GRASSLAND BIRD USE OF RIPARIAN FILTER STRIPS IN SOUTHEAST IOWA

Abstract: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under its Continuous Enrollment Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has actively promoted establishment of conservation buffers. Although these programs are intended to benefit wildlife in addition to protecting soil and water resources, benefits to grassland birds may be compromised by narrow widths, presence of woody vegetation, and high predation pressure. During 2001 and 2002, we surveyed breeding grassland birds and searched for nests in 33 CRP filter strips that varied in planting mixture (cool-season vs. warm-season grasses) and adjacent edge type (non-wooded vs. wooded). The most abundant species in filter strips were red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), dickcissel (Spiza americana), song sparrow (Melospiza melodia), and common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas). Relative abundances of birds and nests were similar between cool-season and warm-season planting mixtures. Dickcissels and red-winged blackbirds and their nests were relatively less abundant at wooded than non-wooded sites. Our nest success estimates generally were low in all treatments, and nest success varied little with the variables we studied. Predation was the major cause of nest failure; 62% of all nests were depredated. Although the most common birds using filter strips are generalists, filter strips also have potential to provide breeding habitat for some species of management concern.     

赣江流域河岸带外来入侵植物的调查分析

通过对赣江流域河岸带植物调查,发现该地有外来入侵植物17科27属31种,其中菊科最多有9种。对赣江流域河岸带入侵植物分布的分析显示:外来入侵植物发生在赣江全流域,上、中、下游河岸带植物群落中入侵植物的优势度无明显差异;河岸带植被类型对入侵植物的分布影响较大,草本群落和灌草群落中的入侵植物优势度明显高于乔木林群落;干扰对外来植物的入侵起到了积极作用,与无干扰方式下的群落相比入侵植物的优势度差异极显著,但干扰方式对入侵植物的分布无影响。     

Experimental evidence for the immediate impact of fertilization and irrigation upon the plant and invertebrate communities of mountain grasslands

The response of montane and subalpine hay meadow plant and arthropod communities to the application of liquid manure and aerial irrigation – two novel, rapidly spreading management practices – remains poorly understood, which hampers the formulation of best practice management recommendations for both hay production and biodiversity preservation. In these nutrient-poor mountain grasslands, a moderate management regime could enhance overall conditions for biodiversity. This study experimentally assessed, at the site scale, among low-input montane and subalpine meadows, the short-term effects (1 year) of a moderate intensification (slurry fertilization: 26.7–53.3 kg N·ha⁻¹·year⁻¹; irrigation with sprinklers: 20 mm·week⁻¹; singly or combined together) on plant species richness, vegetation structure, hay production, and arthropod abundance and biomass in the inner European Alps (Valais, SW Switzerland). Results show that (1) montane and subalpine hay meadow ecological communities respond very rapidly to an intensification of management practices; (2) on a short-term basis, a moderate intensification of very low-input hay meadows has positive effects on plant species richness, vegetation structure, hay production, and arthropod abundance and biomass; (3) vegetation structure is likely to be the key factor limiting arthropod abundance and biomass. Our ongoing experiments will in the longer term identify which level of management intensity achieves an optimal balance between biodiversity and hay production.     

新疆早春短命植物适应荒漠环境的机理研究进展

短命植物是生活于极端干旱自然环境,利用冬春雨雪水在春末夏初迅速完成生活周期,并以种子形式渡过不良环境的特殊生态类型,它们具有生长发育快、光合效率高、繁殖率和结实性极强的特点.本文从短命植物种子萌发机制、形态结构适应性、高光效结构特征、结实特性、生活周期的可塑适应性等方面,对新疆早春短命植物的相关研究进行综述,以阐释短命植物适应荒漠环境的特殊机制.     

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

ABSTRACT.   No other group of North American birds has declined as precipitously and over so large an area as has the grassland assemblage. In the Flint Hills of Kansas, the largest extant region of tallgrass prairie, annual spring burning of rangeland has largely replaced traditional regimes and natural patterns with longer intervals between burns. I examined effects of burning and low-intensity cattle grazing on abundances of seven bird species at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in June 2002 and 2003. Every species was affected by fire, with Upland Sandpipers ( Bartramia longicauda ) more abundant, and six species—Grasshopper Sparrow ( Ammodramus savannarum ), Henslow's Sparrow ( A. henslowii ), Dickcissel ( Spiza americana ), Eastern Meadowlark ( Sturnella magna ), Brown-headed Cowbird ( Molothrus ater ), and Bell's Vireo ( Vireo bellii )—either less abundant or absent at sites in the breeding season following a fire. These results demonstrate that annual burning limits the potential of much of the Flint Hills prairie to harbor high breeding densities of many grassland birds. On the other hand, I found a trade-off between immediate and longer-term effects of burning for several grass-dependent species. Grasshopper Sparrows, Henslow's Sparrows, and Eastern Meadowlarks, although more numerous in areas that were not burned the preceding spring, were less abundant at sites burned every 4 yrs than those burned at shorter intervals. In contrast, shrub-dependent Bell's Vireos were more abundant at sites burned every 4 yrs. Upland Sandpipers, Grasshopper Sparrows, and Eastern Meadowlarks were more abundant in grazed areas. Use of alternatives to annual burning could increase habitat heterogeneity by transforming the Flint Hills into a mosaic of regularly, but asynchronously, burned pastures that would better meet the diverse habitat needs of the region's grassland birds.     

Influence of conservation reserve program mid-contract management and landscape composition on northern bobwhite in tall fescue monocultures

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorized mid-contract management (MCM) in 2004 to restore and maintain plant species composition and structural diversity in aging Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields for the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and other grassland-dependent wildlife. We implemented 3 USDA-approved MCM regimes (i.e., strip disking, strip glyphosate spraying, and strip glyphosate spraying in combination with legume interseeding) in 60 tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae) CRP monocultures in south-central Illinois, USA, during 2005–2008. We hypothesized that adult bobwhite relative densities and brood presence would increase following MCM that effectively restored early successional plant communities in otherwise monotypic stands of tall fescue. We estimated annual adult bobwhite relative densities and brood presence-absence in managed and unmanaged CRP. We modeled vegetation characteristics and landscape composition to identify factors influencing adult densities and brood presence. Adult relative densities were 2-fold greater in managed fields than in unmanaged fields, and were negatively correlated with greater percentages of grass cover. Adult densities were positively correlated with greater plant species diversity, and greater percentages of bare ground and legume cover. Logistic regression and odds ratio estimates indicated that fields managed with glyphosate-interseed and glyphosate treatments were 39.6% more likely to have broods than unmanaged CRP, whereas disked fields were 10.0% more likely than unmanaged CRP. These models indicated that the probability of brood presence was greater in fields with increased percentage of bare ground, greater plant species diversity, and decreased percentage of grass and litter cover. These findings suggest that a 3-year rotation of glyphosate or glyphosate-interseed treatments can enhance habitat conditions for adult bobwhites and broods in CRP tall fescue monocultures. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Nitrogen Removal by Riparian Buffers along a European Climatic Gradient: Patterns and Factors of Variation

We evaluated nitrogen (N) removal efficiency by riparian buffers at 14 sites scattered throughout seven European countries subject to a wide range of climatic conditions. The sites also had a wide range of nitrate inputs, soil characteristics, and vegetation types. Dissolved forms of N in groundwater and associated hydrological parameters were measured at all sites; these data were used to calculate nitrate removal by the riparian buffers. Nitrate removal rates (expressed as the difference between the input and output nitrate concentration in relation to the width of the riparian zone) were mainly positive, ranging from 5% m⁻¹ to 30% m⁻¹, except for a few sites where the values were close to zero. Average N removal rates were similar for herbaceous (4.43% m⁻¹) and forested (4.21% m⁻¹) sites. Nitrogen removal efficiency was not affected by climatic variation between sites, and no significant seasonal pattern was detected. When nitrate inputs were low, a very large range of nitrate removal efficiencies was found both in the forested and in the nonforested sites. However, sites receiving nitrate inputs above 5 mg N L⁻¹ showed an exponential negative decay of nitrate removal efficiency (nitrate removal efficiency = 33.6 e^{−0.11 NO3input}, r ² = 0.33, P < 0.001). Hydraulic gradient was also negatively related to nitrate removal (r = −0.27, P < 0.05) at these sites. On the basis of this intersite comparison, we conclude that the removal of nitrate by biological mechanisms (for example, denitrification, plant uptake) in the riparian areas is related more closely to nitrate load and hydraulic gradient than to climatic parameters. Received 15 August 2001; accepted 2 May 2002.     

不同生境对金马河温江段河岸带草本群落物种多样性和构件生物量的影响

采用典型样地法,以金马河流域温江段河岸带草本植物为研究对象,经实地踏查,根据采沙运沙干扰程度及样地具体使用情况,将样地划分为河滩地（未受采沙行为干扰,但后期受人类其他活动影响较大）、砾石地（采沙后经河水水位变化形成）、芦苇地［经运沙的车辆碾压形成,后长满芦苇(Phragmites australis)］、斑茅地［采沙后不再受水位影响的高地部分,后长满斑茅(Saccharum arundinaceum)］、沙坑（采沙后直接形成）5个生境类型,以探究不同生境对河岸带草本植物物种多样性和构件生物量的影响。结果表明：（1）在5个生境类型样地中共记录草本植物113种,隶属32科80属,其中沙坑生境草本植物物种数最多,共计59种,隶属21科46属,物种丰富度高,菊科(Compositae)、禾本科(Gramineae)植物在各样地中均较多。（2）斑茅地、芦苇地物种多样性指数较小,优势度指数较大,均匀度指数较小,群落物种分布极不均匀,集中度与均匀度较差,群落存在极大的不稳定性。（3）河滩地植物构件生物总量最少,斑茅地最多且根、茎干重与其他生境存在显著差异。（4）与其它生境类型相比,沙坑物种多样性丰富,分布均匀,构件生物量较多,其环境有利于河岸带植物生长。     

Leaf Litter Decomposition of Three Riparian Tree Species and Associated Macroinvertebrates of Eswathu Oya,a Low Order Tropical Stream in Sri Lanka

Leaf decomposition, an important component of the organic matter dynamics in streams, has been widely examined in temperate regions but much less documented in tropical regions. We report here the first study of leaf decomposition in a Sri Lankan stream. The litterbag technique was used. Coarse (8 mm) and fine (100 µm) litterbags, that included or excluded macroinvertebrates respectively, were used to enclose leaves of three dominant riparian tree species: native Ochlandra stridula (bamboo), and the introduced Alstonia macrophylla and Hevea brasiliensis (rubber). A fourth set of litterbags contained a mixture of these three species. Leaf colonization by macroinvertebrates was highest in the early stages of the decomposition process on Hevea leaves but invertebrate densities declined later. The opposite colonization effect was observed on the native Ochlandra leaves: slow colonization with continuing low densities from the beginning to the end of the process. Decomposition of all three species was significantly faster in the coarse than in the fine mesh bags. Alstonia, which has the softest leaf tissue, was most rapidly decomposed while Ochlandra, with its tough structure, was the slowest. Among the invertebrates, insects were the most important leaf colonizing animals, with Diptera, Coleoptera and Trichoptera the most dominant. The invertebrate variety in the mixed bags was higher than in the single‐species leaf bags, where Chironomidae dominated the colonizing assemblages. This study has shown that toughness, indicated by the ‘specific weight of leaf tissue’, and the quality of the leaves was more important in determining breakdown rates than their origin. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cattle grazing in CRP grasslands during the nesting season: effects on avian abundance and diversity

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a primary tool for restoring grassland in the United States, in part as wildlife habitat, which has benefited declining grassland bird populations. Among potential mid-contract management practices used to maintain early-successional CRP grasslands, cattle grazing had been prohibited and is currently disincentivized during the primary nesting season for birds (much of the growing season), despite the important role that large herbivores historically played in structuring grassland ecosystems. Conservative grazing of CRP grasslands could increase spatial heterogeneity in vegetation structure and plant diversity, potentially supporting higher densities of some grassland bird species and higher bird diversity. Our objective was to determine the effect of experimental cattle grazing on species-specific relative abundance and occupancy, species diversity, and community dissimilarity of grassland birds on CRP grasslands across the longitudinal extent of Kansas, USA (a 63.5-cm precipitation gradient) during the 2017–2019 avian breeding seasons. Fifty-three of 108 fields were grazed by cattle during the growing seasons of 2017 and 2018 and all fields were rested from grazing in 2019. For all analyses, we examined separate model sets for semiarid western versus more mesic eastern Kansas. Using data from line transect surveys, we modeled relative abundances of 5 songbird species: grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), dickcissel (Spiza americana), eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna), western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), and brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater). Grazing had delayed yet positive effects on abundances of grasshopper sparrow in western Kansas, and eastern meadowlark in eastern Kansas, but negative effects on dickcissel abundance in western Kansas and especially on burned fields in eastern Kansas. Somewhat counterintuitively, brown-headed cowbirds in western Kansas were more abundant on ungrazed versus grazed fields in the years after grazing began. In addition, we modeled multi-season occupancy of 3 gamebird species (ring-necked pheasant [Phasianus colcicus], northern bobwhite [Colinus virginianus], mourning dove [Zenaida macroura]) and Henslow's sparrow (Centronyx henslowii); grazing did not affect occupancy of these species. In eastern Kansas, species diversity was highest in grazed, unburned fields. In western Kansas, bird communities in grazed and ungrazed fields were dissimilar, as determined from multivariate analysis. Though regionally variable, conservative stocking of cattle on CRP grasslands during the nesting season as a mid-contract management tool might increase bird species diversity by restructuring habitat that accommodates a greater variety of species and decreasing abundances of species associated with taller, denser stands of vegetation.     

塔里木荒漠河岸林异质生境物种多样性比较与其测度指标筛选及评价

选择合适的物种多样性测度指标与多样性指数是进行群落多样性研究的基础工作。依据塔里木河上游荒漠河岸林样地调查资料,分别采用重要值、盖度和多度为测度指标比较了反映群落物种丰富度、多样性、均匀度和优势度12种多样性指数与异质生境群落多样性特征,并对多样性指数进行了相关分析与评价。结果表明,荒漠河岸林异质生境群落物种组成种类差异明显,轮南镇胡杨群落物种丰富度与多样性指数最高,水工三连灰胡杨群落多样性最低,土壤水盐的空间异质性是引起荒漠植被空间分布与群落多样性差异的主导因子。表征荒漠群落多样性以重要值和盖度为测度指标优于多度指标,其中以重要值为测度指标来反映群落多样性更为合理。相关与主成分分析表明,均匀度与多样性指数间的相关性高于丰富度与多样性指数,且多样性指数受均匀度、优势度指数受丰富度影响较大,反映出荒漠河岸林群落多样性主要决定于物种分布的均匀程度。12种多样性指数中Margalef丰富度指数（Ma）、Shannon-Weiner多样性指数（H）与Simpson多样性指数（D）能客观真实地反映异质生境荒漠植物群落多样性。同时,针对高度生境异质性的荒漠植物群落,还应综合考虑群落物种组成与生境特征,选择合适的多样性指数组合可更客观地反映荒漠河岸林群落多样性变化。     

Mixed responses of farmland birds to the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) was initiated in 2000 and within 4 years, 40,000 ha of conservation grasslands were established in southern Pennsylvania. We determined whether CREP habitat has benefitted farmland and grassland bird populations during the 10 years since the program began. From 2001 to 2010, bird surveyors conducted road-side point counts in a 20-county area in south-central Pennsylvania. We observed positive CREP effects on the abundances (in 2009–2010) and changes in abundance (from 2001–2002 to 2009–2010) of 5 species, including eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna); negative CREP effects for 3 species, including vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus); and no CREP effects for 2 species, including grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum). We additionally observed changes in the size and direction of the local CREP effects (within 250 m of count locations) depending on the amount of CREP grassland or field cover in the surrounding landscape (within 5,000 m of survey routes). For example, the local CREP effect on the change in abundance of eastern meadowlarks was 15 times greater at points nested within landscapes with 9% CREP cover compared to landscapes with 1% CREP cover, indicating the potential for greater benefits of adding new CREP grasslands to areas with more CREP habitat already in the surrounding area. We conclude that more careful spatial targeting of CREP enrollment could improve the benefits of the program for farmland and grassland bird populations. © The Wildlife Society, 2013     

Potential for Plant-Based Remediation of Pesticide-Contaminated Soil and Water using Nontarget Plants such as Trees,Shrubs, and Grasses

Appropriate environmental management of pesticides includes their proper application, use of filter strips and riparian buffers to contain pesticides in runoff from fields, prompt cleanup of spills, and treatment processes for wastewater associated with manufacturing and equipment usage. Plants have beneficial effects in the management of pesticide-contaminated soil and water, including direct metabolism of many pesticides, stimulation of microbial activity in the root zone, extraction of contaminated water, and reduction of infiltrating contaminated water. In this work, we review the literature on nontarget plants that can grow in pesticide-contaminated soil and water, and the fate of pesticides in filter strips, riparian buffers, and vegetated remediation environments. Past research indicates that there are significant differences in the tolerance of plants to pesticides present in soil and water, and that some plants are more effective than others in the remediation of pesticide-contaminated soil and water. Thus, there is value in the identification of tolerant plants and favorable plant-based remediation technologies for management of pesticides and contaminated sites.     

Applying the results of ecological studies to land-use policies and practices

Summary

• 1. 

  Good progress has been made in bringing the importance of high-nature-conservation-value farming systems to the attention of a wider audience. However, simply having a broad appreciation of which farming systems are good for certain species or species assemblages is of little use without a detailed understanding of how each particular farming system functions and integrates with the species reliant upon that system as a whole.
• 2. 

  Many species have intimate and complex interactions with the annual farming cycle, and their presence on any one piece of farmland is determined not only by the farm management occurring at that time but also by the management practised over the previous weeks and months. Since their exact farm management requirements are not fully understood, it would currently be difficult (if not impossible) to put in place the exact set of conditions necessary to ensure the continued occurrence of many desired species.
• 3. 

  Consequently, a detailed understanding of the ecological relationships involved is essential before advice can be provided on how best to develop any individual farming system (and the associated policies) so that the ecological characteristics of the system of value to the wildlife assemblages are maintained.
• 4. 

  These issues are highlighted and illustrated with reference to the findings from research into the ecology and requirements of the chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax and the effects of farm management practices on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and leatherjackets (Diptera: Tipulidae), which together can form important prey items for birds associated with grassland habitats.

     

半干旱草地不同植物枯落物分解对放牧和封育的响应

为探究放牧和封育对半干旱草地植物枯落物分解的影响,选取赖草、牛枝子及其混合物为研究对象,调查了不同网孔分解袋中宁夏半干旱草地植物枯落物分解特征及对放牧和封育的响应规律。结果表明：（1）放牧样地250目网孔中,枯落物质量残留率表现为牛枝子显著高于赖草和混合物（P<0.05）,而在放牧样地30目网孔、封育样地2种网孔中,枯落物质量残留率均表现为3种枯落物间无显著差异。（2）250目网孔中,放牧和封育样地枯落物分解衰减常数均表现为混合物显著高于牛枝子,而赖草居中;并且,牛枝子枯落物分解衰减常数表现为封育样地显著高于放牧样地。30目网孔中,放牧和封育样地枯落物分解衰减常数均表现为赖草、混合物显著高于牛枝子（P<0.05）;并且,牛枝子枯落物分解衰减常数表现为封育样地显著高于放牧样地（P<0.05）。（3）在放牧样地,仅牛枝子枯落物R_m表现为30目显著低于250目网孔（P<0.05）,k表现为30目显著高于250目网孔（P<0.05）;土壤动物对枯落物分解的贡献率表现为混合物显著低于牛枝子,赖草居中（P<0.05）。而在封育样地,仅牛枝子枯落物k表现为30目显著高于250目网孔（P<0.05）;土壤动物对枯落物分解的贡献率表现为混合物和牛枝子均显著高于赖草,且混合枯落物的土壤动物贡献率表现为封育样地显著高于放牧样地（P<0.05）。（4）枯落物残留率与其初始N、P、木质素/N、C/P呈显著相关性（P<0.05）;枯落物分解衰减常数与其初始N、P、木质素、N/P、C/P和木质素/P间均呈显著相关性（P<0.05）。研究表明,植物种类组成显著影响枯落物的残留率和分解衰减常数。放牧与封育管理通过影响网孔中土壤动物分布来调控半干旱区草地植物枯落物的分解,而且封育管理更有利于促进土壤动物对低质量枯落物（牛枝子）的分解。     

Temporal and Taxonomic Variability in Response of Fauna to Riparian Restoration

Evaluating the success of restoration projects requires well‐designed studies. Among the decisions that need to be made are what taxonomic groups to study and when to conduct the monitoring. To explore how these decisions can influence assessments of restoration success, we examined species richness and composition data collected over several years on different terrestrial fauna (landbirds, rodents, bees, and beetles) at Sacramento River restoration and remnant riparian sites. Our selection of study organisms enabled us to ask whether variability in species richness among restoration sites is less for vagile taxa than for sedentary taxa, and if invertebrates display greater variability among sites than vertebrates. Our results demonstrate that responses to restoration can vary depending upon the season when it is assessed, and the taxa that are studied. For all taxa except bees, there was considerable variability in the relative performance of taxa at restoration sites from one sampling date to the next, such that the relative ranking of the sites often changed dramatically. Comparisons of β ‐diversity (variability in species richness across sites) revealed that certain taxonomic groups were more spatially variable in their response to restoration than others. Among vertebrates, sedentary taxa (rodents) had significantly higher variability in species richness across sites than highly vagile taxa (birds); however, no such pattern was observed for invertebrates. Overall, vertebrates had lower variability than invertebrates, suggesting that evaluations of restoration success based on a few better‐known taxonomic groups (e.g., birds, rodents) may be inadequate to represent the biodiversity response of other groups (e.g., insects).