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Grassland bird use of Conservation Reserve Program Fields in the Great Plains

Technical Report USDA/NRCS/WHMI-2000
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Abstract

The area enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program in the Great Plains is enormous: nearly 18 million acres, or more than 7 million hectares, in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. This change in land use has had a huge influence on grassland bird populations. Many, but certainly not all, grassland species flourish in CRP habitats. Responses to the program vary not only by species, but by region, year, vegetation composition in a field, and whether or not a field was hayed or grazed. Further, the large scale of CRP has allowed researchers to begin to address other important conservation questions, such as the effect of the size of habitat patch and the influences of landscape features. Although the CRP provisions of farm bills have been beneficial to grassland birds, it is critical that gains in grassland habitat induced by the program not be offset by losses due to sodbusting.

Suggested Citation

Johnson, D.H., 2000, Grassland bird use of Conservation Reserve Program Fields in the Great Plains: Technical Report USDA/NRCS/WHMI-2000, 15 p.

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype Federal Government Series
Title Grassland bird use of Conservation Reserve Program Fields in the Great Plains
Series title Technical Report
Series number USDA/NRCS/WHMI-2000
Year Published 2000
Language English
Publisher U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Wildlife Habitat Management Institute
Contributing office(s) Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Description 15 p.
Larger Work Type Report
Larger Work Subtype Federal Government Series
Larger Work Title A comprehensive review of Farm Bill contributions to fish and wildlife conservation, 1985-2000
First page 19
Last page 33
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