ENERGY SPRAWL SOLUTIONS

Energy sprawl affects all the major conservation issues of our age, from habitat loss and fragmentation to anthropogenic noise and climate change. As such, minimizing and solving its associated problems should be a key focus for conservation biologists. Kiesecker and Naugle provide an impressive and compact book that focusses on solving environmental and social problems likely to result from a transition from non- renewable to far less efficient renewable energy sources. Energy Sprawl Solutions summarizes numerous relevant peer-reviewed academic papers, and outlines management and planning implications of each one, ultimately resolving these into fairly clear prescriptive recommendations for moving forward. The book includes many case studies from across the world and highlights effects of various energy sources, although there is an emphasis on popular renewables such as wind, solar and biofuels. It is formatted into three sections: a (frankly terrifying) outline of the current problem, case studies that illustrate potential solutions, and recommendations for how to make best practices common practices

Historic Distribution and Ecology of Tall-Grass Prairie in Western Canada

Rapid settlement and agricultural development of western Canada in the late 1800s and early 1900s nearly eliminated the tall-grass prairie, and pre-empted a detailed description by ecologists. A combination of literature review and historical ecological analysis of soils, climate, and composition data are applied to estimate the historic distribution, and area occupied by tall-grass prairie in southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada. The resulting area estimate of 20,830 km2 is more than three times any previously reported value. Some confusion of terms from the first half of the 1900s, and the impact of invasive species on vegetation patterns observed in the past 50 years, likely disguised the original distribution of tall-grass prairie. Protection and conservation efforts should now cast their nets wider to seek remnant prairies beyond the Red River valley, particularly westward along the Assiniboine, Qu’Appelle, and Souris rivers. Prospects are limited for managing these small fragments in a way that emulates the former natural disturbance regime of floods, fires, and bison grazing, but conservation and restoration efforts should continue

REVIEW OF CONSPECIFIC ATTRACTION AND AREA SENSITIVITY OF GRASSLAND BIRDS

Many species of grassland birds are area sensitive, which may exacerbate the ecological effects of the extensive loss and fragmentation of grasslands that has taken place across the northern Great Plains. However, the reasons for this area sensitivity are unclear, as vegetation structure, matrix composition, and restriction of movements among patches do not seem to provide viable explanations for species native to grasslands. Con specific attraction, whereby species are behaviorally stimulated to select habitat or establish territories near individuals of the same species, may help explain this area sensitivity. We review and discuss theoretical and empirical research on avian conspecific attraction and area sensitivity of grassland birds. While the body of literature on these subjects is growing, there have been few experimental tests of con specific attraction in grassland bird species and none that investigate its role in grassland-bird area sensitivity. We suggest that research into the role that conspecific attraction may play in grassland-bird habitat selection could provide new insights into the mechanisms behind area sensitivity in grassland birds and yield new management tools for their conservation

Grassland Bird Responses to Three Edge Types in a Fragmented Mixed- Grass Prairie Réactions des oiseaux de prairie à trois types de bordures dans une prairie mixte fragmentée

ABSTRACT. One possible factor that may have contributed to the decline of grassland bird populations is edge avoidance. In the mixed-grass prairie, habitat fragmentation is often caused by juxtaposition of habitats with vegetation that is structurally similar to prairie, making it difficult to understand why birds avoid habitat edges. We hypothesized that display height or resource-use strategy, i.e., the degree to which a species depends on grassland habitat, might explain variation in sensitivity to habitat edges among different species of grassland birds. To test our hypotheses, we used data on the abundance of grassland birds in native mixed-grass prairie fields in southern Alberta, Canada, from 2000 to 2002. Point counts were conducted up to 4.1 km from croplands, 2.2 km from roads, and 1.8 km from wetlands. We used nonlinear regression models to determine the distance at which relative abundance of 12 bird species changed in response to edge, and linear regression to determine if display height or resource-use strategy explained variation in response to different types of edges. Variation in response to edge was not explained by display height or resource-use strategy. However, six species avoided wetland edges, two avoided roads, and four avoided cropland. Two species of conservation concern, Chestnut-collared Longspurs (Calcarius ornatus) and Sprague's Pipits (Anthus spragueii), declined in abundance by 25% or more within 1.95 km and 0.91 km, respectively, of cropland edges. Because Chestnut-collared Longspurs avoided croplands to at least 1.95 km, it will be important to prevent further fragmentation of mixed-grass prairies by agriculture. RÉSUMÉ. L'évitement des bordures est un des facteurs avancés dans le déclin des populations d'oiseaux de prairie. Dans la prairie mixte, la fragmentation d'habitat se présente souvent sous la forme d'une juxtaposition de milieux dont la végétation est structurellement similaire à la prairie, ce qui rend difficile de comprendre pourquoi les oiseaux évitent les bordures d'habitat. Nous avons émis l'hypothèse voulant que la hauteur de parade ou la stratégie d'utilisation des ressources, c'est-à-dire à quel degré une espèce dépend de l'habitat de prairie, expliquerait peut-être la variation de sensibilité aux bordures chez différentes espèces d'oiseaux de prairie. Afin de tester notre hypothèse, nous avons utilisé des données d'abondance des oiseaux de prairie dans des champs de prairie mixte naturelle du sud de l'Alberta, au Canada, de 2000 à 2002. Des dénombrements par points d'écoute ont été effectués jusqu'à 4,1 km de terres cultivées, jusqu'à 2,2 km de routes et jusqu'à 1,8 km de milieux humides. Nous avons utilisé la régression non linéaire dans le but de déterminer la distance à laquelle l'abondance relative de 12 espèces d'oiseaux changeait en réaction aux bordures, et la régression linéaire pour établir si la hauteur de parade ou la stratégie d'utilisation des ressources expliquait la variation de réaction selon les différents types de bordure. La variation dans la réaction aux bordures n'a pas été expliquée par la hauteur de parade ni par la stratégie d'utilisation des ressources. Toutefois, six espèces ont évité les bordures avec les milieux humides, deux ont évité celles avec les routes et quatre, celles avec les terres cultivées. L'abondance de deux espèces dont la conservation est préoccupante, le Plectrophane à ventre noir (Calcarius ornatus) et le Pipit de Sprague (Anthus spragueii), a décliné d'au moins 25 % en deçà de 1,95 km et de 0,91 km d'une bordure de terre cultivée, respectivement. Étant donné que le plectrophane a évité les terres cultivées par 1,95 km au minimum, il sera important d'empêcher davantage la fragmentation des prairies mixtes par l'agriculture

Estimated Avian Nest Loss Associated with Oil and Gas Exploration and Extraction in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

Annual mortality within bird populations can be attributed to numerous sources; however, the extent to which anthropogenic sources of mortality contribute to avian demography is largely unknown. Quantifying the relative magnitude of human-related avian mortality could inform conservation efforts, particularly if multiple sources of human-related mortality can be contrasted. The unintentional destruction of nests and their contents by industrial activities conducted during the breeding season of resident and migratory birds presumably leads to one such source of human-caused avian mortality. As part of a broader effort to quantify major sources of human-related avian mortality, we estimated the magnitude of nest loss resulting from the terrestrial oil and gas sector in Canada, including: (1) seismic exploration, (2) pipeline right-of-way clearing, (3) well pad clearing, and (4) oil sands mining within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). We estimated nest losses as the product of estimated nest densities, the area disturbed annually, and the proportion of annual disturbance presumed to occur during the breeding season. The estimated number of nests disturbed annually by all oil and gas sectors combined ranged between 11,840 - 60,380. Interannual variation in exploration and extraction, and uncertainty in nest densities and the proportion of the disturbances occurring during the breeding season contributed to the variation. Accounting for natural mortality suggests an estimated loss of 10,200 - 41,150 (range) potential recruits into the migratory bird population in a subsequent year. Although nest destruction is only one small component of the potential impacts of the oil and gas industry upon avian populations, these estimates establish a baseline for comparison with other sources of human-caused avian mortality. Models are now needed to compare nest losses against the legacy effects of oil and gas sector habitat disturbances and associated cumulative effects so that mitigation efforts can be prioritized

Introduction—23rd North American Prairie Conference

Building upon the tradition started in Illinois by Peter Schramm in 1970, with the first conference on prairies and prairie restoration, the North American Prairie Conference (NAPC) has developed a tradition of excellence in native prairie research, conservation, education and restoration of one of the worlds’ most productive, yet most endangered, ecosystems. It has spawned great interest, enthusiasm and efforts to better understand, appreciate, manage and conserve this vital part of North America’s natural and cultural history. In early August 2012, the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg hosted the 23rd NAPC. The theme of the 2012 conference was “Celebrating Our Prairie Heritage.” It explored where we have been and where we should be heading. Over 230 people from 12 U.S. states and 5 Canadian provinces helped celebrate in outstanding style. This was only the second time this major international conference had been hosted in Canada. Manitoba is Canada’s easternmost prairie province, and traditionally has been the gateway to the vast Canadian prairies further west. Historically, aboriginal peoples and European settlers alike marveled at the open country revealed by lush shoulder-high grasses and wildflowers of the Red River Valley. The tall-grass prairie gradually gave way to the mixed grass and rough fescue prairies that stretched from western Manitoba right through to the Rockies

Avian use of anthropogenic and natural habitats in a small island developing state

Avian species on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are at particular risk from agricultural and urban expansion and climate change. However, creating appropriate management and mitigation actions for SIDS is challenging because ecological and conservation data are often unavailable. To better understand natural and anthropogenic habitat use by resident bird species in a small Neotropical SIDS, we conducted a systematic, community-wide survey of the distribution, diversity, and abundance of Grenada's land birds. Higher densities of most species were found in anthropogenic cultivated and secondary grasslands, while cloud and secondary forests had lower densities of most species. Nonetheless, cloud and secondary forests were selected by some species of conservation concern, such as the regionally endemic Lesser Antillean Tanager (Tangara cucullata), Grenada Flycatcher (Myiarchus nugator), and all nectarivores. Nectarivores tended to avoid urban habitats. Our results suggest that many avian species in Grenada make significant use of low-intensity agricultural and rural landscapes, and such habitats should be considered in the conservation of avian communities. Conservation of resident land- bird communities across this region will require maintaining a habitat mosaic of natural and anthropogenic habitat types, and collaboration among a wide range of government and non-governmental stakeholders

Song adjustments only partially restore effective communication among Baird's sparrows, Centronyx bairdii, exposed to oil well drilling noise

Noise from oil and gas development is pervasive across many landscapes and creates a novel soundscape that wildlife must adapt to or avoid. In response to anthropogenic noise, many wildlife species alter their vocalizations. Some adjusted vocalizations may promote effective communication in the presence of noise by improving detection and preserving information about the sender's status. However, if adjusted vocalizations fail to improve communication in noise, both missed detections and misinterpretations of vocalizations could impact the fitness of individuals and ultimately contribute to population declines. Baird's sparrow is a species at risk in Canada that adjusts its songs in response to oil well drilling noise by altering whole-song elements such as decreasing the peak frequency of songs (Curry et al., 2017, Bioacoustics, 27(2), 105–130). We examined the efficacy of these adjusted songs in the mixed-grass prairies of southern Alberta, Canada during the Baird's sparrow breeding season (May–July 2018 and 2019) using a repeated measures study design (N = 69 dyads) in which we simulated territorial intrusions by broadcasting adjusted songs and unadjusted songs in the presence and absence of oil well drilling noise recordings. We found that focal male behaviour was mainly mediated by noise treatment when compared to song treatment. In noisy trials, males sang less, called more and performed more flybys, regardless of song treatment type. However, in noisy trials, males displayed longer song latency in response to unadjusted songs compared to adjusted songs. The results of our novel study suggest that the presence of oil well drilling noise elicits more aggressive territorial defence behaviour in Baird's sparrows or hinders the ability of individuals to locate or assess rivals. Additionally, our results suggest that adjusted songs only partially restore effective communication in noise

Book Review: \u3ci\u3eThe Land Where the Sky Begins: North America’s Endangered Tall Grass Prairie and Aspen Parkland\u3c/i\u3e Photography by Dennis Fast. Text by Barbara Huck

The Land Where the Sky Begins is a small coffee-table book, elegantly illustrated with photographs and a few drawings of the critically endangered tallgrass prairie, and the more extensive neighboring aspen parkland. It covers, in surprising detail given its diminutive size, the evolution of grasslands and aspen parkland and describes, primarily by season, a number of typical plant and animal species that inhabit these systems. The photographs are absolutely exquisite and far more than simply a backdrop to the lyrical text. They are really responsible for developing the images of the complex habitats described. The photos are beautifully composed and displayed, providing a captivating image of prairies and parklands, yet are not so taken with their own aesthetic as to obscure an accurate reflection of the nature of these ecosystems

Historic Distribution and Ecology of Tall-Grass Prairie in Western Canada

Rapid settlement and agricultural development of western Canada in the late 1800s and early 1900s nearly eliminated the tall-grass prairie, and pre-empted a detailed description by ecologists. A combination of literature review and historical ecological analysis of soils, climate, and composition data are applied to estimate the historic distribution, and area occupied by tall-grass prairie in southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada. The resulting area estimate of 20,830 km2 is more than three times any previously reported value. Some confusion of terms from the first half of the 1900s, and the impact of invasive species on vegetation patterns observed in the past 50 years, likely disguised the original distribution of tall-grass prairie. Protection and conservation efforts should now cast their nets wider to seek remnant prairies beyond the Red River valley, particularly westward along the Assiniboine, Qu’Appelle, and Souris rivers. Prospects are limited for managing these small fragments in a way that emulates the former natural disturbance regime of floods, fires, and bison grazing, but conservation and restoration efforts should continue