A lesson in the limitations of field experiments: Shrubsteppe birds and habitat alteration
-
-
Authors: J. A. Wiens, J. T. Rotenberry, and B. Van Horne
Date: 1986
Journal: Ecology
Volume: 67
Number: 2
Pages: 365-376
Summary of Methods: Wiens et al. looked at the effects of habitat alteration on the behavior of Great Basin passerine species. Sagebrush was altered in a checkerboard pattern at three different treatments: shrubs were removed at 25, 50 and 75% in a uniform pattern, within each plot, while the control plots (0% removal) were adjacent to the experimental plots. Sage sparrows were seen to move more often and spend less time singing in manipulated plots than in control plots, while Brewer's sparrows spent significantly less time foraging and significantly more time singing in manipulated areas. Wiens et al. stated that this study showed an adequate depiction of individual behavior and movement in response to habitat alteration. However, the scale of the experiment lacked the necessary parameters to represent results at the population level. Further research is needed, on a much larger scale, to determine the effects of shrub removal on bird species and their home ranges.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: brewer's sparrow, experiment, habitat selection, horned lark, oregon, sage sparrow, shrubsteppe, territoriality
Annotation: Study conducted on a 4.5 ha plot, with each treatment contained within a 25 x 25 m sub-plot.
-
Get article
Cite article with DOI
-