Study

Responses of breeding birds in tallgrass prairie to fire and cattle grazing

  • Published source details Powell A.F.L.A. (2008) Responses of breeding birds in tallgrass prairie to fire and cattle grazing. Journal of Field Ornithology, 79, 41-52.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Employ grazing in natural grasslands

Action Link
Bird Conservation

Use prescribed burning on grasslands

Action Link
Bird Conservation
  1. Employ grazing in natural grasslands

    A replicated study in 2002-2003 (Powell 2008) at the same tallgrass prairie site in Kansas, USA, as in (9), found that three of seven species surveyed showed significant responses to low-intensity cattle grazing: upland sandpipers, grasshopper sparrows, and eastern meadowlarks were more abundant in grazed areas, whilst Henslow's sparrow, dickcissel, brown-headed cowbird (all grassland species) and Bell's vireo showed no response.

     

  2. Use prescribed burning on grasslands

    A replicated study in 2002-2003 (Powell 2008) at the same tallgrass prairie site in Kansas, USA, as in (14), found that all seven bird species surveyed showed a significant response to burning: upland sandpipers were more abundant in the breeding season following a burn, whilst Henslow's sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, dickcissel, eastern meadowlark, brown-headed cowbird (all grassland species) and Bell's vireo (a shrub-dependent species) were less abundant or absent. Grasshopper and Henslow’s sparrows, and meadowlark were more abundant in areas not burned the preceding spring, and less abundant at sites burned every four years. Bell’s vireo was commonest at sites burned every four years.

     

Output references
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