Effects of pyric herbivory on prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus spp) habitat.

ABSTRACT: The reduction and simplification of grasslands has led to the decline of numerous species of grassland fauna, particularly grassland-obligate birds. Prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus spp.) are an example of obligate grassland birds that have declined throughout most of their distribution and are species of conservation concern. Pyric herbivory has been suggested as a land management strategy for enhancing prairie-chicken habitat and stabilizing declining population trends. We assessed differences in vegetation structure created by pyric herbivory compared to fire-only treatments to determine whether pyric herbivory increased habitat heterogeneity for prairie-chickens, spatially or temporally. Our study was performed at four sites in the southern Great Plains, all within the current or historic

SUBMITTER: Starns HD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7310702 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature