Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

BREEDING PRODUCTIVITY DOES NOT DECLINE WITH INCREASING FRAGMENTATION IN A WESTERN LANDSCAPE

1998; Wiley; Volume: 79; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1890/0012-9658(1998)079[2890

1939-9170

Joshua J. Tewksbury, Sallie J. Hejl, Thomas E. Martin,

Fire effects on ecosystems

EcologyVolume 79, Issue 8 p. 2890-2903 Article BREEDING PRODUCTIVITY DOES NOT DECLINE WITH INCREASING FRAGMENTATION IN A WESTERN LANDSCAPE Joshua J. Tewksbury, Joshua J. Tewksbury Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812 USASearch for more papers by this authorSallie J. Hejl, Sallie J. Hejl USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, P.O. Box 8089, Missoula, Montana 59807 USASearch for more papers by this authorThomas E. Martin, Thomas E. Martin U.S. Biological Resources Division, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Avian Studies Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USASearch for more papers by this author Joshua J. Tewksbury, Joshua J. Tewksbury Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812 USASearch for more papers by this authorSallie J. Hejl, Sallie J. Hejl USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, P.O. Box 8089, Missoula, Montana 59807 USASearch for more papers by this authorThomas E. Martin, Thomas E. Martin U.S. Biological Resources Division, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Avian Studies Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 December 1998 https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(1998)079[2890:BPDNDW]2.0.CO;2Citations: 185Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract Fragmentation of breeding habitat may cause declines in many bird populations. Our perception of the demographic effects of habitat fragmentation comes primarily from studies in the midwestern and eastern United States and Scandinavia. We know very little about the demographic effects of anthropogenically caused habitat fragmentation in habitats prone to natural disturbance, as is typical of most forest types in the western United States. We located and monitored 1916 nests on eight sites located in mostly forested landscapes and eight sites located in primarily agricultural landscapes to study the effects of landscape-level fragmentation on nest predation and brood parasitism in riparian areas in western Montana. Patterns of nest predation were opposite those documented from more eastern locales; predation rates were higher in forested landscapes than in fragmented landscapes dominated by agriculture. This pattern probably reflects the importance of forest predators in these landscapes: red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) were much more abundant in forested landscapes and declined quickly with decreasing forest cover, whereas predators that typically increase in fragmented landscapes in the Midwest (such as corvids) increased only at very high levels of fragmentation. Patch size and distance to habitat edge did not influence predation rates. Brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) decreased with increasing forest cover, but the strongest predictors of parasitism were the abundance of human development (farms and houses) on the landscape and the density of cowbird host species, not forest cover. The combined effects of predation and parasitism resulted in low nesting productivity in both forested and agricultural landscapes for heavily parasitized species, while the species not affected by cowbird parasitism had greater nesting productivity in fragmented agricultural landscapes. Our results suggest that the effects of fragmentation are dependent on the habitat structure, the landscape context, the predator community, and the impact of parasitism. All of these factors may differ substantially in western ecosystems when compared to previously studied forests, making generalizations about the effect of fragmentation difficult. Literature Cited Ambuel, B., and S. A. Temple . 1983. Area-dependent changes in bird communities and vegetation of southern Wisconsin forests. Ecology 64: 1057–1068. Andrén, H. 1992. Corvid density and nest predation in relation to forest fragmentation: a landscape perspective. Ecology 73: 794–804. Andrén, H. 1995. Effects of landscape composition on predation rates at habitat edges. Pages 225–255 in L. Hansson, L. L. Fahrig and G. Merriam, editors. Mosaic landscapes and ecological processes. Chapman and Hall, London, UK. Askins, R. A., J. F. Lynch, and R. Greenberg . 1990. Population declines in migratory birds in eastern North America. Current Ornithology 7: 1–57. Attiwill, P. M. 1994. The disturbance of forest ecosystems: the ecological basis for conservative management. Forest Ecology and Management 63: 247–300. Barber, D. R., and T. E. Martin . 1997. Influence of alternate host densities on brown headed cowbird parasitism rates in black-capped vireos. Condor 99: 595–604. Bock, C. E., V. A. Saab, T. D. Rich, and D. S. Dobkin . 1993. Effects of livestock grazing on neotropical migratory landbirds in Western North America. Pages 296–309 in D. M. Finch and P. W. Stangel, editors. Status and management of neotropical migratory birds. U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station General Technical Report RM-229. Brawn, J. D., and S. K. Robinson . 1996. Source–sink population dynamics may complicate the interpretation of long-term census data. Ecology 77: 3–12. Brittingham, M. C., and S. A. Temple . 1983. Have cowbirds caused forest songbirds to decline? BioScience 33: 31–35. Chasko, G. G., and G. E. Gates . 1982. Avian habitat suitability long a transmission line corridor in an oak–hickory forest region. Wildlife Monographs 82: 1–41. Dobkin, D. S., and B. A. Wilcox . 1986. Analysis of natural forest fragments: riparian birds in the Toyabe Mountains, Nevada. Pages 293–299 in J. Verner, M. L. Morrison, and C. J. Ralph, editors. Wildlife 2000: Modeling habitat relationships of terrestrial vertebrates. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Donovan, T. M., P. W. Jones, E. M. Annand, and F. R. Thompson III . 1997. Variation in local-scale edge effects: mechanisms and landscape context. Ecology 78: 2064–2075. Donovan, T. M., F. R. Thompson III, J. Faaborg, and J. R. Probst . 1995. Reproductive success of migratory birds in habitat sources and sinks. Conservation Biology 9: 1380–1395. ESRI. 1989. PC Arc Info version 3.4D. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., Redlands, California, USA. Faaborg, J., M. Brittingham, T. Donovan, and J. Blake . 1995. Habitat fragmentation in the temperate zone. Pages 357–380 in T. E. Martin and D. Finch, editors. Ecology and management of neotropical migratory birds: a synthesis and review of critical issues. Oxford University Press, New York, New York, USA. Freemark, K., and B. Collins . 1992. Landscape ecology of birds breeding in temperate forest fragments. Pages 443–454 in J. M. Hagan and D. W. Johnson, editors. Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., USA. Gates, J. E., and N. R. Griffen . 1991. Neotropical migrant birds ad edge effects at a forest–stream ecotone. Wilson Bulletin 103: 204–217. Gates, J. E., and L. W. Gysel . 1978. Avian nest dispersion and fledgling success in field–forest ecotones. Ecology 59: 871–883. Hansen, P. L., R. D. Pfister, K. Boggs, B. J. Cook, J. Joy, and D. K. Hinckley . 1995. Classification and management of Montana’s riparian and wetland sites. University of Montana Miscellaneous Publication 54. Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, Missoula, Montana, USA. Haskell, D. G. 1995. A reevaluation of the effects of forest fragmentation on rates of bird-nest predation. Conservation Biology 9: 1316–1318. Hejl, S. J. 1992. The importance of landscape patterns to bird diversity: a perspective from the northern Rocky Mountains. Northwest Environmental Journal 8: 119–137. Hejl, S. J. 1994. Human-induced changes in bird populations in coniferous forest in western North America during the past 100 years. Pages 232–246 in J. R. Jehl, Jr., and N. K. Johnson, editors. A century of avifaunal change in western North America. Studies in Avian Biology 15. Hensler, G. L., and J. D. Nichols . 1981. The Mayfield method of estimating nesting success: a model, estimators and simulation results. Wilson Bulletin 93: 42–53. Hines, J. E., and J. R. Sauer . 1989. CONTRAST Program for the analysis of several survival or recovery rate estimates. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Laurel, Maryland, USA. Howe, R. W. 1984. Local dynamics of bird assemblages in small forest fragments in Australia and North America. Ecology 65: 1585–1601. Hutto, R. L., S. M. Pletschet, and P. Hendricks . 1986. A fixed radius point count method for nonbreeding and breeding season use. Auk 103: 593–602. Johnson, D. H. 1979. Estimating nest success: the Mayfield method and an alternative. Auk 96: 651–661. Johnson, R. R., L. T. Haight, and J. M. Simpson . 1977. Endangered species vs. endangered habitats: a concept. Pages 86–79 in R. R. Johnson and D. A. Jones, editors. Importance, preservation, and management of riparian habitat: a symposium. Fort Collins, Colorado. U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report RM-43. Knopf, F. L. 1985. Significance of riparian vegetation to breeding birds across an altitudinal cline. Pages 105–111 in R. R. Johnson, C. D. Ziebell, D. R. Patton, P. F. Ffolliot, and R. H. Hamre, editors. Riparian ecosystems and their management: reconciling conflicting uses. U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report RM-120. Knopf, F. L., R. R. Johnson, T. Rich, F. B. Samson, and R. C. Szaro . 1988. Conservation of riparian ecosystems in the United States. Wilson Bulletin 100: 272–282. Martin, T. E. 1987. Artificial nest experiments: affect of nest appearance and type of predators. Condor 89: 925–928. Martin, T. E. 1992. Breeding productivity considerations: what are the appropriate habitat features for management? Pages 455–473 in J. M. Hagan and D. W. Johnston, editors. Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrants. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., USA. Martin, T. E. 1993a.. Nest predation and nest sites: new perspectives on old patterns. BioScience 43: 1–18. Martin, T. E. 1993b.. Nest predation among vegetation layers and habitat types: revising the dogmas. American Naturalist 141: 897–913. Martin, T. E. 1995. Avian life history evolution in relation to nest sites, predation, and food. Ecological Monographs 65: 101–127. Martin, T. E. 1996. Fitness costs of resource overlap among coexisting bird species. Nature 380: 338–340. Martin, T. E., and J. Clobert . 1996. Nest predation and avian life-history evolution in Europe versus North America: a possible role of humans? American Naturalist 147: 1028–1046. Martin, T. E., and G. R. Geupel . 1993. Nest-monitoring plots: methods for locating nests and monitoring success. Journal of Field Ornithology 64: 507–519. Martin, T. E., W. Hochachka, C. J. Conway, and J. W. Jenkins . 1996. BBIRD field protocol. Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA. Mayfield, H. F. 1961. Nesting success calculated from exposure. Wilson Bulletin 73: 255–261. Mayfield, H. F. 1975. Suggestions for calculating nest success. Wilson Bulletin 87: 456–466. McGarigal, K., and B. J. Marks . 1995. FRAGSTATS: spatial pattern analysis program for quantifying landscape structure. U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report PNW 351. Møller, A. P. 1989. Nest site selection across field–woodland ecotones: the effect of nest predation. Oikos 56: 240–246. Ohmart, R. D. 1994. The effects of human-induced changes on the avifauna of western riparian habitats. Pages 273–285 in J. R. Jehl, Jr., and N. K. Johnson, editors. A century of avifaunal change in western North America. Studies in Avian Biology 15. Paton, P. W. C. 1994. The effect of edge on avian nest success: how strong is the evidence? Conservation Biology 8: 17–26. Pease, C. M., and J. A. Grzybowski . 1995. Assessing the consequences of brood parasitism and nest predation on seasonal fecundity in passerine birds. Auk 112: 343–363. Ratti, J. T., and K. P. Reese . 1988. Preliminary test of the ecological trap hypothesis. Journal of Wildlife Management 52: 484–491. Rice, W. R. 1989. Analyzing tables of statistical tests. Evolution 43: 223–225. Robinson, S. K. 1992. Population dynamics of breeding Neotropical migrants in a fragmented Illinois landscape. Pages 408–418 in J. M. Hagan and D. W. Johnson, editors. Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., USA. Robinson, S. K., F. R. Thompson, T. M. Donovan, D. R. Whitehead, and J. Faaborg . 1995. Regional forest fragmentation and the nesting success of migratory birds. Science 267: 1987–1990. Robinson, S. K., and D. S. Wilcove . 1994. Forest fragmentation in the temperate zone and its effects on migratory songbirds. Pages 233–249 in K. Young and M. A. Ramos, editors. The conservation of migratory birds in the neotropics. Bird Conservation International, Washington, D.C., USA. Roper, J. J. 1992. Nest predation experiments with quail eggs: too much to swallow? Oikos 65: 528–530. Rothstein, S. I., J. Verner, and E. Stevens . 1984. Radio-tracking confirms a unique diurnal pattern of spatial occurrence in the parasitic Brown-headed Cowbird. Ecology 65: 77–88. Rothstein, S. I., J. Verner, E. Stevens, and L. V. Ritter . 1987. Behavioral differences among sex and age classes and their relation to the efficacy of a control program. Wilson Bulletin 99: 322–327. SPSS. 1996. Advanced statistics. 7.0 update. SPSS, Incorporated, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Saab, V. A., and C. R. Groves . 1992. Idaho’s migratory landbirds: description, habitats and conservation. Idaho department of Fish and Game Nongame Wildlife Leaflet 10. Sauer, J. R., and B. K. Williams . 1989. Generalized procedures for testing hypotheses about survival and recovery rates. Journal of Wildlife Management 53: 137–142. Small, M. F., and M. L. Hunter . 1988. Forest fragmentation and avian nest predation in forested landscapes. Oecologia 76: 62–64. Szaro, R. C. 1980. Factors influencing bird populations in southwestern riparian forests. Pages 403–418 in M. Degraph, editor. Management of western forests and grasslands for nongame birds. U.S. Forest Service Intermountain Forest and Range Experimental Station General Technical Report INT-86. Temple, S. A. 1986. Predicting impacts of habitat fragmentation on forest birds: a comparison of two models. Pages 301–304 in J. Verner, M. L. Morrison, and C. J. Ralph, editors. Wildlife 2000: modeling habitat relationships of terrestrial vertebrates. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Tewksbury, J. J., T. E. Martin, S. J. Hejl, T. Radmen, and J. Wheeler . In press. The occurence and relative abundance of cowbirds in a western valley: landscape, vegetation, and host density effects. Studies in Avian Biology. Thompson, F. R. III . 1994. Temporal and spatial pattern of breeding in brown-headed cowbirds in the Midwestern United States. Auk 111: 979–990. Trail, P. W., and L. F. Baptista . 1993. The impact of Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism on populations of Nuttall’s White-crowned Sparrow. Conservation Biology 7: 309–315. Verner, J., and L. V. Ritter . 1983. Current status of the brown-headed cowbird in the Sierra National Forest. Auk 100: 355–368. Villard, M. A., K. Freemark, and G. Merriam . 1992. Metapopulation theory and neotropical migrant birds in temperate forests: an empirical investigation. Pages 474–482 in J. M. Hagan and D. W. Johnson, editors. Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., USA. Wilcove, D. S. 1985. Nest predation in forest tracts and the decline of migratory songbirds. Ecology 66: 1211–1214. Willebrand, T., and V. Marcström . 1988. On the danger of using artificial nests to study predation. Auk 105: 378–379. Woodworth, B. L. In press a. Brood parasitism, nest predation and season-long reproductive success of a tropical island endemic. Condor. Woodworth, B. L. In press b. The invasion of the Shiny Cowbird in the West Indies: modeling the implications for a single-island endemic vireo. Conservation Biology. Yahner, R. H. 1988. Changes in wildlife communities near edges. Conservation Biology 2: 333–339. Zar, J. H. 1984. Biostatistical analysis. Second edition. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA. Citing Literature Volume79, Issue8December 1998Pages 2890-2903 ReferencesRelatedInformation