Avian response to wildfire in interior Columbia basin shrubsteppe
Condor
By: S.L. Earnst, H.L. Newsome, W.L. LaFramboise, and N. LaFramboise
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Open Access Version: Publisher Index Page
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Wildfire and conversion of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) shrublands to cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) grasslands is a serious threat to the shrubsteppe ecosystem, but few studies have documented wildfire's effects on birds with multiple years of pre- and post-fire data. Using data from avian point counts recorded 4 years before and 7 years after a large-scale, severe wildfire in the Columbia Basin of south-central Washington, we found significant effects of fire on population trends or mean abundance of nearly all species investigated. The Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli), a sagebrush obligate, was decreasing at a high rate both pre- and post-fire. Among species inhabiting more open shrubsteppe or grasslands, the mean abundance of three (Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum; Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta; Vesper Sparrow, Pooecetes gramineus) was lower post-fire and one (Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus) showed an initial, but short-lived, increase post-fire before dropping below pre-fire levels. Only one (Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris) increased steadily post-fire and had higher post-fire mean abundance. ?? 2009 by The Cooper Ornithological Society. All rights reserved.
Suggested Citation
Earnst, S., Newsome, H., LaFramboise, W., LaFramboise, N., 2009, Avian response to wildfire in interior Columbia basin shrubsteppe: Condor, v. 111, no. 2, p. 370-376, https://doi.org/10.1525/cond.2009.080109.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Avian response to wildfire in interior Columbia basin shrubsteppe |
| Series title | Condor |
| DOI | 10.1525/cond.2009.080109 |
| Volume | 111 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 2009 |
| Language | English |
| Contributing office(s) | Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Condor |
| First page | 370 |
| Last page | 376 |