Spring Burning: Resulting Avian Abundance and Nesting in Kansas CRP

Abstract

Spring burning is used to control invasion by woody vegetation of rangelands in eastern Kansas and also of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields planted to native grasses. We measured the effects of spring burning of CRP fields on vegetation structure and avian populations in northeastern Kansas during the summers of 1992 through 1995. Several vegetation characteristics differed between burned and unburned CRP fields in May, but few differed in July. Mean avian abundance on burned CRP fields was 5.6 birds km-' of survey transect, significantly less (P < 0.01) than the 8.6 km-' on unburned fields. The avian-assemblages on burned and unburned fields differed more in May/June ~orisita's Index to Similarity (MIS) = 0.86] than in June/July or July/August (MIS = 0.98 and 0.97, respectively). Avian species richness ranged from 12 to 21 on burned fields and from 10 to 19 on unburned fields. A total of 27 nests was found on burned fields, significantly less (P < 0.01) than the 372 found on unburned fields. The 22.2% nesting success on burned fields was not signiticantly different (P = 0.205) than the 34.1% success on unburned fields. Spring burning reduced bird-nest numbers in the summer of the same year, hut did not reduce signiticantly (P = 0.235) the number of nests found in those fields the following summers nor the abundance of birds or nesting success. Avoidance of annual burning would reduce adverse impacts on bii populations relying on CRP fields for nesting habitat.

Short-term Effects of Burning and Disking on Songbird Use of Floodplain Conservation Easements

“…Indeed, the estimated difference in blackbird density between unburned and burned fields accounted for 78% of the difference for combined density of all grassland and wetland species. In contrast, some past studies have found no effect (Herkert, 1994) or increases in red-winged blackbirds after burning (Zimmerman, 1992); however, others have found decreases (Robel et al, 1998). Consistent with our results from the year fields were burned (2001), past research suggests that common yellowthroats are negatively impacted by burning of their habitat (Zimmerman, 1992;Herkert, 1994;Madden et al, 1999).…”

“…In this study, we found decreases in density of grassland and wetland species, and density of two species, common yellowthroats and red-winged blackbirds following burning. Past studies found little effect of burning on density of all species combined (Madden et al, 1999), or decreases in density (Zimmerman, 1992;Robel et al, 1998). Most of the observed decrease in density of all grassland and wetland species combined in our study was driven by changes in red-winged blackbird density, the most abundant species on our study area.…”

“…However, non-significant decreases in density of sedge wrens with burning have been observed in past studies (Herkert, 1994;Robel et al, 1998). Likewise, decreases in density of dickcissels and American goldfinches have been observed (Zimmerman, 1992;Robel et al, 1998;Fuhlendorf et al, 2006). Grasshopper sparrows were unaffected by burning in this study, but have been negatively affected (Huber and Steuter, 1984;Johnson, 1997) and positively affected by burning in other studies (Herkert, 1994;Swengel, 1996;Madden et al, 1999;Fuhlendorf et al, 2006).…”

“…This is consistent with previous research on dickcissels (Zimmerman, 1992;Swengel, 1996;Applegate et al, 2002), and sedge wrens (Schramm et al, 1984;Zimmerman, 1992;Herkert, 1994). However, non-significant decreases in density of sedge wrens with burning have been observed in past studies (Herkert, 1994;Robel et al, 1998). Likewise, decreases in density of dickcissels and American goldfinches have been observed (Zimmerman, 1992;Robel et al, 1998;Fuhlendorf et al, 2006).…”

Effects of management practices on grassland birds: Upland Sandpiper

“…Eddleman (1974) observed Upland Sandpipers on heavily grazed/annually burned pasture, moderately grazed/unburned pasture, and ungrazed/burned areas; Upland Sandpipers did not use unburned/ungrazed areas. Robel et al (1998) found that Upland Sandpipers were present only on spring-burned, seedednative CRP fields and not on unburned fields. Bowen (1976) observed that Upland Sandpiper abundance did not differ between burned and unburned pastures in Kansas.…”