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In 30 surveys, we mapped 21,486 birds comprising 88 species “interact with” the intertidal habitat. Each full “survey” represents a unique month-year-tide combination (but not necessarily a unique day). Specifically, for each of 15 months between January 2012 and March 2013 we conducted separate, but temporally adjacent high-tide and low-tide bird surveys (30 in total) throughout the intertidal habitats. Back to back surveys within the same month are not meant to be independent measures of bird abundance and should be averaged to get an idea of bird abundance in a particular month. Birds were counted if they were in the intertidal habitat. We also counted some species, like raptors, if they were perched in adjacent...
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Grasslands comprise a small part of the Chihuahuan Desert but are vital to the biological diversity of the ecoregion. Characteristic grasses of the Chihuahuan Desert are tobosa (Pleuraphis mutica) and black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) but other common species include alakali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides), big alkali sacaton (S. wrightii), mesa dropseed (S. flexuosus), blue grama (B. gracilis), sideoats grama (B. curtipendula ), hairy grama (B. hirsuta), slender grama (B. filiformis), chino grama (B. brevista), spruce top grama (B. chondrosioides), bush muhly (Muhlenbergia porteri), several three awns (Aristida spp.), and fluff grass (Dasyochloa pulchela) (Johnson 1974, Dinerstein et al. 2000). Many of the sites discussed...
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The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), a major component of California's renewable energy planning efforts, will help provide effective protection and conservation of desert ecosystems while allowing for the appropriate development of renewable energy projects. The DRECP is focused on the desert regions and adjacent lands of seven California counties - Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego. It is being prepared through an unprecedented collaborative effort between the California Energy Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also known as the Renewable Energy Action Team....
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Natural landscapes in the Southwestern United States are changing. In recent decades, rising temperatures and drought have led to drier conditions, contributed to large-scale ecological impacts, and affected many plant and animal species across the region. The current and future trajectory of climate change underscores the need for managers and conservation professionals to understand the impacts of these patterns on natural resources. In this regional assessment of the Southwest Climate Change Initiative, we evaluate changes in annual average temperatures from 1951–2006 across major habitats and large watersheds and compare these changes to the number of species of conservation concern that are found within these...
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WHISPers stands for Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership - event reporting system. It is a web-based repository for sharing basic information about historic and ongoing wildlife mortality (death) and morbidity (illness) events. The system possesses a searchable archive of wildlife mortality and morbidity event data that is available to the public. The information is opportunistically collected and does not reflect all the mortality events that occur in North America.
Types: Citation; Tags: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, All tags...
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Grasslands of the Sky Islands region once covered over 13 million acres in southeastern Arizona and adjacent portions of New Mexico, Sonora, and Chihuahua. Attempts to evaluate current ecological conditions suggest that approximately two thirds of these remain as intact or restorable grassland habitat. These grasslands provide watershed services such as flood control and aquifer recharge across the region, and continue to support dozens of species of concern. Prioritizing conservation interventions for these remaining grassland blocks has been challenging. Reliable data on condition and conservation value of grasslands in the region have not been systematically summarized. State and national boundaries further complicate...
Most conservation groups support the development of wind energy in the US as an alternative to fossil and nuclear-fueled power plants to meet growing demand for electrical energy. However, concerns have surfaced over the potential threat to birds, bats, and other wildlife from the construction and operation of wind turbine facilities. Co-sponsored by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the Wind Energy and Birds/Bats Workshop was convened to examine current research on the impacts of wind energy development on avian and bat species and to discuss the most effective ways to mitigate such impacts. On 18-19 May 2004, 82 representatives from government, non-government...
Miscanthus is a newly introduced crop grown primarily to produce biomass for energy production and the area grown in the UK is anticipated to increase. Major differences in crop management from conventional arable crops have led to speculation that miscanthus may also have effects on farmland biodiversity. Six miscanthus fields were paired with six of a conventional crop, winter wheat, and bird diversity and abundance were compared in winter and during the breeding season along with potential food sources. Miscanthus fields had a greater abundance and diversity of birds than did wheat in winter and summer. In winter, the greater numbers of birds in miscanthus fields were probably attracted by the shelter provided...
Most conservation groups support the development of wind energy in the US as an alternative to fossil and nuclear-fueled power plants to meet growing demand for electrical energy. However, concerns have surfaced over the potential threat to birds, bats, and other wildlife from the construction and operation of wind turbine facilities. Co-sponsored by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the Wind Energy and Birds/Bats Workshop was convened to examine current research on the impacts of wind energy development on avian and bat species and to discuss the most effective ways to mitigate such impacts. On 18-19 May 2004, 82 representatives from government, non-government...
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Riparian grasslands dominated by big sacaton (Sporobolus wrightii) once covered floodplains across the southwest, but have been reduced to some 5% of their historical extent. Sacaton stands that remain provide key resources for watershed function, wildlife, and livestock—yet may need special management to sustain these benefits. This report describes mapping methods and management recommendations that can be applied to riparian grasslands throughout the region. By examining sacaton grasslands in the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, this project also refines methods for evaluating ecological condition, and provides managers at this site with detailed maps of both high-quality habitat and restoration needs.
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NatureServe worked with several federal, state, and NGO partners in the United States and Mexico to conduct a climate change vulnerability assessment of major natural community types found within the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. The project focused on ten major upland, riparian, and aquatic community types, including pinyon-juniper woodlands, Joshua tree-blackbrush scrub, creosote-bursage scrub, salt desert scrub, Paloverde-mixed cacti scrub, semi-desert grassland, desert riparian and stream, riparian mesquite bosque, and desert springs. This effort piloted a new Habitat Climate Change Vulnerability Index (HCCVI) approach being developed by NatureServe, as a companion to an existing index for species. The project...
The combustion of perennial grass biomass to generate electricity may be a promising renewable energy option. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grown as a biofuel has the potential to provide a cash crop for farmers and quality nesting cover for grassland birds. In southwestern Wisconsin (near lat. 42 degrees 52', long. 90 degrees 08'), we investigated the impact of an August harvest of switchgrass for bioenergy on community composition and abundance of Wisconsin grassland bird species of management concern. Harvesting the switchgrass in August resulted in changes in vegetation structure and bird species composition the following nesting season. In harvested transects, residual vegetation was shorter and the litter...
The combustion of perennial grass biomass to generate electricity may be a promising renewable energy option. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grown as a biofuel has the potential to provide a cash crop for farmers and quality nesting cover for grassland birds. In southwestern Wisconsin (near lat. 42 degrees 52', long. 90 degrees 08'), we investigated the impact of an August harvest of switchgrass for bioenergy on community composition and abundance of Wisconsin grassland bird species of management concern. Harvesting the switchgrass in August resulted in changes in vegetation structure and bird species composition the following nesting season. In harvested transects, residual vegetation was shorter and the litter...
The combustion of perennial grass biomass to generate electricity may be a promising renewable energy option. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grown as a biofuel has the potential to provide a cash crop for farmers and quality nesting cover for grassland birds. In southwestern Wisconsin (near lat. 42 degrees 52', long. 90 degrees 08'), we investigated the impact of an August harvest of switchgrass for bioenergy on community composition and abundance of Wisconsin grassland bird species of management concern. Harvesting the switchgrass in August resulted in changes in vegetation structure and bird species composition the following nesting season. In harvested transects, residual vegetation was shorter and the litter...
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This report is volume 2 of a two-volume ecological assessment of grassland ecosystems in the Southwestern United States. Broad-scale assessments are syntheses of current scientific knowledge, including a description of uncertainties and assumptions, to provide a characterization and comprehensive description of ecological, social, and economic components within an assessment area. Volume 1 of this assessment focused on the ecology, types, conditions, and management practices of Southwestern grasslands. Volume 2 (this volume) describes wildlife and fish species, their habitat requirements, and species-specific management concerns, in Southwestern grasslands. This assessment is regional in scale and pertains primarily...
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This report is volume 1 of a two-volume ecological assessment of grassland ecosystems in the Southwestern United States. Broadscale assessments are syntheses of current scientific knowledge, including a description of uncertainties and assumptions, to provide a characterization and comprehensive description of ecological, social, and economic components within an assessment area. Volume 1 of this assessment focuses on the ecology, types, conditions, and management practices of Southwestern grasslands. The second volume, due to be published in 2005, describes wildlife and fish species, their habitat requirements, and species-specific management concerns, in Southwestern grasslands. This assessment is regional in...
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Executive Summary This Action Plan offers a reference framework—developed through stakeholder consensus—to align, articulate and implement grassland sustainable use and management actions in the State of Chihuahua. The overall goal is not only to help in making more sustainable the productive activities related to grasslands, but also to maintain and/or to restore their capacity to provide the environmental services vital to the Chihuahuan society (e.g., aquifer recharge, carbon sequestration and biodiversity). This document represents a first collaborative effort at a State level among producers, researchers and students all with the same goal: to care, to restore and sustainably use grasslands. Those who participated...


    map background search result map search result map Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategies for Natural Communities Status and Distribution of Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands in the United States and Mexico Sustaining the Grassland Sea Assessment of Grassland Ecosystem Conditions in the Southwestern United States, Volume 1 Assessment of Grassland Ecosystem Conditions in the Southwestern United States: Wildlife and Fish, Volume 2 Managing Changing Landscapes in the Southwestern United States Sacaton Riparian Grasslands Plan de Acción para la Conservación y Uso Sustentable de los Pastizales del Estado de Chihuahua 2011-2016 Kentucky - Tier 1 Conservation Areas Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership-event reporting system (WHISPers) Bird locations by date and species Bird locations by date and species Sustaining the Grassland Sea Kentucky - Tier 1 Conservation Areas Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Plan de Acción para la Conservación y Uso Sustentable de los Pastizales del Estado de Chihuahua 2011-2016 Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategies for Natural Communities Managing Changing Landscapes in the Southwestern United States Status and Distribution of Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands in the United States and Mexico Assessment of Grassland Ecosystem Conditions in the Southwestern United States, Volume 1 Assessment of Grassland Ecosystem Conditions in the Southwestern United States: Wildlife and Fish, Volume 2 Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership-event reporting system (WHISPers)