The Influence of Grazing Systems on Bird Species Richness and Density in the Nebraska Sandhills
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Area
2.2. Sampling Methods
2.2.1. Bird Surveys
2.2.2. Vegetation Surveys
2002 Vegetation
2003–2004 Vegetation
2.3. Statistical Analysis
2.3.1. Species Richness Estimates
2.3.2. Density Estimates
3. Results
3.1. Species Richness
3.2. Abundance and Density
4. Discussion
4.1. Grazing Systems
4.2. Critical Vegetation
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Descriptor | Long | Medium | Short | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean | SD | Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |
Duration (days) | 78 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 3 | 2 |
Stocking rate (AUM/ha) | 1.4 | 0.96 | 1.32 | 0.68 | 1.42 | 1.27 |
Stocking density | 0.6 | 0.26 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 11 | 6.3 |
Herd size | 158 | 47 | 196 | 101 | 626 | 295 |
Pasture size (ha) | 574 | 239 | 196 | 134 | 82 | 33 |
Common Name | Scientific Name |
---|---|
American crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos |
American goldfinch | Carduelis tristis |
Bell’s vireo | Vireo bellii |
Brown-headed cowbird * | Molothrus ater |
Brown thrasher | Toxostoma rufum |
Common nighthawk | Chordeiles minor |
Dickcissel | Spiza americana |
Eastern kingbird | Tyrannus tyrannus |
Field sparrow | Spizella pusilla |
Greater prairie-chicken | Tympanuchus cupido |
Grasshopper sparrow * | Ammodramus savannarum |
Horned lark | Eremophila alpestris |
Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus |
Lark bunting | Calamospiza melanocorys |
Lark sparrow * | Chondestes grammacus |
Long-billed curlew | Numenius americanus |
Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos |
Mourning dove * | Zenaida macroura |
Northern harrier | Circus hudsonius |
Orchard oriole | Icterus spurius |
Ring-necked pheasant | Phasianus colchicus |
Red-winged blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus |
Spotted towhee | Pipilo maculatus |
Sharp-tailed grouse | Tympanuchus phasianellus |
Upland sandpiper * | Bartramia longicauda |
Western kingbird | Tyrannus verticalis |
Western meadowlark * | Sturnella neglecta |
Willet | Catoptrophorus semipalmatus |
Grazing System | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Species | Long | Medium | Short | Pooled | p-Value |
Brown-headed cowbird | 22.2 | 6.2 | 33.4 | 20.6 | 0.111 |
Grasshopper sparrow | 57.0 | 114.6 | 97.3 | 89.7 | 0.047 |
Lark sparrow | 24.2 | 12.6 | 17.6 | 18.1 | 0.151 |
Mourning dove | 6.4 | 3.7 | 6.8 | 5.6 | 0.010 |
Upland sandpiper | 5.7 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0.899 |
Western meadowlark | 29.1 | 39.3 | 42.0 | 36.8 | 0.065 |
Species | Model a | AICc | ΔAICc | wi | β | SE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brown-headed | Tallest plant | 235.3 | 0.0 | 0.611 | −1.15 | 1.48 |
cowbird | Bunchgrass cover | 236.2 | 0.9 | 0.389 | −0.04 | 1.30 |
Null | 333.4 | 98.1 | 0.000 | - | - | |
Grasshopper | Shrub cover | 246.1 | 0.0 | 0.646 | 4.11 | 6.47 |
Sparrow | Large-scale heterogeneity (early season) | 247.3 | 1.2 | 0.354 | −0.75 | 0.31 |
Null | 354.6 | 108.5 | 0.000 | - | - | |
Lark sparrow | Shrub cover | 192.5 | 0.0 | 0.917 | 1.63 | 1.91 |
Litter cover | 197.3 | 4.8 | 0.083 | −0.57 | 0.24 | |
Null | 268.6 | 76.1 | 0.000 | - | - | |
Mourning dove | Grazing system | 154.7 | 0.0 | 0.996 | - | - |
Null | 167.9 | 13.2 | 0.001 | - | - | |
Upland sandpiper | Shrub cover | 133.3 | 0.0 | 0.973 | −1.06 | 0.47 |
Null | 186.2 | 52.9 | 0.000 | - | - | |
Western | Bunchgrass cover | 195.2 | 0.0 | 0.731 | 1.52 | 0.59 |
meadowlark | Shrub cover | 198.4 | 3.2 | 0.148 | 0.26 | 1.99 |
Large-scale heterogeneity (late season) | 198.8 | 3.6 | 0.121 | −0.27 | 0.11 | |
Null | 274.3 | 79.1 | 0.000 | - | - |
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Kempema, S.L.F.; Schacht, W.H.; Powell, L.A. The Influence of Grazing Systems on Bird Species Richness and Density in the Nebraska Sandhills. Diversity 2023, 15, 1160. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15121160
Kempema SLF, Schacht WH, Powell LA. The Influence of Grazing Systems on Bird Species Richness and Density in the Nebraska Sandhills. Diversity. 2023; 15(12):1160. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15121160
Chicago/Turabian StyleKempema, Silka L. F., Walter H. Schacht, and Larkin A. Powell. 2023. "The Influence of Grazing Systems on Bird Species Richness and Density in the Nebraska Sandhills" Diversity 15, no. 12: 1160. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15121160