Grassland birds as indicators of the Ecological Recovery of Bison

-Dr. Kevin Ellison & Dr. Steve Zack

© WCS

ABS purchased, received, and donated bison. ABS purchased, received, and donated bison. Also bought land & released bison at 7 preserves.Also bought land & released bison at 7 preserves.

Ecological recovery of the North American bison will occur when multiple large herds of plains and wood bison move freely across extensive landscapes within all major habitats of their historic ranges, interacting in ecologically significant ways with the fullestpossible set of other native species, and inspiring, sustaining and connecting human cultures. –ABS Vermejo statement, Sanderson et al. 2008

2005: WCS reinvigorated it’s American Bison Society

-ecological restoration of bison as wildlife

More bison, more herds

size

Since 1990:

20 (30%) new conservation herds

Managers lack experience with bison as bison

-Most groups just focused on getting bison

-Goals usually relate to how the range ‘looks’

-Wildlife, including bison, require greater scales of habitat

J. Rushing

Without a road map, bison can end up in the wrong place

H. Waxman

Geography of breeding grassland birds # of species

after Mengel 1970

Sings “Koda, pte kizhozho,” i.e., “Friends I whistle for the buffalo” …

So that its friends, the Dakotas, might supply their needs of meat

and clothing. –Gilmore 1921, Prairie Smoke

Meadowlark, bird of promise

Grassland birds = Indicators of structure & scale

Using grassland bird population goals as targets to guide bison restoration

Not all birds are good guidesfor restoration

US State of the Birds 2009:

Of 46 grassland-breeding bird species

48% are of conservation concern

23 spp. w/ data

3-10X as many cattle on 20-30% of the range once used by plains bison-20-30% that range now in crops

“Manage to the middle”

Not grazed enough Not rested enough

Grassland birds = Indicators of structure & scale

Acres required:Habitat Species territory patchBare Mountain Plover 70-143 -Short grass McCown’s Longspur 3-4 -Med. grass Grasshopper Sparrow 3-5 331Med. grass C.-collared Longspur 1-10 96Taller grass Sprague’s Pipit 3-5 358Taller grass Baird’s Sparrow 3-4 62

In the US: <2% historic habitat suitablefor Sprague’s Pipit

Free-ranging grazers produced landscape-level mosaics of large patches of different habitats

500 acres

medium

tall

short

short

500 acres

Landscape-level mosaic of large patches of different habitats

Herd grazes an area in March

500 acres

Landscape-level mosaic of large patches of different habitats

Herd grazes May-June

Landscape-level mosaic of large patches of different habitats

500 acres

Areas grazed in July-Aug

Short grass

Tall grass

Medium grass

Modern pastures & inter-fencing

Patch burns at TNC’s Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Oklahoma

Shifting-mosaic of habitats on landscape

1 km

Patch burns at TNC’s Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Oklahoma

Shifting-mosaic of habitats on landscape

Patch burns at TNC’s Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Oklahoma

Shifting-mosaic of habitats on landscape

WCS on-site collaborations16 sites

>600,000 acres

Turner Bad River Ranch

1. Partner ranchAssess current conditionsTarget species & goals

2. Grazer management:Record density, movement,Water presence/use

3. Other management:Fire, weeds, herbicide/mowing

4. Landscape Scale Features:GIS analyses: fragmentation,matrix of habitats/adjacency,

structures (e.g., powerlines, turbines)Weather:Drought Precipitation 5. Record ecological interactions

(e.g., prairie dogs, nest predators)

6. Measure grassland plant community(composition, structure, productivity)

7. Grassland bird responses:Measure density & productivity

Adaptive management cycle:

Adaptive management cycle:

Monitor initial conditionsvegetation & birds

Make management recommendations

Measure grassland bird responses:Density/productivity

Common recommendations & findings:

TNC’s

Ordway Preserve

8,000 acres

Common recommendations & findings:

-overcome fences!

-context

-complementarity

-cluster for scale

US NPS

wallows

plant heterogeneity

wool for nesting birds & mammals

2. Lag of impact in processes associated with bison

hoof action

seed disperser

nutrient source

cowbird associate

Monitoring grassland birds & habitat to:

-guide bison restoration

-enhance wildlife-friendly cattle grazing

-promote sustainable grazing

-refine projects reseeding & restoring grasslands

-apply technologies to target these efforts both north and south

-methods facilitate common metrics and adaptive learning

toward exportable practices

0.6g2 x .5cm

Geolocators to study migration

Chestnut-collared Longspurwith geolocator

Sprague’s Pipit

0.6g2 x .5cm

Geolocators to study migration

Key Partners:Federal State/ProvincialUSDA/NRCS Montana Bird Conservation PartnershipNational Park Service MT NRCS & BLMUSFWS & USGS Universities of Montana, Manitoba, CalgaryTribal NGOBlackfoot Confederacy World Wildlife Fund-US Private American Prairie Foundation777 Ranch The Nature Conservancy -CO, ND, SD, MTDurham Ranch Nature Conservancy Canada -SK, ABTurner Enterprises American Bison SocietyWild Idea Buffalo Ranch Linden Trust for Conservation

Denver Zoological Foundation