Restoration Practices Have Positive Effects on Breeding Bird Species of Concern in the Chihuahuan Desert.

摘要: Woody plant encroachment into grasslands is a global concern. Efforts to restore often assume that removal of woody plants benefits biodiversity but assumptions are rarely tested. In the Chihuahuan Desert Southwestern United States, we tested whether abundances grassland specialist bird species would be greater in communities resulting from treatment with herbicides remove encroaching shrubs compared untreated shrub-dominated areas represented pre-treatment conditions. 2010, surveyed breeding birds and vegetation at 16 treated-untreated pairs. 2011, expanded survey effort 21 pairs, seven unpaired areas, five reference areas. Vegetation had higher perennial grass foliar basal cover lower shrub Several regionally declining specialists exhibited occurrence relative abundance treated A shrubland specialist, however, was associated may negatively impacted by removal. Bird community composition differed between both years. Our results indicate can have positive effects on species, mosaic might most beneficial for regional biodiversity.