DOCSLIB.ORG

Small Forest Openings Support Shrubland Birds and Native Bees In

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Small Forest Openings Support Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) CEAP-Wildlife Conservation Insight Shrubland Birds and Native Bees in December 2017 the Northeast Summary of Findings ings than in mature forest. Individ- Background ual opening size did not affect bee • Once prevalent on the landscape, abundance or diversity; however, bees Wildlife species that depend on early early successional habitats are now were more abundant and diverse in successional shrubland habitats have rare in the northeastern United openings and adjacent mature forest experienced severe population de- States. As a result, populations of when there was more early succes- clines in eastern North America due many wildlife species that rely on sional habitat in the surrounding land- to the loss of disturbance-dependent these habitats (dominated by shrubs, scape. Bee abundance and diversity young forest habitats. Disturbances young trees, grasses, and forbs) in forest openings tended to decrease such as wind-throw, wildfire, beaver have declined. with vegetation height and increase activity, and flooding, which once • Group selection timber harvest with a metric representing floral naturally sustained these ephemeral can be used to create small forest richness and abundance. In adjacent habitats, have largely been suppressed openings (typically <1 ha) and has mature forests, eusocial, soft-wood- by humans. As a result, maintaining the potential to provide needed nesting, and small bees exhibited the disturbance-dependent early succes- shrubland habitats within the opposite pattern, increasing with the sional habitats is now considered a parcelled forest ownerships of succession of openings and decreasing conservation priority in the northeast. New England. with greater floral richness abundance Mechanically treated wildlife openings • Use of small forest openings by within openings. can provide suitable habitat for high shrubland bird and bee communities • Results suggest that the creation priority shrubland species, including of small forest openings may help to was assessed across a range of for- birds (Chandler et al. 2009, King et promote bees both in openings and est opening sizes and configurations al. 2009) and wild bees (Winfree et adjacent mature forest, with certain in southern New England to develop al. 2009). Silvicultural practices have guilds benefitting more than others. guidelines for optimizing the value been advocated for creating early of small forest openings to these high-priority wildlife resources. • Minimum-area requirements for black-and-white warbler, common yellowthroat, chestnut-sided warbler, eastern towhee, and gray catbird were at most 0.23 ha, while indigo buntings and prairie warblers required larger openings (minimum- area requirements of 0.56 and 1.11 ha, respectively). Prairie warblers were more likely to be found in openings closer to large patches of habitat such as powerline corridors (>50 m wide) even if those openings were relatively small in size. • Despite their inability to support all shrubland bird species in the region, small forest openings can provide habitat for several species of conservation concern if proper attention is given to promoting suitable microhabitat, patch, and landscape characteristics. • Bee abundance and diversity were A forest gap of about 0.6 ha created by implementing silviculture. Gaps of this size are sufficient to significantly higher in forest open- support several shrubland bird species capable of using small forest openings. successional habitat not only because ability to conserve and manage sitional hardwoods-white pine, con- they are effective in promoting many these key pollinators. sisting primarily of red maple, red oak, shrubland species, but also because black birch, American beech, eastern management costs can be offset by Assessment Partnership hemlock, and white pine. timber revenue. Due to small wood- land parcel ownership patterns and In 2013, a Conservation Effects Most forest openings studied were negative perceptions of clearcutting, Assessment Project (CEAP) created with group selection timber a practice known as “group selection Wildlife Partnership was formed harvests, and openings contained timber harvest,” where groups of adja- between NRCS and the Univer- seedlings and saplings of all adjacent cent trees are removed from a mature sity of Massachusetts to investi- tree species, as well as Rubus spp., forest matrix, may be an effective gate the potential for small forest mountain laurel, and numerous fern means of creating young forest habitat openings to support shrubland species. Residual debris from harvests in New England. While forest open- birds and native bees. Objectives was prevalent in all openings. ings created by group selection cuts were to (1) identify species-spe- provide habitat structure for shrubland cific minimum-area requirements Study sites (90 openings in 2014 and birds, they are generally too small (< for shrubland birds capable of 104 in 2015 for birds; 30 openings 1 ha) to support more area-sensitive occupying small openings, (2) for bees in both years) were random- shrubland bird species (Costello et al. identify microhabitat-, patch-, and ly selected from a list of 146 forest 2000, Alterman et al. 2005). landscape-level factors that can openings present in the study area. promote shrubland bird occu- Openings ranged from 0.02–1.29 ha Nevertheless, small forest openings pancy of small forest openings, from timber harvests made between still provide potential breeding habitat (3) compare the bee community 2006 and 2010. To ensure openings for species of regional concern that are within forest openings to that of represented the entire range of opening less sensitive to patch size. Therefore, adjacent mature forest to directly sizes, openings were chosen randomly group selection can contribute to con- illustrate the impact of silviculture from four bins representing different servation on sites where the creation of on bee communities relative to size ranges. patches large enough to support more reference forest conditions, (4) area-sensitive species is not practical. identify stand-, patch-, and land- Bird surveys Precise area thresholds for various scape-level factors influencing Each year birds were surveyed three shrubland nesting bird species need to bee abundance and diversity in times from late May to early July with be established to enable managers to both openings and adjacent forest, 10-minute, 50-m radius point counts understand the benefits of small forest (5) quantify bee abundance and at the center of each opening (Ralph openings to bird communities. Like- diversity at a range of distances et al. 1995). Surveys were conducted wise, group selection has been shown from forest openings to gauge the on calm days with no precipitation to support more bees than mature potential for openings to aug- between 15 minutes after sunrise and forest or single-tree selection timber ment bee populations in adjacent 1100 hours. The location of all birds harvest methods (Proctor et al. 2012). mature forest, and (6) examine the detected was recorded on scaled ortho- habitat associations of individual imagery. Survey points were visited by Landscape composition is considered bee species. at least two different technicians during a potentially important factor for each year in order to reduce observer shrubland birds (Schlossberg and King This CEAP conservation insight bias (Ralph et al. 1995). Fly-overs and 2007), but studies have reported con- provides a summary of the assess- birds detected outside of the 50-m radi- flicting results. In general, studies have ment approach and findings. Ad- us were not included in the analysis. shown that landscape conditions may ditional details are available in the influence patch suitability for many final report submitted to NRCS Bee surveys shrubland-obligate bird species (e.g., (Roberts and King 2016) as well Bee sampling took place during Buffum and McKinney 2014), but also as published journal articles on three periods: spring (April 26–May reveal the need for more detailed in- native bees (Roberts et al. 2017) 14), summer (July 1–July 17), and formation to support the development and songbirds (Roberts and King late summer (August 23–September of management guidelines. 2017). 8). Bees were collected using bowl traps (see photo on next page), which Given the fact that silviculture is consisted of 96-milliliter plastic cups the dominant disturbance agent over Assessment Approach filled with water mixed with soap. To much of the northeast and that there sample bees within openings, a tran- is reason to believe it will positively Study sites sect of five sampling points 5 m apart influence bee populations, a better This study was conducted in a was established in each opening 15 understanding of how bees respond to heavily forested area of western m from the forest and parallel to the a range of uneven-aged silvicultural Massachusetts during 2014 and opening edge. To sample bees in the practices, both in post-logging and 2015. The dominant forest type of forest, a second transect of 5 sample adjacent habitats, will improve our this region is second-growth tran- points 10 m apart was established 2 starting 10 m from the open- etation height, coefficient of ing and running perpendicular variation (CV) of vegetation to the opening edge into the height, area, SHAPE, distance forest along east-west bearings
Recommended publications
  • Key Points for Sustainable Management of Northern Great Plains Grasslands

    Key Points for Sustainable Management of Northern Great Plains Grasslands

    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange South Dakota State University Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications Department of Natural Resource Management 2019 Looking to the Future: Key Points for Sustainable Management of Northern Great Plains Grasslands Lora B. Perkins Marissa Ahlering Diane L. Larson Follow this and additional works at: https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/nrm_pubs Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Environmental Sciences Commons REVIEW ARTICLE Looking to the future: key points for sustainable management of northern Great Plains grasslands Lora B. Perkins1,2 , Marissa Ahlering3, Diane L. Larson4 The grasslands of the northern Great Plains (NGP) region of North America are considered endangered ecosystems and priority conservation areas yet have great ecological and economic importance. Grasslands in the NGP are no longer self-regulating adaptive systems. The challenges to these grasslands are widespread and serious (e.g. climate change, invasive species, fragmentation, altered disturbance regimes, and anthropogenic chemical loads). Because the challenges facing the region are dynamic, complex, and persistent, a paradigm shift in how we approach restoration and management of the grasslands in the NGP is imperative. The goal of this article is to highlight four key points for land managers and restoration practitioners to consider when planning management or restoration actions. First, we discuss the appropriateness of using historical fidelity as a restoration or management target because of changing climate, widespread pervasiveness of invasive species, the high level of fragmentation, and altered disturbance regimes.
  • Native Or Suitable Plants City of Mccall

    Native Or Suitable Plants City of Mccall

    Native or Suitable Plants City of McCall The following list of plants is presented to assist the developer, business owner, or homeowner in selecting plants for landscaping. The list is by no means complete, but is a recommended selection of plants which are either native or have been successfully introduced to our area. Successful landscaping, however, requires much more than just the selection of plants. Unless you have some experience, it is suggested than you employ the services of a trained or otherwise experienced landscaper, arborist, or forester. For best results it is recommended that careful consideration be made in purchasing the plants from the local nurseries (i.e. Cascade, McCall, and New Meadows). Plants brought in from the Treasure Valley may not survive our local weather conditions, microsites, and higher elevations. Timing can also be a serious consideration as the plants may have already broken dormancy and can be damaged by our late frosts. Appendix B SELECTED IDAHO NATIVE PLANTS SUITABLE FOR VALLEY COUNTY GROWING CONDITIONS Trees & Shrubs Acer circinatum (Vine Maple). Shrub or small tree 15-20' tall, Pacific Northwest native. Bright scarlet-orange fall foliage. Excellent ornamental. Alnus incana (Mountain Alder). A large shrub, useful for mid to high elevation riparian plantings. Good plant for stream bank shelter and stabilization. Nitrogen fixing root system. Alnus sinuata (Sitka Alder). A shrub, 6-1 5' tall. Grows well on moist slopes or stream banks. Excellent shrub for erosion control and riparian restoration. Nitrogen fixing root system. Amelanchier alnifolia (Serviceberry). One of the earlier shrubs to blossom out in the spring.
  • Area Requirements and Landscape-Level Factors Influencing

    Area Requirements and Landscape-Level Factors Influencing

    The Journal of Wildlife Management 81(7):1298–1307; 2017; DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21286 Research Article Area Requirements and Landscape-Level Factors Influencing Shrubland Birds H. PATRICK ROBERTS,1 Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, 204 Holdsworth Hall, Amherst, MA 01003, USA DAVID I. KING, U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station, University of Massachusetts, 201 Holdsworth Hall, Amherst, MA 01003, USA ABSTRACT Declines in populations of birds that breed in disturbance-dependent early-successional forest have largely been ascribed to habitat loss. Clearcutting is an efficient and effective means for creating early- successional vegetation; however, negative public perceptions of clearcutting and the small parcel size typical of private forested land in much of the eastern United States make this practice impractical in many situations. Group selection harvests, where groups of adjacent trees are removed from a mature forest matrix, may be more acceptable to the public and could provide habitat for shrubland birds. Although some shrubland bird species that occupy clearcuts are scarce or absent from smaller patches created by group selection, some of these smaller patches support shrubland species of conservation concern. The specific factors affecting shrubland bird occupancy of these smaller patches, such as habitat structure, patch area, and landscape context, are poorly understood. We sampled birds in forest openings ranging 0.02–1.29 ha to identify species-specific minimum-area habitat requirements and other factors affecting shrubland birds. We modeled bird occurrence in relation to microhabitat-, patch-, and landscape-level variables using occupancy models. The minimum-area requirements for black-and-white warblers (Mniotilta varia), common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas), chestnut-sided warblers (Setophaga pensylvanica), eastern towhees (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), and gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis)were0.23 ha, whereas indigo buntings (Passerina cyanea) and prairie warblers (S.
  • 7. Shrubland and Young Forest Habitat Management

    7. Shrubland and Young Forest Habitat Management

    7. SHRUBLAND AND YOUNG FOREST HABITAT MANAGEMENT hrublands” and “Young Forest” are terms that apply to areas Shrubland habitat and that are transitioning to mature forest and are dominated by young forest differ in “Sseedlings, saplings, and shrubs with interspersed grasses and forbs (herbaceous plants). While some sites such as wetlands, sandy sites vegetation types and and ledge areas can support a relatively stable shrub cover, most shrub communities in the northeast are successional and change rapidly to food and cover they mature forest if left unmanaged. Shrub and young forest habitats in Vermont provide important habitat provide, as well as functions for a variety of wildlife including shrubland birds, butterflies and bees, black bear, deer, moose, snowshoe hare, bobcat, as well as a where and how they variety of reptiles and amphibians. Many shrubland species are in decline due to loss of habitat. Shrubland bird species in Vermont include common are maintained on the species such as chestnut-sided warbler, white-throated sparrow, ruffed grouse, Eastern towhee, American woodcock, brown thrasher, Nashville landscape. warbler, and rarer species such as prairie warbler and golden-winged warbler. These habitat types are used by 29 Vermont Species of Greatest Conservation Need. While small areas of shrub and young forest habitat can be important to some wildlife, managing large patches of 5 acres or more provides much greater benefit to the wildlife that rely on the associated habitat conditions to meet their life requirements. Birds such as the chestnut- sided warbler will use smaller areas of young forest, but less common species such as golden-winged warbler require areas of 25 acres or more.
  • Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus Ater) Doug Powless

    Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus Ater) Doug Powless

    Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) Doug Powless Grandville, Kent Co., MI. 5/4/2008 © John Van Orman (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II) Brown-headed Cowbirds likely flourished Distribution Brown-headed Cowbirds breed in grassland, alongside the Pleistocene megafauna that once prairie, and agricultural habitats across southern roamed North America (Rothstein and Peer Canada to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and 2005). In modern times, flocks of cowbirds south into central Mexico (Lowther 1993). The followed the great herds of bison across the center of concentration and highest abundance grasslands of the continent, feeding on insects of the cowbird during summer occurs in the kicked up, and depositing their eggs in other Great Plains and Midwestern prairie states birds’ nests along the way. An obligate brood where herds of wild bison and other ungulates parasite, the Brown-headed Cowbird is once roamed (Lowther 1993, Chace et al. 2005). documented leaving eggs in the nests of hundreds of species (Friedmann and Kiff 1985, Wild bison occurred in southern Michigan and Lowther 1993). The evolution of this breeding across forest openings in the East until about strategy is one of the most fascinating aspects of 1800 before being hunted to near-extinction North American ornithology (Lanyon 1992, across the continent (Baker 1983, Kurta 1995). Winfree 1999, Rothstein et al. 2002), but the Flocks of cowbirds likely also inhabited the cowbird has long drawn disdain. Chapman prairies and woodland openings of southern (1927) called it “. a thoroughly contemptible Michigan prior to the 1800s (Walkinshaw creature, lacking in every moral and maternal 1991).
  • Ecology, Morphology, and Behavior in the New World Wood Warblers

    Ecology, Morphology, and Behavior in the New World Wood Warblers

    Ecology, Morphology, and Behavior in the New World Wood Warblers A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Brandan L. Gray August 2019 © 2019 Brandan L. Gray. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Ecology, Morphology, and Behavior in the New World Wood Warblers by BRANDAN L. GRAY has been approved for the Department of Biological Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences by Donald B. Miles Professor of Biological Sciences Florenz Plassmann Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 ABSTRACT GRAY, BRANDAN L., Ph.D., August 2019, Biological Sciences Ecology, Morphology, and Behavior in the New World Wood Warblers Director of Dissertation: Donald B. Miles In a rapidly changing world, species are faced with habitat alteration, changing climate and weather patterns, changing community interactions, novel resources, novel dangers, and a host of other natural and anthropogenic challenges. Conservationists endeavor to understand how changing ecology will impact local populations and local communities so efforts and funds can be allocated to those taxa/ecosystems exhibiting the greatest need. Ecological morphological and functional morphological research form the foundation of our understanding of selection-driven morphological evolution. Studies which identify and describe ecomorphological or functional morphological relationships will improve our fundamental understanding of how taxa respond to ecological selective pressures and will improve our ability to identify and conserve those aspects of nature unable to cope with rapid change. The New World wood warblers (family Parulidae) exhibit extensive taxonomic, behavioral, ecological, and morphological variation.
  • A Prairie Ecosystem the Kansas Grassland Biome Is Divided Into Tallgrass, Mixed-Grass, and Shortgrass Prairies

    A Prairie Ecosystem the Kansas Grassland Biome Is Divided Into Tallgrass, Mixed-Grass, and Shortgrass Prairies

    A Prairie Ecosystem The Kansas grassland biome is divided into tallgrass, mixed-grass, and shortgrass prairies. ​ ​Emporia, KS is located in the Tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Before settlement, the tallgrass prairie occupied a north-south strip which encompassed the eastern third of Kansas. The tallgrass prairie exists today since much the land is not farmable due to terrain (slope, rock layers, soil depth, etc.). The grasses can grow in excess of six feet tall during moist years if they reside in deep soils. The annual precipitation, or rainfall, in this region exceeds 30 inches. The original tallgrass prairie spanned almost 250 million acres. Today, about four percent remains with the largest areas being the Flint Hills of Kansas and the Osage Hills of Oklahoma. Examples of grasses found in tallgrass prairies include big bluestem, indian grass, switchgrass, and eastern gamagrass. The sun is the main source of energy for every living thing on earth. An organism that makes its own food from the sun is called a ​producer​. Examples of producers in the prairie are grasses and wildflowers because they use the sun to make their own food through a process called photosynthesis. An organism that depends on others for food is called a ​consumer​. Examples of consumers in the prairie include coyotes, snakes, mice and prairie chickens because they hunt or scavenge for their food. An organism that breaks down materials in dead organisms is called a decomposer​. Examples of decomposers in the prairie are worms. Recycling happens in the prairie through decomposition. Recycling means to reuse something once it has died or has been thrown away.
  • Great Plains Ecosystems: Past, Present, and Future

    Great Plains Ecosystems: Past, Present, and Future

    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln USGS Staff -- Published Research US Geological Survey 2004 Great Plains Ecosystems: Past, Present, and Future Fred B. Samson United States Forest Service Fritz L. Knopf United States Geological Survey Biological Resources Division Wayne Ostlie The Nature Conservancy, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub Part of the Earth Sciences Commons Samson, Fred B.; Knopf, Fritz L.; and Ostlie, Wayne, "Great Plains Ecosystems: Past, Present, and Future" (2004). USGS Staff -- Published Research. 45. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/45 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Geological Survey at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in USGS Staff -- Published Research by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Great Plains Ecosystems: Past, Present, and Future Fred B. Samson, Fritz L. Knopf, & Wayne R. Ostlie 6 SPECIALCOVERAGE ...eat Plains ecosystems: _ _ t, present, and future HH[[~dIed B. Samson, Fritz L. Knopf, and e R. Ostlie sts that the main bodies of North American prairie (i.e., the tall- grass, mixed, and shortgrass) are among the most endangered resources on the con- tinent. The purpose of this paper is to provide a past and present biological base- line by which to understand North American prairies and to provide a platform for future conservation. Events both immediate to the end of the Pleistocene and his- toric suggest that the present grassland conditions are different from those within which most of the grassland organisms evolved.
  • Where Are Shortgrass Prairies in Wyoming? Basically, Shortgrass Prairie Is Found in the Eastern One-Third of Wyoming, in the Rain Shadow of the Rocky Mountains

    Where Are Shortgrass Prairies in Wyoming? Basically, Shortgrass Prairie Is Found in the Eastern One-Third of Wyoming, in the Rain Shadow of the Rocky Mountains

    Shortgrass Prairie Ecosystem Flashcards Shortgrass Prairie What is a shortgrass prairie? Short grass prairie habitat is flat to rolling terrain dominated by short grasses that form a nearly continuous carpet across the landscape. Grama grass and buffalo grass make up 70% to 90% of the plants growing on the short grass prairie. A few mid-grasses and forbs also grow there. Short grass prairie s is the westernmost and driest of the true North American grasslands. Average annual precipitation is 10 to 12 inches. Why are shortgrass prairies important? Shortgrass prairies provide essential habitat for many species of wildlife that live nowhere else. Grazing buffalo, deer, and pronghorn as well as burrowing mammals are the iconic animals of this landscape. However, the grasses are the real star of this ecosystem. They can withstand the harsh climate better than any other plants and help to protect the essential topsoil. Without the grasses, we’d have no plant or animal life, just dust. Where are shortgrass prairies in Wyoming? Basically, shortgrass prairie is found in the eastern one-third of Wyoming, in the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains. It becomes and replaced by sagebrush grasslands and foothills shrub land as the terrain rises westward toward the Rocky Mountains. rockies.audubon.org plt.wyomingplt.org Shortgrass Prairie Ecosystem Flashcards American Badger Black-tailed Jackrabbit Swift Fox Northern Pocket Gopher Ferruginous Hawk Short-eared Owl Page 1 A rockies.audubon.org plt.wyomingplt.org Shortgrass Prairie Ecosystem Flashcards Western
  • Grasslands and Prairies Grassland

    Grasslands and Prairies Grassland

    Grasslands and Prairies Grassland Dominated by grasses (Poaceae) and grass-like plants (sedges, rushes) 30 – 40 % of world land surface Climate composed of moderate precipitation (10 - 50 inches/yr) and periodic drought Other environmental factors Fire Grazing Major Global Grasslands Temperate Grasslands North America Prairie, Great Plains Grasslands Eurasia Steppe South America Pampas Subtropical to Tropical Grasslands South America Cerrado, Llanos Africa Savanna, Veldt Australia Mitchell Grasslands Prairie From the historic French word for a tree-less meadow or pasture co-dominated by perennial grasses and forbs. Generally used by North American ecologists to describe a tree-less vegetation of grasses, dicotyledonous herbs, and small shrubs. Steppe From the Russian word “степ” for an extensive, flat grassland. Sometimes used by North American ecologists to describe a grassland composed of short statured, perennial grasses or bunch grasses. Temperate Grasslands Cold season alternating with Warm to Hot season 10 – 35 inches of annual precipitation alternating with drought Deep, porous soils (e.g., loess) Subtropical to Tropical Grasslands Cool to Warm seasons alternating with Warm to Hot seasons 20 – 50 inches of annual precipitation alternating with drought Soils vary from deep to thin, porous to clay pampas prairie steppe savannah Adaptations perennial, cespitose habit thin, narrow leaves that grow from the base deep, compact root systems G G G G G G G G G Fire “Grazing” Grazing: feeding primarily on grasses and grass-like plants Browsing:
  • Habitats Prairies

    Habitats Prairies

    Little Habitats ▼ oung on the Y Prairies naturalists By Kathleen Weflen Illustrations by Vera Ming Wong Minnesota has a wild place called tallgrass prairie. Millions of bison once grazed on this native grassland. Prairie Indians hunted bison for food, clothing, shelter, and tools. When French explorers arrived, they looked out on miles of tall grass stretching all the way to the horizon. They called it prairie, meaning meadow. On an 1838 expedition, Joseph Nicollet wrote, “The plateau ... is high, grand, and beautiful prairie. The view to the south seems limitless. The spectacle is full of grandeur.” Today, you can explore much smaller prairies at state parks such as Blue Mounds, Glacial Lakes, and Buffalo River. Most of the original prairie is gone, but the little habitats that remain still hold a surprising variety of wildlife. Lie down in a tallgrass prairie and listen to millions of blades of grass swaying in the wind. A hawk swoops to catch a ground squirrel. Frogs and ducks call from ponds. Thousands of dragonflies, bees, and other insects travel among hundreds of kinds of wildflowers. Under the ground, gophers, snakes, and voles scurry through tunnels or curl up in dens. From spring until fall, about a dozen species of prairie plants come into bloom each week. Any day is a fine time to explore a prairie. Prairie to Farm. After traveling for several months from the mountains of Norway, Ann Pederson and her family stepped off a train in Taopi, Minn., in July 1879. They saw bright blue sky over a sea of tall grass.
  • FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST a Fledgling Brown-Headed Cowbird

    FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST a Fledgling Brown-Headed Cowbird

    FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST NOTES A fledgling Brown-headed Cowbird specimen from Pinellas County.-First evi- dences of breeding in Florida by the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothms ater) were in 1956 and 19.57 near Pensacola (Sprunt 1963, Weston 1965). Since then the species has become a common breeder throughout northern Florida and now is spreading rapidly southward in the peninsula. Here \I-e repo~tfirst evidence of breeding in Pinellas County, halfway down Florida peninsula, and describe Tampa Bay area population increases of the species during recent summers. A young fledgling Brox-n-headed Cowbird was brought to the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Pinellas County on 2 June 198.5. It died the same day. Precise locality data were not kept, but little doubt exists the bird was obtained locally. Rarely are birds brought to the sanctuary from outside the county, and for these more precise locality data are kept. The specimen, a female (ovary 3..5 X 3mm, not granular), weighed only 17.5 grams. It is preserved as a study skin (GEW 5736) at the University of South Florida. The primaries and rectrices have remnants of sheaths and the tail (.56.5 mm total length) is about 10 mm shorter than average for adult females. Cowbirds typically weigh about 30 grams at fledging (Mayfield 1960). The incomplete feather growth and light weight support a local origin for the bird. The Nesting Season reports in American Birds and its predecessor Audubon Field Notes provide a good account of the expansion of the Brown-headed Cowbird's breeding range in Florida.