Winter Bird Diversity and Community Structure in Relation to Shrub Cover and Invasive Exotic Natal Grass in Two Livestock Ranches in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico
Abstract
:Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Sites
2.2. Study Design
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Jaureguiberry, P.; Titeux, N.; Wiemers, M.; Bowler, D.E.; Coscieme, L.; Golden, A.S.; Guerra, C.A.; Jacob, U.; Takahashi, Y.; Settele, J.; et al. The Direct Drivers of Recent Global Anthropogenic Biodiversity Loss. Sci. Adv. 2022, 8, eabm9982. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- WWF. Living Planet Report 2022—Building a Nature Positive Society; Almond, R.E.A., Grooten, M., Juffe Bignoli, D., Petersen, T., Eds.; WWF: Gland, Switzerland, 2022; ISBN 9782880853167. [Google Scholar]
- Hoekstra, J.M.; Boucher, T.M.; Ricketts, T.H.; Roberts, C. Confronting a Biome Crisis: Global Disparities of Habitat Loss and Protection. Ecol. Lett. 2005, 8, 23–29. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Scholtz, R.; Twidwell, D. The Last Continuous Grasslands on Earth: Identification and Conservation Importance. Conserv. Sci. Pract. 2022, 4, e626. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Liu, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Tong, L.; Khalifa, M.; Wang, Q.; Gang, C.; Wang, Z.; Li, J.; Sun, Z. Assessing the Effects of Climate Variation and Human Activities on Grassland Degradation and Restoration across the Globe. Ecol. Indic. 2019, 106, 105504. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bardgett, R.D.; Bullock, J.M.; Lavorel, S.; Manning, P.; Schaffner, U.; Ostle, N.; Chomel, M.; Durigan, G.; Fry, E.L.; Johnson, D.; et al. Combatting Global Grassland Degradation. Nat. Rev. Earth Environ. 2021, 2, 720–735. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Carbutt, C.; Henwood, W.D.; Gilfedder, L.A. Global Plight of Native Temperate Grasslands: Going, Going, Gone? Biodivers. Conserv. 2017, 26, 2911–2932. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Petermann, J.S.; Buzhdygan, O.Y. Grassland Biodiversity. Curr. Biol. 2021, 31, R1195–R1201. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Bengtsson, J.; Bullock, J.M.; Egoh, B.; Everson, C.; Everson, T.; O’Connor, T.; O’Farrell, P.J.; Smith, H.G.; Lindborg, R. Grasslands—More Important for Ecosystem Services than You Might Think. Ecosphere 2019, 10, e02582. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Askins, R.A.; Chvez-Ramrez, F.; Dale, B.C.; Haas, C.A.; Herkert, J.R.; Knopf, F.L.; Vickery, P.D. Conservation of Grassland Birds in North America: Understanding Ecological Processes in Different Regions. Ornithol. Monogr. 2007, 64, 1–46. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bernath-Plaisted, J.S.; Correll, M.D.; Somershoe, S.G.; Dwyer, A.M.; Bankert, A.; Beh, A.; Berlanga, H.; Boyle, W.A.; Cruz-Romo, J.L.; George, T.L.; et al. Review of Conservation Challenges and Possible Solutions for Grassland Birds of the North American Great Plains. Rangel. Ecol. Manag. 2023, 90, 165–185. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rosenberg, K.V.; Dokter, A.M.; Blancher, P.J.; Sauer, J.R.; Smith, A.C.; Smith, P.A.; Stanton, J.C.; Panjabi, A.; Helft, L.; Parr, M.; et al. Decline of the North American Avifauna. Science 2019, 366, 120–124. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Marques, A.T.; Moreira, F.; Alcazar, R.; Delgado, A.; Godinho, C.; Sampaio, H.; Rocha, P.; Sequeira, N.; Palmeirim, J.M.; Silva, J.P. Changes in Grassland Management and Linear Infrastructures Associated to the Decline of an Endangered Bird Population. Sci. Rep. 2020, 10, 15150. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Calvert, A.M.; Bonner, S.J.; Jonsen, I.D.; Mills Flemming, J.; Walde, S.J.; Taylor, P.D. A Hierarchical Bayesian Approach to Multi-State Mark-Recapture: Simulations and Applications. J. Appl. Ecol. 2009, 46, 610–620. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- NABCI State of North America’s Birds. Available online: https://www.stateofthebirds.org/2016/ (accessed on 15 April 2024).
- Panjabi, A.O.; Youngberg, E.; Levandoski, G. Wintering Grassland Bird Densities in Chihuahuan Desert Grassland Priority Conservation Areas, 2007–2010; Technical Report I-MXPLAT-08-03; Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory: Brighton, CO, USA, 2010. [Google Scholar]
- Pool, D.B.; Panjabi, A.O.; Macias-Duarte, A.; Solhjem, D.M. Rapid Expansion of Croplands in Chihuahua, Mexico Threatens Declining North American Grassland Bird Species. Biol. Conserv. 2014, 170, 274–281. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wilsey, C.; Taylor, L.; Bateman, B.; Jensen, C.; Michel, N.; Panjabi, A.; Langham, G. Climate Policy Action Needed to Reduce Vulnerability of Conservation-Reliant Grassland Birds in North America. Conserv. Sci. Pract. 2019, 1, e21. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jarzyna, M.A.; Zuckerberg, B.; Finley, A.O.; Porter, W.F. Synergistic Effects of Climate and Land Cover: Grassland Birds Are More Vulnerable to Climate Change. Landsc. Ecol. 2016, 31, 2275–2290. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Maresh Nelson, S.B.; Ribic, C.A.; Niemuth, N.D.; Bernath-Plaisted, J.; Zuckerberg, B. Sensitivity of North American Grassland Birds to Weather and Climate Variability. Conserv. Biol. 2023, 38, e14143. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Stanton, R.L.; Morrissey, C.A.; Clark, R.G. Analysis of Trends and Agricultural Drivers of Farmland Bird Declines in North America: A Review. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 2018, 254, 244–254. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Douglas, D.J.T.; Waldinger, J.; Buckmire, Z.; Gibb, K.; Medina, J.P.; Sutcliffe, L.; Beckmann, C.; Collar, N.J.; Jansen, R.; Kamp, J.; et al. A Global Review Identifies Agriculture as the Main Threat to Declining Grassland Birds. Ibis 2023, 165, 1107–1128. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hovick, T.J.; Elmore, R.D.; Fuhlendorf, S.D.; Engle, D.M.; Hamilton, R.G. Spatial Heterogeneity Increases Diversity and Stability in Grassland Bird Communities. Ecol. Appl. 2015, 25, 662–672. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Duquette, C.A.; Hovick, T.J.; Geaumont, B.A.; Harmon, J.P.; Limb, R.F.; Sedivec, K.K. Embracing Inherent and Imposed Sources of Heterogeneity in Rangeland Bird Management. Ecosphere 2022, 13, e4304. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Van Auken, O.W. Causes and Consequences of Woody Plant Encroachment into Western North American Grasslands. J. Environ. Manag. 2009, 90, 2931–2942. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Vaccaro, A.S.; Filloy, J.; Bellocq, M.I. What Land Use Better Preserves Taxonomic and Functional Diversity of Birds in a Grassland Biome? Avian Conserv. Ecol. 2019, 14, 1. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Andersen, E.M.; Steidl, R.J. Woody Plant Encroachment Restructures Bird Communities in Semiarid Grasslands. Biol. Conserv. 2019, 240, 108276. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schipper, A.M.; Belmaker, J.; de Miranda, M.D.; Navarro, L.M.; Böhning-Gaese, K.; Costello, M.J.; Dornelas, M.; Foppen, R.; Hortal, J.; Huijbregts, M.A.J.; et al. Contrasting Changes in the Abundance and Diversity of North American Bird Assemblages from 1971 to 2010. Glob. Chang. Biol. 2016, 22, 3948–3959. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Andersen, E.M.; Steidl, R.J. Woody Plant Encroachment Reduces Density of Most Grassland Specialists in a Desert Grassland but Has Limited Influence on Nest Survival. Ornithol. Appl. 2023, 125, duac049. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Steidl, R.J.; Litt, A.R.; Matter, W.J. Effects of Plant Invasions on Wildlife in Desert Grasslands. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 2013, 37, 527–536. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Andersen, E.M.; Steidl, R.J. Plant Invasions Alter Settlement Patterns of Breeding Grassland Birds. Ecosphere 2020, 11, e03012. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Saalfeld, D.T.; Saalfeld, S.T.; Conway, W.C.; Hartke, K.M. Wintering Grassland Bird Responses to Vegetation Structure, Exotic Invasive Plant Composition, and Disturbance Regime in Coastal Prairies of Texas. Wilson J. Ornithol. 2016, 128, 290–305. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dettlaff, M.A.; Erbilgin, N.; Cahill, J.F. An Invasive Grass and Litter Impact Tree Encroachment into a Native Grassland. Appl. Veg. Sci. 2021, 24, e12618. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chapman, R.N.; Engle, D.M.; Masters, R.E.; Leslie, D.M. Grassland Vegetation and Bird Communities in the Southern Great Plains of North America. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 2004, 104, 577–585. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hovick, T.J.; Dwayne Elmore, R.; Fuhlendorf, S.D. Structural Heterogeneity Increases Diversity of Non-Breeding Grassland Birds. Ecosphere 2014, 5, 1–13. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ortega-S, J.A.; Ibarra-Flores, F.A.; Melgoza, A.; Gonzalez-Valenzuela, E.A.; Martin-Rivera, M.H.; Avila-Curiel, J.M.; Ayala-Alvares, F.; Pinedo, C.; Rivero, O. Exotic Grasses and Wildlife in Northern Mexico. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 2013, 37, 537–545. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Castillo, A.M.; Valladares, M.I.B.; Mata-González, R.; Alvarez, C.P. Biology of Natal Grass Melinis repens (Willd.) and Implications for Its Use or Control. Review. Rev. Mex. Ciencias Pecu. 2014, 5, 429–442. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Desmond, M.J.; Mendez-Gonzalez, C.; Abbott, L.B. Winter Diets and Seed Selection of Granivorous Birds in Southwestern New Mexico. Stud. Avian Biol. 2008, 37, 101–112. [Google Scholar]
- Kennedy, P.L.; Debano, S.J.; Bartuszevige, A.M.; Lueders, A.S. Effects of Native and Non-Native Grassland Plant Communities on Breeding Passerine Birds: Implications for Restoration of Northwest Bunchgrass Prairie. Restor. Ecol. 2009, 17, 515–525. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Titulaer, M.; Melgoza-Castillo, A.; Macías-Duarte, A.; Panjabi, A.O. Seed Size, Bill Morphology, and Handling Time Influence Preferences for Native vs. Nonnative Grass Seeds in Three Declining Sparrows. Wilson J. Ornithol. 2018, 130, 445–456. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Titulaer, M.; Melgoza-Castillo, A.; Panjabi, A.O.; Sanchez-Flores, A.; Martínez-Guerrero, J.H.; Macías-Duarte, A.; Fernandez, J.A. Molecular Analysis of Stomach Contents Reveals Important Grass Seeds in the Winter Diet of Baird’s and Grasshopper Sparrows, Two Declining Grassland Bird Species. PLoS ONE 2017, 12, e0189695. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- CONABIO. La Biodiversidad En Chihuahua. Estudio de Estado; Comisión Nacional Para el Conocimiento y el Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO): Tlalpan, Mexico, 2014; ISBN 978-607-8328-05-5. [Google Scholar]
- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. Field Protocol for Bird Line-Transect and Vegetation Surveys in the Chihuahuan Desert; Bird Conservancy of the Rockies: Fort Collins, CO, USA, 2021. [Google Scholar]
- Pavlacky, D.C.; Lukacs, P.M.; Blakesley, J.A.; Skorkowsky, R.C.; Klute, D.S.; Hahn, B.A.; Dreitz, V.J.; George, T.L.; Hanni, D.J. A Statistically Rigorous Sampling Design to Integrate Avian Monitoring and Management within Bird Conservation Regions. PLoS ONE 2017, 12, e0185924. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- R Core Team. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing; R Core Team: Vienna, Austria, 2022. [Google Scholar]
- Hill, M.O. Diversity and Evenness: A Unifying Notation and Its Consequences. Ecology 1973, 54, 427–432. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chao, A.; Gotelli, N.J.; Hsieh, T.C.; Sander, E.L.; Ma, K.; Colwell, R.K.; Ellison, A.M. Rarefaction and Extrapolation with Hill Numbers: A Framework for Sampling and Estimation in Species Diversity Studies. Ecol. Monogr. 2014, 84, 45–67. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hsieh, T.C.; Ma, K.H.; Chao, A. INEXT: INterpolation and EXTrapolation for Species Diversity, R Package Version 2.0.20 2020. 2020. Available online: http://chao.stat.nthu.edu.tw/wordpress/software_download/(accessed on 15 April 2024).
- Wickham, H. Ggplot2: Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis 2016; Springer: Cham, Switzerland, 2016. [Google Scholar]
- Oksanen, J.; Blanchet, F.G.; Kindt, R.; Legendre, P.; Minchin, P.R.; O’hara, R.B.; Simpson, G.L.; Solymos, P.; Stevens, M.H.; Wagner, H.; et al. Community Ecology Package, Version 2.6-6.1. 2022. Available online: https://github.com/vegandevs/vegan(accessed on 15 April 2024).
- Grant, T.A.; Madden, E.; Berkey, G.B. Tree and Shrub Invasion in Northern Mixed-Prairie: Implications for Breeding Grassland Birds. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 2004, 32, 807–818. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Graves, B.M.; Rodewald, A.D.; Hull, S.D. Influence of Woody Vegetation on Grassland Birds Within Reclaimed Surface Mines. Wilson J. Ornithol. 2010, 122, 646–654. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Augustine, D.; Davidson, A.; Dickinson, K.; Van Pelt, B. Thinking Like a Grassland: Challenges and Opportunities for Biodiversity Conservation in the Great Plains of North America. Rangel. Ecol. Manag. 2021, 78, 281–295. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Macías-Duarte, A.; Panjabi, A.O.; Strasser, E.H.; Levandoski, G.J.; Ruvalcaba-Ortega, I.; Doherty, P.F.; Ortega-Rosas, C.I. Winter Survival of North American Grassland Birds Is Driven by Weather and Grassland Condition in the Chihuahuan Desert. J. Field Ornithol. 2017, 88, 374–386. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pérez-Ordoñez, D.J.; Titulaer, M.; Correll, M.D.; Strasser, E.H.; Baeza-Tarin, F.; Martin, R.L.; Harveson, L.A. The Role of Temperature and Microclimate in the Survival of Wintering Grassland Birds. Avian Conserv. Ecol. 2022, 17, 1. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ribic, C.A.; Sample, D.W. Associations of Grassland Birds with Landscape Factors in Southern Wisconsin. Am. Midl. Nat. 2001, 146, 105–121. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Cunningham, M.A.; Johnson, D.H. Narrowness of Habitat Selection in Woodland and Grassland Birds. Avian Conserv. Ecol. 2019, 14, 14. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Igl, L.D.; Ballard, B.M. Habitat Associations of Migrating and Overwintering Grassland Birds in Southern Texas. Condor 1999, 101, 771–782. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Nelson, S.B.; Coon, J.J.; Duchardt, C.J.; Fischer, J.D.; Halsey, S.J.; Kranz, A.J.; Parker, C.M.; Schneider, S.C.; Swartz, T.M.; Miller, J.R. Patterns and Mechanisms of Invasive Plant Impacts on North American Birds: A Systematic Review. Biol. Invasions 2017, 19, 1547–1563. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pulliam, J.P.; Somershoe, S.; Sather, M.; McNew, L.B. Habitat Targets for Imperiled Grassland Birds in Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie. Rangel. Ecol. Manag. 2020, 73, 511–519. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Catling, P.M. Effects of Invasive Alien Plants on Birds: Some Examples from North America. Biodiversity 2005, 6, 30–39. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Flanders, A.A.; Kuvlesky, W.P.; Ruthven, D.C.; Zaiglin, R.E.; Bingham, R.L.; Fulbright, T.E.; Hernández, F.; Brennan, L.A. Effects of Invasive Exotic Grasses on South Texas Rangeland Breeding Birds. Auk 2006, 123, 171. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schirmel, J.; Bundschuh, M.; Entling, M.H.; Kowarik, I.; Buchholz, S. Impacts of Invasive Plants on Resident Animals across Ecosystems, Taxa, and Feeding Types: A Global Assessment. Glob. Chang. Biol. 2016, 22, 594–603. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Macías-Duarte, A.; Montoya, A.B.; Méndez-González, C.E.; Rodríguez-Salazar, J.R.; Hunt, W.G.; Krannitz, P.G. Factors Influencing Habitat Use by Migratory Grassland Birds in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico. Auk 2009, 126, 896–905. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Macías-Duarte, A.; Panjabi, A.O.; Pool, D.B.; Ruvalcaba-Ortega, I.; Levandoski, G.J. Fall Vegetative Cover and Summer Precipitation Predict Abundance of Wintering Grassland Birds across the Chihuahuan Desert. J. Arid Environ. 2018, 156, 41–49. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Baeza-Tarin, F. Overwinter Habitat Requirements of Baird’s Sparrow (Centronyx bairdii) and Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) in the Marfa Grasslands; Sul Ross State University: Alpine, TX, USA, 2020. [Google Scholar]
- Grzybowski, J.A. Population Structure in Grassland Bird Communities during Winter. Condor 1982, 84, 137–152. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Muller, J.A.; Ross, J.D. Fine-Scale Habitat Associations of Oklahoma’s Longspurs. J. Wildl. Manag. 2022, 86, e22258. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Desmond, M.; Young, K.; Thompson, B.; Valdez, R.; Lafón, A. Habitat Associations and Conservation of Grassland Birds in the Chihuahuan Desert Region: Two Case Studies in Chihuahua. In Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Conservation in Northern Mexico; Cartron, J.E., Ceballos, G., Felger, R.S., Eds.; Oxford University Press: New York, NY, USA, 2005; pp. 439–451. [Google Scholar]
- McGarigal, K.; Wan, H.Y.; Zeller, K.A.; Timm, B.C.; Cushman, S.A. Multi-Scale Habitat Selection Modeling: A Review and Outlook. Landsc. Ecol. 2016, 31, 1161–1175. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pavlacky, D.C.; Green, A.W.; George, T.L.; Iovanna, R.; Bartuszevige, A.M.; Correll, M.D.; Panjabi, A.O.; Ryder, T.B. Landscape-Scale Conservation Mitigates the Biodiversity Loss of Grassland Birds. Ecol. Appl. 2022, 32, e2548. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Mayor, S.J.; Schneider, D.C.; Schaefer, J.A.; Mahoney, S.P. Habitat Selection at Multiple Scales. Ecoscience 2009, 16, 238–247. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Guttery, M.R.; Ribic, C.A.; Sample, D.W.; Paulios, A.; Trosen, C.; Dadisman, J.; Schneider, D.; Horton, J.A. Scale-Specific Habitat Relationships Influence Patch Occupancy: Defining Neighborhoods to Optimize the Effectiveness of Landscape-Scale Grassland Bird Conservation. Landsc. Ecol. 2017, 32, 515–529. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fisher, R.J.; Davis, S.K. From Wiens to Robel: A Review of Grassland-Bird Habitat Selection. J. Wildl. Manag. 2010, 74, 265–273. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Monroe, A.P.; O’Connell, T.J. Winter Bird Habitat Use in a Heterogeneous Tallgrass Prairie. Am. Midl. Nat. 2014, 171, 97–115. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Reynolds, C.; Symes, C.T. Grassland Bird Response to Vegetation Structural Heterogeneity and Clearing of Invasive Bramble. Afr. Zool. 2013, 48, 228–239. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Anderle, M.; Brambilla, M.; Hilpold, A.; Matabishi, J.G.; Paniccia, C.; Rocchini, D.; Rossin, J.; Tasser, E.; Torresani, M.; Tappeiner, U.; et al. Habitat Heterogeneity Promotes Bird Diversity in Agricultural Landscapes: Insights from Remote Sensing Data. Basic Appl. Ecol. 2023, 70, 38–49. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Port, J.; Schottler, S. The Effect of Floristic Composition on Bird Communities in a Set of Four Grassland Reconstruction Types. Ecol. Restor. 2017, 35, 112–119. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Stein, A.; Gerstner, K.; Kreft, H. Environmental Heterogeneity as a Universal Driver of Species Richness across Taxa, Biomes and Spatial Scales. Ecol. Lett. 2014, 17, 866–880. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Derner, J.D.; Lauenroth, W.K.; Stapp, P.; Augustine, D.J. Livestock as Ecosystem Engineers for Grassland Bird Habitat in the Western Great Plains of North America. Rangel. Ecol. Manag. 2009, 62, 111–118. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Barzan, F.R.; Bellis, L.M.; Dardanelli, S. Livestock Grazing Constrains Bird Abundance and Species Richness: A Global Meta-Analysis. Basic Appl. Ecol. 2021, 56, 289–298. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Boyce, A.J.; Shamon, H.; Kunkel, K.E.; McShea, W.J. Grassland Bird Diversity and Abundance in the Presence of Native and Non-Native Grazers. Avian Conserv. Ecol. 2021, 16, 13. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhang, Z.; Zhang, B.; Zhang, X.; Yang, X.; Shi, Z.; Liu, Y. Grazing Altered the Pattern of Woody Plants and Shrub Encroachment in a Temperate Savanna Ecosystem. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 330. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Dornbusch, M.J.; Limb, R.F.; Sedivec, K.K. Alternative Grazing Management Strategies Combat Invasive Grass Dominance. Nat. Areas J. 2020, 40, 86–95. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Christian, K.; Isabelle, L.V.; Frédéric, J.; Vincent, D. More Species, Fewer Specialists: 100 Years of Changes in Community Composition in an Island Biogeographical Study. Divers. Distrib. 2009, 15, 641–648. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Laja | Tinaja 1 | Tinaja 2 | |
---|---|---|---|
Natal grass cover (%) | 10.85 (13.52) a | 7.54 (5.78) a | 6.47 (3.00) a |
Grass cover (%) | 20.89 (4.31) a | 22.78 (2.86) a | 29.16 (8.02) a |
Grass height (cm) | 54.44 (7.05) a | 47.46 (3.19) a | 53.18 (6.26) a |
Forb cover (%) | 15.68 (3.17) a | 15.16 (2.14) a | 14.54 (2.54) a |
Forb height (cm) | 42.38 (8.28) a | 39.93 (4.94) a | 27.08 (5.09) a |
Shrub and tree (>30 m) cover (%) | 15.85 (2.41)a | 17.00 (5.12) a | 22.75 (5.01) b |
Shrub and tree (>30 m) height (m) | 1.71 (0.32) a | 1.42 (0.26) a | 3.85 (12.00) b |
Woody plant (<30 m) cover (%) | 0.42 (1.45) a | 3.16 (2.24) ab | 1.49 (2.55) b |
Bare ground (%) | 28.18 (6.23) a | 22.77 (6.01) a | 21.37 (3.30) a |
Other cover (%) | 19.17 (5.98) a | 19.08 (3.59) a | 11.54 (2.39) a |
Shrub and tree cover (50 m plot; %) | 26.95 (3.38) a | 26.18 (3.22) a | 27.94 (5.00) a |
Shrub and tree height (50 m plot; m) | 2.52 (1.43) a | 2.02 (7.23) a | 2.41 (6.70) a |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Titulaer, M.; Aragón Gurrola, C.M.; Melgoza Castillo, A.; Camargo-Sanabria, A.A.; Hernández-Quiroz, N.S. Winter Bird Diversity and Community Structure in Relation to Shrub Cover and Invasive Exotic Natal Grass in Two Livestock Ranches in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico. Birds 2024, 5, 404-416. https://doi.org/10.3390/birds5030027
Titulaer M, Aragón Gurrola CM, Melgoza Castillo A, Camargo-Sanabria AA, Hernández-Quiroz NS. Winter Bird Diversity and Community Structure in Relation to Shrub Cover and Invasive Exotic Natal Grass in Two Livestock Ranches in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico. Birds. 2024; 5(3):404-416. https://doi.org/10.3390/birds5030027
Chicago/Turabian StyleTitulaer, Mieke, Cielo Marisol Aragón Gurrola, Alicia Melgoza Castillo, Angela A. Camargo-Sanabria, and Nathalie S. Hernández-Quiroz. 2024. "Winter Bird Diversity and Community Structure in Relation to Shrub Cover and Invasive Exotic Natal Grass in Two Livestock Ranches in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico" Birds 5, no. 3: 404-416. https://doi.org/10.3390/birds5030027