A global review identifies agriculture as the main threat to declining grassland birds

Abstract

Grasslands are globally threatened and their biodiversity, including grassland birds, is declining markedly. To inform grassland bird conservation globally, we systematically reviewed threats and conservation actions for grassland birds, extracting data from 528 papers. Across the 10 primary grassland regions of the globe, agriculture was the most frequently or joint most frequently reported threat in nine regions (reported as a threat in 73% of publications); hunting was the most frequently reported threat in the remaining region. Natural system modifications (reported as a threat in 32% of publications) and climate change and severe weather (24%) were less frequently reported threats compared with agriculture. The types of threat from agriculture varied regionally, but the most pervasive were livestock farming and ranching (reported in 58% of publications where agriculture was a primary threat) and non‐timber cropping (43%). Most agricultural threats relate to intensification, but agricultural abandonment, typically the cessation of grazing, sometimes accompanied by tree planting/succession, poses an emerging threat to some grassland birds (reported in 32% of publications where agriculture was a primary threat). The most frequent conservation actions implemented to date include land/water management and protection, and species‐specific management actions. Authors of reviewed publications in almost all regions recommend more land/water management, followed by calls for further land/water protection. The parlous state of grassland birds globally suggests that existing conservation actions for grasslands are inadequate. Furthermore, our review suggests that these should be primarily targeted at reversing the negative impacts of agriculture, in particular livestock farming and cropping.

Review of Conservation Challenges and Possible Solutions for Grassland Birds of the North American Great Plains

“…Over the past 2 decades, our understanding of factors contributing to the decline of North America's grassland birds has increased substantially. Conversion of grasslands to cropland remains the most salient example of habitat loss in the Great Plains ( WWF 2021 ), and agriculture has been identified as the greatest threat to grassland birds globally ( Douglas et al 2023 ). Following agriculture, energy development is the next largest contributor to grassland habitat loss throughout parts of the Great Plains ( Shaffer et al 2019 ;Ott et al 2021 ), and woody encroachment is a further source of loss (e.g., Scholtz et al 2018 ;Andersen and Steidl 2019 ).…”

“…Some of the most severe effects of climate change on grassland birds may result from synergies with existing stressors. Grassland habitat loss and degradation driven by agriculture are likely the most prominent threats to grassland birds today ( Stanton et al 2018 ;Shaffer et al 2019 ;Douglas et al 2023 ), and changes to growing conditions and crop yields could spur massive shifts in the spatial distribution of North America agriculture ( King et al 2018 ;Olimb and Robinson 2019 ). For example, by 2055, it is estimated that wheat acreage in parts of the Dakotas could increase by up to 54% ( Arora et al 2020 ).…”

“…While the loss of grassland habitat remains the primary driver of grassland bird decline ( Murphy 2003 ;Hill et al 2014 ;Stanton et al 2018 ), grassland birds in the Anthropocene face a litany of additional threats across the full annual cycle. These include habitat degradation from energy development and infrastructure ( Daniel and Koper 2019 ;Shaffer et al 2019 ;Ott et al 2021 ), agricultural intensification and pesticide use across working landscapes ( Stanton et al 2018 ;Moreau et al 2022 ;Douglas et al 2023 ), shrub encroachment on both breeding and wintering grounds ( Van Auken 2009 ;Scholtz et al 2018 ;Andersen and Steidl 2019 ), continued management challenges concerning fire and grazing Duquette et al 2022 ;Raynor et al 2022 ), and the growing threat of climate change Maresh Nelson et al 2023 ), a stressor that is likely to exacerbate existing threats.…”

Trimming the hedges in a hurricane: Endangered Species lack research on the outcomes of conservation action

“…We focused on terrestrial species listed as Endangered in Canada since this represents a feasible subset of species that are all in dire need of conservation interventions. While broader ecosystem or taxonomic group-level syntheses exist (e.g., (Douglas et al, 2023); conservationevidence.org), we focus on individual species' responses since many threatened species require targeted conservation interventions to halt and reverse declines (Bolam et al, 2023). Thus, a more detailed, species-specific examination is warranted.…”

Global perspectives of transition to green energy generation in the Saratov region

“…Аналогичные методики поиска материалов для аналитического обзора используются повсеместно, различными научными группами (Богомолов и др., 2021; Douglas et al, 2023). Плюсы и минусы ветроэнергетики.…”