Premium
Seaside sparrow reproductive success in relation to prescribed fire
Author(s) -
Kern Rebecca A.,
Shriver W. Gregory,
Bowman Jacob L.,
Mitchell Laura R.,
Bounds Dixie L.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.1002/jwmg.345
Subject(s) - marsh , nest (protein structural motif) , salt marsh , ecology , sparrow , spartina alterniflora , geography , wetland , environmental science , forestry , biology , biochemistry
Abstract In North American tidal marshes, prescribed burning has been used to manage waterfowl, furbearers, invasive plants, and fuels, but its effects on non‐target species, such as marsh birds, are relatively unknown, particularly in the mid‐Atlantic region. To address this informational need, we studied seaside sparrows ( Ammodramus maritimus ) in Dorchester County, Maryland, where prescribed marsh burning has been conducted since at least the 1930s. We compared the effects of 4 fire treatments (<1 yr since burn, 1–2 yr since burn, 3–4 yr since burn, and ≥5 yr since burn) on seaside sparrow density and reproductive output, and examined the impact of fire treatment, nest‐site characteristics, and weather on nest survival from 2007 to 2009. We found that nest and territory densities were greatest on marshes <1 year post‐burn, indicating that burning did not displace seaside sparrows. Nest and territory densities also declined as time since burn increased, and were about 50% less on marshes that were ≥5 years post‐burn compared to marshes <1 year post‐burn. Egg density (the number of eggs produced per ha) was 50% greater on marshes burned <1 year ago than on marshes burned 3–4 years ago, but we found no difference in fledgling density, indicating that predation may have disproportionately affected recently‐burned marshes. Study year and percent cover of smooth cordgrass ( Spartina alterniflora ) best explained nest survival, which was lowest in 2009, a year with high precipitation and tides. We recommend that prescribed burning continue to be used at 1–4 year intervals to maintain habitat quality for breeding seaside sparrows in the mid‐Atlantic, but suggest that the effects of fire management may be less influential than predicted impacts of global climate change. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.