Predicting Risk of Habitat Conversion in Native Temperate Grasslands

Stephens, Scott E.; Walker, Johann; Blunck, Darin R.; Jayaraman, Aneetha; Naugle, David E.; Ringelman, James K.; Smith, Aaron

doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01022.x

Cited by 108 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(37 reference statements)

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“…Furthermore, our analysis revealed how grassland land covers that beekeepers target when selecting commercial apiary sites are becoming less common in portions of central and eastern ND and SD, changes that may have lasting impact on pollinator services and conservation efforts. Although past research has shown land-use changes occurring in portions of the Central and Northern Plains (22,29), our study models large-scale land-use changes from the perspective of the honey bee-keeping industry. Specifically, we used land-use data collected from >18,000 registered apiary locations to derive our spatial models, thereby providing a realistic depiction of how recent land-use changes have affected habitat and foraging area across two states that supported 770,000 colonies in 2014 (17).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land-use change reduces habitat suitability for supporting managed honey bee colonies in the Northern Great Plains

Otto

Roth

Carlson

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

170

138

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Human reliance on insect pollination services continues to increase even as pollinator populations exhibit global declines. Increased commodity crop prices and federal subsidies for biofuel crops, such as corn and soybeans, have contributed to rapid land-use change in the US Northern Great Plains (NGP), changes that may jeopardize habitat for honey bees in a part of the country that supports >40% of the US colony stock. We investigated changes in biofuel crop production and grassland land covers surrounding ∼18,000 registered commercial apiaries in North and South Dakota from 2006 to 2014. We then developed habitat selection models to identify remotely sensed land-cover and land-use features that influence apiary site selection by Dakota beekeepers. Our study demonstrates a continual increase in biofuel crops, totaling 1.2 Mha, around registered apiary locations in North and South Dakota. Such crops were avoided by commercial beekeepers when selecting apiary sites in this region. Furthermore, our analysis reveals how grasslands that beekeepers target when selecting commercial apiary locations are becoming less common in eastern North and South Dakota, changes that may have lasting impact on pollinator conservation efforts. Our study highlights how land-use change in the NGP is altering the landscape in ways that are seemingly less conducive to beekeeping. Our models can be used to guide future conservation efforts highlighted in the US national pollinator health strategy by identifying areas that support high densities of commercial apiaries and that have exhibited significant land-use changes.apiary selection models | Apis mellifera | land use | land-cover trends | pollinators A nimal pollination service is critical for sustaining ecosystem health and human well-being (1, 2). In many terrestrial systems, plant-pollinator interactions provide the basic framework for all other trophic interactions. Globally, about one-third of crop production depends on animal pollination (3). US agricultural production relies heavily on managed and native insects for pollination services, with an estimated economic value of $15 billion annually (2). Reliance on insects for pollination services is growing even as populations of native and managed pollinators exhibit concurrent declines (4, 5). For example, in 2013−2014, total US honey bee colony losses were 34%, but beekeepers on average lost 51% of their colonies (6). Declines in managed honey bees and native bees put significant pressure on global food supplies, plant-pollinator networks, agricultural producers, and ecosystem function (7,8).Proposed reasons for the declines include parasites, diseases, agro-chemical use, forage availability, and land-use change (9, 10). Much of the research investigating anthropogenic disturbance effects on managed and native pollinators focuses on pesticides and less so on habitat fragmentation, land-use, and loss of forage. Although a paucity of data exists for most parts of the world, recent research indicates that land use influences honey ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land-use change reduces habitat suitability for supporting managed honey bee colonies in the Northern Great Plains

Otto

Roth

Carlson

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

170

138

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“…agriculture | Great Plains | land capability | land cover change H igh corn and soybean prices, prompted largely by demand for biofuel feedstocks, are driving one of the most important land cover/land use change (LCLUC) events in recent US history; the accelerated conversion of grassland to cropland in the US Corn Belt (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). Likely impacts of such conversion include a reduction in bird diversity across the region (6) and accruement of a significant carbon debt (7).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Meanwhile, regional-scale studies of grassland conversion have been based on agricultural production statistics aggregated at the county level (3,4), precluding largearea geospatial analysis of grassland conversion at farm to subcounty scales. Finally, most studies of grassland conversion (1)(2)(3) precede the doubling of corn and soybean prices between 2006 and 2011 (13), with the exception of one (4). From 2006 to 2008, the corn and soybean area harvested in the United States increased by more than 3.2 million ha (4).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent land use change in the Western Corn Belt threatens grasslands and wetlands

Wright

Wimberly

2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

751

605

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In the US Corn Belt, a recent doubling in commodity prices has created incentives for landowners to convert grassland to corn and soybean cropping. Here, we use land cover data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service Cropland Data Layer to assess grassland conversion from 2006 to 2011 in the Western Corn Belt (WCB): five states including North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa. Our analysis identifies areas with elevated rates of grass-to-corn/soy conversion (1.0-5.4% annually). Across the WCB, we found a net decline in grass-dominated land cover totaling nearly 530,000 ha. With respect to agronomic attributes of lands undergoing grassland conversion, corn/soy production is expanding onto marginal lands characterized by high erosion risk and vulnerability to drought. Grassland conversion is also concentrated in close proximity to wetlands, posing a threat to waterfowl breeding in the Prairie Pothole Region. Longer-term land cover trends from North Dakota and Iowa indicate that recent grassland conversion represents a persistent shift in land use rather than short-term variability in crop rotation patterns. Our results show that the WCB is rapidly moving down a pathway of increased corn and soybean cultivation. As a result, the window of opportunity for realizing the benefits of a biofuel industry based on perennial bioenergy crops, rather than corn ethanol and soy biodiesel, may be closing in the WCB.agriculture | Great Plains | land capability | land cover change

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“…One study, however, found that conversion rates in the prairie potholes region of the United States exceed tropical rainforest conversion rates. 4 Although an argument could be made for excluding precompliant ranchers from participating in carbon markets in order to maintain legitimacy in the marketplace, there are a number of implications associated with such a strict definition that policymakers will need to consider. First, if these ranchers-often the opinion leaders in their communitiesare excluded, it could be harder to engage the more mainstream ranchers who look to the good stewards and innovators in their communities for guidance.…”

Section: The Legitimacy Problem: Additionality Concerns When Ranchersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engaging Ranchers in Market-Based Approaches to Climate Change Mitigation: Opportunities, Challenges, and Policy Implications

Gosnell¹,

Robinson-Maness²,

Charnley³

2011

Rangelands

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Predicting Risk of Habitat Conversion in Native Temperate Grasslands

Cited by 108 publications

References 31 publications

Land-use change reduces habitat suitability for supporting managed honey bee colonies in the Northern Great Plains

Land-use change reduces habitat suitability for supporting managed honey bee colonies in the Northern Great Plains

Recent land use change in the Western Corn Belt threatens grasslands and wetlands

Engaging Ranchers in Market-Based Approaches to Climate Change Mitigation: Opportunities, Challenges, and Policy Implications

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