The nest predator community of grassland birds responds to agroecosystem habitat at multiple scales

摘要: Nest predation is the leading cause of reproductive failure for grassland birds conservation concern. Understanding variation in nest rates complicated by diverse assemblage species known to prey on nests. As part a long-term study bird ecology, we monitored populations predators We used information theoretic approach examine predator community’s association with habitat at multiple scales, including local vegetation structure patches, spatial attributes patches (size and shape), landscape composition surrounding (land cover within 400 1600 m). Our results confirmed that respond scales different ways. The most informative models selected included variability (CV density forbs), patch (area edge-to-interior ratio), m buffer around grasslands (percent land covered human structures development). separate question, asked if incorporated from simultaneously might improve ability explain community. Multiscale were not consistently superior derived variables focused single scale. suggest minimizing development management fragments both may benefit decreasing risk predation.