Vegetation Dynamics in a Southern Wisconsin Agricultural Landscape

Sharpe, David M.; Guntenspergen, Glenn R.; Dunn, Christopher; Leitner, Lawrence A.; Stearns, F.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-4742-5_8

Cited by 41 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…1). For example, Cadiz County (on the local scale) and the hardwood forests of Minnesota (on the state-wide scale) did not lose much forest until the end of the nineteenth century (11,12). The regional scale shows a different pattern, probably because of the growth tTo whom reprint requests should be addressed.…”

Section: Pattern Of Forest Clearingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest losses predict bird extinctions in eastern North America.

Pimm

Askins²

1995

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

219

205

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Claims that there will be a massive loss of species as tropical forests are cleared are based on the relationship between habitat area and the number of species. Few studies calibrate extinction with habitat reduction. Critics raise doubts about this calibration, noting that there has been extensive clearing of the eastern North American forest, yet only 4 of its "200 bird species have gone extinct. We analyze the distribution of bird species and the timing and extent of forest loss. The forest losses were not concurrent across the region. Based on the maximum extent of forest losses, our calculations predict fewer extinctions than the number observed. At most, there are 28 species of birds restricted to the region. Only these species would be at risk even if all the forests were cleared. Far from providing comfort to those who argue that the current rapid rate of tropical deforestation might cause fewer extinctions than often claimed, our results suggest that the losses may be worse. In contrast to eastern North America, small regions of tropical forest often hold hundreds of endemic bird species.As forests or other habitats are destroyed, the remaining habitat may be too small to hold viable populations of all the species that require it (1). Consequently, extinction follows habitat reduction. The often unmistakable destruction of habitat is vital to arguments about the global loss of species (2). With important exceptions, the species losses themselves are hard to document. We can estimate only imprecisely the total number of species an area holds. Indeed, we have names for only a tiny fraction of the planet's species (3). Our confidence in predicting species loss from habitat reduction stems from the relationship between the number of well-known species an area holds and its size. Those who point to the extensive reductions in the forests of eastern North America during the nineteenth century (4, 5) challenge this confidence. Historically, few of the region's '200 terrestrial bird species have gone extinct. Birds are well-known and we cannot plead ignorance of their extinctions. Do these observations refute the predictions of the species-area calculations (6) and so call into question fears about massive loss of species on a global scale?We review the history of deciduous and coastal plain coniferous forests in the eastern United States from European settlement to the present. Forest losses have been extensive, but they were not concurrent. In New England, for example, forests began to recover as deforestation-and many of the people who caused it-moved into the Ohio Valley. At the period of lowest forest cover, about half of the forest was gone. We also list the species of birds that became extinct and those that remain. Of the species found only in eastern North America, the species losses have been higher than we predict from forest losses. This region has surprisingly few rangerestricted bird species, however, and most species could survive elsewhere as the forests were cleared. Many tropical fore...

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Section: Pattern Of Forest Clearingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest losses predict bird extinctions in eastern North America.

Pimm

Askins²

1995

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

219

205

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…By 1882, forest had declined to about 30% of the land area and has remained at about 5% since the mm 01. the century (Sharpe et aL 1987). We have no direct estimates of carbon tlux in Cadiz Township.…”

Section: Global Co Zmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In many landscapes of eastern North America, natural vegetation (pflmar~ forest) has been reptaced by ~-culture (Curtis 1956;Auclair 1976;Burgess & Sharpe 1981;Moss & Hosking 1983;Whimey & Somerlot 1985;Sharpe et al 1987). In some areas, especially in portions of the eastern United States, agriculture did not prove to be economically viable and natural vegetation became reestablished foUowing farm abandonment Oohnson & Sharpe 1976;Turner 1987;Turner & Ruscher 1988).…”

Section: Global Co Zmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From 1882 to 1978, the total length of edge (forest perimeter) decreased from 242 lma to 94 Ima (Table 2) as forested areas were converted to agriculture (Sharpe et al 1987;Dunn et aL 1991). Under either CRP scenario, total edge would increase dramatically in part because of the early successional character of the enrolled farmland and because more and larger patches will necessarily have greater total perimeter.…”

Section: Wildlife Habitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We focus on forested regions, although there are similar benefits to be gained in other areas (such as grasslands). As a case study for some of these ecological benefits, we will present possible scenarios for Cadiz Township, a southern Wisconsin agricultural landscape (Sharpe et aL 1987;Dunn et aL 1991). Examples of other benefits will be drawn from the ecological literature.…”

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confidence: 99%

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