Grassland songbird occurrence on remnant prairie patches is primarily determined by landscape characteristics

Context North American grassland songbird populations have declined significantly due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Understanding the influence of the surrounding landscape on prairie fragment occupancy is vital for predicting the fate of grassland birds in these heavily altered landscapes. Obj...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Landscape ecology Vol. 32; no. 5; pp. 971 - 988
Main Authors:	Shahan, Jessica L., Goodwin, Brett J., Rundquist, Bradley C.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-05-2017 Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:	Aerial photography Animal populations Biomedical and Life Sciences Birds Ecology Environmental Management Grassland management Grasslands Habitat fragmentation Habitat loss Land degradation Landscape Ecology Landscape/Regional and Urban Planning Life Sciences Nature Conservation Prairies Research Article Songbirds Sustainable Development Vegetation surveys USA, Minnesota USA, South Dakota Landscape context Matrix configuration Matrix composition Grassland birds Prairie fragments
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Summary:	Context North American grassland songbird populations have declined significantly due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Understanding the influence of the surrounding landscape on prairie fragment occupancy is vital for predicting the fate of grassland birds in these heavily altered landscapes. Objectives We examined the relative importance of local and landscape variables on grassland bird occupancy of prairie fragments using a focal-patch study. We also investigated the spatial scale at which landscape variables were most influential. Methods We surveyed birds on 29 unplowed prairie fragments in western Minnesota and eastern North and South Dakota. We quantified local habitat on the fragment using vegetation surveys and aerial photographs and the landscape surrounding the fragment out to 4 km using aerial photographs. We analyzed occupancy using multi-model approaches applied to multiple logistic regression. Results Of 38 species encountered, nine were neither too rare nor too abundant to be analyzed. Predictors of patch occupancy were unique for each bird species, yet general patterns emerged. For eight species, landscape variables were more important than local variables. Mostly, those landscape variables measured configuration (e.g., edge density) and not composition (e.g., percent cover of a particular matrix element). Landscape effects were mostly from variables measured at the greatest extents from the prairie fragment. Conclusions Using a focal-patch study design we demonstrated the importance of the surrounding landscape, often out to 4 km from the fragment edge, on prairie occupancy by grassland birds. Effective management of grassland songbirds will require attention to the landscape context of prairie fragments.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0921-2973 1572-9761
DOI:	10.1007/s10980-017-0500-4