Grasslands Test 2

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Two Grassland Nesting Birds in Community #1

o   Horned Lark

o   Killdeer

Two Grassland Nesting Birds in Community #2

o   Grasshopper Sparrow

o   Field Sparrow

Two Grassland Nesting Birds in Community #3

o   Savannah Sparrow

o   Bobolink

Two Grassland Nesting Birds in Community #4

o   Sedge Wren

o   Common yellowthroat

The 3 most area-sensitive grassland nesting birds in Ohio

-            Northern Harrier

-            Upland Sandpiper

-            Short-Eared Owl

Suitable Grassland Nesting Bird Habitats

o   Idle (undisturbed) Grasslands

o   Grasslands with <5% woody cover

Unsuitable Grassland Nesting Bird Habits

o   Grasslands with > 30% woody cover

o   Habitats with abundant linear woody cover

o   Suburban developments

o   Golf Courses

o   Row Crops

o   Hay Fields cut before 15 July

Vegetation structural characteristics that are consistent predictors of habitat use of grassland nesting birds

-            Vegetation Height

-            Litter Depth

-            Bare Ground Exposure

Reasons for grassland bird population declines

-             Agricultural intensification

-             Grassland fragmentation

-            Nest parasitism

-            Nest predation

-             Pesticides

-             Invasion by woody vegetation

Trends in number and size and proportion of Americans living on farms in the United States since 1940

-            Individual farm operations in the United States tripled in size, while the number of farms decreased by 70%

-            The proportion of Americans living on farms decreased from 23% to <2%.

Negative effects of modern farming practices on wildlife

-            Insecticides, Fertilizers, Source-Sink Paradigm

Habitat Patch

o   Areas of native or restored native vegetation.

o   Most are small, isolated, and primarily edge.

Habitat Patch Management Principles

·       Large are better than small

·       Connected are better than isolated

·       Several are better than one

·       Proximate are better than separate

·       Structurally diverse are better than simple

·       Patches with native plants are better than patches with introduced plants

Corridors

o   Linear strips of permanent or semi-permanent vegetation

o   Deter movement of soil and water

Corridor Management Principles

·       Continuous are better than fragmented

·       Wide are better than narrow

·       Two or more connections between patches are better than one

·       Structurally diverse are better than simple

·       Corridors with native plants are better than corridors with introduced plants

Farm Programs (CRP versus CREP)

o   CREP is similar to CRP in contact length, approved practices, and cost-sharing

o   CREP provides additional financial incentives and cost-share resources through state or local agencies and private conservation organizations

WHIP

o   Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program

Develops upland and wetland habitat for wildlife

EQIP

o   Environmental Quality Incentives Program

§  Offers financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers for installing or implementing structural or management practices on agricultural land.

§  Federal cost-share (75 – 90%) and annual payments

The 3 voluntary easements on farmlands

-            Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)

-            Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)

-            Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP)

Electric fence design that poses the least threat to rangeland wildlife

Two-Wire Electric Fence

o   Electric fences constructed of 2 smooth wires at heights of 24 in and 35 in aboveground

o   The top wire is electrified and the bottom wire serves as the ground

o   Control livestock movement but pose little danger to rangeland wildlife

Rangeland Water Sources

Development of Springs, Rock Basins, Tinajas, Sand dams or sand tanks, Dugouts, Adits, Guzzlers

Impacts of livestock grazing in riparian zones

Soil compaction, Herbage removal, Herbage damage

Grazing Systems

Continuous Grazing, Deferred Grazing, Rotational Grazing, Deferred-rotation grazing,  Rest-Rotation Grazing, and Short-Duration Grazing

Cons of sheep grazing on rangeland wildlife

-            Transmission of disease (scrapie) from domestic sheep to mountain sheep eliminated many populations from the southwestern United States

-            On overgrazed sheep ranges, forb growth is not sufficient during the critical midwinter period and pronghorn die-offs are common

Animal unit month (AUM) definition

-            Livestock numbers, or stocking rates, are specified by animal unit-months (AUM)

-            One AUM is one mature cow with a calf grazed for 1 month

Range condition definition for livestock

o   Range condition terms such as excellent, good, fair, and poor are defined in terms of providing forage for livestock

Range condition definition for wildlife

o   Range condition terms for wildlife are climax, late seral, mid-seral, and early seral regarding how close existing vegetation approximates the climax community