Breeding biology of Henslow’s Sparrows on reclaimed coal mine grasslands in Kentucky
نویسندگان
چکیده
Populations of Henslow’s Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii) are declining, and loss of habitat is a likely factor. Coal mine reclamation has created grassland habitat in Kentucky and elsewhere, and information is needed concerning the use of these areas by Henslow’s Sparrows. We compared the behavior and ecology of populations on reclaimed sites and non-mined sites in west-central Kentucky during the 2000 and 2001 breeding seasons. Territories were smaller on the reclaimed sites than unmined sites, perhaps due to differences in habitat quality. Insect sweeps revealed more prey biomass on reclaimed sites than unmined sites. Twenty-eight of 48 nests (58%) fledged at least one young, and nesting success was similar on reclaimed and unmined sites. Mean clutch size was 3.75, with no difference between reclaimed and unmined sites. Similarly, the mean number of fledglings per nest was similar on reclaimed and unmined sites. Multivariate analysis revealed differences in the characteristics of vegetation on reclaimed areas and unmined areas. Reclaimed areas had more grass cover and greater vegetation density, probably due to differences in management history (i.e., mowing or burning) and species composition. Our results indicate that the nesting success of Henslow’s Sparrows on reclaimed surface mines in Kentucky is comparable to that on unmined areas. As such, the thousand of hectares of reclaimed surface mines in Kentucky and elsewhere could play an important role in stabilizing populations of Henslow’s Sparrows. SINOPSIS. Biologı́a reproductiva de Ammodramus henslowii en un hierbazal establecido en donde hubo una mina de carbón en Kentucky La población del pinzón Ammodramus henslowii se ha reducido y el factor principal parece ser la pérdida de hábitat. La reclamación de terrenos en donde antes hubo minerı́a de carbón, ha permitido la formación de hierbazales tanto en Kentucky como en otras localidades. Se necesitan estudios para determinar si estas áreas están siendo otra vez utilizadas por el pinzón. Durante la época reproductiva del 2000 y el 2001, comparamos la conducta y la ecologı́a poblacional del pinzón en áreas reclamadas y en lugares en donde no habı́a minas (natural) en la parte oeste central de Kentucky. Encontraron que los territorios eran más pequeños en áreas reclamadas que en las naturales, posiblemente por diferencias en la calidad del hábitat. El uso de redes de barrido para capturar insectos dio como resultado mayor biomasa de presas en lugares reclamados que en los naturales. De 28 nidos (de 48), voló al menos un pichón y el éxito de anidamiento fue similar en ambos tipos de localidades, al igual que la camada promedio de 3.75 y el número de volantones. Un análisis multivariable reveló diferencias en las caracterı́sticas de la vegetación entre las áreas reclamadas y las naturales. Las áreas reclamadas tuvieron mayor cobertura de yerbas y una densidad mayor de vegetación, probablemente debido a diferencias en la historia de manejo (ej. sgar vs. quemar) y la composición de especies. Nuestros resultados indican que el éxito de anidamiento del pinzón en áreas reclamadas es similar al de áreas naturales. Como tal, los miles de hectáreas de tierras superficiales reclamadas en donde hubo minas en Kentucky, al igual que en otras localidades, puede jugar un rol sumamente importante en estabilizar las poblaciones de Pinzón de Henslow.
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