers (continual and pervasive ecological processes) such as drought, grazing, and fire in tallgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, shortgrass prairie, desert grassland, and longleaf pine savanna. By contrast, grasslands were created by occasional disturbances (e.g., fires or beaver [Castor canadensis] activity) in much of northeastern North America. The relative importance of particular drivers or disturbances differed among regions. Keystone mammal species-grazers such as prairie-dogs (Cynomys spp.) and bison (Bison bison) in western prairies, and dam-building beavers in eastern deciduous forests-played a crucial, and frequently unappreciated, role in maintaining many grassland systems. Although fire was important in preventing invasion of woody plants in the tallgrass and moist mixed prairies, grazing played a more important role in maintaining the typical grassland vegetation of shortgrass prairies and desert grasslands. Heavy grazing by prairie- dogs or bison created a low “grazing lawn” that is the preferred habitat for many grassland bird species that are restricted to the shortgrass prairie and desert grasslands. Ultimately, many species of grassland birds are vulnerable because people destroyed their breeding, migratory, and wintering habitat, either directly by converting it to farmland and building lots, or indirectly by modifying grazing patterns, suppressing fires, or interfering with other ecological processes that originally sustained open grassland. Understanding the ecological processes that originally maintained grassland systems is critically important for efforts to improve, restore, or create habitat for grassland birds and other grassland organisms. Consequently, preservation of large areas of natural or seminatural grassland, where these processes can be studied and core populations of grassland birds can flourish, should be a high priority. However, some grassland birds now primarily depend on artificial habitats that are managed to maximize production of livestock, timber, or other products. With a sound understanding of the habitat requirements of grassland birds and the processes that originally shaped their habitats, it should be possible to manage populations sustainably on “working land” such as cattle ranches, farms, and pine plantations. Proper management of private land will be critical for preserving adequate breeding, migratory, and winter habitat for grassland and savanna species.
We monitored return rates of 114 breeding Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii) on mowed and unmowed areas on a reclaimed surface mine during seven breeding seasons. We observed 15 returns (13%) among 10 individuals (9%), all on unmowed areas. No individuals banded on mowed areas were observed in subsequent years on the same areas. Return rates increased slightly when hatching year birds were excluded. No individuals banded during their hatching year were subsequently seen again. Three of 10 returning individuals were observed during multiple years. These observations support previous findings that reclaimed surface mines provide adequate nesting habitat for Henslow's Sparrows. Early-season mowing as a management strategy should be used with care.
Reclaimed surface coal mines in southwestern Indiana support many grassland and shrub/ savanna bird species of conservation concern. We examined the nesting success of birds on these reclaimed mines to assess whether such “unnatural” places represent productive breeding habitats for such species. We established eight study sites on two large, grassland-dominated mines in southwestern Indiana and classified them into three categories (open grassland, shrub/savanna, and a mixture of grassland and shrub/savanna) based on broad vegetation and landscape characteristics. During the 1999 and 2000 breeding seasons, we found and monitored 911 nests of 31 species. Daily nest survival for the most commonly monitored grassland species ranged from 0.903 (Dickcissel, Spiza americana) to 0.961 (Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum). Daily survival estimates for the dominant shrub/savanna nesting species ranged from 0.932 (Brown Thrasher, Toxostoma rufum) to 0.982 (Willow Flycatcher, Empidonax traillii). Vegetation and landscape effects on nesting success were minimal, and only Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) showed a clear time-of-season effect, with greater nesting success in the first half of the breeding season. Rates of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism were only 2.1% for grassland species and 12.0% for shrub/savanna species. The nesting success of birds on reclaimed mine sites was comparable to that in other habitats, indicating that reclaimed habitats on surface mines do not necessarily represent reproductive traps for birds.
System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. Mode of access: Available through the Internet. Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 121 p. : ill., maps (some col.). Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2003. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.
Surface mining often changes the native landscape and vegetation of an area. Reclamation is used to counter this change, with the goal of restoring the land to its original pre-mined state. The process of reclamation creates early successional-stage lands, such as grasslands, shrublands, and wetlands, attracting new plant and animal species to the area. I compared avian species density (number of individuals/ha), diversity (H'), and richness (number of species/ha) on reclaimed and non-mined lands at TXU's Big Brown Mine in Fairfield, Texas. I also compared my results to those of a previous study conducted 25 years earlier. Avian counts were conducted using a fixedradius point-count method on 240 points placed in four different vegetation types and in four land-age groups (time since being reclaimed). Vegetation was measured both locally, and at a landscape level. Overall bird species density did not exhibit a clear relationship on non-mined versus reclaimed land. Overall bird species diversity was greater on non-mined lands, whereas overall species richness was greater on reclaimed lands. My results demonstrated a lower mean/point bird density and higher mean/point bird diversity than were found 25 years earlier. Different nesting guilds occurred on the reclaimed lands than occurred on the non-mined lands. Results suggested different species were attracted to the several successional stages of reclaimed lands over the nonmined lands, which consisted of climax vegetation. The different successional stages of reclaimed lands increased overall diversity and richness of the landscape as a whole. Five bird species of conservation concern were observed in the study, all of which occurred on reclaimed land. Four of the five species primarily occurred on reclaimed lands. Future land management should include conserving different successional-stage lands to increase overall biotic diversity and richness of mined land, preserving reclaimed habitat for species of concern, and educating future private landowners on the importance of maintaining vegetative and bird species diversity.
The influence of area and vegetation structure on breeding bird communities associated with 24 Illinois grassland fragments (0.5-600 ha) was studied between 1987 and 1989 to document the effects of habitat fragmentation in a severely fragmented midwestern landscape. Fragment area strongly influenced bird communities within grasslands and accounted for a high percentage of the variation in mean breeding bird species richness among fragments (R^2 = 0.84). Breeding bird species richness patterns within 4.5-ha subsections of these grasslands also significantly increased with fragment size. Eight of the 15 (53%) most common bird species had distributions among fragments that were significantly influenced by habitat area, whereas six species (40%) had distributions within fragments that were significantly influenced by vegetation structure only. The Dickcissel (Spiza americana) was the only species with a distribution within fragments that was not significantly associated with either habitat area or vegetation structure. Four groups of birds were identified by an analysis of habitat area and vegetation structure preferences of individual species: area-sensitive species (5 species), edge species (3), vegetation-restricted species (6), and the Dickcissel. Estimates of minimal area requirements for the five area-sensitive species ranged from 5 to 55 ha. Discriminant analyses of habitat suitability within fragments suggests that the absence of area-sensitive grassland bird species form some small fragments may result, in part, from limited habitat availability. All five area-sensitive species, however, also regularly avoided structurally suitable habitat on small grassland fragments. As a result of the considerable extent to which native and, more recently, agricultural grasslands have declined in the Midwest, habitat fragmentation is likely to have caused midwestern grassland bird declines, especially for area-sensitive species.
Declines of Midwestern grassland birds and habitats point to the need for heightened conservation attention for grassland habitats and their associated breeding bird species. We review the conservation and management of migratory birds in Midwestern grasslands to develop management recommenda- tions for the conservation of breeding birds in these landscapes. We used a priority ranking system to identify species of greatest management concern in the region. The Henslow's sparrow was identified as the species of highest manage- ment concern. Highly ranked bird species were associated with a variety of grassland habitats and habitat structures, including dry prairies, pastures, old fields, hayfields, wet prairies, sedge meadows and grasslands with Interspersed shrubs. The diverse habitat associations of bird species with high regional man- agement concern suggests that the problems facing Midwestern grassland birds are widespread and involved a wide variety of the region's grassland habitats. One common feature among many of the highly ranked grassland bird species was a sensitivity to habitat fragmentation, suggesting that this may be a general problem facing grassland birds in the region. Declines in Midwestern grassland bird numbers were significantly correlated with declines in the regional acreage of pastures and hay fields. Other major land- scape scale phenomenon likely impacting grassland birds in the region Include habitat fragmentation and ill-timed cutting of hay fields. At a local scale, grass- land birds have a variable response to management with some species being most common on grasslands recently disturbed with prescribed burning or grazing while others are most common in undisturbed areas. Grassland bird nest suc- cess can also be significantly influenced by grassland management, with nest success tending to be highest in the 2-3 years following prescribed fire. As a result of the of the variable response of grassland birds to prescribed fire, a mid- length (3-5 year) rotational burn program appears to be optimum under most circumstances. In grazed systems, a rotational system is also most desirable with a majority of areas being light to moderately grazed. There is evidence that declines in the availability of grassland habitat in the region may be significantly influencing regional grassland bird declines. There is also some evidence that grassland bird nest success in many areas ts below levels believed necessary for population maintenance. Limited winter habitat and/or winter resources have also been implicated in the declines of some grassland bird species. Efforts to identify which factors are most important in limiting grassland bird populations are hampered by limited data on many aspects of their ecology. More data on grassland bird demographics are needed In order to identify and differentiate habitats that are sources from those that are sinks, and a greater understanding of the winter ecology for most grassland bird species ls also needed.
Present methods of surface coal-mine reclamation in the Midwest produce large grasslands, some of which exceed 2,000 ha in extent. Total “mine grassland” production in southwestern Indiana alone is well in excess of 70 square miles (180 km2). Our work in 19 reclaimed coal mines in southwestern Indiana indicates that mine grasslands harbor many Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii). We base that conclusion on point-count and line-transect surveys that yielded between 200–300 singing male Henslow's Sparrows during the 1997 and 1998 breeding seasons. Those survey results imply an uncorrected population density of 0.10 males per hectare, and a corrected density of 0.16 males per hectare (correcting for undetected males). Extrapolating this corrected density to total habitat coverage suggests an overall population of a few thousand Henslow's Sparrows in the mine grasslands of southwestern Indiana. Small-scale vegetational surveys suggest that much of the within-mine variation in Henslow's Sparrow abundance reflects local vegetative structure, with males preferring sites typically associated with that species of bird: tall, dense grass-dominated vegetation with a substantial litter layer. Management for this kind of vegetative structure could greatly increase the number of Henslow's Sparrows inhabiting reclaimed mines. Midwestern mine grasslands could play a significant role in stabilizing the populations of Henslow's Sparrows and other grassland birds.
The Breeding Bird Survey, sponsored by the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service, primarily aims to estimate population trends of nesting birds of North America. This survey provides information, both locally by ecological or administrative regions and on a continental scale, on 1) short-term population changes that can be correlated with specific weather events, 2) recovery periods following catastrophic declines, 3) normal year-to-year variations, 4) long-term population trends, and 5) invasions of exotics. The survey also permits computer mapping of relative abundance of each species. Population trends for 230 species are here discussed and graphed. -from Authors
There is growing evidence that many species of birds have declined throughout the eastern United States during the past 40 years. In many cases this decline involves groups of species that share the same habitat and have similar ecological requirements, indicating that there may be a few general underlying causes for these population changes rather than a unique explanation for each species. I examined the evidence for population declines in three important ecological groups: forest migrants, grassland species, and shrubland species. These three groups of relatively specialized birds include a large proportion of the songbird species in eastern North America.
Examines the reproductive success of grasshopper sparrows Ammodramus savannarum, savannah sparrows Passerculus sandwichensis, vesper sparrows Pooecetes gramineus and field sparrows Spizella pusilla. Only vesper sparrows showed significant annual differences in clutch size. Predation was the major cause of egg and nestling losses. The study site, surrounded by woodlots and pastureland, concentrated predators. Northern black racers Coluber constrictor constrictor and common crows Corvus brachyrhynchos were the major predators. Variable nesting success reflects differential predation pressure. Adults are not replacing themselves and immigration is necessary to maintain a stable population. Environmental cues are sufficient to elicit a settling response, but, due to predation, reproductive success is low. Although surface mining is providing new nesting habitat, inadequate reproductive success suggests that these man-made grasslands may not be of benefit to the sparrow populations. -from Authors
We documented the occurrence of 12 bird species within Prairie Ridge State Natural Area, Jasper County, Illinois; a matrix of nine grassland tracts (range 7-120 ha, totaling 489 ha), from 1994 to 1997 and analyzed the presence of these species relative to the area of the nine grassland tracts. Grassland tract area was correlated with the occurrence of greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) (P = 0.016), upland sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda) (P = 0.012), savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) (P = 0.009) and Henslow's sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii) (P = 0.005). Minimum area requirements varied from 12 ha for grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), 55 ha for northern harriers (Circus cyaneus), 65 ha for greater prairie-chickens and upland sandpipers, to 75 ha for Henlsow's and savannah sparrows. Therefore, grasslands larger than 60 ha may be required to attract nine breeding grassland bird species. Each grassland tract was divided into 2- to 6-ha management units (mode = 2.8 ha). Our results suggest the area of grassland tracts influences the perception of habitat suitability by area-sensitive species more than size or configuration of management units within tracts.
Woody plants and evidence of browsing were measured on eight reclaimed strip mines in Maryland and West Virginia to see whether revegetation patterns differed adjacent to concave, straight, and convex forest boundaries. Two clonal species predominated (Rubus allegheniensis and Robinia pseudoacacia), followed in abundance by three wind-dispersed species (Fraxinus americana, Acer rubrum, Betula lenta), and a variety of animal-dispersed species. Mine transects adjacent to concave forest boundaries had 2.5 times as many colonizing stems as those next to convex boundaries. Stems of colonizing species extended >61 m from concave boundaries, but rarely > 13 m from convex boundaries. Stem density of all the common animal-dispersed species was correlated with their abundance in the adjacent forest edge, whereas no relationship existed for Robinia or the wind-dispersed species. Evidence of browsing was greater adjacent to concave boundaries than opposite convex boundaries. These strikingly different colonization patterns appear to be primarily the result of the immigration process interacting directly with shape as a spatial characteristic. Through time, a @'concave-convex reversal@' in boundary form is evident. This results from a @'cove concentration effect@' where the greatest boundary expansion rate is in coves being colonized. Almost all patterns next to straight boundaries were intermediate between those opposite concave and convex boundaries. We conclude that boundary form may exert a powerful control over adjacent ecosystems in a landscape. This presents significant opportunities for planning and managing surface mines and other colonizing areas.
During the past 50 yr surface-mine reclamation has created artificial grasslands in the midwestern US. The historical evolution and composition of these grasslands suggest that reclamation has been guided by two objectives: minimizing economic cost of reclamation, and mitigating physical and aesthetic effects of mining. The result has been widespread planting of simple, homogeneous grassland communities that seem to have limited agricultural and conservation value and may be ecologically unstable. -Author
Rates of nest predation for 5 species were lower for nests on large (≥130 ha) fragments, in areas far (≥45 m) from a wooded edge, and in vegetation that was recently burned (≤3 yr). Rates of brood parasitism were lower far from a wooded edge. -from Authors
We compared the abundance and nesting success of avian species in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields during the summer with that in rowcrop fields over 5 years (1991-1995) for 6 midwestern states (Ind., la., Kans., Mich., Mo., and Nebr.). Field techniques were standardized in all states. CRP fields consisted of either perennial introduced grasses and legumes (CP1) or perennial native grasses (CP2), and the plant species seeded in CRP fields differed within and among the states. Disturbances to CRP fields included mowing (partial or complete), application of herbicides, and burning. The height, vertical density, and canopy coverage of vegetation in CRP fields were measured in each state; values for these measurements were particularly low in Kansas. Mean annual total bird abundance in CRP fields ranged from 4.9 to 29.3 birds/km of transect. The most abundant species on CRP fields differed among states but included red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), and dickcissels (Spiza americana). Although the total number of bird species was similar in CRP and rowcrop fields across the region, bird abundance was 1.4-10.5 times greater in the former. Nests of 33 bird species were found in CRP fields compared with only 10 species in rowcrop fields, and the number of nests found was 13.5 times greater in CRP fields. Nest success in CRP fields was 40% overall; predation was the greatest cause of nest failure. Long-term farm set-aside programs that establish perennial grass cover, such as the CRP, seem to provide many benefits for grassland birds, including several species for which conservation is a great concern.
—Several studies have reported,that some,grassland birds are area sensitive; they exhibit a nonrandom avoidance of small fields. The methods used to test for area sensitivity, however, differed among studies. Some investigators sampled fields with sampling effort pro- portional to field size, whereas others used equal sampling effort in all fields. We created a simulation model,with the same,number,of fields and field sizes as those examined,in earlier studies to determine,if birds that select habitat randomly,would,display area sensitivity if fields were sampled,in proportion,to their size. The three species that we modeled,to settle randomly, upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), Henslow’s sparrow (Ammodramus hen- slowii, had positive relationships between oc- currence and field size when a complete census or proportional sampling was used, and therefore, would have been considered area sensitive by the methods used by some previous authors. When equal-effort sampling was used, these species showed no relationship between occurrence,and,field size. Future studies on area sensitivity that use proportional,sampling should compare results to a null model. Otherwise, conclusions made about area sensitivity may,be erroneous,because,the response,is a sampling,artifact.
Populations of many common grassland birds in the midwestern United States have been declining in recent decades. These declines have been particularly pronounced in Illinois, where the prairie has been severely fragmented and disturbed by farming. This article describes transitions in agricultural land use in Illinois since the early 1800s, their effects on grassland habitat, and responses by avifauna. Furthermore, factors affecting nesting by birds are considered from a landscape perspective for a study area in central Illinois during the period (1973–1981) when cropping became so intensive that grassland persisted primarily as linear edges. There was a paucity of avifauna nesting on grassy edge habitats on the study area, with a mean of 2.2 nests per ha, representing only eight species. Nest densities and species diversity were highest on study plots where grassland was nearby, where cover types were heterogeneous, and where there were corridors connecting plots to the surrounding landscape. Nest success was variable from year to year, and for Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) the average annual nest success on edge habitats was positively related to the total amount of grassy cover (including hay and small grains) per nesting pleasant. The findings suggest that it is too simplistic to conclude that linear habitats, compared to field settings, are “predator traps.” Responses by birds to habitat deteríoration in Illinois may foretell future trends elsewhere in North America where farming practices are becoming more intensive.
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