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Nesting and Feeding Ecology of Grassland Birds in Mixed-Grass Prairie Managed with Patch-Burn Techniques

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Nesting and Feeding Ecology of Grassland Birds in Mixed-Grass Prairie Managed with Patch-Burn Techniques NESTING AND FEEDING ECOLOGY OF GRASSLAND BIRDS IN MIXED-GRASS PRAIRIE MANAGED WITH PATCH-BURN TECHNIQUES By ELIZABETH DIANE DOXON Bachelor of Science Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas 2002 Master of Science Forest Resources University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 2005 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY July, 2009 COPYRIGHT By Elizabeth Diane Doxon July, 2009 NESTING AND FEEDING ECOLOGY OF GRASSLAND BIRDS IN MIXED-GRASS PRAIRIE MANAGED WITH PATCH-BURN TECHNIQUES Dissertation Approved: Dr. Craig. A. Davis Dissertation Adviser Dr. Samuel D. Fuhlendorf Dr. David L. Leslie, Jr. Dr. Matthew B. Lovern Dr. Anthony Joern Dr. A. Gordon Emslie Dean of the Graduate College ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I wish to thank my loving parents, Robert and Vicki Doxon, who have supported my studies through four states. I can never thank you enough for the listening ears and emotional support through the ups and downs of my graduate career. I also would like to acknowledge my fellow graduate student on this project, Stephen Winter. Your devotion to grasslands and deep knowledge of many aspects of its ecology greatly encourages others in the field. I wish to thank my graduate advisor, Dr. Craig Davis, and co-investigator, Dr. Samuel Fuhlendorf. Being Dr. Davis’ first doctoral student was a learning process for us both. I greatly appreciate your thoroughly detailed edits of the manuscripts as my written skills have greatly increased under your guidance. In addition, I wish to thank my committee members: Dr. Chip Leslie, Dr. Matt Lovern, and Dr. Tony Joern. In particular, I greatly appreciate the assistance and use of lab space and equipment in Dr. Lovern’s lab. Your enthusiasm for the field of behavioral endocrinology has opened a new field of biology to me. Numerous technicians have assisted in vegetation sampling, and most importantly, insect sorting. I especially wish to thank Alaina Thomas, Jennifer Bryant, Savannah Smith, Colin Walden, Kevin Spears, Kent Andersson, James Richards, and Kenny Robertson. I have appreciated the assistance and cooperation of the biologist and technician at Cooper Wildlife Management Area, Eddie Wilson and Russ Perry. This research has been funded by an Oklahoma State Wildlife Grant Project Number T- 30-P-1 and administered by Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in addition to the Nebraska Chapter of the Nature Conservancy Weaver Grant Program. This research was conducted under Institutional Animal Care and Use Protocol AS-06-5 in addition to scientific collection permits granted to the Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. I wish to acknowledge the assistance of the Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, in particular, Dr. Chip Leslie, Sheryl Lyon, and Joyce Hufford. I wish to thank the Environmental Water Quality Lab in the OSU Department of Zoology for the use of their microscope and camera, in particular Dr. Joe Bidwell, Chad Boeckman, and Naomi Cooper. iv For applying the prescribed fires, I wish to thank John Weir and the numerous prescribed fire volunteers of the Oklahoma State University Fire Ecology lab. I appreciate the use of nutritional and energetic equipment in the lab of Dr. Clint Krehbiel. I wish to thank his student Ben McLaughlin and lab assistant Donna Perry for graciously spending their time teaching me the process. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. ABOVEGROUND MACROINVERTEBRATE DIVERSTIY AND ABUNDANCE UNDER PATCH-BURN MANAGEMENT IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA ..........................................................................................................1 Abstract ....................................................................................................................1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................2 Methods....................................................................................................................8 Study Area .........................................................................................................8 Experimental Design ..........................................................................................9 Abundance and Diversity Estimates of Grassland Invertebrates .......................9 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................10 Results ....................................................................................................................11 Vacuum-samples ..............................................................................................11 Sweepnet samples ............................................................................................16 Discussion ..............................................................................................................20 Literature Cited ......................................................................................................34 II. BREEDING SONGBIRD DENSITY AND MULTI-SCALE HABITAT RELATIONSHIPS UNDER PATCH-BURN MANAGEMENT IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA ....................................................................................59 Abstract ..................................................................................................................59 Introduction ............................................................................................................60 Methods..................................................................................................................67 Study Area .......................................................................................................67 Experimental Design ........................................................................................68 Density Estimates of Grassland and Shrubland Birds .....................................68 Vegetation Sampling ........................................................................................69 Landscape Attributes .......................................................................................70 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................71 Results ....................................................................................................................75 Avian Diversity ................................................................................................75 Avian Density Trends by Time Since Burn .....................................................76 Abundance Models ..........................................................................................77 Cedar Effects ....................................................................................................79 Discussion ..............................................................................................................80 Literature Cited ......................................................................................................95 vi Chapter Page III. SHRUBLAND SPARROW NESTING ECOLOGY UNDER PATCH-BURN MANAGEMENT IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA ...................127 Abstract ................................................................................................................127 Introduction ..........................................................................................................128 Methods................................................................................................................135 Study Area .....................................................................................................135 Experimental Design ......................................................................................136 Nest Searches and Monitoring .......................................................................136 Data Analysis .................................................................................................138 Results ..................................................................................................................141 Nesting Chronology of Cassin’s, Field, and Lark Sparrows .........................141 Nesting Characteristics of Cassin’s, Field, and Lark Sparrows .....................142 Clutch Size, Fledglings Produced, Cowbird Parasitism, and Nest Failure of Cassin’s, Field, and Lark Sparrows .............................................143 Nest Survival of Cassin’s, Field, and Lark Sparrows ....................................146 Discussion ............................................................................................................148 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................165 IV. FEEDING ECOLOGY AND EGG CORTICOSTERONE LEVELS IN SHRUBLAND BIRDS NESTING IN SAND SAGEBRUSH SYSTEMS MANAGED WITH PYRIC HERBIVORY.......................................................198 Abstract ................................................................................................................198 Introduction ..........................................................................................................199 Methods................................................................................................................204 Study Area .....................................................................................................204
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