Does habitat reclamation following energy development benefit songbird nest survival?

Avian Conservation and Ecology

article

Christopher P. Kirol¹  Bradley C. Fedy¹ 

[1] School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo

关键词: Brewer's Sparrow;    energy development;    indicator species;    nest success;    nest survival;    oil and gas;    reclamation;    sagebrush songbirds;   

DOI  :  10.5751/ACE-01913-160203

学科分类：口腔科学

来源: Resilience Alliance Publications

【 摘 要 】

Songbird communities that rely on sagebrush habitat for breeding are experiencing steep population declines, while a large amount of the sagebrush ecosystem continues to be impacted by energy development. Reclamation is increasingly emphasized as a means of mitigating impacts on species that have been affected by oil and gas development; however, the response of sagebrush species to reclamation has largely been untested. We used nest survival of the Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri breweri) as an indicator of fitness responses to short-term reclamation in sagebrush habitat. We assessed oil and gas reclamation ~5 years after reclamation, but sagebrush reestablishment is a slow process; thus, the legacy of these disturbances (i.e., disturbance scars) will likely remain for decades. We compared Brewer's Sparrow nest survival across a gradient of oil and gas development from undisturbed and active development to areas that had undergone oil and gas reclamation. Nest survival was assessed at multiple scales from microhabitat to landscape. The distribution of nest sites in the active and reclamation areas suggested local avoidance of disturbance, both active and reclamation disturbance, when establishing nesting territories. We found that reclamation benefited nest survival at a local-scale when disturbance exposure exceeded 15%. Our findings demonstrated scale-dependent nest survival relationships. Across microhabitat and landscape scales, sagebrush canopy cover and composition were important to Brewer's Sparrow nest survival. Combined, these finding emphasize the importance of avoiding the removal of sagebrush habitat whenever possible and expediting sagebrush reestablishment in reclamation areas to maintain high quality sagebrush habitat for breeding songbird populations.

【 授权许可】

CC BY