The Water Quality Information Center at the National Agricultural Library
Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture

Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on Fish and Wildlife

A Conservation Effects Assessment
Project (CEAP) Bibliography


Special Reference Briefs Series no. SRB 2008-01

Volumes 7a and 7b

Compiled by
Stuart R. Gagnon
Joseph R. Makuch
Cassandra Y. Harper

Water Quality Information Center
National Agricultural Library
Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture

2,285 citations (in two volumes)

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record:
Gagnon, Stuart R.
Effects of agricultural conservation practices on fish and wildlife : a
Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) bibliography. [In 2 vol.]
(Special reference briefs ; NAL-SRB 2008-01)
1. Agricultural conservation—Environmental aspects—United States—Bibliography.
2. Wildlife habitat improvement—United States—Bibliography.
3. Fish habitat improvement—United States—Bibliography.
4. Water quality management—United States—Bibliography.
I. Makuch, Joe. II. Harper, Cassandra Y. III. Water Quality Information Center (U.S.)
IV. Title.
aZ5074.C58

Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on Fish and Wildlife, Special Reference Brief 2008-01. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library, 2 vol.

This bibliography, in two volumes, is part of a multi-volume set developed by the Water Quality Information Center at the National Agricultural Library in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). The bibliography is a guide to recent scientific literature covering effects of agricultural conservation practices on fish and wildlife.  The citations listed here provide information on how conservation programs and practices designed to improve fish and wildlife habitat, as well as those intended for other purposes, e.g., water quality improvement, affect various aquatic and terrestrial fauna.

Keywords:  aquatic habitat, aquatic organisms, biodiversity, conservation buffers, conservation practices, conservation programs, ecology, ecosystem management, fish, habitat conservation, habitat fragmentation, natural resource management, wild animals, wildlife, wildlife habitats, wildlife management.

Mention of trade names or commercial products in this report is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

To ensure timely distribution, this report has been reproduced essentially as supplied by the authors.  It has received minimal publication editing and design.  The authors’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

While supplies last, single copies of this publication may be obtained at no cost from the Water Quality Information Center, National Agricultural Library, Room 107, 10301 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705.

Copies of this publication may be purchased in various formats (microfiche, photocopy, CD, print on demand) from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, (800) 553-6847, www.ntis.gov.

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August 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

This bibliography, in two volumes, is part of a series of bibliographies developed by the Water Quality Information Center at the National Agricultural Library (NAL) in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP).  

The purpose of CEAP is to study the environmental effects of conservation practices implemented through various U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs.  A national assessment covers cropland, wetlands, wildlife and grazing lands.  Conservation practices being assessed include conservation buffers; erosion control; wetlands conservation and restoration; establishment of wildlife habitat; and management of grazing land, tillage, irrigation water, nutrients, and pests.  More information about this and other components of CEAP is available at www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/nri/ceap/.

The current titles in this series are

Each of the documents, as well as bibliographies on similar topics, is accessible online from the NAL Water Quality Information Center at www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/.

Acknowledgments
The center gratefully acknowledges these organizations who granted permission to use their citations and abstracts.

• American Geological Institute
  www.agiweb.org
• CABI
  www.cabi.org
• Cambridge Information Group/ProQuest
  www.csa.com
• Elsevier/Scopus
  www.scopus.com
• National Information Services Corporation (NISC)
  www.nisc.com
• Thomson Reuters Scientific
  scientific.thomson.com
  

The following databases were used to develop this bibliography:

· AGRICOLA (National Agricultural Library)
· Aquatic Science and Fisheries Abstracts (ProQuest)
· BioOne (ProQuest)
· Biological Sciences (ProQuest)
· BIOSIS Previews (Thomson Reuters Scientific)
· CAB Abstracts (CABI)
· Current Contents (Thomson Reuters Scientific)
· Conference Papers Index (ProQuest)
· Entomology Abstracts (ProQuest)
· Fish and Fisheries Worldwide (NISC)
· GeoRef (American Geological Institute)
· NTIS (National Technical Information Service)
· Scopus (Elsevier)
· Treesearch (USDA Forest Service)
· Water Resources Abstracts (ProQuest)
· Web of Science (Thomson Reuters Scientific)
· Wildlife and Ecology Studies Worldwide (NISC)
· Zoological Record (Thomson Reuters Scientific)

In addition, support from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the development of this bibliography is greatly appreciated. Special thanks to Charles Rewa, NRCS, for his valuable assistance.  

[Table of Contents]

About This Bibliography

This bibliography is a guide to recent scientific literature covering effects of agricultural conservation practices on fish and wildlife.  The citations listed here provide information on how conservation programs and practices designed to improve fish and wildlife habitat, as well as those intended for other purposes, e.g., water quality improvement, affect various aquatic and terrestrial fauna.

Citations are broadly grouped into two volumes of the bibliography, 7a and 7b.  Volume 7a covers the terrestrial habitats of cropland (including set-aside lands, buffers, strip habitats), grazing lands (including some riparian areas) and forests.  Volume 7b covers aquatic habitats in sections focused on lotic habitats (streams, rivers) and lentic habitats (estuaries, lakes, ponds, wetlands).  This volume also contains a third grouping of citations covering mixed habitats, which may be mixed terrestrial and/or aquatic habitats.

There are 2,285 citations with abstracts (when available) in this bibliography.  Citations were found through literature searches of the AGRICOLA database, produced by the National Agricultural Library, and several commercial bibliographic databases listed on page two.  The literature searches focused on documents published during the years 2000 through 2007.  Relevant citations from the previous six CEAP bibliographies are also included.  Many of these citations are from documents published before 2000.  The geographical coverage is North America.

In addition, Water Quality Information Center staff created citations for documents that were located by other means.  If they were readily available to the compilers, URLs are provided for online documents.  The inclusion or omission of a particular citation does not imply endorsement or disapproval.

Within sections, citations are arranged alphabetically by title.  To locate information on a specific topic, for example, “ring-necked pheasant,” use the subject index beginning on page 273 of volume 7b.  To ensure that you see all the relevant citations for a particular topic, be sure to also look up related terms in the subject index, such as “Phasianus colchicus” or “gamebird” from this example.  An author index is also available beginning on page 341.

To obtain a specific document, please contact your local library.  Information on how to obtain documents from the National Agricultural Library can be found at www.nal.usda.gov/services/request.shtml.

[Table of Contents]

Terrestrial Habitats
Cropland

3. An annotated bibliography for wildlife responses to the Conservation Reserve Program.
Allen, A. W.
In: A comprehensive review of Farm Bill contributions to wildlife conservation, 1985-2000/ Heard, L. P.; Hohman, W. L.; Halloum, D. J.; and Wildlife Habitat Management Institute (U.S.); Series: Technical Report USDA/NRCS/WHMI.
Madison, MS: USDA, NRCS, Wildlife Habitat Management Institute, 2000; pp. 151-206.
NAL Call #:  aS604.6 C66 2000
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ wildlife habitats/ wildlife management

4. Annual set-aside programs: A long-term perspective of habitat quality in Illinois and the Midwest.
Warner, Richard E.; Etter, Stanley L.; David, Larry M.; and Mankin, Philip C.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 28(2): 347-354. (2000)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 0091-7648
Descriptors:  policies and programs/ farms/ food crops/ production/ grassland/ cultivated farmland/ habitat management for wildlife/ conservation programs/ land use/ cover/ vegetation/ agriculture/ habitat change/ grains/ prairie/ extensive agriculture/ Illinois/ Iowa 
Abstract: Farm programs that divert cropland from production have been important for establishing grassy habitat in the Midwest since the 1930s. This study documents 1) the expansion of row crop production and general decline of grasses on farm landscapes of the Midwest in recent decades, and 2) the trend toward short-term set-aside programs that establish grassy habitat of marginal value, depicted in Illinois. During the 1980s and early 1990s, row crop production in the Midwest moderated and millions of hectares of grassland were established on cropland diverted from production. Nonetheless, from 1964 to 1992, row crop plantings increased by 39%, with an 84% increase in soybeans being the most striking land-use change. Row crops supplanted numerous cover types that have grassy structure, including oats (-83%), wheat (-10%), other minor crops (-51%), permanent pasture (-54%), diverted cropland (-51%), and other farmland (-41%). On a study area in east-central Illinois, we evaluated and compared selected habitat characteristics of grassy cover for 1962-63 and 1991-94 on 100 randomly selected 4.05-ha plots, including tract width, heterogeneity of vegetation, disturbance during the growing season, persistence of vegetation from one growing season to the next, and extent to which grassy fields were connected by permanent (grass) edges to surrounding landscape elements. There was a diminution (P<0.05) in these habitat attributes in the 1990s compared to the 1960s. The conservation community has emphasized the potential benefits of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for wildlife, while most of the grassland in the Corn Belt has been established by annual set-aside programs. Although the most recent set-aside era ended in the late 1990s, programs of this nature may reemerge. Our study underscores the need and opportunity for improving habitat conditions as part of future farm programs that would divert land from production under short-term contract.
© NISC

5. Architectural features of agricultural habitats and their impact on the spider inhabitants.
Rypstra, A. L.; Carter, P. E.; Balfour, R. A.; and  Marshall, S. D.
Journal of Arachnology 27(1): 371-377. (1999)
NAL Call #:  QL451.J6; ISSN: 0161-8202.
Notes: Literature review.
Descriptors:  habitats/ conservation tillage/ herbivores/ humidity/ intercropping/ mulching/ predator-prey relationships/ productivity/ tillage/ agricultural entomology/ Araneae/ arthropods/ Arachnida/ invertebrates/ animals
Abstract: The density and diversity of the spider community has been closely tied to the structural complexity of the local environment. For instance, soil dwelling spiders increase dramatically when the litter layer is enhanced because there are more retreats and hiding places and because temperature and humidity extremes are moderated. Web-building spiders are directly linked to the configuration of the vegetation because of specific web attachment requirements. Both correlative and experimental data support a tight relationship between spider density and habitat structure. Most of the available data show that agricultural practices which enhance the structural complexity of the environment (such as intercropping, mulching, and conservation tillage practices) enhance the density and diversity of the spider community. The key question regarding spiders in agroecosystems is, of course, whether they are in any way suppressing the activity of herbivores. Some studies uncovered a strong link between habitat complexity, spider abundance and plant productivity; but others have not, and the mechanisms by which spiders could exert a top-down effect are not clear. More investigation into the specifics of how habitat structure influences the predator-prey interactions in agroecosystems is needed in order to truly understand and manage agricultural production in a responsible manner.
© CABI

6. The Arkansas response to federal farm program opportunities.
Long, J. D.; Akers, D.; and Wilson, S. N.
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 46(4): 272-275. (July 1991-Aug. 1991)
NAL Call #:  56.8 J822; ISSN: 0022-4561 [JSWCA3]
Descriptors:  farmland/ wildlife conservation/ habitats/ environmental protection/ federal programs/ Conservation Reserve Program
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

7. Arsenic and mercury concentrations in major landscape components of an intensively cultivated watershed.
Cooper, C. M. and Gillespie, W. B.
Environmental Pollution 111(1): 67-74. (2000)
NAL Call #:  QH545.A1E52; ISSN: 0269-7491
Descriptors:  wetlands/ arsenic/ mercury/ watersheds/ bioaccumulation/ stormwater runoff/ water pollution/ sediment pollution/ agricultural runoff/ flood plains/ aquatic organisms/ soil contamination/ sediment contamination/ fish/ runoff/ mercury-197/ pollution (soil)/ pollution (water)/ contaminated sediments/ fish/ catchment areas/ Pisces/ freshwater fish/ Mississippi R.
Abstract: To provide an understanding of arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) concentrations in soil, sediment, water, and fish tissues, samples were collected from a Mississippi River alluvial floodplain located in northwest Mississippi. As concentrations increased approximately an order of magnitude from water (5.12 µg/l) to fish tissues (36.99µg/kg) and an additional two orders of magnitude in soils, lake sediments, and wetland sediments (5728, 5614, and 6746µg/kg), respectively. Average Hg concentrations in water, soils, lake sediments, and fish were 2.16µg/l, 55.1, 14.5 and 125µg/kg, respectively. As and Hg concentrations were within published ranges for uncontaminated soil, water, and sediments. As concentrations represented a low risk. Hg concentrations were also low but showed a greater tendency to concentrate in fish tissue. The dominant mode of entry of these materials into aquatic systems is through storm-generated runoff. Since both metals accompany sediments, agricultural conservation practices such as reduced tillage, buffer riparian strips, and bordering sediment ponds or drainage wetlands will minimize watershed input to aquatic systems.
© ProQuest

8. Artificial nest predation in hedgerows and scrub forest in a human-dominated landscape of central Mexico.
Zuria, I.; Gates, J. E.; and Castellanos, I.
Acta Oecologica 31(2): 158-167. (2007); ISSN: 1146609X.
Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.actao.2006.07.005.
Descriptors:  agriculture/ artificial nest/ birds/ ecological trap/ El Bajio/ hedgerow/ Mexico/ plasticine egg/ predation
Abstract: Hedgerows as well as other narrow corridors could be valuable habitats for birds in regions of intensive agriculture, however, it is still not clear how successful breeding birds are in different types of hedgerows as compared to birds nesting in their natural habitats. We used artificial nests to examine whether hedgerows were sinks (ecological traps) for birds by comparing rates of predation in two types of hedgerows with different vegetation structure (simple and complex), and in a tract of scrub forest in an agricultural landscape of central Mexico. We determined also the types of predators responsible for egg predation. Ground and elevated nests were baited with one Japanese quail Coturnix japonica egg and one plasticine egg and placed alternately along transects. Significantly, greater predation rates were found in scrub forest and complex hedgerows than in simple hedgerows. Higher predation rates in complex habitats seemed to reflect the higher number of predator types found there. The most important predator types were carnivores followed by rodents, birds, and humans. Carnivores and rodents mainly predated ground nests, whereas birds and humans predated elevated nests. Simple hedgerows in this landscape appeared to offer relatively safe nest sites in terms of predation pressure when compared to more complex habitats (complex hedgerows and scrub forest).
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

9. Assessment of farmer attitudes and behavioral intentions toward bird conservation on organic and conventional Florida farms.
Jacobson, Susan K.; Sieving, Kathryn E.; Jones, Gregory A.; and Van Doorn, Annamamria
Conservation Biology 17(2): 595-606. (2003)
NAL Call #:  QH75.A1C5 ; ISSN: 0888-8892
Descriptors:  bird (Aves)/ animals/ birds/ chordates/ nonhuman vertebrates/ vertebrates/ bird conservation: behavioral intentions, farmer attitudes
Abstract: To enhance efforts to conserve birds, especially insectivorous species, we examined the social dimensions of conventional and organic farming in northern Florida (U.S.A.). Using a framework for the adoption of agricultural innovations, we developed a 44-item survey instrument to measure farmers' socio-demographic background, farm characteristics, participation in social organizations, communication and information networks, and perceived barriers and incentives to adopting bird-friendly practices. Seventy-six surveys were completed, with a response rate of 84% for organic farmers and 60% for conventional farmers. The population of conventional farmer was composed of more males who were older, less educated, and earned a greater income than organic farmers. Conventional farms were on average 20 times larger than organic farms and grew less than half the varieties of crops. These two factors correlated with higher agreement with statements that a considerable amount of money is spent on pest management and that leaf-eating insects cause considerable damage. Fewer conventional than organic farmers scouted for pests daily, an important component of integrated pest management. Almost all farmers (95%) reported recognizing most of the bird species on their farms. More organic farmers (31%) than conventional farmers (12%) reported more than 30 bird species on their farms. Farmers' overall willingness to attract birds to their farms was not correlated with economic or noneconomic incentives and barriers to adopting bird-friendly practices, such as current costs of pest management, experience with bird damage to crops, and farmers' knowledge of insectivorous birds and birds on their farms. Innovations in current farming practices that could enhance bird populations should be disseminated through existing social networks and media channels identified in this paper.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

10. Association of ring-necked pheasant, gray partridge, and meadowlark abundance to Conservation Reserve Program grasslands.
Haroldson, K. J.; Kimmel, R. O.; Riggs, M. R.; and Berner, A. H.
Journal of Wildlife Management 70(5): 1276-1284. (2006)
NAL Call #:  410 J827; ISSN: 0022541X.
Notes: doi: 10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70 [1276:AORPGP]2.0.CO;2.
Descriptors:  abundance/ Conservation Reserve Program/ grasslands/ gray partridge/ habitat/ meadowlark/ Minnesota/ Perdix perdix/ Phasianus colchicus/ ring-necked pheasant/ Sturnella/ weather
Abstract: Wildlife managers and farm program administrators need information on how much habitat grassland birds need to support or expand their populations. We quantified the relationships between the amount of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) habitat in 15 agricultural landscapes and relative abundance of ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), gray partridge (Perdix perdix), and meadowlarks (Sturnella spp.) in south-central Minnesota, USA, over a 10-year CRP enrollment cycle. For each 10% increase of grass in the landscape, pheasant survey counts increased by an average of 12.4 birds per route in spring and by 32.9 birds per route in summer. Pheasant indices also varied by year, and the magnitude of year effects were equivalent to a change in grass abundance of 26-36%. Regardless of the amount of grass habitat available, partridge indices in our study declined dramatically from a peak in 1990 to a low in 1994-1995. Meadowlark indices increased by an average of 11.7 birds per route in summer for each 10% increase of grass in the landscape, while indices simultaneously declined from 1990 to 1998. Our results indicate that conversion of cropland to CRP grassland in intensively cultivated landscapes is associated with higher population indices of pheasants and meadowlarks, but not partridge. Managers should assess the success of habitat programs over periods of ≥ 5 years because population indices may fluctuate dramatically over time with little apparent change in habitat abundance.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

11. Association of the Conservation Reserve Program with ring-necked pheasant survey counts in Iowa.
Riley, Terry Z.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 23(3): 386-390. (1995)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 0091-7648
Descriptors:  Phasianus colchicus (Galliformes)/ animals/ birds/ chordates/ nonhuman vertebrates/ vertebrates/ agriculture/ snowfall/ weather/ wildlife management 
Abstract: More than 880,000 ha of Iowa farmland were enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) from 1986-1991. I evaluated the relationship between CRP enrollment and ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) in Iowa and how cropland and weather affected that relationship. Six percent of the land area in Iowa was enrolled in the CRP between 1986 and 1991. Pheasant numbers in Iowa increased 30% during the first 5 years of the CRP compared to a similar period before the program began (P = 0.026). Numbers increased 34% (P < 0.018) in counties with > 70% cropland and 26% (P= 0.12) in counties with 50-70% cropland. I did not detect increases in pheasant numbers in counties with < 50% cropland (P > 0.71). Pheasant numbers were positively related to the CRP, but this function was also influenced by percent cropland and cumulative snowfall.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

12. Avian abundance, composition, and reproductive success on Conservation Reserve Program fields in northern Missouri.
McCoy, T. D.
Columbia, MO: University of Missouri, 1996.
Notes: M.S. Thesis
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ State conservation programs/ Missouri
Abstract:  Studied various avian species abundance, composition, and reproductive success in different grassland types (CP1 vs. CP2) in northern Missouri.

13. Avian abundance in CRP and crop fields during winter in the Midwest.
Best, Louis B.; Campa, Henry; Kemp, Kenneth E.; Robel, Robert J.; Ryan, Mark R.; Savidge, Julie A.; Weeks, Harmon P.; and Winterstein, Scott R.
American Midland Naturalist 139(2): 311-324. (1998)
NAL Call #:  410 M58; ISSN: 0003-0031
Descriptors:  dark eyed junco (Passeriformes)/ horned lark (Passeriformes)/ lapland longspur (Passeriformes)/ meadowlark (Passeriformes)/ mourning dove (Columbiformes)/ northern bobwhite (Galliformes)/ ring necked pheasant (Galliformes)/ American goldfinch (Passeriformes)/ American tree sparrow (Passeriformes)/ Canada goose (Anseriformes)/ European starling (Passeriformes)/ animals/ birds/ chordates/ nonhuman vertebrates/ vertebrates/ crop fields/ species abundance/ species composition/ winter/ Conservation Reserve Program
Abstract: We compared the abundance and species composition of birds in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields with the same aspects in row-crop fields during the winter (January and February) over several years (1992-1995) for six Midwestern states (Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Nebraska). Field techniques were standardized in all states. CRP fields consisted of either permanent introduced grasses and legumes (CP1) or permanent native grasses (CP2), and the plant species seeded in CRP fields differed within and among states. Vegetation characteristics of CRP fields varied considerably from state to state, but vertical density and total canopy cover (primarily grasses) were particularly high in Nebraska. Mean annual total bird abundance ranged from 0.1 to 5.1 birds per km of transect in CRP fields and from 0.1 to 24.2 in row-crop fields. The total number of bird species recorded in CRP fields in the six states ranged from 6 to 32; the range for row-crop fields was 8 to 18. The most abundant species in CRP fields differed among states but included the ring-necked pheasant, American tree sparrow, northern bobwhite, dark-eyed junco and American goldfinch. The most abundant species in row-crop fields included the horned lark, American tree sparrow, European starling, mourning dove, lapland longspur, meadowlarks and Canada goose. Some of the most abundant bird species wintering on CRP fields have been undergoing long-term population declines, thus this program has the potential to mitigate population losses.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

14. Avian community structure, reproductive success, vegetative structure, and food availability in burned CRP Fields and grazed pastures in northeastern Kansas.
Klute, D. S.
Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University, 1994.
Notes: M.S. Thesis
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ State conservation programs/ Kansas
Abstract:  Compared avian community structure and reproductive success, food availability, and vegetative structure in CRP grasslands in northern Kansas that were grazed and burned.

15. Avian diversity and functional insectivory on north-central Florida farmlands.
Jones, G. A.; Sieving, K. E.; and Jacobson, S. K.
Conservation Biology 19(4): 1234-1245. (2005)
NAL Call #:  QH75.A1C5; ISSN: 08888892.
Notes: doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00211.x.
Descriptors:  agroecosystems/ avian biodiversity/ avian conservation/ birds and farmlands/ functional insectivores/ avifauna/ biological control/ habitat related behavior/ insectivory/ pest control/ species diversity/ Florida/ Aves/ Hexapoda/ Insecta
Abstract: We studied the potential for native birds to control insect pests on farms. We assessed habitat factors correlated with diversity, distribution, and insect-foraging activity of native birds on farms in north-central Florida and then characterized common bird species that consumed insect biomass in crops as "functional insectivores" (birds most likely to contribute to pest control). Analyses of point-count survey data and foraging observations collected over 2 years on paired organic and conventional farm sites indicated that (1) farms supported most (82-96%) land birds known to breed in the region; (2) bird species richness and abundance varied significantly with matrix habitat and field border type (but not with year or farm management type); (3) the highest bird abundances were associated with mixed crop plantings, field borders, and adjacent matrix composed of forest and hedge; and (4) abundances of 10 species identified as functional insectivores were primarily influenced by crop type (mixed crops attracted significantly more insect foragers into fields than monocrops). We documented birds eating pest insects in crops and did not observe substantive crop damage by birds during growing-season observations. We advocate use of the term functional insectivore to emphasize the potential positive role of avian insectivory on farms during the growing season. ©2005 Society for Conservation Biology.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

16. Avian nesting density and success in alfalfa, cool season CRP, and warm season CRP plantings in eastern South Dakota.
Rock, Marcus E. South Dakota State University, 2006.
Notes: Thesis (M.S.); Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-52).
http://wfs.sdstate.edu/wfsdept/Publications/Theses/Rock,%20Marcus%20E.%20MS-2006.pdf
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program (U.S.)/ Birds---nests---South Dakota/ Birds---Habitat---Conservation---South Dakota/ Alfalfa
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

17. Avian use and vegetation characteristics of Conservation Reserve Program fields.
Delisle, Jennifer M. and Savidge, Julie A.
Journal of Wildlife Management 61(2): 318-325. (1997)
NAL Call #:  410 J827; ISSN: 0022-541X
Descriptors:  bobolinks (Passeriformes)/ common yellowthroat (Passeriformes)/ dickcissels (Passeriformes)/ grasshopper sparrow (Passeriformes)/ ring necked pheasant (Galliformes)/ American tree sparrow (Passeriformes)/ Ammodramus savannarum (Passeriformes)/ Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Passeriformes)/ Geothlypis trichas (Passeriformes)/ Phasianus colchicus (Galliformes)/ Spiza americana (Passeriformes)/ Spizella arborea (Passeriformes)/ Sturnella spp. (Passeriformes)/ animals/ birds/ chordates/ nonhuman vertebrates/ vertebrates/ Conservation Reserve Program/ fields/ meadowlarks/ seasonality/ species abundance/ vegetation structure/ wildlife management
Abstract: We compared avian use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields enrolled in the CP1 (cool-season grasses and legumes) and CP2 (warm-season native grasses) options in southeastern Nebraska from 1991 to 1995. In winter and in the breeding season CP2 fields had taller, denser vegetation than CP1 fields. However, total bird abundance did not differ between CP1 and CP2 fields (P = 0.47). Dickcissels (Spiza americana) and grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) were the most abundant species during the breeding season although population numbers varied among years (P < 0.001). Dickcissels and grasshopper sparrows showed no differences in abundance between CPs, but dickcissels were associated with tall, dense vegetation and grasshopper sparrows with sparser vegetation and a shallow litter layer. Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) were more abundant on CP1 fields (P = 0.001), and common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) and sedge wrens (Cistothorus platensis) were more abundant on CP2 fields (P = 0.001 and P = 0.05). Average winter abundances did not change over years (P = 0.90). American tree sparrows (Spizella arborea) and ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were the most abundant species during winter and were more abundant on CP2 fields (P < 0.05). Meadowlarks (Sturnella spp.) were more abundant on CP1 fields in winter (P < 0.05).
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

18. Avian use of fields enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program in southeast Nebraska.
Delisle, Jennifer M.
Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska, 1995.
Notes: Thesis (M.S.); Includes bibliographical references.
NAL Call #:  NBU LD3656 1995 D455
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program---United States/ Birds---Habitat---Nebraska
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

19. Aviation population trends within the evolving agricultural landscape of eastern and central United States.
Murphy, Michael T.
Auk 120(1): 20-34. (2003)
Descriptors:  agriculture/ conservation/ population studies/ terrestrial ecology/ Breeding Bird Survey/ Conservation Reserve Program/ U.S. Department of  Agriculture/ agricultural land use/ agricultural landscape/ avian population trends/ farmland/ ecosystems/ eastern United States/ central United States/ farming and agriculture/ grasslands/ population ecology/ wildlife-human relationships/ commercial enterprises/ disturbances/ habitat use/ land zones/ artificial structures
Abstract: State-level Breeding Bird Survey (1980-1998) and U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics were used to test the hypothesis that changes in agricultural land use within the eastern and central U.S. have driven population trends of grassland and shrub habitat birds over the past two decades. The degree to which population trends differed between grassland and shrub habitats was evaluated with respect to migratory and nesting behavior. Grassland birds declined significantly between 1980 and 1999, but, on average, shrub habitat species did not. Grassland-breeding, long-distance migrants exhibited the strongest negative trends. Most species (78%; n=63) exhibited at least one significant association between population trends and changes in agricultural land use, and in most, land use "explained" 25-30% of the variation in population trends among states. Changes in the farmland landscape accounted for more of the interstate variability of population trends of short-distance migrants than of both long-distance migrants and residents, and that variability was greater in grassland than shrub species. Declines in the area of rangeland and cover crops were followed by population declines and increases, respectively, by many species. Increases of land in the Conservation Reserve Program had negative associations with population trends of some shrub species. The results indicate that grassland birds have declined strongly over the past two decades, and that regardless of migratory behavior or nesting habits, avian population trends are linked strongly to changes in agricultural land use within North America.
© NISC

20. Biotechnology: Environmental impacts of introducing crops and biocontrol agents in North American agriculture.
Pimentel, D.
In: Biological control: Benefits and risks/ Hokkanen, H. M. and Lynch, J. M.; Series: Plant and microbial biotechnology research series No. 4, 1995; pp. 13-29.
Notes: Literature review; ISBN: 052154405X.
NAL Call #:  TP248.27.P55P54
Descriptors:  plant introduction/ introduced species/ crops/ livestock/ game birds/ game animals/ environmental impact/ weeds/ pests/ biological control agents/ weed control/ insect pests/ genetic engineering/ recombinant DNA/ transgenic plants/ risk/ North America/ animal pests/ pest potential/ weed eating insects
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

21. Bird abundance and nesting in CRP fields and cropland in the Midwest: A regional approach.
Best, Louis B.; Campa, Henry; Kemp, Kenneth E.; Robel, Robert J.; Ryan, Mark R.; Savidge, Julie A.; Weeks, Harmon P.; and Winterstein, Scott R.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 25(4): 864-877. (1997)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 0091-7648
Descriptors:  nest predation/ nesting success/ rowcrop field/ species abundance/ vegetational structure/ Conservation Reserve Program/ Agelaius phoeniceus [red winged blackbird] (Passeriformes)/ Ammodramus savannarum [grasshopper sparrow] (Passeriformes)/ Spiza americana [dickcissel] (Passeriformes)
Abstract: We compared the abundance and nesting success of avian species in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields during the summer with that in rowcrop fields over 5 years (1991-1995) for 6 Midwestern states (Ind., La., Kans., Mich., Mo., and Nebr.). Field techniques were standardized in all states. CRP fields consisted of either perennial introduced grasses and legumes (CP1) or perennial native grasses (CP2), and the plant species seeded in CRP fields differed within and among the states. Disturbances to CRP fields included mowing (partial or complete), application of herbicides, and burning. The height, vertical density, and canopy coverage of vegetation in CRP fields were measured in each state; values for these measurements were particularly low in Kansas. Mean annual total bird abundance in CRP fields ranged from 4.9 to 29.3 birds/km of transect. The most abundant species on CRP fields differed among states but included red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), and dickcissels (Spiza americana). Although the total number of bird species was similar in CRP and rowcrop fields across the region, bird abundance was 1.4-10.5 times greater in the former. Nests of 33 bird species were found in CRP fields compared with only 10 species in rowcrop fields, and the number of nests found was 13.5 times greater in CRP fields. Nest success in CRP fields was 40% overall; predation was the greatest cause of nest failure. Long-term farm set-aside programs that establish perennial grass cover, such as the CRP, seem to provide many benefits for grassland birds, including several species for which conservation is a great concern.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

22. Bird abundance and nesting success in Iowa CRP fields: The importance of vegetation structure and composition.
Patterson, Matthew P. and Best, L. B.
American Midland Naturalist 135(1): 153-167. (1996)
NAL Call #:  410 M58; ISSN: 0003-0031
Descriptors:  passerine/ Passeriformes/ Aves/ Plantae/ animals/ birds/ chordates/ nonhuman vertebrates/ plants/ vertebrates/ Conservation Reserve Program/ land management practice
Abstract: Bird use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and row-crop fields was studied in central Iowa from May through July 1991-1993. Thirty-three bird species were recorded in CRP fields and 34 in row-crop fields. The most abundant species in both habitats was the red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), accounting for 35% of all birds in CRP and 24% in row-crop fields. The dickcissel (Spiza americana), grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), common yellowthroat (Geothypis trichas), brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) and ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) were the next most abundant species in CRP plots. The horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) and brownheaded cowbird were the next most abundant species in row-crop fields. Nests of 16 bird species were found in CRP fields, with red-winged blackbirds accounting for 48% of all nests found. The vesper sparrow and horned lark were the only species nesting in row-crop fields. The major cause of nest loss for all species was predation, accounting for 52% of all nest loss in CRP fields and 65% in row-crop fields. Mammals accounted for 89, 88 and 85% of the predation on grasshopper sparrow, red-winged blackbird and dickcissel nests, respectively. The Conservation Reserve Program has likely contributed to an increase in the abundance of many bird species in central Iowa, inasmuch as the row-crop habitat that it red has lower bird abundance and supports fewer nesting species. The vegetation structure and composition of CRP fields in central Iowa are diverse, resulting in differences in the bird species communities using these fields. The effects of several land-management practices are discussed relative to bird species composition and nesting success.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

23. Bird abundance and success in CRP.
Mccoy, T.
In: 62nd Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference. Minneapolis. MN (USA). 2001.
Notes: Paper No. 307; Conference Sponsor: NCD-AFS; World Meeting Number 000 5249.
Descriptors:  aquatic science/ biology/ environmental science
© ProQuest

24. Bird species richness in vegetation fences and in strips of residual rain forest vegetation at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico.
Estrada, A.; Cammarano, P.; and Coates-Estrada, R.
Biodiversity and Conservation 9(10): 1399-1416. (2000)
NAL Call #:  QH75.A1B562; ISSN: 09603115.
Notes: doi: 10.1023/A:1008935016046.
Descriptors:  bird diversity/ conservation/ corridors/ forest fragmentation/ Los Tuxtlas/ Mexico/ tropical rain forests/ avifauna/ habitat corridor/ habitat fragmentation/ rainforest/ species richness/ Mexico
Abstract: Fragmentation of the lowland tropical rain forest has resulted in loss of animal and plant species and isolation of remaining populations that puts them at risk. At Los Tuxtlas, Mexico, lowland rain forests are particularly diverse in the avian fauna they contain and while most of the forests have been fragmented by human activity, many of the fragments still harbor diverse assemblages of bird species. In these landscapes, linear strips of residual rain forest vegetation along streams as well as linear strips of vegetation fences (live fences) crossing the pastures might provide some connectivity to bird populations existed in forest fragments. We investigated bird species richness and relative abundance in one 6-km long section of live fences (LF) bordering a dirt road and in two 6-km long sections of residual forest vegetation along a river (MR) and one permanent stream (BS). We used point count procedures which resulted in the count of 2984 birds representing 133 species. At the LF site we detected 74% of the species, 72% at the BS site and 57% at the MR site. Only 38% of the species were common among sites. Neotropical migratory birds accounted for 34-41% of the species counted at all sites. While edge and open habitat birds accounted for 6-10% of the species and for 50% of the records at the three vegetation strips, about 90% of the species were forest birds. Distance to forest fragments and degree of disturbance of the vegetation seemed to negatively influence bird species presence at the BS and MR strips. Rarefaction analysis indicated that the LF strip was richer in species than the other two sites, but the occurrence of the three vegetation strips in the landscape seem to favor the presence of many more species. We discuss the value of these vegetation strips to birds as stepping stones in the fragmented landscape.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

25. Bird use and nesting in conventional, minimum-tillage, and organic cropland.
Lokemoen, John T. and Beiser, Julia A.
Journal of Wildlife Management 61(3): 644-655. (1997)
NAL Call #:  410 J827; ISSN: 0022-541X
Descriptors:  commercial activities/ reproduction/ reproductive productivity/ ecology/ population dynamics/ animal constructions/ man-made habitat/ land and freshwater zones/ Aves: farming and agriculture/ fledgeing success/ farming system effect/ hatching success/ community structure/ seasonal changes/ mortality/ nest losses/ predators/ nest loss significance/ minimum tillage and organic farms/ nests/ density/ conventional/ minimum tillage and organic farmland/ cultivated land habitat/ farming system/ effect on community structure and reproduction/ North Dakota/ Prairie Pothole Region/ community structure and reproduction/ effect of farming system/ Aves/ birds/ chordates/ vertebrates
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

26. Bird use of terraces in Iowa rowcrop fields.
Hultquist, J. M. and Best, L. B.
American Midland Naturalist 145(2): 275-287. (2001)
NAL Call #:  410 M58; ISSN: 00030031
Descriptors:  abundance estimation/ agricultural land/ avifauna/ habitat use/ terrace/ United States/ Agelaius phoeniceus/ Spiza americana
Abstract: Bird use of terraces in rowcrop fields was evaluated during 1996-1997 in southwestern Iowa by line transect counts of birds, nest searches and nest monitoring. Twenty-six bird species were observed in terraces. Red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and dickcissels (Spiza americana) were most abundant, accounting for 58% of the total bird abundance. Bird abundance in terraces (x̄ = 463.0 birds/100 ha, SE = 33.0) was less than that in other strip-cover habitats such as grassed waterways and roadsides, but greater than that in rowcrops. Five species nested in terraces. We found 64.8 nests/10 ha of which 76% were red-winged blackbird nests. Predation resulted in failure of 73% of all nests. The relative contribution of terraces to grassland bird conservation is minor, and changes in current terrace management practices would not likely improve conditions for birds nor be economical.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

27. Bird use of three types of field margins in relation to intensive agriculture in Quebec, Canada.
Jobin, B.; Choiniere, L.; and Belanger, L.
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 84(2): 131-143. (2001)
NAL Call #:  S601.A34; ISSN: 01678809.
Notes: doi: 10.1016/S0167-8809(00)00206-1.
Descriptors:  Canada/ Crop pests/ Farmland birds/ field margin/ hedgerow/ Quebec/ windbreak/ habitat use/ birds/ field margin/ habitat use/ intensive agriculture/ Canada/ Aves/ Coniferales/ Galliformes
Abstract: Habitat structure and bird use of field margins were studied in intensive farmlands of southern Quebec, Canada. The main objectives were: (1) to assess the value of field margins for conserving avian diversity in agricultural landscapes, (2) to document their potential as breeding habitats for bird species particularly those considered as nuisance for crops, and (3) to describe habitat variables that best explained bird use of field margins. Three types of field margins were distinguished: (a) natural hedgerows (n = 27) with well developed tree and shrub strata, (b) planted windbreaks (n = 17) mostly composed of coniferous trees and generally devoid of a well structured shrub stratum, and (c) herbaceous field margins (n = 17) with isolated shrubs. A total of 42 bird species were recorded. Bird use of hedgerows and windbreaks was similar, herbaceous field margins having fewer bird species and individuals than the other two types of field margin. Field margins did not contribute significantly as breeding habitats of bird species that may damage crops, but offered shelter to a broad range of species potentially useful for biological pest control. Bird use of field margins was mostly related to hedges' structural complexity and dimension. Conserving natural hedgerows, minimising mechanical and chemical control of the vegetation in field margins, and planting a mix of deciduous and coniferous species in windbreaks represent efficient conservation strategies both from a wildlife and an agronomic point of view.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

28. Birds and the Conservation Reserve Program: A retrospective study.
Lauber, T. B.
Orono, Me.: University of Maine, 1991.
Notes: Thesis (M.S.) in Wildlife Management. Bibliography: leaves 243-248. Includes vita.
NAL Call #:  MeU Univ. 1991 L38
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program---U.S/ Bird populations, Effect of agricultural conservation on
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

29. Black-tailed prairie dogs and the structure of avian communities on the shortgrass plains.
Smith, G. A. and Lomolino, M. V.
Oecologia 138(4): 592-602. (2004); ISSN: 00298549
Descriptors:  biological diversity/ fragmentation/ grassland birds/ keystone species/ avifauna/ community structure/ conservation management/ prairie/ rodent/ ecosystem/ Sciuridae/ ecosystem/ Sciuridae/ Oklahoma/ Artemisia filifolia/ Athene cunicularia/ Buteo regalis/ Charadrius vociferous/ Cynomys ludovicianus/ Eremophila alpestris/ Sturnella
Abstract: We tested the hypothesis that black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) influence avian community structure on the shortgrass prairie. We surveyed 36 prairie dog towns and 36 paired sites without prairie dogs during summer and fall of 1997, 1998, and 1999 in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Our surveys totaled 9,040 individual observations for 73 avian species. Significantly distinct avian communities were present on prairie dog towns when compared to sites within four different macrohabitats of the surrounding landscape: open rangeland, scrub/sandsage (Artemisia filifolia) habitats, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) plots, and fallow crop fields. Relative densities of all bird species combined was higher on prairie dog towns versus paired sites in summer and fall. Mean species richness of birds was significantly higher on prairie dog towns than paired sites during summer, but there were no significant differences in fall. Open rangeland had the highest mean species richness in fall. Assemblages of avian communities differed significantly between prairie dog towns and the four macrohabitat types during summer. Burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia), killdeer (Charadrius vociferous), horned larks (Eremophila alpestris), and meadowlarks (Sturnella spp.) were positively and significantly associated with prairie dog towns during summer, while horned larks and ferruginous hawks (Buteo regalis) were significantly associated with prairie dog towns during fall. Even in their current remnant state, black-tailed prairie dogs continue to play a significant rolein the assembly of ecological communities across the Great Plains. Conservation of prairie dogs goes well beyond a single species, and is an important strategy for the preservation of the prairie ecosystem as a whole.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

30. Breeding bird abundance and diversity in agricultural field borders in the black belt prairie of Mississippi.
Smith, Mark D.; Barbour, Philip J.; Burger, L. Wes.; and Dinsmore, Stephen J.
Proceedings of the Annual Conference Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 59: 43-56. (2005)
NAL Call #:  SK1.S6; ISSN: 0276-7929
Descriptors:  conservation measures/ ecology/ community structure/ population dynamics/ terrestrial habitat/ man-made habitat/ land zones/ Aves: habitat management/ breeding species abundance/ species diversity/ agricultural field border strips/ relative abundance/ population density/ distribution within habitat/ grasslands/ cultivated land habitat/ Mississippi/ Clay and Lowndes Counties/ birds/ chordates/ vertebrates
Abstract: Conservation buffer practices implemented under U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Bill programs offer opportunities for enhancing breeding season habitat for farmland birds. Recently, CP33 (Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds) was added as a new continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) practice designed to address habitat goals for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) under the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. However, it is presumed that this practice will also benefit other birds. To evaluate potential benefits of CP33 field borders for farmland birds, we established a total of 89.0 km of experimental field borders (6.1-m wide) along agriculture field edges on three 405-ha farms in Clay and Lowndes counties, Mississippi. We used 200-m x 20-m strip transects to measure abundance and diversity of birds inhabiting bordered and non-bordered field edges. Indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) and dickcissel (Spiza americana) abundances were nearly twofold greater along bordered field edges. However, mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), and common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) abundances did not differ between bordered and non-bordered field edges. Field borders adjacent to strip habitats (i.e., fencerows, drainage ditches) had greater total bird and red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) abundance than non-bordered edges adjacent to strip habitats. Species richness was greater along bordered than non-bordered edges. Within intensive agricultural landscapes where large-scale grassland restoration is impractical, USDA conservation buffer practices such as field borders (CP33) may be useful for enhancing local breedingbird richness and abundance.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

31. Breeding bird composition and species relative abundance patterns on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land in western Minnesota.
Hanowski, JoAnn M.
Loon 67(1): 12-16. (1995)
Descriptors:  communities/ Conservation Reserve Program/ conservation programs/ birds/ Minnesota/ Minnesota, western
© NISC

32. Butterflies and continuous Conservation Reserve Program filter strips: Landscape considerations.
Davros, N. M.; Debinski, D. M.; Reeder, K. F.; and Hohman, W. L.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 34(4): 936-943. (2006)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 00917648.
Notes: doi: 10.2193/0091-7648(2006)34 [936:BACCRP]2.0.CO;2.
Descriptors:  buffers/ butterfly abundance/ diversity/ farm conservation/ filter strip/ landscape context/ Minnesota/ species richness
Abstract: Filter strips or buffers are areas of grass or other perennial herbaceous vegetation established along waterways to remove contaminants and sediments from agricultural field runoff. In the heavily cultivated regions of the Midwestern United States, these buffer zones established under the Farm Bill provide important habitat for wildlife such as butterflies. The question of how the landscape context of these plantings influences their use has not been adequately researched. We used multiple regression and Akaike's Information Criteria to determine how habitat width and several landscape-level factors (i.e., landscape composition [total herbaceous cover, amount of developed area, and amount of wooded cover] and configuration [herbaceous edge density]) influenced the abundance and diversity of the butterfly community using filter strips in southwestern Minnesota, USA. Habitat-sensitive butterfly abundance and all richness and diversity measures were positively correlated with filter-strip width. Butterfly abundance was negatively associated with the amount of developed areas (cities, towns, and roads) within the area of a 1-km radius (3.14 km²) surrounding the sites. Percentage of wooded cover in the landscape was an important variable explaining individual species abundance, although the direction of the relationship varied. Our finding that landscape context influences butterfly use of filter strips highlights the importance of landscape-level approaches to wildlife conservation in agroecosystems.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

33. Changes in breeding bird populations with habitat restoration in northern Iowa.
Fletcher, R. J. and Koford, R. R.
American Midland Naturalist 150(1): 83-94. (July 2003)
NAL Call #:  410 M58; ISSN: 0003-0031
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ grassland birds/ avian communities/ area sensitivity/ prairie wetlands/ natural wetlands/ abundance/ Dakota/ fields
Abstract: Native tallgrass prairie and wetland habitat in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States have declined over the past two centuries. Bird communities using these habitats have also experienced widespread declines that are often attributed to severe habitat loss and fragmentation. We estimated the change, or turnover, in bird populations in the Eagle Lake Wetland Complex, Iowa, with ongoing grassland and wetland restoration by linking geographic information system data and bird surveys in different land cover types (hayland, pasture, restored grassland, restored wetland and rowcrop agriculture) during the 1999-2001 breeding seasons. Habitat restoration efforts primarily converted rowcrop agriculture and pastures into grassland and wetland habitat. Based on land conversion, abundances of most species have likely increased in the area, including many species of management concern. Yet a few species, such as killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), have probably decreased in abundance. This estimation approach and these estimates provided a critical first step for evaluating restoration efforts; however, information on demographic parameters, such as nesting success, in restored areas is needed for understanding how restoration ultimately affects bird populations.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

34. Comanagement of wildlife corridors: The case for citizen participation in the Algonquin to Adirondack proposal.
Brown, R. and Harris, G.
Journal of Environmental Management 74(2): 97-106. (Jan. 2005)
NAL Call #:  HC75.E5J6
Descriptors:  citizen participation/ conservation programs/ wildlife habitats/ case studies/ animal communities/ landowners/ household surveys/ environmental management/ land use/ Eastern United States/ forest management/ natural resources, environment, general ecology, and wildlife conservation/ forestry related  
Abstract: The debate between top-down and bottom-up planning has recently re-emerged in environmental management. Many commentators agree on the merits of comanagement, in which affected citizens and professional managers share responsibility for planning. Nevertheless, the manifold advantages of comanagement have not always been fully appreciated in environmental planning. For example, a group representing NGOs and academic institutions recently proposed an ecological corridor linking Algonquin Provincial Park in southern Ontario to the Adirondack Park in northern New York. This corridor, known as A2A, was designed to encourage the migration of wolves and other wildlife between the parks. Much of the land in A2A is private property. A survey of households, randomly scattered throughout the United States portion of the corridor, revealed that affected landowners had little knowledge of the proposal and no contact with its advocates. Many respondents were farmers who utilized land for livelihood. Other landowners enjoyed property for a variety of recreational purposes. Regardless of use, survey participants d high value on the importance of conserving biological diversity. They also expressed great distrust toward restrictions that might be placed on their activities. In general, respondents felt very unsure about A2A, and they were uncertain about personal involvement in the planning process. Certain landowners indicated a willingness to have their land be included in an ecological corridor, despite not knowing about it before the survey was administered. These results suggest that A2A proponents have little to lose and much to gain by disseminating information locally and by embracing comanagement for further formulation of this plan. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [publisher]
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

35. Combining data from state and national monitoring surveys to assess large-scale impacts of agricultural policy.
Nusser, S. M.; Clark, W. R.; Wang, J.; and Bogenschutz, T. R.
Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Statistics 9(3): 381-397. (2004)
NAL Call #:  S566.55.J68; ISSN: 10857117.
Notes: doi: 10.1198/108571104X4441.
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ National Resources Inventory/ Phasianus colchicus/ population modeling/ ring-necked pheasant
Abstract: An increasing number of state and national databases are available to assess agricultural and environmental trends in natural resource populations. We use a case study approach to consider methodologies for combining state and national data to assess the impact of agricultural policy on state wildlife populations. The scientific question is to assess the impact of the Conservation Reserve Program on pheasant populations in Iowa, using land cover/use data from the National Resources Inventory and count data from an annual state pheasant population survey. Our approach involves identifying a common spatial polygon for linking summaries from each of two datasets, and then estimating parameters that describe temporal trends in land cover and in pheasant populations over a common time period within each polygon. Estimated pheasant population parameters are regressed on land cover summaries to investigate the impact of the Conservation Reserve Program on pheasant populations in regions of the state. Results reveal that the population response to the Conservation Reserve Program varies by region in relation to the physiography and agricultural use of the region, in ways that were not anticipated by policy developers. Statistical considerations for developing appropriate models for combining data are discussed. © 2004 American Statistical Association and the International Biometric Society.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

36. A comparison of Conservation Reserve Program habitat plantings with respect to arthropod prey for grassland birds.
McIntyre, N. E. and Thompson, T. R.
American Midland Naturalist 150(2): 291-301. (2003)
NAL Call #:  410 M58; ISSN: 0003-0031
Descriptors:  environment-ecology/ Texas High Plains/ North American grassland/ population trends/ CRP fields/ community structure/ avian abundance/ nestling diet/ vegetation/ Coleoptera/ landscape
Abstract: The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was designed to reduce soil erosion and curb agricultural overproduction by converting highly erodible agricultural land to various forms of perennial habitat. It has had an incidental benefit of providing habitat for wildlife and has been beneficial in reversing population declines of several grassland bird species. However, the mechanisms behind these reversals remain unknown. One such mechanism may be differences in food availability on CRP vs. non-CRP land or between different types of CRP. The influence of CRP habitat type on the abundance of arthropod prey used by grassland birds has not been previously explored. We compared the abundance and diversity of arthropods among four CRP habitat types in Texas [replicated plots of exotic lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula), Old World bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum), mixed native grasses with buffalograss (Buchlo dactyloides) and mixed native grasses without buffalograss] and native shortgrass prairie. Attention was focused on adult and juvenile spiders (Order Araneae), beetles (Coleoptera), orthopterans (Orthroptera: grasshoppers and crickets) and lepidopterans (Lepidoptera: butterflies and moths), as these taxa are the primary prey items of grassland birds during the breeding season. Arthropod diversity and abundance were higher on indigenous prairie compared to CRP, reflecting differences in vegetative diversity and structure, but there were no differences in arthropod richness or abundance among CRP types. These results indicate that, although CRP is not equivalent to native prairie in terms of vegetation or arthropod diversity, CRP lands do support arthropod prey for grassland birds. More direct assays of the survivorship and fitness of  birds on CRP compared to native shortgrass prairie are clearly warranted.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

37. A comparison of landscapes occupied by increasing and decreasing populations of grassland birds.
Veech, J. A.
Conservation Biology 20(5): 1422-1432. (2006)
NAL Call #:  QH75.A1C5; ISSN: 08888892.
Notes: doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00487.x.
Descriptors:  bird population trends/ Conservation Reserve Program/ randomization test/ urbanization
Abstract: For several decades, many grassland bird species have been declining in abundance throughout the Midwest and Great Plains regions of the United States, possibly due to loss of natural grassland habitat and increasing urbanization. I used 20 years of data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey to identify increasing, decreasing, and stable populations of 36 grassland-nesting bird species. I characterized the immediate landscape (circle with radius = 30 km) surrounding each population based on data from the National Resources Inventory. For each landscape, I calculated the proportion of eight different land-cover types: restored grassland, rangeland, cultivated cropland, pasture, noncultivated cropland, forest, urban land, and water. Using a null model, I compared landscape composition of increasing, decreasing, and stable populations. As predicted on the basis of the habitat preferences of grassland birds, increasing populations inhabited landscapes that contained significantly more restored grassland and rangeland but significantly less forest land and urban land than landscapes inhabited by decreasing populations. There was no significant difference in the proportion of cropland within the landscapes of increasing and decreasing populations, although cropland composed a large proportion (>30%) of many landscapes. In contrast, restored grassland typically composed a very small proportion (<3.5%) of total land cover, yet it was significantly more common in the landscapes of increasing than decreasing populations. These results suggest that grassland birds may benefit from government initiatives, such as the Conservation Reserve Program, that promote the restoration of grassland at a landscape scale. ©2006 Society for Conservation Biology.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

38. A comparison of public lands and farmlands for grassland bird conservation.
Cunningham, M. A.
Professional Geographer 57(1): 51-65. (2005); ISSN: 00330124
Descriptors:  biodiversity/ Conservation Reserve Program/ grassland birds/ habitat fragmentation/ biodiversity/ environmental management/ grasslands/ habitat fragmentation/ passerines/ species conservation/ Minnesota/ Aves/ Passeri
Abstract: Midwestern states have invested extensively in grasslands for wildlife conservation, yet these public lands make up a minority of grassland habitat. How effective are public grasslands, relative to private lands, for conserving native songbird populations? I compare private and public lands in southern Minnesota using bird survey data from Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields and public lands and assessing fragmentation in a GIS. Bird abundance and diversity were greater on CRP lands. Vegetation composition, field isolation, and field size appear to explain differences in bird counts. Land cover data show that grassland habitat on public lands is scarce and widely scattered. The CRP provides more, and here better, habitat for grassland birds. Funding partly explains this disparity. Trends in farm set-aside program rules and distribution, which can be vary greatly over time, will strongly influence the success or failure of biodiversity conservation in this region. © 2005 by Association of American Geographers.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

39. A conceptual model and indicators for assessing the ecological condition of agricultural lands.
Hess, G. R.; Campbell, C. L.; Fiscus, D. A.; Hellkamp, A. S.; McQuaid, B. F.; Munster, M. J.; Peck, S. L.; and Shafer, S. R.
Journal of Environmental Quality 29(3): 728-737. (2000)
NAL Call #:  QH540.J6; ISSN: 00472425
Descriptors:  agricultural products/ ecosystems/ environmental protection/ farms/ mathematical models/ productivity/ societies and institutions/ agricultural land/ agroecosystems/ sustainability/ agriculture/ agriculture/ conference paper/ ecosystem/ environmental management/ environmental monitoring/ environmental planning
Abstract: As part of an environmental monitoring and assessment effort, we developed a conceptual model for measuring and assessing the condition and sustainability of agroecosystems. An agroecosystem is a field, pasture, or orchard and the associated border areas. We focused on ecological sustainability and defined the goals for agroecosystems in terms of the values people  on them. The purpose of an agroecosystem is to produce food and fiber. Other desired outcomes can be considered as goals for the larger landscape and the rest of the world, and they sometimes function as constraints on production. Condition is defined by agroecosystem productivity and the degree to which farmers use management and stewardship practices that conserve and protect valued natural resources in the landscape and the rest of the world. An agroecosystem in good condition is productive and is managed to conserve valued resources. Sustainability is the maintenance of good condition over time. We developed indicators that link system condition and sustainability to societal values and goals. These indicators measure productivity, management practices that promote sustainability at the agroecosystem scale, and management practices that promote sustainability at landscape and global scales. Our initial efforts focused on annually harvested herbaceous crops; however, the concepts we used can be adapted to other plant and livestock systems. Our conceptual approach may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of several major programs now being implemented, including the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentive and Conservation Reserve Programs.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40. Conducting a financial analysis of quail hunting within the Conservation Reserve Program.
Williams, C. F. and Mjelde, J. W.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 22(2): 233-241. (Summer 1994)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 0091-7648 [WLSBA6]
Descriptors:  colinus virginianus/ hunting/ economic analysis/ federal programs/ Texas
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

41. Conservation assessment: Henslow's sparrow Ammodramus henslowii.
Burhans, Dirk E.
St. Paul, MN: North Central Forest Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; General Technical Report-NC 226, 2002. 46 p.
Notes: 0363-616X (ISSN); Literature review.
Descriptors:  conservation/ reproduction/ ecology/ land zones/ Ammodramus henslowii: conservation measures/ conservation assessment/ United States/ distribution/ biology and conservation assessment/ Aves, Passeriformes, Emberizidae/ birds/ chordates/ vertebrates
Abstract: Apparent population declines of migrant songbirds have resulted in special interest in grassland songbirds, which show some of the most consistent declines among songbirds generally. Among these species, Henslow's Sparrows have the most restrictive habitat requirements and show some of the most serious declines. The Henslow's Sparrow is often overlooked due to its shy, secretive nature and nondescript song. In the Midwest, Henslow's Sparrows historically bred in native tallgrass prairie habitat; in the East, grasslands maintained by natural disturbances or fires set by Native Americans provided habitat for birds like Henslow's Sparrow. Henslow's Sparrows were probably numerous in the Midwest before European settlement and the transition to large-scale grassland development. Declines in the Midwest are largely due to loss of tallgrass habitat; estimates of the tallgrass prairie lost range as high as 99.9 percent. Declines in the East may be due to reforestation and loss of pastures. In addition to loss of prairies and native grasslands throughout the Henslow's Sparrow's range, intensive human use of "secondary grasslands"--hayfields and pastures that contribute to the grassland landscape--has also contributed to habitat decline. Henslow's Sparrows use grassland habitats. Grasslands that provide breeding habitat for Henslow's Sparrow need to be large (generally >30 ha), have a well-developed layer of litter, and contain standing dead vegetation. Some woody shrubs will be used as song perches, but too many shrubs, such as in an old field, will result in unsuitable habitat. Wintering habitats used by Henslow's Sparrow may be much smaller (sometimes <1.0 ha) and may not require litter and standing dead vegetation. With the possible exception of reclaimed strip mines, both wintering and breeding habitats require frequent disturbance, such as fire, grazing, or mowing, to maintain suitability for Henslow's Sparrows. Henslow's Sparrows will not occupy these habitats immediately following severe disturbance, so that in some cases maintaining a desirable tract requires a "mosaic" of recently and not so recently (2-4 years) disturbed habitat parcels. Other recent studies suggest that light to moderate levels of grazing will maintain proper habitat structure throughout an entire tract. Where patches of grassland habitat adjoin one another, removal of fencerows and treelines between patches may facilitate occupancy of smaller breeding habitats. Publicly owned grasslands on both the breeding and wintering grounds, particularly at some U.S.Army installations and National and State Wildlife Refuges, comprise significant habitats having large Henslow's Sparrow populations; yet many significant breeding populations are also found on privately owned lands, including reclaimed strip mines, pastures, hayfields, and ConservationReserve Program (CRP) lands. The future of sparrow populations on private lands is not assured, particularly with declines in dairy farming, increases in intensive grazing, and row cropping of former hayfields. Studies on use of CRP land indicate that this land may provide appropriateHenslow's Sparrow habitat, but continuance of the program and management of grassland succession under CRP are not assured. Present population surveys using Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) routes do not appear well suited for monitoring the species because of the ephemeralnature of Henslow's Sparrow habitat and because the surveys miss some significant populations. Future research needs to more adequately surveyand monitor populations so that potential declines or increases can be accurately assessed. Although much new information on breeding and wintering populations of Henslow's Sparrow has been acquired since Pruitt's 1996 report, more information is needed to determine the extent and viability of populations. Additional data are required on locations of breeding populations and nesting success across a range of fragment sizes; wintering site fidelity, habitat use, and site locations; and management approaches for both wintering and breeding habitat. The above data, when combined with reliable population survey data, will provide a more accurate assessment of how stable the Henslow's Sparrow population is and where or when management should intervene.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

42. Conservation practices in western Oregon perennial grass seed systems: III. Impacts on gray-tailed vole activity.
Steiner, J. J.; Gavin, W. E.; Mueller-Warrant, G. W.; Griffith, S. M.; Whittaker, G. W.; and Banowetz, G. M.
Agronomy Journal 99(2):  537-542. (2007); ISSN: 00021962.
Notes: doi: 10.2134/agronj2006.0165.
Descriptors:  conservation tillage/ seeds/ gray-tailed voles/ Microtus canicaudus/ wildlife habitat/ prescribed burns
Abstract: Decreased use of field burning to dispose of straw after harvest of temperate grass seed crops and the implementation of alternative conservation practices including direct seeding (DS) and maximal residue (HR) management have raised questions whether certain pests such as the gray-tailed vole (Microtus canicaudus) are worse than before these changes. The number of vole burrow holes was determined 15 Jan. 1999 at two research locations in western Oregon. Comparisons were made for the effects of DS and conventional tillage (CT) establishment, maximal and minimal residue (LR) management, present perennial seed crops, and immediate-prior crop in the rotation sequence and two-crops-prior in the rotation sequence. The treatments that most greatly influenced vole activity were crop establishment method and the previous crop in the rotation sequence. Vole activity was greatest in DS tillage establishment and when perennial grass seed was the prior crop in the rotation sequence. A possible production strategy to reduce vole activity could be to include meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba Benth.) or cereals in the rotation sequences when DS perennial grass seed crops are grown. This research demonstrates how vole activity can be reduced in perennial grass seed crops, without the need for tillage before establishment of new stands.
© American Society of Agronomy.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

43. The Conservation Reserve Program: A wildlife conservation legacy.
Rude, Kathleen and Wildlife Management Institute.
Washington, D.C.: Wildlife Management Institute, 1994. 15 p.: ll., map.
Notes: Original title: "The Conservation Reserve Program: A wildlife conservation legacy --- America needs the Conservation Reserve Program"; "October, 1994."
NAL Call #:  S624.A1C67 1994
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program---United States/ Soil conservation---Government policy---United States/ Wildlife  conservation---United States
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

44. Conservation Reserve Program: Alternatives are available for managing environmentally sensitive cropland.
General Accounting Office
Washington, DC: GAO, 1995.  
Notes: GAO/RCED-95-42.
http://www.gao.gov/archive/1995/rc95042.pdf
Descriptors:  cultivated lands/ land management/ agriculture/ land use/ water quality/ watershed protection
Abstract:  If not properly managed, agricultural production on the nation's 382 million cropland acres can adversely affect the quality of water and air, the productivity of soil, and the availability of wildlife habitat. In an effort to reduce these effects by temporarily removing highly erodible cropland from production, the Congress enacted the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in 1985. The CRP was also designed to reduce surplus crop production and support farm income. Under the CRP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) contracted with farmers to take 36.4 million acres out of production for 10 years in return for rental and cost-share payments of almost $20 billion through the year 2002. These contracts will begin to expire in 1995, with the contracts for the majority of acres-22 million-expiring in 1996 and 1997.
© ProQuest

45. The Conservation Reserve Program and duck and pheasant production in St. Croix County, Wisconsin.
Evrard, J. O.
Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources; Report 183, 2000. 8 p.
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/
Descriptors:  Phasianus colchicus/ Anas discors/ Anas platyrhynchos/ common pheasant/ blue-winged teal/ mallard/ habitat management/ prairie/ cover/ nest
© NISC

46. The Conservation Reserve Program and grassland birds.
Johnson, D. H. and Schwartz, M. D.
Conservation Biology 7(4): 934-937. (1993)
NAL Call #:  QH75.A1C5; ISSN: 0888-8892
Descriptors:  Aves/ grasslands/ environmental restoration/ habitat utilization/ government policy/ United States/ birds
Abstract: Several bird species that breed in the temperate grasslands of North America, many of which winter in the Neotropics, declined in abundance during the past quarter century. The Lark Bunting (see Table 1 for scientific names) and Grasshopper Sparrow, as examples, declined by about half during that period, as indexed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Breeding Bird Survey. Populations of other grassland species have also diminished steadily, if not as spectacularly. Why so many species declined is not known, but continued conversion of perennial grassland to annually tilled cropland is a suspected cause. A test of this possibility is offered by the Conservation Reserve Program, a program of the United States Department of Agriculture that caused the reversion of millions of hectares of marginal cropland to perennial grassland. We evaluated the use by breeding birds of selected Program fields in eastern Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Minnesota. These four states have about four million hectares of land enrolled in the Program.
© ProQuest

47. The Conservation Reserve Program and northern bobwhite population trends in Illinois.
Roseberry, J. L. and David, L. M.
Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science 87 (1-2): 61-70. (1994)
NAL Call #:  500 IL6; ISSN: 0019-2252
Descriptors:  Colinus virginianus/ population status/ land use/ agricultural ecosystems/ Illinois/ management/ birds/ United States
Abstract: We examined 3 indexes of Northern Bobwhite abundance in Illinois at various geographic scales to determine possible relationships with the Conservation Reserve Program. Over 256,000 ha were enrolled in the CRP during the first 9 signup periods (1986-1990). About 87% of this land was in CP-1 vegetation (introduced cool-season grasses and legumes). Male bobwhite call counts in some parts of the state may have been positively related to amounts of CRP land. However, there was no strong evidence that autumn population densities increased as a result of the program. Positive CRP effects on local bobwhite habitat in some areas were probably offset by neutral or negative effects in others. We discuss possible reasons why potential benefits of the CRP for Northern Bobwhite have not been fully realized.
© ProQuest

48. The Conservation Reserve Program and wildlife habitat in the southeastern United States.
Carmichael, D. Breck
Wildlife Society Bulletin 25(4): 773-775. (1997)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 0091-7648
Descriptors:  conservation programs/ Conservation Reserve Program/ habitat management/ management/ wildlife/ United States, southeastern region
Abstract: The author provides a history of the Conservation Reserve Program in the southeastern United States. A recent cooperative study by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted between 1988 and 1992 showed no significant, long-term enhancement of habitat attributable to the CRP in the Southeast. The author discusses reasons for this lack of success in this region.
© NISC

49. Conservation Reserve Program: Benefit for grassland birds in the northern plains.
Reynolds, R. E.; Shaffer, T. L.; Sauer, J. R.; and Peterjohn, B. G.
Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resource Conference 59: 328-336. (1994)
Descriptors:  birds/ conservation programs/ ducks/ grassland/ nests and nesting/ waterfowl/ abundance/ cover, nesting/ policies and programs/ statistics/ North Dakota/ South Dakota/ Conservation Reserve Program/ upland nesting/ nest success/ waterfowl production Areas/ Breeding Bird surveys/ population Trends/ grasslands/ North Dakota/ South Dakota/ northern plains
Abstract: The importance of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to upland-nesting ducks and certain other grassland-nesting birds was investigated. For ducks, nest success in CRP cover was compared with nest success in planted cover on waterfowl production areas in the same period (1992-93) and with that of an earlier period (1980-84). For nonwaterfowl, North American Breeding Bird Survey data were used to compare trends in populations of certain species found in CRP, for the Periods 1966-86 (pre-CRP establishment) and 1987-92 (post-CRP cover establishment) in North Dakota.
© NISC

50. Conservation Reserve Program benefits on Henslow's sparrows within the United States.
Herkert, J. R.
Journal of Wildlife Management 71(8): 2749-2751. (Nov. 2007)
NAL Call #:  410 J827
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ Henslow's sparrow/ Ammodramus henslowii
Abstract: Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii)
is one of North America's fastest declining songbirds. Population declines combined with a small global population have led to heightened conservation concern. I used data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey to assess the impact that the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has had on Henslow's sparrows throughout their United States breeding range. My analysis suggests local Henslow's sparrow population trends are correlated with CRP enrollment, with populations increasing more in
areas with relatively high local CRP enrollment, and that CRP appears to be playing a significant role in reversing long-term population declines.
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

51. Conservation Reserve Program bibliography.
Allen, Arthur W.
Fort Collins, CO: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 1996.  
Notes: Version 30SEP2002; Query-searchable bibliography.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/literatr/crpbib/index.htm
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)/ wildlife habitat/ wildlife management/ cropland/ grassland
Abstract:  This bibliography contains citations pertaining to the effects of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on wildlife habitat. Selected additional references relevant to integration of agricultural policy, wildlife management, or other environmental objectives associated with management of agricultural ecosystems also are included.

52. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contributions to avian habitat.
Allen, A. W.
In: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Aid Report, National Biological Survey; Fort Collins, CO: National Ecology Research Center, 1994.
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ United States/ avian conservation/ landscape management/ habitat management
Abstract:  Discusses characteristics of CRP contracts with greatest potential benefits, landscape planning, and management recommendations.

53. The Conservation Reserve Program: Good for birds of many feathers.
Kantrud, H. A.; Koford, R. R.; Johnson, D. H.; and Schwartz, M. D.
North Dakota Outdoors 56(2): 14-17. (1993)
Descriptors:  state conservation programs/ North Dakota/ Conservation Reserve Program/ population trends/ birds
Abstract: Examined avian species' use and population trends on CRP land in North Dakota.

54. The Conservation Reserve Program - Planting for the Future: Proceedings of a National Conference.
Allen, Arthur W. and Vandever, Mark W.
Reston, VA: U.S. Geological Survey; Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5145, 2005. 268 pp.
Notes: Conference held: June 6-9, 2004 at Fort Collins, Colorado.
http://www.fort.usgs.gov/Products/Publications/21490/ 21490.pdf
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)/ conservation assessment/ cropland/ prairies/ shrublands/ wildlife
Abstract:  In June 2004 the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), with support from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), held a three-day symposium on the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in Fort Collins, Colorado. These proceedings contain papers by most of those who made presentations at the symposium, but some were unable to provide written papers. This shortcoming has been addressed in part by addition of papers presenting information on prairie grouse response to the CRP, long-term trends in Southern Plains CRP grassland vegetation, and discussion of FSA support of an investigation to regionally refine management of CRP grasslands to address ecological conditions in the short-grass prairie region.

55. Conservation Reserve Program: Source or sink habitat for grassland birds in Missouri?
McCoy, Timothy D.; Ryan, Mark R.; Kurzejeski, Eric W.; and Burger, Loren W.
Journal of Wildlife Management 63(2): 530-538. (1999)
NAL Call #:  410 J827; ISSN: 0022-541X.
Notes: Project Number: MO W-013-R.
Descriptors:  Fringillidae/ Passeriformes/ Agelaius phoeniceus/ Ammodramus savannarum/ Carduelis tristis/ Geothlypis trichas/ Spiza americana/ Spizella pusilla/ Sturnella magna/ behavior/ birds/ communities/ Conservation Reserve Program/ ecosystems/ fecundity/ grasslands/ habitat management/ management/ nests-nesting/ species diversity/ wildlife/ wildlife-habitat relationships/ wild birds/ wildlife conservation/ federal programs/ natural resources/ land development, land reform, and utilization (macroeconomics)/ conservation programs/ grassland/ habitat/ reproduction/ statistics/ wildlife-habitat relationships/ population dynamics/ grasshopper sparrow/ field sparrow/ eastern meadowlark/ American goldfinch/ common yellowthroat/ dickcissel/ red winged blackbird/ Missouri/ Knox County/ Macon County/ Linn County
Abstract: The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has been credited with contributing substantially to the conservation of grassland birds. Although many species have nested on grasslands established under the CRP, little evidence of positive effect on populations has been reported. We measured reproductive rates and estimated fecundity of 7 grassland bird species in CRP fields in northern Missouri and compared those rates to estimates of fecundity needed to maintain stable populations (λ = 1). Under conservative assumptions of survival CRP fields seemingly were source habitats (fecundity exceeded levels necessary for λ = 1 for grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) and field sparrows (Spizella pusilla) in at least 2 of 3 years, 1995 P = 0.02, 1995 P < 0.001) and pooled over 3 years (Ps < 0.001). Although evidence was less compelling CRP fields were likely source habitat for eastern meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) and American goldfinches (Carduelis tristis). For American goldfinches, fecundity was greater than that necessary of λ = 1 in 1995 (P < 0.001), and pooled over 3 years (< 0.001). Our pooled estimate of fecundity was greater than necessary for λ = 1 for eastern meadowlarks (Ps < 0.001), but only under a liberal assumption of survival in 2 of 3 years (1993: P = 0.001; 1995: P = 0.088). Fecundity of common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) varied substantially; therefore, source-sink status alternated among years, although the pooled estimate of fecundity was less than required for λ = 1 (P < 0.001). Dickcissel (Spiza americana) fecundity was consistently less than necessary for λ = 1 (conservative survival assumption; all Ps < 0.001; liberal survival assumption: 1994 P = 0.009, pooled P = 0.014). For red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), CRP fields were consistently a sink habitat (all Ps < 0.001). Based on our evidence, the CRP likely has contributed to the conservation of grasshopper sparrows, field sparrows, and eastern meadowlarks. Although large numbers of dickcissels and red-winged blackbirds nested in CRP fields, there is little evidence that the CRP has contributed to populations of those species.
© NISC

56. Conservation Reserve Program: Tree thinning.
United States, Farm Service Agency
Washington, D.C.: USDA, Farm Service Agency. (1999).
Notes: Fact sheet (United States. Farm Service Agency)
NAL Call #:  aS930.C659 1999
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program---United States/ Forest thinning---United States/ Conservation of natural resources---United States/ Wildlife habitat improvement---United States
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

57. Conservation Reserve: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Symposium Proceedings.
Joyce, L. A.; Mitchell, J. E.; and Skold, M. D.
Fort Collins, CO: Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; General Technical Report-RM 203, 1991. 71 p.
Notes: Meeting held January 14, 1991 at Washington, DC.
Descriptors:  agriculture/ future planning projected/ land use/ environmental effects/ decision making/ implementation/ economic impacts/ reserves/ farm management/ contracts/ land ownership/ history/ wildlife/ recreation/ ecology/ crop yields/ land conservation/ resource conservation/ Agricultural Resources Conservation Program/ Food Security Act of 1985/ Farm Bill of 1990/ Conservation Reserve Program/ Great Plains Region United States/ natural resources and earth sciences/ natural resource management/ agriculture and food agricultural equipment/ facilities and operations/ urban and regional technology and development/ regional administration and planning
Abstract:  Contents: The Conservation Reserve Program--How Did We Get Where We Are and Where Do We Go From Here; An Overview of the Agricultural Resources Conservation Program; Economics of Livestock and Crop Production on Post-CRP Lands; Landowner Options When CRP Ends; The Conservation Reserve Program: Effects on Soil, Water and Environmental Quality; Conservation Reserve Program Effects on Wildlife and Recreation; Future Costs and Benefits of Conservation Reserve Lands; Impacts of the Conservation Reserve Program in the Central Great Plains; Research Questions Related to the Conservation Reserve Program; Some Sociological and Ecological Effects of the Conservation Reserve Program in the Northern Great Plains; The CRP in Oregon's Columbia Basin: A Local Perspective.

58. Conserving biological diversity and the Conservation Reserve Program.
Szentandrasi, S.; Polasky, S.; Berrens, R.; and Leonard, J.
Growth Change 26(3): 383-404. (1995)
NAL Call #:  HT390.G74; ISSN: 0017-4815 [GRCHDH].
Notes: Published: Lexington, Ky., College of Business and Economics, University of Kentucky; In the special issue:
Wilderness areas. Paper presented at the conference, "Wilderness areas, regional planning, and the quality of life" held October 8, 1994.
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ CRP/ habitat conservation/ biological diversity
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

59. Le Conte's sparrows breeding in Conservation Reserve Program fields: Precipitation and patterns of population change.
Igl, L. D. and Johnson, D. H.
In: Ecology and conservation of grassland birds of the western hemisphere/ Vickery, P. D. and Herkert, J. R.; Series: Studies in Avian Biology 19, 1999; pp. 178-186.
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ regional conservation programs/ Great Plains
Abstract:  Discussed pattern of population change in Le Conte's Sparrows associated with changes in precipitation and moisture condition.

60. Contributions of the Conservation Reserve Program to populations of breeding birds in North Dakota.
Johnson, Douglas H. and  Igl, Lawrence D.
Wilson Bulletin 107(4):  709-718. (1995)
Descriptors:  Aves/ animals/ birds/ chordates/ nonhuman vertebrates/ vertebrates/ habitat/ North American Breeding Bird Survey
Abstract: Previous studies have shown that habitat provided by the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a feature of the 1985 Farm Bill. is used by many birds. The present study quantitatively assesses the importance of the CRP by estimating changes in breeding-bird populations of North Dakota projected if CRP land would revert to cultivation. Of 18 species that were common in CRP or crop fields or both, 12 were more abundant in CRP habitats. Six of these species had suffered significant population declines during 1967-1990. according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. In contrast, none of the six species that were more common in cropland than in CRP fields had declined significantly. Termination of the  Conservation Reserve Program and a return of enrolled land to cultivation is projected to cause populationdeclines in North Dakota exceeding 17% for Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis), Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), Dickcissel (Spiza americana), and Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys).
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

61. Cover quality of Conservation Reserve Program grasslands in Minnesota, USA.
Haroldson, K.; Kimmel, R.; and Riggs, M.
Gibier Faune Sauvage 15(4): 501-516. (1998);
ISSN: 0761-9243.
Notes: Numero Special Tome 1.
Descriptors:  Phasianus colchicus (Phasianidae)/ Sturnella (Icteridae)/ farming and agriculture/ conservation measures/ grasslands/ cover quality/ Minnesota/ Conservation Reserve Program/ birds/ chordates/ vertebrates
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

62. Creating quality quail habitat.
Fiedler, David
Missouri Conservationist 63(5): 22-27. (2002);
ISSN: 0026-6515.
Full Text Available at: http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/ 2002/05/40.htm
Descriptors:  Galliformes/ Odontophoridae/ Colinus virginianus/ birds/ conservation/ conservation programs/ corridors/ ecosystem management/ ecosystems/ farmland/ fires and burns/ habitat management/ land, private/ landowners/ management/ riparian habitat/ wildlife/ quail
Abstract: The author explains the dedicated efforts of Ed Keifner to create a suitable habitat for quails at his Bollinger County, Missouri farm. Keifner was concerned about the low population of quails on his land. A private lands' conservationist attributed this to the thick growth of fescue and broomsedge in his fields, which was hampering the movement of quails. This could be altered by the use of controlled burning of the grassy areas and careful application of herbicides. Moreover, a dense brush cover like thick briar and brush tangles was required in the nearby woody area, which would serve as a nesting and brooding area for the quails. Apart from this, he was advised to establish a strip of vegetation along the stream bank to reduce soil erosion and improve water quality in the Little Whitewater River. This growth would also provide the quails with more cover. Nearly 32 acres of his property was dedicated to making this strip and 10,000 black walnut and burr oak seedlings were planted. He then controlled the growth of weeds around these seedlings. In addition, Kiefner's land was enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which provided him financial aid from the US Department of Agriculture. His efforts have yielded positive results. In 2000, the Conservation Department set up the Private Land Services Division for providing assistance to over 300,000 private landowners. Their publication "Private Land Services" gives details on all their services and programs.
© NISC

63. Creating wildlife habitat through federal farm programs: An objective-driven approach.
Burger, L. W.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 34(4): 994-999. (2006)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 00917648.
Notes: doi: 10.2193/0091-7648(2006)34 [994:CWHTFF]2.0.CO;2.
Descriptors:  conservation planning/ Conservation Reserve Program/ Farm Bill/ objective-driven/ private land/ wildlife habitat
Abstract: Conservation programs administrated by the United States Department of Agriculture under the Farm Bill have tremendous potential to impact wildlife habitat and populations on private land. Recent comprehensive reviews demonstrate that private landowners who participate in these programs have established habitats that may contribute to sustaining some regional wildlife populations. However, I argue that if Farm Bill conservation program lands are to consistently provide habitat that supports viable wildlife populations, conservation planners must have a better understanding of species-specific habitat requirements and ecological processes. Concomitantly, wildlife biologists also must have a working knowledge of the conservation programs, practices, and landowner needs and eligibility requirements. This understanding is then translated to changes on the landscape through comprehensive planning and implementation at the farm scale. I argue that, all too often, landowner's selection of conservation practices is program-driven. Program-driven implementation is less likely to result in quality wildlife habitat. I contend that the consistent application of an objective-driven approach to farm-scale conservation planning is more likely to produce habitats that sustain viable wildlife populations. Under this approach, landowner conservation objectives drive management practices and management practices lead to program selection, instead of program requirements driving management practices.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

64. The CRP and wildlife habitat.
Bucklin, R.
Agricultural Outlook (AO)(162): 30-31. (Apr. 1990)
NAL Call #:  aHD1751.A422; ISSN: 0099-1066
Descriptors:  wildlife/ habitats/ land management/ farm surveys/ farm income/ United States/ Conservation Reserve Program/ farm costs and returns surveys
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

65. CRP land and game bird production in the Texas High Plains.
Berthelsen, P. S.; Smith, L. M.; and Coffman, C. L.
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 44(5): 504-507. (1989)
Descriptors:  agricultural practices/ game management/ Aves/ Texas/ government policy/ habitat conservation/ birds/ wildlife management
Abstract: Soil Conservation Service personnel were surveyed about the land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the Southern High Plains of Texas (71 counties, 903,215 ha). Information included type of cover established, land enrolled, establishment success, and cost of establishment for five conservation practices (CP1, 2, 4, 10, 12). Land in permanent introduced grasses (CP1) and permanent native grasses (CP2) accounted for 98% of the total CRP land. Establishment costs for the most common cover types averaged $142.90/ha ($57.85/acre). Establishment success was 87%. Ring-necked pheasant and waterfowl production in a four-county area was estimated on selected CRP grass combinations (blue grama/side-oats grama mixtures, blue grama/Kleingrass mixtures, and blue grama/old world bluestem mixtures) using 1988 nesting information and land enrollment figures. Estimated pheasant production was 174,204 chicks/year. Water-fowl production was estimated at 1,426 ducklings/year.
© ProQuest

66. CRP, succession, and Brewer's sparrows: Advantages of a long-term, federal land retirement program.
Igl, Lawrence D. and Murphy, Lisa A.
South Dakota Bird Notes 48(3): 69-70. (1996);
ISSN: 0038-3252
Descriptors:  Fringillidae/ Passeriformes/ Spizella breweri/ behavior/ birds/ breeding/ conservation programs/ Conservation Reserve Program/ distribution/ ecosystems/ grasslands/ habitat use/ home range-territory/ range extension/ succession/ vocalization/ Brewer's sparrow/ Artemisia spp/ South Dakota: Butte County
Abstract: Brewer's sparrows have extended their breeding range to the grasslands created by the Conservation Reserve Program in Butte County, South Dakota. These grasslands provide habitat for sagebrush nesting and other shrubland bird species.
© NISC

67. Decline of the red-winged blackbird population in Ohio correlated to changes in agriculture (1965-1996).
Blackwell, B. F. and Dolbeer, R. A.
Journal of Wildlife Management 65(4): 661-667. (2001)
NAL Call #:  410 J827; ISSN: 0022541X
Descriptors:  Agelaius phoeniceus/ habitat/ hay/ Ohio/ population decline/ red-winged blackbird/ agricultural land/ habitat selection/ land use change/ passerines/ United States/ Agelaius phoeniceus/ Glycine max/ Medicago sativa/ Zea mays
Abstract: Based on North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data since 1966, Ohio has traditionally hosted 1 of the highest breeding season densities of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) of any U.S. state or Canadian province. However, from 1966 through 1996, breeding populations of red-winged blackbirds in Ohio showed a marked decline (x̄ % change/yr in birds per route = -3.9), with breeding population indices decreasing by over 53%. Because the red-winged blackbird successfully adapted to habitats created by agricultural expansion over the last century and became a recognized pest of crops such as corn (Zea mays), understanding the decline of this species in Ohio is important from both ecological and damage control perspectives. We examined 35 crop and climatic factors relative to their relationship with the observed breeding population trend for the red-winged blackbird in Ohio 1966 to 1996. Each year, we found that the area of non-alfalfa (Medicago sativa) hay harvested, the combined area of corn and soybeans (Glycine max) harvested, the area of non-alfalfa hay cut by 30 May of the index year (1966-1996), and the area of hay (all types) cut by 30 May of the year prior to the index best explained the variance in the breeding population trend of the red-winged blackbird in Ohio. Given our findings, we suggest that a long-term population trend for this abundant bird in Ohio is negatively associated with the efficiency and expansion of modern agriculture.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

68. Demographic characteristics of a grasshopper sparrow population in a highly fragmented landscape of western New York State.
Balent, Karla L. and Norment, Christopher J.
Journal of Field Ornithology 74(4): 341-348. (2003)
Descriptors:  Ammodramus savannarum/ Passeriformes/ Emberizidae/ population studies/ reproduction/ terrestrial ecology/ adult return rates/ breeding biology/ colonization/ demographic characteristics/ dispersal/ extirpation/ fragmented landscape/ grassland habitat/ habitat loss/ nest success/ population ecology/ site fidelity/ territorial defense/ home range/ territory/ continuous grassland habitat maintenance/ distribution/ grasslands/ ecosystems/ habitat management/ Monroe County, NY/ Mendon Ponds County Park/ New York/ status/ survival/ behavior/ conservation/ wildlife management/ habitat use/ land zones
Abstract: We studied the breeding biology, site fidelity, and dispersal of Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) from 1996 to 2000 in a fragmented landscape in western New York State. Ten fields (1.8-13.2 ha) contained territorial male Grasshopper Sparrows during the study; total territorial males in the study area varied between 31 and 19 birds. In 1996, eight fields were occupied; five extinctions and two colonizations occurred between 1997-2000. Fields that suffered extinctions were smaller than fields in which subpopulations persisted or colonizations occurred. Adult return rates (0.33 vs. 0.16), nest success (0.59 vs. 0.25) and average number of fledglings/female/year (2.3 vs. 1.3) tended to be higher in fields ≥ 8 ha. Estimates of λ, the finite rate of increase, were 0.23 for small fields and 0.46 for large fields. Although sample sizes were small, our data suggest that return rates and productivity were greater in large than in small habitat patches. However, even the larger habitat patches in our study area appeared to function as population sinks, suggesting that the Grasshopper Sparrow population is unlikely to persist without immigration. Survival prospects for our study population are poor, given its demographic characteristics and the fragmented nature and continuing loss of grassland habitat. Our results suggest that conservation efforts in the Northeast should focus on protecting large patches of continuous grassland habitat.
© NISC

69. Demographics of northern bobwhite on agricultural and intensively-managed bobwhite plantation landscapes.
Hughes, Daymond W.; Terhune, Theron M.;Sisson, D. Clay; and Stribling, H. Lee
Proceedings of the Annual Conference Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 59: 30-42. (2005)
NAL Call #:  SK1.S6; ISSN: 0276-7929
Descriptors:  conservation measures/ reproduction/ behavior/ ecology/ habitat utilization/ terrestrial habitat/ man-made habitat/ land zones/ Colinus virginianus: habitat management/ reproductive productivity/ home range/ population dynamics/ demographic studies/ agricultural vs intensively managed plantation landscapes/ distribution within habitat/ habitat preference/ forest and woodland/ cultivated land habitat/ Georgia/ Baker County/ Aves, Galliformes, Phasianidae/ birds/ chordates/ vertebrates
Abstract: The declining bobwhite populations evident throughout the Southeast are cause for concern. Whereas habitat loss and/or intensified agriculture have been implicated as two potential causal mechanisms for these declines, few studies have directly compared bobwhite demographics between agricultural and managed bobwhite plantation landscapes. Therefore, we monitored northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) via radiotransmitters (N = 472) on a center-pivot irrigated agricultural landscape (N = 154) and an adjacent, intensively-managed bobwhite plantation (N = 318) to evaluate differences in home range, habitat use, survival, and nest survival between these two landscapes. Winter covey home ranges were larger during fall-winter 1998-99 on the agriculture site (P < 0.001). Coveys on the agricultural landscape used young planted pines (Pinus spp.) greater than expected (P < 0.05) during both years. Annual survival did not differ between sites during 1997-98 (P = 0.199) but was lower on the agriculture site (0.081, SE = 0.04) than the plantation (0.297, SE = 0.05) during 1998-99 (P < 0.001). Daily nest survival was lower on the agriculture site (0.939, SE = 0.02) than the plantation (0.979, SE = 0.01) during the 1998 nesting season (P = 0.030) but not during 1997 (P = 0.782). We surmised that large home ranges, low over-winter survival, and low nest survival observed on the agriculture site was related to poor habitat conditions and subsequent limited food resources. Thus, when agricultural landowner objectives are to benefit bobwhite, management endeavors should focus on augmenting habitat in agricultural fields, particularly during fall and winter, and, improving existing habitats (e.g., dry corners, young planted pines).
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

70. Density and fledgling success of grassland birds in Conservation Reserve Program fields in North Dakota and west-central Minnesota.
Koford, R. R.
Studies in Avian Biology 19: 187-195. (1999)
NAL Call #:  QL671.S8
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ State conservation programs/ Minnesota/ North Dakota
Abstract: Studied how CRP field habitat influences grassland bird density and fledgling success.

71. Diets of swift foxes (Vulpes velox) in continuous and fragmented prairie in northwestern Texas.
Kamler, J. F.; Ballard, Warren B.; Wallace, Mark C.; and Gipson, Philip S.
Southwestern Naturalist 52(4): 504-510. (Dec. 2007)
Descriptors:  swift foxes/ Vulpes velox/ diets/ habitat fragementation/ prairies/ wildlife habitat/ Texas
Abstract: Distribution of the swift fox (Vulpes velox) has declined dramatically since the 1800s, and suggested causes of this decline are habitat fragmentation and transformation due to agricultural expansion. However, impacts of fragmentation and human-altered habitats on swift foxes still are not well understood. To better understand what effects these factors have on diets of swift foxes, scats were collected in northwestern Texas at two study sites, one of continuous native prairie and one representing fragmented native prairie interspersed with agricultural and fields in the Conservation Reserve Program. Leporids, a potential food source, were surveyed seasonally on both sites. Diets of swift foxes differed between sites; insects were consumed more on continuous prairie, whereas mammals, birds, and crops were consumed more on fragmented prairie. Size of populations of leporids were 2–3 times higher on fragmented prairie, and swift foxes responded by consuming more leporids on fragmented (11.1% frequency occurrence) than continuous (3.8%) prairie. Dietary diversity was greater on fragmented prairie during both years of the study. Differences in diets between sites suggested that the swift fox is an adaptable and opportunistic feeder, able to exploit a variety of food resources, probably in relation to availability of food. We suggest that compared to continuous native prairie, fragmented prairie can offer swift foxes a more diverse prey base, at least within the mosaic of native prairie, agricultural, and fields that are in the Conservation Reserve Program.
© ProQuest

72. Diversity of arthropod prey of grassland birds on different Conservation Reserve Program habitat types.
Mcintyre, Nancy E.
In: 87th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America and the 14th Annual International Conference of the Society for Ecological Restoration, Tucson, Arizona, USA; August 04-09, 2002.; Vol. 87.; pp. 391; 2002.
Descriptors:  biodiversity/ terrestrial ecology: ecology, environmental sciences/ Conservation Reserve Program/ arthropod community/ avian prey abundance/ avian prey diversity/ habitat type/ prey diversity/ vegetation structure/ vegetative diversity/ vegetative physiognomy
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

73. Do artificial nests reveal meaningful patterns of predation in Kansas grasslands?
Robel, R. J.; Hughes, J. P.; Keane, T. D.; and Kemp, K. E.
Southwestern Naturalist 48(3): 460-464. (2003)
Descriptors:  environment-ecology/ duck nests/ success/ prairie/ fragmentation/ dickcissels/ habitats/ cropland/ density/ birds/ Iowa
Abstract: We determined the fates of artificial and natural bird nests in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields in northeastern Kansas from mid May through early August 1994. The CRP fields had been planted to native grasses in 1988 or 1989. Artificial nests contained Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) or house sparrow (Passer domesticus) eggs in nest baskets in bunchgrass clumps to simulate nests of dickcissels (Spiza americana), the most common avian species nesting in the CRP fields. Natural dickcissel nests were found by rope dragging and intensive searches of the CRP fields. Losses among 562 artificial nests did not differ by egg type; however, the 9.8% loss of artificial nests was significantly lower than the 70.1% loss-level among 97 natural dickcissel nests in those CRP fields. The daily survival rate for artificial nests was 0.99, significantly more than the 0.92 for natural dickcissel nests. An assessment of nest depredation based on data from artificial nests might not be representative of depredation on natural nests in grasslands.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

74. Do riparian buffer strips mitigate the impacts of clearcutting on small mammals?
Cockle, K. L. and Richardson, J. S.
Biological Conservation 113(1): 133-140. (Sept. 2003)
NAL Call #:  S900.B5
Descriptors:  forestry/ Insectivores/ populations/ riparian zones/ rodents/ clearcutting/ mammal/ riparian zone
Abstract: We assessed the impact of clearcutting on small mammals in riparian areas and evaluated riparian buffer strips as a tool for conserving small mammals in managed forests. Over two summers, we trapped small mammals of seven species in riparian areas in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Communities of small mammals were compared across three different habitat types: (1) clearcut to the stream bank, (2) clearcut with a 30 m riparian buffer strip, and (3)control (no logging). Species richness was significantly lower in clearcuts than in controls and buffers. On clearcut sites, creeping voles were more abundant, but red-backed voles and dusky shrews were less abundant than at the control sites. At sites with riparian buffer strips, both voles were present in numbers similar to those found in controls, but dusky shrews were less common. Significantly more deer mice and creeping voles were infested with bot flies at clearcut sites than at buffer sites, and no animals were infested at any of the control sites. Riparian reserves appear to be useful in reducing the short-term impacts of clearcutting on small mammal communities, though they do not eliminate these impacts altogether.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

75. Does habitat fragmentation influence nest predation in the shortgrass prairie?
Howard, Melissa N.; Skagen, Susan K.; and Kennedy, Patricia L.
Condor 103(3): 530-536. (2001)
NAL Call #:  QL671.C6; ISSN: 0010-5414
Descriptors:  birds/ behavior/ nest predation/ nests-nesting/ ecosystems/ prairies/ grasslands/ agricultural practices/ habitat islands/ habitat alterations/ Conservation Reserve Program/ Colorado, Northeastern
Abstract: The authors examined the effects of habitat fragmentation and vegetation structure of shortgrass prairie and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands on predation rates of artificial and natural nests in northeastern Colorado.  The CRP provides federal payments to landowners to take highly erodible cropland out of agricultural production.  In this study area, CRP lands have been reseeded primarily with non-native grasses, and this vegetation is taller than native shortgrass prairie.  The authors measured three indices of habitat fragmentation (patch size, degree of matrix fragmentation, and distance from edge), none of which influenced mortality rates of artificial or natural nests.  Vegetation structure did influence predation rates of artificial nests; daily mortality decreased significantly with increasing vegetation height.  Vegetation structure did not influence predation rates of natural nests.  CRP lands and shortgrass sites did not differ with respect to mortality rates of artificial nests.  The study area is only moderately fragmented; 62% of the study area is occupied by native grassland.  The authors conclude that the extent of habitat fragmentation in their study area does not result in increased predation in remaining patches of shortgrass prairie habitat.
© NISC

76. Duck nest success on Conservation Reserve Program land in the Prairie Pothole region.
Kantrud, H. A.
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 48(3): 238-242. (May 1993-June 1993)
NAL Call #:  56.8 J822.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/crpdns/index.htm
Descriptors:  waterfowl/ ducks/ nesting/ Conservation Reserve Program/ Prairie Pothole region
Abstract: Implementing Agricultural Conservation Practices: Barriers and Incentives is one in a multi-volume set developed by the Water Quality Information Center at the National Agricultural Library in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). The bibliography is a guide to recent literature examining agricultural producers' views of conservation programs and practices. It provides people working in the area of agriculture and the environment with a guide to information resources that focus on the psychological and socioeconomic factors that influence agricultural producers' behavior with regard to environmental issues.
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

77. The dynamics of nongame bird breeding ecology in Iowa alfalfa fields.
Frawley, B. J.
Ames, IA: Iowa State University, 1989.
Notes: M.S. Thesis
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ State conservation programs/ Iowa
Abstract:  Nesting, abundance, and density of nongame birds in Iowa alfalfa fields were addressed and linked to CRP.

78. Earthworm, infiltration, and tillage relationships in a dryland pea-wheat rotation.
Wuest, Stewart B.
Applied Soil Ecology 18(2): 187-192. (2001)
NAL Call #:  QH541.5.S6 A67; ISSN: 0929-1393
Descriptors:  commercial activities/ ecology/ population dynamics/ terrestrial habitat/ man-made habitat/ land and freshwater zones/ Aporrectodea trapezoides (Oligochaeta): farming and agriculture/ farming practices/ population density/ soil habitat/ cultivated land habitat/ Oregon/ Pendleton/ cultivated soil habitat/ farming practices effects/ Oligochaeta/ Annelida/ Annelids/ invertebrates
Abstract: Dryland farming in the Mediterranean climate of the Pacific Northwest, USA supports extremely low earthworm populations under conventional tillage. Increases in earthworm populations are being observed in fields under no-till cropping systems. A 30+ year experiment with four tillage levels in a pea (Pisum  sativum L.)-winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation was evaluated for earthworm populations and ponded infiltration rates. Where tillage has been limited to 2.5 cm depth, Apporectodea trapezoides (Duges) mean population was 25 m-2. Plots subject to tillage by plow (25 cm depth) or chisel (35 cm depth) averaged less than 4 earthworms m-2. The shallow tillage treatment also had the highest average infiltration rate of 70 mm h-1 compared to 36 for chisel, 27 for spring plow, and 19 mm h-1 for fall plow treatments. The highly variable nature of earthworm counts and infiltration measurements prevented conclusive correlation between the two, but increases in both can be attributed to minimum tillage.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

79. Earthworm (Lumbricidae) survey of North Dakota fields d in the U.S. Conservation Reserve Program.
Deibert, E. J. and Utter, R. A.
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 58(1): 39-45. (2003)
Descriptors:  electrical conductivity/ environmental impact/ habitat selection/ habitats/ nitrate nitrogen/ particle size/ phosphorus/ population distribution/ potassium/ precipitation/ sand fraction/ soil chemical properties/ soil organic matter/ soil pH/ soil physical properties/ spatial distribution/ surveys/ survival/ Aporrectodea caliginosa/ earthworms/ Lumbricus rubellus/ North Dakota/ United States/ Dendrobaena octaedra/ Aporrectodea/ Lumbricidae/ Oligochaeta/ Annelida/ invertebrates/ animals/ Dendrobaena/ Lumbricus
Abstract: Twenty-three field sites in North Dakota, where highly erodible soil is d under permanent vegetation in the U.S. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) from five to eight years, were surveyed for the presence or absence of earthworms. Soils were sampled to determine chemical and physical properties, and soil cores were collected to estimate earthworm populations. Earthworm species identified at 12 CRP sites were Aporrectodea tuberculata (Eisen), Aporrectodea trapezoids (Duges), Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny), Dendrobaena octaedra (Savigny), and Lumbricus rubellus (Hoffmeister). Sites with earthworms were associated with organic matter levels of greater than 2.5%. Sand content of the 11 sites without earthworms averaged 67% (± 13), and the soil usually contained what appeared to be sharp shiny crystals or grains that might not be ideal for earthworm survival. Dendrobaena octaedra and Lumbricus rubellus were found at sites with the highest soil organic matter and nitrate-N levels plus low sand percent. Soil P, K, pH and EC levels were not related to the presence or absence of earthworms in these CRP sites. Total earthworm population estimates from five CRP sites averaged 6.3 million ha-1 (± 4.7), with adults, juveniles, and cocoons at 0.6 (± 0.4), 4.5 (± 3.1), and 1.2 (± 2.0) million ha-1, respectively. Earthworm populations along a 90-meter transect from the edge of the CRP field were similar when averaged over the five sites. An estimate of population at the other seven earthworm sites was not possible because environmental stress as earthworms tended to migrate only to areas in the field where taproot plant species were located. The presence of wetlands or tree habitat in these CRP fields could not be used as criteria for determining the presence of earthworms.
© CABI

80. Eastern meadowlarks nesting in rangelands and Conservation Reserve Program fields in Kansas.
Granfors, D. A.; Church, K. E.; and Smith, L. M.
Journal of Field Ornithology 67(2): 222-235. (1996)
Descriptors:  Sturnella magna/ nests/ site selection/ rangelands/ old fields/ ecosystem management/ Kansas/ birds/ United States
Abstract: Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) nesting habitat was studied to make management recommendations for fields enrolled in a federal land retirement program. We compared available microhabitat, nest-site selection, and nest success on rangelands and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields in eastern Kansas. Daily nest survival rates and numbers fledged per female did not differ significantly between land-use types, but the power of these tests was low. Predation was the primary source of nest failure throughout incubation, hatching, and nestling stages; abandonment, trampling, inviability, and unknown causes also were important during incubation. Mowing CRP fields was a source of nest failure and also induced adults to abandon some fields. CRP fields had a significantly higher percent, depth, and density of litter cover; a taller herbaceous canopy; less herbaceous cover; and more standing dead cover than rangelands. Differences in habitat structure indicate that CRP has increased the diversity of available nesting habitats. Eastern Meadowlarks selected nest sites with significantly greater litter cover, higher proportion of grass, more uncompacted litter, and more structural homogeneity than available on random plots. Delay of mowing and prescribed burning are recommended to enhance and maintain habitat suitability for nesting Eastern Meadowlarks in CRP fields.
© ProQuest

81. Ecology of Columbian sharp-tailed grouse associated with Conservation Reserve Program and reclaimed surface mine lands in northwestern Colorado.
Boisvert, J. H.
Moscow, USA: University of Idaho, 2002.
Notes: Thesis
Descriptors:  sharp-tailed grouse/ Conservation Reserve Program/ reclaimed surface mine lands/ Colorado

82. Effect of field borders and nest-predator reduction on abundance of northern bobwhites.
Palmer, William E.; Wellendorf, Shane D.; Gillis, James R.; and Bromley, Peter T.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 33(4): 1398-1405. (2005)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 0091-7648
Descriptors:  conservation measures/ nutrition/ diet/ prey/ ecology/ community structure/ predators/ man-made habitat/ land zones/ Colinus virginianus: habitat management/ fallow field borders/ relative abundance/ fallow field borders and mammalian nest predation reduction effects/ farm habitat/ mammalian predators/ cultivated land habitat/ North Carolina/ Hyde/ Tyrell and Wilson County/ Aves, Galliformes, Phasianidae/ birds/ carnivores/ chordates/ mammals/ marsupials/ vertebrates
Abstract: Fallow-field borders along edges of crop fields have been promoted for increasing northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) on farms and are a component of recovery plans for this species. However, research on bobwhite population response to field-border practices is sparse. Previous research on 2 farms documented increased use of farm fields and greater reproduction by bobwhites on farms with field borders, but nesting success was low during May and June. Bobwhite population response to field-border practices may increase when they are combined with nest-predator reduction on farms. Effect of nest-predator reduction on bobwhite populations on farmed landscapes has not been investigated in the Southeast. Therefore, we tested the effects of field borders and mesomammal nest-predator reduction on bobwhite abundance on 12 farms in eastern North Carolina, 1997-1999. We applied treatments to farms as factorial combinations. Reduction of mesomammal nest predators, including raccoons (Procyon lotor), Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus and Vulpes vulpes), Occurred from February-May of each year. To assess bobwhite response to treatments, we measured summer abundance of males using variable-radius point counts and covey abundance on farms in September and October using morning covey-call surveys. Bobwhites were more abundant on farms with field borders during summer (P=0.08). On field-border farms we heard 1.8x the number of coveys heard on farms without field borders (P=0.004). Summer abundance of bobwhites did not differ as a result of predator reductions (P=0.37), and we heard slightly fewer coveys on predator-reduction farms (P =0.084) during autumn. However, we heard more coveys on farms with both field borders and predator reduction compared to all other farms (P=0.022). Field-border systems were a practical management technique to increase autumn abundance of bobwhites on individual farms in eastern North Carolina.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

83. Effects of agricultural diversification on the abundance, distribution, and pest control potential of spiders: A review.
Sunderland, K. and Samu, F.
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 1: 1-13. (2000); ISSN: 0013-8703
Descriptors:  population density/ population dynamics/ agricultural practices/ pest control/ Araneae/ agriculture/ applied entomology
Abstract: A review of the literature showed that spider abundance was increased by diversification in 63% of studies. A comparison of diversification modes showed that spider abundance in the crop was increased in 33% of studies by 'aggregated diversification' (e.g. intercropping and non-crop strips) and in 80% of studies by 'interspersed diversification' (e.g., undersowing, partial weediness, mulching and reduced tillage). It is suggested that spiders tend to remain in diversified patches and that extending the diversification throughout the whole crop (as in interspersed diversification) offers the best prospects for improving pest control. There is little evidence that spiders walk in significant numbers into fields from uncultivated field edges, but diversification at the landscape level serves to foster large multi-species regional populations of spiders which are valuable as a source of aerial immigrants into newly planted crops. There are very few manipulative field studies where the impact of spiders on pests has been measured in diversified crops compared with undiversified controls. It is encouraging, however, that in those few studies an increased spider density resulted in improved pest control. Future work needs are identified.
© ProQuest

84. Effects of alternative cotton agriculture on avian and arthropod populations.
Cederbaum, S. B.; Carroll, J. P.; and Cooper, R. J.
Conservation Biology 18(5): 1272-1282. (2004)
NAL Call #:  QH75.A1C5; ISSN: 08888892.
Notes: doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00385.x.
Descriptors:  agroecosystems/ alternative agriculture/ clover/ conservation tillage/ cover crop/ integrated pest management/ r elay stripcover/ songbirds/ agricultural ecosystem/ arthropod/ conservation/ cotton/ songbirds/ Georgia/ Arthropoda/ Aves/ Galliformes/ Gossypium/ Gossypium hirsutum/ Passeri/ Trifolium
Abstract: Among the major agricultural crops in the southeastern United States, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) generally provides the least suitable habitat for most early successional songbirds. Newer cropping approaches, such as use of conservation tillage and stripcover cropping, offer hope for improving the ecological value of cotton fields. We examined the effects of clover stripcover cropping with conservation tillage versus conventionally grown cotton with either conventional or conservation tillage on avian and arthropod species composition and field use in east-central Georgia. Stripcover fields had higher bird densities and biomass and higher relative abundance of arthropods than both conservation tillage and conventional fields. During migration and breeding periods, total bird densities on stripcover fields were 2-6 times and 7-20 times greater than on conservation and conventional fields, respectively. Abundance and biomass for epigeal arthropods were also greatest on stripcover fields during much of the breeding season. Although theclover treatment attracted the highest avian and arthropod densities, conservation fields still provided more wildlife and agronomic benefits than conventional management. Our findings suggest that both conservation tillage and stripcropping systems will improve conditions for birds in cotton, with stripcropped fields providing superior habitat. The reduction of inputs possible with the clover system could allow farmers to lower costs associated with conventional cotton production by  $282-317/ha. This reduction of input, coupled with similar or possibly increased yield over conventional systems makes stripcover cropping not only a good choice for reducing negative impacts on wildlife and surrounding ecosystems, but also an economically desirable one.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

85. Effects of burning and discing Conservation Reserve Program fields to improve habitat quality for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus).
Greenfield, K. C.; Chamberlain, M. J.; Burger, L. W.; and Kurzejeski, E. W.
American Midland Naturalist 149(2): 344-353. (Apr. 2003)
NAL Call #:  410 M58; ISSN: 0003-0031
Descriptors:  vegetation/ wildlife/ Conservation Reserve Program/ northern bobwhite/ Colinus virginianus
Abstract: Since 1985 considerable expanses of highly erodible cropland have been enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Areas enrolled in CRP provide wildlife habitat; however, habitat quality and specific resources on these sites vary in relation to seasonal biological processes of target wildlife species, planted cover and vegetation succession. Throughout the southeastern United States habitat quality for early successional species, such as northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), may decline as CRP grasslands age. Although disturbance may-enhance and maintain habitat quality for bobwhite, concerns regarding perceived conflicts between wildlife habitat and soil erosion objectives of the CRP persist. During 1995 and 1996 we evaluated effects of strip- discing or prescribed burning on vegetation structure and composition and soil erosion in fescue (Festuca arundiacea) dominated CRP fields in Mississippi. Fall discing generally increased percentage bare ground and plant diversity and decreased percentage litter cover and litter depth. Fall discing enhanced bobwhite habitat quality, but responses diminished by the second growing season post treatment. Burning increased plant diversity and improved quality of habitat for bobwhite. Soil loss for all treatments was within United States Department of Agriculture tolerable limits. Discing or burning intensity on CRP fields could be increased without compromising soil erosion provisions of CRP.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

86. Effects of conservation practice, mowing, and temporal changes on vegetation structure on CRP fields in northern Missouri.
McCoy, Timothy D.; Kurzejeski, Eric W.; Burger, Loren W.; and Ryan, Mark R.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 29(3): 979-987. (2001)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 0091-7648
Descriptors:  conservation measures/ terrestrial habitat/ man-made habitat/ land and freshwater zones/ Aves: habitat management/ grassland/ cultivated land habitat/ Conservation Reserve Program fields/ vegetation structure/ habitat conservation value/ Missouri/ North/ fields management/ birds/ chordates/ vertebrates
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

87. Effects of Conservation Reserve Program field age on avian relative abundance, diversity, and productivity.
Millenbah, K. F.; Winterstein, S. R.; Campa, H.; Furrow, L. T.; and Minnis, R. B.
Wilson Bulletin 108(4):  760-770. (1996)
Descriptors:  Aves/ species richness/ abundance/ productivity/ fields/ age/ Michigan/ birds/ United States
Abstract: Introduced grass dominated Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields were monitored in summer 1992 in Gratiot County, Michigan, to determine the relationship between field age and avian relative abundance, diversity, and productivity. Younger CRP fields (1-2 years old), best described as a combination of forbs and bare ground, had the greatest diversity and relative abundance of avian species. Older CRP fields (3-5/6 years old) were a combination of grasses and deep litter cover and had the greatest avian productivity. We recommend that after 3-5 growing seasons CRP fields be manipulated to provide a variety of successional stages to maintain simultaneously high avian relative abundance, diversity, and productivity.
© ProQuest

88. Effects of Conservation Reserve Program seeding regime on harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex), with implications for the threatened Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum).
McIntyre, N. E.
Southwestern Naturalist 48(2): 274-277. (2003)
Descriptors:  environment-ecology/ fire ants/ hymenoptera/ formicidae/ grassland/ birds
Abstract: I compared the presence and abundance of nest-sites made by harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex), the primary prey for the endangered Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum), among restored grassland plots planted in different grass species and indigenous prairie. The restored plots had been seeded as part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) as exotic monocultures of either Old World bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) or weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula), or as mixtures of native grasses (both with and without buffalograss, Buchloe dactyloides). On average, the fewest ant mounds were found on Old World bluestem plots, whereas the indigenous grassland had the highest density of harvester ant mounds. However, there were no significant differences between native and exotic CRP plantings. Results obtained from a simultaneous visual survey for Texas horned lizards corroborate these findings. Thus, there is no evidence that CRP plots planted in exotic grasses are significantly poorer habitat for Texas horned lizards in terms of ant abundance than native grass plantings.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

89. Effects of CRP field age and cover type on ring-necked pheasants in eastern South Dakota.
Eggebo, S. L.; Higgins, K. F.; Naugle, D. E.; and Quamen, F. R.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 31(3): 779-785. (2003)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 0091-7648
Descriptors:  environment-ecology/ Conservation Reserve Program/ cool season/ cover/ CRP/ habitat/ Phasianus colchicus/ ring necked pheasant/ South Dakota/ warm season/ Conservation Reserve Program/ grassland bird conservation/ vegetation/ populations/ abundance/ models
Abstract: Loss of native grasslands to tillage has increased the importance of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands to maintain ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) populations. Despite the importance of CRP to pheasants, little is known about the effects of CRP field age and cover type on pheasant abundance and productivity in the northern Great Plains. Therefore, we assessed effects of these characteristics on pheasant use of CRP fields. We stratified CRP grasslands (n=42) by CRP stand age (old [10-13 yrs] vs. new [1-3 yrs] grasslands) and cover type (CP1 [cool-season grasslands] vs. CP2 [warm-season grasslands]) in eastern South Dakota and used crowing counts and roadside brood counts to index ring-necked pheasant abundance and productivity. Field-age and cover-type effects on pheasant abundance and productivity were largely the result of differences in vegetation structure among fields. More crowing pheasants were recorded in old cool-season CRP fields than any other age or cover type, and more broods were recorded in cool- than warm-season CRP fields. Extending existing CRP contracts another 5-10 years would provide the time necessary for new fields to acquire the vegetative structure used most by pheasants without a gap in habitat availability. Cool-season grass-legume mixtures (CP1) that support higher pheasant productivity should be given equal or higher ratings than warm-season (CP2) grass stands. We also recommend that United States Department of Agriculture administrators and field staff provide broader and more flexible guidelines on what seed mixtures can be used in CRP grassland plantings in the northern Great Plains. This would allow landowners and natural resource professionals who manage pheasant habitat to plant a mosaic of cool- and warm-season CRP grassland habitats.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

90. Effects of different age classes of fields enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program in Michigan on avian diversity, density, and productivity.
Millenbah, Kelly Francine
East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, 1994.
Notes: Degree: MS; Advisor: Winterstein, Scott R.
Descriptors:  wildlife/ ecology/ bird communities/ wildlife density/ agricultural conservation/ landowners/ Conservation Reserve Program
Abstract:  Agricultural landowners have enrolled lands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for wildlife and economic benefits. Avian communities and vegetative characteristics were examined on 6 age classes (1-6 growing seasons) of CRP fields in Gratiot County, Michigan in 1991 and 1992 to determine the relationships between field age and characteristics of avian communities. Younger CRP fields (1-3 growing seasons), characterized by forbs and bare ground, supported greater avian densities and diversities than older fields (4-6 growing seasons). Older CRP fields, characterized by grasses and high litter cover, supported greater avian productivity. Results indicate that grassland birds in Michigan may require a diversity of age classes of CRP fields in agricultural landscapes to meet their habitat requirements. Continued enrollment of lands into the program and periodic manipulation of these lands, will create a mosaic of grassland successional stages important to a diversity of avian species.
© NISC

91. Effects of emergency haying on duck nesting in Conservation Reserve Program fields, South Dakota.
Luttschwager, K. A.; Higgins, K. F.; and Jenks, J. A.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 22(3): 403-408. (Fall 1994)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 0091-7648 [WLSBA6]
Descriptors:  anas/ nesting/ reproduction/ population density/ habitats/ grasslands/ federal programs/ private ownership/ South Dakota/ nesting success/ private land
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

92. Effects of emergency haying on vegetative characteristics within selected Conservation Reserve Program fields in the northern Great Plains.
Allen, A. W.; Cade, B. S.; and Vandever, M. W.
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 56(2): 120-125. (2001)
Descriptors:  alfalfa/ Conservation Reserve Program/ emergency use/ grasslands/ haying/ intermediate wheatgrass/ management/ wildlife habitat/ grassland/ hay/ soil conservation/ North America/ Cirsium arvense/ Medicago sativa
Abstract: Successional changes in vegetation composition within seeded grasslands may affect attainment of long term conservation objectives. Comparisons between vegetation composition within Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields planted to cool season, introduced grasses hayed for emergency use, and non hayed fields of the same age and species composition were completed to determine potential effects of periodic haying. Emergency haying had little long term effect on vegetation height/density, percent cover of live grass, or forb cover when compared to characteristics within non hayed fields. The presence of legumes [primarily alfalfa (medicago sativa L)] increased in response to haying, whereas, abundance of noxious weeds [chiefly Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense (L) Scop.)] diminished. Implications for long term management CRP grasslands to achieve wildlife habitat objectives are discussed.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

93. Effects of field size and landscape composition on grassland birds in south-central Iowa.
Horn, David Joseph; Koford, Rolf R.; and Braland, Malinda L.
Iowa Academy of Science, Journal 109(1-2): 1-7. (2002); ISSN: 0896-8381
Descriptors:  Agelaius phoeniceus/ Ammodramus henslowii/ Ammodramus savannarum/ Carduelis tristis/ Cistothorus platensis/ Dolichonyx oryzivorus/ Geothlypis trichas/ Melospiza melodia/ Molothrus ater/ Spiza americana/ Spizella pusilla/ Sturnella magna/ Sturnella neglecta/ Passeriformes/ biogeography/ field size/ landscape composition/ communities/ grasslands/ ecosystems/ Iowa/ habitat use/ land zones/ red-winged blackbird/ Henslow's sparrow/ grasshopper sparrow/ American goldfinch/ sedge wren/ bobolink/ common yellowthroat/ song sparrow/ brown-headed cowbird/ dickcissel/ field sparrow/ eastern meadowlark/ western meadowlark
Abstract: Many species of grassland birds have been shown to avoid smaller fields. The avoidance of smaller fields, however, has not been consistently reported; avoidance may occur in one study, but not in another. To examine one possible reason for these inconsistencies, we examined how landscape composition influenced the relations between occurrence or abundance and field size. The study took  during the 1998 breeding season on 44 Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields located in Adair, Ringgold, and Union counties. The relations between occurrence, abundance, and field size were not influenced by landscape composition for any species. Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum, Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, and Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna, were more likely to occur or were more abundant in larger fields. Field Sparrow, Spizella pusilla, Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta, Brown-headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater, and American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis, were less likely to occur or were less abundant in larger fields. Field size is an important factor influencing the occurrence and/or abundance of grassland songbirds in fields. Future studies that investigate the effects of landscape composition on area sensitivity should use landscapes that have similar habitat compositions other than the habitat being varied, and use similar sized fields in each landscape.
© NISC

94. Effects of grazing and haying on arthropod diversity in North Dakota Conservation Reserve Program grasslands.
Hoernemann, C. K.; Johnson, P. J.; and Higgins, K. F.
Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science 80: 283-308. (2001)
NAL Call #:  500 So82; ISSN: 0096-378X
Descriptors:  species diversity/ Conservation Reserve Program/ grazing/ arthropods/ conservation practices

95. Effects of grazing Conservation Reserve Program lands in North Dakota on birds, insects, and vegetation.
Kennedy, Carmen L.; Jenks, Jonathan A.; and Higgins, Kenneth F.
Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science 80: 213-226. (2001)
NAL Call #:  500 So82; ISSN: 0096-378X
Descriptors:  Aves/ grazing/ Conservation Reserve Program/ North Dakota/ deferred rotation grazing/ passerines/ lark bunting/ Calamospiza melanocorys/ grasshopper sparrow/ Ammodramus savannarum/ red-winged blackbird/ Agelaius phoeniceus/ brown-headed cowbird/ Molothrus ater/ species density/ insect biomass/ vegetation height
Abstract: Effects of two grazing systems on nongame birds, insect biomass, and vegetation structure in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands were evaluated in North Dakota. Treatments included idle (controls), 3-pasture twice-over deferred rotation grazing, and season-long grazing systems. Twelve species of nongame passerine birds in 1992 and ten species in 1993 used CRP fields. The lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys), grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) and brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) dominated species composition in 1992 and 1993. CRP pastures under rotational or season-long grazing treatments maintained equal or higher mean male bird densities compared to idle CRP control fields. Mean density of male birds, terrestrial insect biomass and, for the most part, vegetation height, were lower in 1993 than 1992. Results indicated that high insect biomass in pastures with dense cover does not necessarily equate to higher nongame bird use. At moderate stocking rates (~2.1 AUM/ha), our results indicated that grazing of CRP lands could be included in contract terms or in negotiations in any extensions or modifications of future CRP contracts without any significant losses to nongame birds.
© NISC

96. Effects of habitat manipulations on Texas horned lizards and their prey.
Fair, W. Scott and Henke, Scott E.
Journal of Wildlife Management 61(4): 1366-1370. (1997)
NAL Call #:  410 J827; ISSN: 0022-541X
Descriptors:  Phrynosoma cornutum/ amphibians and reptiles/ ants/ Conservation Reserve Program/ fires-burns/ foods-feeding/ habitat alterations/ habitat use/ livestock/ Texas horned lizard/ Texas/ Duval County
Abstract: The effects of habitat manipulations on Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) and their main prey, harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) were studied in South Texas. The relative abundance of lizards, their scat, and active harvester ant mounds was assessed on 1-ha plots that were manipulated with either prescribed burning, disking, burning and disking combination, grazing, or land in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). We determined differential habitat use or avoidance using Chi-square analysis and Bonferroni Z-statistics to control the experiment-wise error probability at 10%. Lizards used burned plots disproportionately more, were neutral in their use of the disked and grazed plots, and under-utilized the burned and disked combination and CRP plots. Analysis of scat led to similar conclusions in relation to burned, grazed, and CRP plots, but scats were distributed on combination plots pro rata to availability and were underrepresented on the disked plots. No difference was detected in the relative abundance of active ant mounds among the 5 land management practices. Even though Texas horned lizards preferentially used areas that were recently burned, the process of burning may harm them due to the shallow depths in which they hibernate.
© NISC

97. Effects of habitat on dickcissel abundance and nest success in Conservation Reserve Program fields in Kansas.
Hughes, John P.; Robel, Robert J.; Kemp, Kenneth E.; and Zimmerman, John L.
Journal of Wildlife Management 63(2): 523-529. (1999)
NAL Call #:  410 J827; ISSN: 0022-541X
Descriptors:  Fringillidae/ Passeriformes/ Spiza americana/ behavior/ birds/ Conservation Reserve Program/ ecosystems/ edge habitat/ farmland/ habitat management/ habitat use/ management/ nesting sites/ nests-nesting/ productivity/ wildlife/ wildlife-habitat relationships/ wild birds/ reproduction/ federal programs/ wildlife conservation/ Kansas/ species abundance/ land development, land reform, and utilization (macroeconomics)/ dickcissel/ Kansas/ Riley County
Abstract: Declining avian populations in the Midwest have increased interest in various aspects of grassland habitats and their effects on grassland birds. We studied the effects of vegetation characteristics, woody field edges and surrounding land use on abundance and daily nest survival of the dickcissel (Spiza americana) in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields in the northeastern Kansas. We observed 873 dickcissels during surveys on 11 CRP fields during the summers of 1994 and 1995. In those fields, we located 186 dickcissel nests of which 13.2% were successful in 1994 and 14.9% were successful in 1995. The vertical density of vegetation in CRP fields, wooded area surrounding the fields, and amount of woody edge bordering fields were associated with dickcissel abundance (P = 0.001). Live and dead canopy cover and litter cover were associated with daily nest survival (P = 0.005). Therefore, the habitat quality of CRP fields for dickcissels might be enhanced by modifying vegetation characteristics. The outcome of any modifications of CRP habitat for dickcissels should be judged on changes in the number and success of their nests rather than on the abundance of birds.
© NISC

98. Effects of landscape composition and multi-scale habitat characteristics on the grassland bird community.
McCoy, T. D.
Columbia, MO: Univ. of Missouri-Columbia, 2000.
Notes: Ph.D. Dissert.; Project Number: MO W0-013-R-54/Job 1/Study 43
Descriptors:  habitat/ modeling/ grassland/ birds/ communities/ wildlife-habitat relationships/ species diversity/ conservation programs/ nests and nesting/ abundance/ sparrows/ reproduction/ statistics/ meadowlarks, blackbirds and orioles/ population density/ vegetation/ Missouri/ Adair County/ Know County/ Linn County/ Macon County/ Shelby County
Abstract: Measures of grassland bird demography on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields were compared and modeled at several spatial scales to identify habitat factors associated with increased conservation value for grassland birds. Grassland bird populations and species richness were compared between fields located in landscapes with different amounts of CRP habitat and total grassland. Multi-scale habitat models were developed from and validated on two independent data sets to identify the primary habitat features that could predict the potential value of CRP and other idle grasslands for grassland bird conservation.
© NISC

99. Effects of livestock grazing on neotropical migratory landbirds in western North America.
Bock, C. E.; Sabb, V. A.; Rich, T. D.; and Dobkin, D. S.
In: Status and management of neotropical migratory birds. Estes Park, Colorado. Finch, D. M. and Stangel, P. W. (eds.)
Fort Collins, Colo.: Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; pp. 263-309; 1993.
NAL Call #:  aSD11.A42
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ regional conservation programs
Abstract:  Examined the idea that moderate haying/grazing of CRP coupled with livestock enclosures on public land could enhance the value of public rangelands for wildlife.

100. Effects of mammalian predator removal on waterfowl and non-game birds in North Dakota.
Garrettson, P. R.; Rohwer, F. C.; Zimmer, J. M.; Mense, B. J.; and Dion, N.
Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resource Conference 61: 94-101. (1996)
NAL Call #:  412.9 N814; ISSN: 0078-1355.
Notes: Conference: 61st North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference: Facing Realities in Resource Management, Tulsa, OK , 22-27 Mar 1996.
Descriptors:  aquatic birds/ predator control/ environmental impact/ nesting/ bird eggs/ nature conservation/ habitat improvement (physical)/ breeding sites/ environment management/ Aves/ North America/ species interactions: general/ conservation, wildlife management and recreation/ freshwater/ brackish water/ marine environment
Abstract: Waterfowl managers have long been concerned about low nest success on the North American prairies. A review of duck nesting success shows that, despite great variation between studies, there is a dramatic pattern of decline in nest success in the past 50 years (Beauchamp et al. 1996). The linear regression of success versus year shows that hatching rates dropped from 33 percent in 1935 to only 10-percent nest success in 1992. Low nest success, which reflects high nest predation, is viewed as the most significant limitation on waterfowl productivity in the prairies. Most of the management effort under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) in the prairie region of the United States and Canada is an attempt to elevate nest success for upland-nesting ducks. Compounding habitat degradation is a major shift in numbers types of nest predator on the prairies. Extirpation of wolves (Canis lupus) and reduction of coyotes (Canis latrans) has allowed medium-sized predators, such as red fox (Vulpes vulpes), skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and raccoon (Procyon lotor); to flourish. Raccoons are a recent arrival to much of the prairies, though they now are abundant and the dominant nest predator for many prairie ducks. Abundance of medium-sized mammals and scarcity of nesting cover has been a very detrimental combination for breeding ducks. Most attempts to increase duck nesting success have focused on ways to make nests less accessible to predators. Dense nesting cover has been the dominant management on United States Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) and on NAWMP areas in Canada, yet this strategy typically has improved nest success by only a few percentage points, with highly variable results. Improved nest success associated with the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) suggests that landscape-level additions of nesting cover improve recruitment, but habitat improvement on this scale is not economically feasible for wildlife groups. Intensive management efforts to make nests inaccessible, such as construction of islands and predator barrier fences, can increase nest success, but costs are high.
© ProQuest

101. Effects of riffle-step restoration on hyporheic zone chemistry in n-rich lowland streams.
Kasahara, Tamao and Hill, Alan R.
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 63(1): 120-133. (2006)
NAL Call #:  442.9 C16J; ISSN: 0706-652X
Descriptors:  freshwater ecology: ecology, environmental sciences/ methods and techniques/ wildlife management: conservation/ piezometer/ field equipment/ riffle step restoration/ applied and field techniques/ hyporheic zone chemistry
Abstract: Stream restoration projects that aim to rehabilitate ecosystem health have not considered surface-subsurface linkages, although stream water and groundwater interaction has an important role in sustaining stream ecosystem functions. The present study examined the effect of constructed riffles and a step on hyporheic exchange flow and chemistry in restored reaches of several N-rich agricultural and urban streams in southern Ontario. Hydrometric data collected from a network of piezometers and conservative tracer releases indicated that the constructed riffles and steps were effective in inducing hyporheic exchange. However, despite the use of cobbles and boulders in the riffle construction, high stream dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were depleted rapidly with depth into the hyporheic zones. Differences between observed and predicted nitrate concentrations based on conservative ion concentration patterns indicated that these hyporheic zones were also nitrate sinks. Zones of low hydraulic conductivity and the occurrence of interstitial fines in the restored cobble-boulder layers suggest that siltation and clogging of the streambed may reduce the downwelling of oxygen- and nitrate-rich stream water. Increases in streambed DO levels and enhancement of habitat for hyporheic fauna that result from riffle-step construction projects may only be temporary in streams that receive increased sediment and nutrient inputs from urban areas and croplands.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

102. Effects of the Conservation Reserve Program on selected wildlife populations in southeast Nebraska.
King, Justin W.
Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska, 1991.
Notes: Thesis (M.S.)--University of Nebraska, Lincoln--Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife, 1991. Includes bibliographical references.
NAL Call #:  NBU LD3656 1991 K564
Descriptors:  Wildlife conservation---Nebraska/ Wildlife management---Nebraska/ Conservation of natural resources---Nebraska
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

103. Effects of the Conservation Reserve Program on soil duality and overall economic viability of Maryland's native grassland restoration projects.
Koenig, Kristin A. and Sherman, Leslie A.
In: 229th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. San Diego, CA ; Vol. 229 (Part 1).; pp. U505-U506; 2005.
Notes: 0065-7727 (ISSN).
Descriptors:  soil science/ wildlife management: conservation/ cropland burning/ applied and field techniques/ cation exchange capacity/ grassland restoration/ cropland conversion/ loss on ignition
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

104. Effects of the Conservation Reserve Program on wildlife habitat in the Great Plains.
Baker, Bryan Douglas. University of Minnesota, 1992.
Notes: Degree: PhD; Advisor: Gersmehl, Philip J.
Descriptors:  geography/ wildlife/ birds/ climate/ behavior conservation/ predators/ erosion/ wildlife/ conservation practices/ agricultural practices/ South Dakota/ Nebraska/ Kansas/ Texas
Abstract:  The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a ten-year federal agricultural land retirement program, returned several million acres of the Great Plains to grass by 1989. Improvement of wildlife habitat was a secondary but important rationale for the program. Enrollments are concentrated in the southern High Plains and the northern glaciated Plains. CRP fields increase in size from east to west, with many counties exceeding 320 acres for mean contract size. A study of Plains land use, soils, geology, and climate helped construct a list of expected effects of the CRP on the mammals and breeding birds. The list was revised based on comments from Plains biologists. Most of the species on the Plains depend on woodlands, wetlands, or other cover the CRP does not provide. Some species that use grassland or agricultural land will gain habitat, mainly for nesting. Nine-section study areas in six Plains counties detailed land cover changes associated with the CRP. Most areas have seen a net increase in cropland since the late 1960s despite the CRP retirements. In some counties, especially far western ones, CRP land is in larger blocks, isolated from woodland and shrubs. These areas favor small to medium sized grassland birds and mammals. CRP parcels in other counties, especially to the east, are well-interspersed with other cover. Mosaic species using grassland, cropland and woodland should benefit there. These include bobwhite quail, white-tailed deer, and some predators. A dynamic programming model was developed to help investigate the effects of landscape pattern on animal behavior and survival. A preliminary version calculated winter survival of bobwhite quail. Small demonstration areas selected from the study areas suggested that the configuration of CRP fields could be improved to maximize wildlife benefits. Many of the wildlife benefits of the CRP could vanish after the program expires if farmers return CRP fields to cropland. Other long-term alternatives could prove less costly. Limited federal buy-outs of erosion-prone land may be feasible, especially in expansion of National Grassland. Easements, purchase of cultivation rights, and subsidies for alternative agricultural practices are other tools for encouraging long-term conservation on the Great Plains.
© NISC

105. Effects of the Conservation Reserve Program on wildlife in southeast Nebraska.
King, J. W. and Savidge, J. A.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 23(3): 377-385. (Fall 1995)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 0091-7648 [WLSBA6]
Descriptors:  wild birds/ species diversity/ population density/ seasonal variation/ agricultural land/ federal programs/ wildlife conservation
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

106. The effects of the Conservation Reserve Program on wildlife in southeastern Wyoming.
Wachob, Douglas Glenn. University of Wyoming, 1997.
Notes: Degree: PhD; Advisor: Anderson, Stanley H.
Descriptors:  alfalfa/ Aves/ birds/ habitat use/ small mammals/ sharp-tailed grouse/ Typanuchus phasianellus/ raptors/ carnivores/ big game/ grazing/ Conservation Reserve Program
Abstract: The primary objective of this study was to identify the vegetation and spatial characteristics of CRP that influence habitat use by non-game birds, small rodents, sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), raptors, carnivores, and big game in a CRP/agricultural landscape. The study was conducted in Laramie, Platte, and Goshen counties in southeastern Wyoming, during 1993-5. The study area was dominated by intensively grazed native range land and winter wheat (Triticum sp.); CRP comprised 15% of the study area. Non-game bird use was higher in CRP with an alfalfa component, compared to CRP without alfalfa in 1994, but not in 1993. Fine scale selection by birds for specific vegetation structure was detected in 1994 but not in 1993. Bird use of CRP was independent of the spatial characteristics of CRP patches. Small mammal use of CRP and range lands was higher than winter wheat lands. Vegetation species richness, vegetation height, standard deviation of vegetation cover, and patch area were significant predictors of small mammal use of CRP patches. This small mammal community selected habitat at the landscape and patch scale but not at the intrapatch scale. I investigated use of CRP lands by sharp-tailed grouse during nesting and brood-rearing seasons. All nests were located in CRP. Hens selected nest sites in larger CRP patches. Hens with broods used CRP and irrigated alfalfa patches more often and wheat and rangeland patches less often than they were available. Hens with broods used CRP patches with high coverage of broad leafed weeds and annual grasses more often and patches without alfalfa less often than these patch types were available. I found that CRP was the vital reproduction habitat for sharp-tailed grouse in southeastern Wyoming. Sharp-tailed grouse dancing grounds (leks) were located closer to CRP and had greater coverage of CRP within 1 km, compared with the entire study area. I also found that CRP patch size, percent cover of CRP, and CRP patch number predicted the number of leks and the number of males at leks, at a scale of 100 km$/sp2$. I investigated the spatial relationship of CRP fields to bird and mammal species richness using computer simulations. I used observations of 28 common species as model input data. Computer simulations of a hypothetical landscape showed that species richness increased rapidly as CRP coverage increased from 0-15%, and less rapidly as CRP coverage increased from 15-50%.
© NISC

107. Effects of the CRP on wildlife habitat: Emergency haying in the Midwest and pine plantings in the Southeast.
Hays, R. L. and Farmer, A. H.
Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resource Conference (55th): 30-39. maps. (1990)
NAL Call #:  412.9 N814; ISSN: 0078-1355 [NAWTA]
Descriptors:  afforestation/ farmland/ forest plantations/ haymaking/ nature reserves/ pinus/ planting/ remuneration/ Colinus virginianus/ United States, southeastern region/ Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
This citation is from AGRICOLA.

108. Effects of thinning CRP pine stands on nesting songbirds in Georgia.
Schaefbauer, M. K. and Schweitzer, S. H.
In: 7th Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society.
Nashville. TN (USA); 2000.
Notes: Conference Sponsor: The Wildlife Society; World Meeting Number 003 0833.
Descriptors:  biology/ Conservation Reserve Program/ CRP/ songbirds/ pine stands/ Pinus/ Georgia/ forest thinning
© ProQuest

109. The effects of timber harvest in a South Carolina blackwater bottomland.
Perison, Donna; Phelps, Joseph; Pavel, Christina; and Kellison, Robert
Forest Ecology and Management 90(2-3): 171-185. (1997)
NAL Call #:  SD1.F73; ISSN: 0378-1127
Descriptors:  commercial activities/ ecology/ terrestrial habitat/ land and freshwater zones/ Amphibia/ Reptilia: forestry/ harvest methods/ community structure/ timber harvest effects/ forest and woodland/ timber harvest/ South Carolina/ South Fork Edisto River/ blackwater forested wetlands/ amphibians/ chordates/ reptiles/ vertebrates
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

110. Effects of transgenic herbicide-resistant soybean varieties and systems on surface-active springtails (Entognatha: Collembola).
Bitzer, Royce J.; Buckelew, Lamar D.; and Pedigo, Larry P.
Environmental Entomology 31(3): 449-461. (2002)
NAL Call #:  QL461.E532; ISSN: 0046-225X
Descriptors:  commercial activities/ ecology/ terrestrial habitat/ man-made habitat/ Collembola: farming and agriculture/ transgenic soybean farming/ community structure/ surface active community/ effects of transgenic herbicide resistant soybean varieties and systems/ soil habitat/ cultivated land habitat/ transgenic soybean fields/ Insecta/ arthropods/ insects/ invertebrates
Abstract: The degree of abundance and diversity of springtails (order Collembola) often indicates the extent of disturbance by various agricultural practices. We examined how transgenic herbicide-tolerant soybean varieties and their associated weed management systems affect the abundance of 21 surface-active springtail species during three successive soybean growing seasons. With six soybean varieties (three transgenic, three nontransgenic), we tested three weed management systems: (1) targeted application of specific herbicides to the corresponding tolerant transgenic varieties; (2) conventional pre- and postemergence herbicide applications; and (3) mechanical cultivation. Each method posed its own potential costs and benefits to springtails. In targeted plots, springtail numbers were similar to or higher than those in conventional plots, suggesting that the later and repeated targeted applications to transgenic soybeans do not adversely affect springtail numbers in the short term. We attributed the observed treatment effect differences on springtail numbers to resultant differences in weed cover and degree of soil disturbance (indirect effects), rather than to any direct toxic effects of the herbicides. The treatments affected some species but not others; most of the affected species responded similarly to differences in weed treatment. Our results overall suggested no deleterious short-term effects of transgenic soybean targeted weed-management systems on abundance of the springtail species examined.
© Thomson Reuters Scientific

111. Effects of two haying provisions on duck nesting in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields in South Dakota.
Luttschwager, K. A.
Brookings, SD: South Dakota State University, 1991.
Notes: M.S. Thesis
Descriptors:  Conservation Reserve Program/ State conservation programs/ South Dakota
Abstract:  Evaluated the effects of emergency haying on duck nesting success in CRP fields.

112. Effects of wheat-stubble height and weed control on winter pheasant abundance.
Rodgers, R. D.
Wildlife Society Bulletin 30(4): 1099-1112. (2002)
NAL Call #:  SK357.A1W5; ISSN: 00917648
Descriptors:  Great Plains/ habitat/ herbicide/ High Plains/ Kansas/ Phasianus colchicus/ ring-necked pheasant/ stubble height/ tillage/ Triticum aestivum/ wheat/ wheat stubble/ abundance/ agricultural practices/ gamebird/ herbicide/ stubble/ weed control/ wildlife management/ United States/ Phasianus colchicus/ Triticum aestivum
Abstract: Recent changes in agriculture on the semi-arid central High Plains have serious implications for pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and other farmland wildlife. Of greatest concern are increased herbicide use accompanying intensification of crop rotations and the shorter wheat (Triticum aestivum)-stubble heights produced by a shift to semi-dwarf wheat varieties and increasingly powerful combines. From 1990-1995, I investigated the effect of stubble height and post-harvest weed control on subsequent winter abundance of pheasants in wheat stubble. Increasing wheat cutting height from a mean of 22 cm to 46 cm produced a nearly 9-fold average increase in indices of winter pheasant abundance in wheat-stubble test blocks where no post-harvest weed control was performed. Post-harvest weed growth was positively affected by wheat-stubble height, probably due to taller stubble's ability to better conserve limited moisture by reducing ground-level air movement. Herbicide application to stubble reduced indices of winter pheasant abundance by >80%, and tillage reduced those indices by >90%, compared to untreated fields. Herbicide application to wheat stubble and reduced stubble height are considered major causes of the long-term decline of pheasants on the central High Plains. This research and a companion agronomic study have shown that increased stubble height and post-harvest weed growth in wheat stubble are integral components of a modified wheat-fallow rotation that provides superior habitat quality, soil conservation benefits, and greater profitability than other wheat-fallow systems currently in use. The benefits of greater wheat-stubble height can also be applied in more intensive wheat-row-crop-fallow rotations.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

113. Enhancement of farmland biodiversity within set-aside land.
Van Buskirk, J. and Willi, Y.
Conservation Biology 18(4): 987-994. (2004)
NAL Call #:  QH75.A1C5; ISSN: 08888892
Descriptors:  agriculture/ biodiversity/ conservation/ set-aside land
Abstract: The efficacy of agricultural set-aside policies for protecting farmland biodiversity is widely debated. Based on a meta-analysis of 127 published studies, we found that land withdrawn from conventional production unequivocally enhances biodiversity in North America and Europe. The number of species of birds, insects, spiders, and plants is 1-1.5 standard deviation units higher on set-aside land, and population densities increase by 0.5-1 standard deviation units. Set-aside land may be especially beneficial for desirable taxa because North American bird species that have exhibited population declines react most positively to set-aside agricultural land. Larger and older plots protect more species and higher densities, and set-aside land is more effective in countries with less-intensive agricultural practices and higher fractions of land removed from production. Although policies specifically designed to protect biodiversity might work even better, current incentives clearly improve the standing of plants and animals in farmland.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

114. Environmental benefits of conservation buffers in the United States: Evidence, promise, and open questions.
Lovell, S. T. and Sullivan, W. C.
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 112(4):249-260. (2006)
NAL Call #:  S601.A34; ISSN: 01678809.
Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.agee.2005.08.002.
Descriptors:  agricultural buffers/ agroecology/ Conservation Reserve Program/ riparian corridors/ sustainable agriculture/ agricultural ecosystem/ buffer zone/ United States
Abstract: Conservation buffers can have a tremendously positive impact on the ecological health of rural landscapes by reducing erosion, improving water quality, increasing biodiversity, and expanding wildlife habitats. Yet, in spite of our knowledge of their value, conservation buffers have not been fully embraced by landowners, or even by policy makers in the United States (US). In this critical review, we examine why conservation buffers remain underutilized in US agroecosystems. We examine the literature on the environmental benefits of buffers, the economic issues related to buffer adoption, and the importance of the aesthetic quality and design of buffers. We propose that many questions related to buffer design and management remain unanswered, and suggest a variety of areas in which future research is necessary to improve buffer functionality and adoption. The implications of this synthesis for designers, planners, scientists, policy makers, and citizens are discussed. Recommendations include: modifying policies to better reflect the preferences of landowners and society, studying buffer systems at the watershed scale using multidisciplinary approaches, and designing buffers that consider aesthetic preferences and regional variation.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

115. Environmental conservation and locust control: Possible conflicts and solutions.
Peveling, R.
Journal of Orthoptera Research 10(2): 171-187. (2001); ISSN: 1082-6467.
Notes: Publisher: Orthopterists' Society.
Descriptors:  pest control/ Insecticides/ habitat preferences/ Acrididae/ Orthoptera/ grasshoppers/ agriculture/ applied entomology
Abstract: In contrast to pests developing in close assoc