New research led by Adam Dixon, a conservation scientist at the World Wildlife Fund, describes the successful pilot of a novel method to study how well grassland birds interact with plants. The study, published in Ecological Applications, looked at 44 pockets of non-crop vegetation in gaps between crop lines and field edges on soils under intensive agricultural cultivation in Iowa. The study could serve as a model for monitoring wildlife on working lands in general, which could include farms, cattle ranches, and wooded forests.
Researchers analyzed satellite imagery data to determine each pocket’s area and “texture,” which refers to the variety of vegetation types, heights, and habitat densities. Simple, inexpensive on-site bioacoustic recorders—basically circuit boards with batteries and a mini cell phone microphone, all sealed in a plastic bag—helped the team identify which bird species were using the habitat. Both methods are inexpensive and require very few visits to the study lands, demonstrating the versatility of this method.
The combination of techniques allowed the researchers to determine that larger habitat areas and greater variety of textures were associated with more bird species overall. However, the results also reveal that species that rely on the grassland habitat for their entire life cycle (mating, raising young, searching, etc.) seem to benefit less than birds that only use the habitat for certain activities, such as hunting.
“Using novel methods, we found that agricultural habitats are good for birds in general, but if you look at grassland birds specifically, either there is not enough habitat or the characteristics of the habitat are not good,” said Dixon, who studies soil biodiversity working in the northern plains of the US for the World Wildlife Fund.
The study’s small sample size limited the researchers’ ability to determine whether habitat texture and area had independent effects on the birds. However, the study shows that their unique approach that combines satellite imagery and bioacoustic data can help researchers effectively measure habitat quality and bird biodiversity. The authors hope that their work encourages future studies that include additional study areas to strengthen the statistical power of the results.
Beyond protected areas
Dixon grew up surrounded by large wheat fields in the Midwest and observed their effects on the environment, which informed his career goals. His formative experiences, he said, led to an understanding that protected areas alone are not enough to solve the biodiversity, food, and health challenges facing the US and the world. “I see a lot of research being promoted in protected areas,” says Dixon, as he likes to focus on the intersection of intensive agriculture and ecology.
Dixon completed the new research as part of his Ph.D. with Erle Ellis, a landscape ecologist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County whose work has focused for decades on the long-standing relationship between people and landscapes across the planet. Ellis is the senior author of the new paper.
“Agriculture covers more of this planet than protected areas, and Adam’s research on bird habitats in Iowa farms proves that even some of the most intensively managed agricultural landscapes on Earth can sustain significant biodiversity,” Ellis shared. “More research like Adam’s is needed to preserve, restore, and monitor the biodiversity of the working landscapes needed to sustain people and wildlife on more than three-quarters of Earth’s land.”
Community collaboration
The new study is also unique because it took place on a privately held farm. Dixon works with landowners to get permission to conduct research on their property, and in some cases the farmers install the recorders themselves.
“It’s difficult but not impossible to work on private lands,” Dixon said. “You just have to build trust and relationships.” In the future, Dixon wants to deepen his collaboration with farmers. Gathering more information about their management practices will open up more research questions. Additionally, learning about any barriers farmers face to participating in research may make it more likely that other projects that require farmer buy-in will get off the ground.
“What’s impressive about Adam’s investigation is his willingness to use novel technology and ideas to overcome what used to be an absolute challenge to survey working landscapes,” said Matthew Baker, a UMBC ecologist and a co-author of the paper. “His example really shows the potential and the need for further study.”
Supporting farmers and the environment
Farmers lead a challenging existence, often operating on extremely thin financial margins and dependent on fickle weather, Dixon said, encouraging them to simplify and control the landscape as much as possible. Unfortunately, that can lead to environmental damage. Through his work, Dixon wants to help find a middle ground that supports farmers and the environment. Many questions remain.
“How do we move from the need to simplify the system to something that is more balanced and takes into account the whole environment? To something that understands the unique ecology of an area and integrates that into management, and allows the farmer to progress through the generations? How can we find a better solution other than hoping that we protect these small patches?” asked Dixon.
Those questions are why Dixon keeps researching the biodiversity of working lands, he said. While the new paper may be a small step to better understand what wild and undeveloped animals do on working lands, it is a step in the right direction and opens the door for future projects.
“We need to integrate conservation solutions in our most extreme areas,” Dixon said. “So this research identifies that as an area of valid research and also shows how research can be done.”
More information:
Adam Patrick Dixon et al, Passive monitoring of avian habitat on working lands, Ecological Applications (2023). DOI: 10.1002/eap.2860
Provided by the University of Maryland Baltimore County
Citation: Beyond protected areas: Novel method shows promise for monitoring biodiversity in working lands (2023, July 24) retrieved 24 July 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-07-areas-method-biodiversity.html
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