Thursday
May152014
How does patch burn grazing affect bird diversity in highly-fragmented landscapes?
Thursday, May 15, 2014 at 12:00PM
The management treatments used in this study were motivated by research that has shown an increase in the population size and diversity of grassland bird species when a fire-grazing interaction is used in the western tallgrass prairie. The research team compared three management strategies and their effect on grassland bird species richness and density in fragmented landscapes.
For a summary of the study's results and implications for management, you can view or download a PDF version of "Using fire and grazing to promote bird diversity."
Management Implications
- Patch-burn grazing may effectively create variable forage height and maturity that can benefit grassland bird species though stocking rates must be carefully determined to ensure sufficient residual biomass
- The necessary low stocking rate makes this approach more appropriate on public lands and private recreational lands where profit from livestock is not the main driver
- Grassland bird response to management of grassland structure may remain limited due to factors in the surrounding landscape
The original paper was published in the open access journal Ecosphere.
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tagged grassland birds, grazing
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