Breeding bird response to juniper woodland expansion
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Abstract
In recent times, pinyon (Pinus spp.)-juniper (Juniperus spp.) woodlands have expanded into large portions of the Southwest historically occupied by grassland vegetation. From 1997-1998, we studied responses of breeding birds to one-seed juniper (J. monosperma) woodland expansion at 2 grassland study areas in northern Arizona. We sampled breeding birds in 3 successional stages along a grassland-woodland gradient: un-invaded grassland, grassland undergoing early stages of juniper establishment, and developing woodland. Species composition varied greatly among successional stages and was most different between endpoints of the gradient. Ground-nesting grassland species predominated in uninvaded grassland but declined dramatically as tree density increased. Tree- and cavity-nesting species increased with tree density and were most abundant in developing woodland. Restoration of juniper-invaded grasslands will benefit grassland-obligate birds and other wildlife.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Breeding bird response to juniper woodland expansion |
| Series title | Journal of Range Management |
| DOI | 10.2307/4003238 |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Year Published | 2001 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Society for Range Management |
| Contributing office(s) | Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center |
| Description | 7 p. |
| First page | 226 |
| Last page | 232 |