Larry Allain Lowres

8/3/2019 Larry Allain Lowres

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FactorsAffec,ngHabitatQuality

inSmallScale

GrasslandPlan,ngs

LarryAllain

Na+onalWetlandsResearchCenter

Lafaye7e,Louisiana


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Purposes of small prairie plantings

Aesthetics Education Preservation of plant species and their genetic variation Attracting wildlife (animals)


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BREEDING BIRD SURVEY (FWS REGION 4) 1966-2000

Northern Bobwhite Loggerhead Shrike

Area and quality of grassland habitat is rapidly declining

Grassland animal species are declining faster than those of any other

habitat type.


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Grassland plantings at schools, businesses and homes can

contribute to prairie plant conservation but their value asanimal habitat varies.


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Factorseffec+nghabitatquality:Scale

Heterogeneity

CommunityStructure

Landscapeposi+on

DiversitySpeciesmakeup

Water

Nes+ngareas

Pes+cidelevels

AnimalHabitat

Animalgroups:

Rep+les

Amphibians

BirdsMammals

Insectsandotherinvertebrates

Casestudies:

Na+onalWetlandResearchCenterLafaye7eElementarySchool

WhiteLake

GueydanRestora+on


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FactorsEffec+ngHabitatQuality

>10000acres

severalsmallsinglelarge


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>10000acres

severalsmallsinglelarge

Random extinctions increases as area decreases More small locations provide more variation in environmental conditions Ecosystem function is often scale related (prairie chicken and bison)



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Homo/Heterogeneity



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Homo/Heterogeneity


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Homo/Heterogeneity


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Habitat variation providesmore opportunities for animals


Homo/Heterogeneity


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Landscapeposi+on

FactorsEffec+ng

HabitatQuality

Lafayette Middle SchoolMidland High School

Mermentau Elementary


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Landscapeposi+on

FactorsEffec+ng

HabitatQuality



Butterfly abundance and diversity wasnegatively correlated with developmentwithin a 1 km radius (Davros et al.2006).


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Landscapeposi+on

FactorsEffec+ng

HabitatQuality



Percent woody cover in the landscapewas an important variable explaining

species abundance (Davros et al. 2006).


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CommunityStructure

Density



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DensityHeight


CommunityStructure


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DensityHeightPlant architecture

CommunityStructure


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DensityHeightPlant architecture

Herbaceous/wood

CommunityStructure


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Plantspeciesrichness More plant species providemore opportunities foranimals



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Speciesguildsorfunc+onalgroups

Foliage (Larval host plants) Pollen-nectar (flower types and phenology) Legumes (nitrogen fixing) Warm/cool season forbs and grasses Vines/shrubs/sedges Deep/shallow rooted



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Water


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Nes+ngplaces


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Protec+onfrompredators


Protec+onfrompredators


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Freedomfrompes+cides


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FactorsEffec+ngAmphibians

Frogs and toads are foundnear water.

Water

Toads prefer patches of bare ground where

they can burrow.

Tree frogs like tall vertical structure where

they can climb.

Leopard frogs prefer

ephemeral ponds


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FactorsEffec+ngRep+les

Tall vegetation for cover

Prey - insects, frogs, small

mammals, and other snakes.

CommunityStructure


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White Lake

FactorsEffec+ngBirds


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National Wetland Research Center


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National Wetland Research Center



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Ag fields, old fields and other grasslands with no trees- morning dove, Northernbobwhite, savannah sparrow, sedge wren, eastern kingbird, scissortail flycatcher , easternmeadowlarks, redwing blackbirds, swamp sparrow, Le Contes sparrow, dickcissel


Landscapeposi+on

Savanna or grassland with woody brush dickcissels, northern bobwhite,eastern kingbird, eastern bluebird, cedar waxwings, Indigo buntings

Grassland areas near forest Northern bobwhite, common nighthawk, cardinal,blue jay, American robins

Wooded suburburban gardens Ruby throated hummingbird, redheadedwoodpecker, blue jay, American robins, brown thrashers, European starlings, cardinals,Indigo buntings, house sparrows

Forests Downey woodpecker, tufted titmouse, red-eyed vireo, prothonotary warbler,yellow-rumped warbler


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Red-winged Blackbird


Landscapeposi+on

Gueydan Restoration


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Scale/Landscapeposi+on

Gueydan Restoration

Savannah Sparrow

Le Contes Sparrow

Sedge Wren

Swamp Sparrow

Eastern Meadowlark

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* Priority SpeciesDickcissel



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Gueydan Restoration

Raptors


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Le Contes Sparrow *Savannah Sparrow *

%p

resence

%p

resence

Sedge Wren * Swamp Sparrow

%p

resenc

e

%p

resenc

e

Community Structure (Density)

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National Wetlands Research Center

Loggerhead Shrike


Landscapeposi+on


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This also serves as an adaptation to eatingthe toxic lubber grasshopper. The toxinsdegrade in 12 days and can then be eaten.


Lubber grasshopper


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Killdeer



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Common Night hawkCenter for Ecological and Environmental Technology

Eastern Bluebird

Mocking bird



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Common Raccoon

Nine Banded Armadillo

Found in woodlands, savannas, and forest edges.

Eats mostly insects but also consumes fruits,mushrooms, eggs of ground nesting birds. Root inthe ground and can do substantial damage to smallprairie plantings.

Can be found in nearly all habitat but most abundantnear water. Often travel in drainages. Nests in treehollows or old animal burrows in the ground.Omnivorous and opportunistic.

FactorsEffec+ngMammals


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Cottontail Rabbit

Lives in forests, forest edges, and grasslands. Nests inslanted holes in ground. Nocturnal. Eat forbs andgrasses in warm weather and twigs and tree bark inwinter. Dont need a water source. An upland species

unlike the Swamp Rabbit.

Opossum

Lives in forests or forest edges near water. Nest inabandoned burrows, brush piles, hollow logs and underbuildings. Eat invertebrates, fruits, eggs, and smallvertebrates. Also scavenge carrion.



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Hispid Cotton Rat

Common in grassy areas. Eat primarily seeds andplant parts but also consume invertebrates, smallvertebrates, and bird eggs. Nest in balls of leaves inburrows or in dense vegetation.

Marsh Rat

Common in grassland bordering water and are goodswimmers. Eat seeds and plant parts, insects, snails,and other animal material. Nest in round balls ofleaves in dense vegetation.



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Least shrew

Common in upland grasslands. Nests in burrows, fallenlogs, or refuse. Eats earthworms, spiders, centipedes,slugs, snails and a variety of plant material. Eaten byowls, hawks, snakes and skunks.

Striped skunk

Found in open habitat and urban areas. Opportunisticomnivorous predators that eat invertebrates, smallmammals, birds and eggs, fruits and other vegetablematter. Often nest under buildings.


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Coyote

Common in both forests and grasslands. Eat insects,rodents, rabbits, birds, domestic poultry, numerous fruits(including watermelons) and grasses. Also scavenge

carrion. Nest in a variety of places.

Other mammals: Southern short-tailed shrew, least shrew, eastern mole, Bairdspocket gopher, fulvous harvest mouse, eastern harvest mouse, field mouse,cotton mouse, wood rat, red fox, gray fox, long tailed weasel, mink, prairie vole



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FactorsEffec+ngInsects

Most abundant Most diverse group of living things Available for education purposes Provide essential ecosystem services

Insects most important animals in small plantings?


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Essential ecosystem services:

Food Population control and habitat structure Predation Pollination Soil biota Decomposers Unknown ecosystem services


Insects most important animals in small plantings?


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Insectsfoodforotherclassesofanimals

Producers

Primary Consumer

Tertiary Consumer

Quarternary Consumer

Secondary Consumer

1 Kg

10 Kg

100 Kg

1000 Kg

10,000 Kg


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Producers

Primary Consumer

Tertiary Consumer

Quarternary Consumer

Secondary Consumer

1 Kg

10 Kg

100 Kg

1000 Kg

10,000 Kg

Decomposers areoften ignored

Insectsfoodforotherclassesofanimals


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Insectscontrolhabitatstructure

Gulf Fritillary


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Insecticides that kill Baccharisbeetles may be contributing toan invasion of Baccharis in

ranch lands.

Baccharis beetle larvae helpcontrol Baccharis in CoastalPrairie

Insectscontrolhabitatstructure


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Insectscontrolpopula+ons

Lady beetle eating aphids

Assassin bug eating fly

Stick mantid eating love bug


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American Bird Grasshopper

Differential grasshopperMajor crop pest in Midwest

Red-legged Grasshoppermost commonly inSoutheastern US

Major food source for overwintering neotropical migrants

Insectscontrolpopula+ons


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Insectspollinateplants

Why care about pollinators?

Value of insect-pollinate crops in US = $18 - $27 billion Plants with showy flowers are insect pollinated (goldenrod/ragweed) No pollinators no seeds


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Plant a diversity of insect pollinated plants



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FloweringPhenology(LouisianaCoastalPrairie)



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Plant species in clusters(Heterogeneous)



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Provide water



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Provideaplacetonest Deadwood

Bareground

Constructednes+ngsites

Shelter(windbreak)

Mostbeesonlymoveashortdistancefrom

theirnes+ngspot



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Avoid pesticides

Crea+ngHabitatForInsects


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Conclusions

Keep ecological principles in mind when designing a planting Make attracting insects a priority Ensure no insecticides are used in and around Educate those exposed to plantings about the importance of

bugs, rats, and weedy looking prairies


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Conclusions

Keep ecological principles in mind when designing a planting Make attracting insects a priority Ensure no insecticides are used in and around Educate those exposed to plantings about the importance of

bugs, rats, and weedy looking prairies

If you build it they will come


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Examples of plants with long bloom period

Gaillardia aestivalis

Liatris pychnostachya

Silphium gracile

Chamaecrista fasciculata

Solidago sp.

Ruellia humilis

Asclepias viridis Hyptis alata


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Examples of super attractant plants

Gaillardia aestivalis

Liatris pychnostachya

Silphium gracile

Solidago sp.

Eryngium yuccifolium

Monarda fistulosa

Symphyotrichum praealtum

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Larry Allain Lowres