Habitat use by birds in the northern shortgrass prairie of North America: A local and landscape approach

Scope and method of study. My research examines habitat use by birds in the northern half of the shortgrass prairie of North America. I analyze data collected through a regional bird-monitoring program during the 2003 and 2004 breeding seasons. First, I compare species use of the three dominant habitat types in the study area, shortgrass prairie, dryland agriculture, and land in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). I also compare the vegetation structure between shortgrass prairie and CRP. Next, I calculate and compare the conservation vale (CV) of the three habitat types using species conservation prioritization scores as presented by Partners In Flight. Finally, I model and compare species response to local vegetation conditions of shortgrass prairie habitat to the surrounding landscape features, at multiple spatial scales.; Findings and conclusions. Bird communities differed between shortgrass prairie, CRP, and dryland agriculture. Only three species were more abundant on CRP than shortgrass prairie (Grasshopper Sparrow, Dickcissel, and Mourning Dove) and all three were also more abundant on dryland agriculture than CRP. CRP had taller grass and less shrub cover than shortgrass prairie. CRP and shortgrass prairie had similar conservation values (CVs) and both had greater CVs than dryland agriculture; however, different species constituted the CVs of CRP and shortgrass prairie. Most notably, Grasshopper Sparrow constituted much of the CRP CV. Both local vegetation characteristics and landscape features influenced habitat use by bird species and influence varied by species and spatial scale. I conclude that CRP is providing habitat uncharacteristic of native shortgrass prairie---habitat with taller grass and little to no shrub cover. I suggest that CRP can be more effective in providing suitable habitat for shortgrass prairie birds if management activities are prescribed and designed to provide a variety of habitat conditions characteristic of local native habitat that meet requirements of multiple species. Furthermore, I recommend to resource professionals that in developing conservation plans and prescribing management activities (which may include enrollment or management of CRP fields) they recognize the potential influence of landscape features, in additional to local habitat conditions, and incorporate them into their decision-making process.