Pilot study to evaluate avian response to conservation reserve program mid-contract management practices in northeastern Colorado

Pilot study to evaluate avian response to conservation reserve program mid-contract management practices in northeastern Colorado

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a government program in which landowners are paid to maintain grass cover on land that was, and would otherwise be, used for row-crop agriculture. Overall, the CRP has had many documented benefits to wildlife, specifically grassland birds, many of which are experiencing range-wide declines due to habitat loss and degradation. However, as CRP fields age with no disturbance, litter increases, bare ground decreases, vegetation density increases, and plant species and structural diversity decrease, which can reduce the value of CRP fields to certain bird species. Therefore, beginning in 2004, some type of “mid-contract management” was required on CRP fields. In northeastern Colorado this management typically consists of haying, disking, or disking and interseeding with forbs. Although there is some evidence that disking and interseeding can provide benefits to ring-necked pheasants in other regions, we lack a thorough understanding of how these various management practices affect pheasants and grassland dependent songbirds in northeastern Colorado. In an effort to provide guidance to managers and landowners regarding grassland management on CRP fields in northeastern Colorado, we will monitor the response of pheasants and songbirds to the three most common CRP mid-contract management practices (haying, disking, disking & interseeding).

Behney, Adam C.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

Northeastern Colorado

Birds

Wildlife management

15 pages

2016-10-28

Text

application/pdf

English