Planning for the expansion of biomass production in the Midwest: Remaining wildlife neutral JoAnn Hanowski Natural Resources Research Institute University of Minnesota-Duluth
Remaining Wildlife Neutral No net loss in Conservation Reserve Program acreage Establish landscape appropriate biomass crop Understand habitat change implications from upland brush and timber harvest residue removal Create positive habitat change for wildlife in under-utilized ecosystem types, lowland brush
No net loss in CRP acreage CRP protects almost 40 million acres of highly erodible farmland CRP has restored over 1.8 million acres of wetland CRP produces 2.1 million ducks/year CRP provides critical habitat for 100’s of wildlife species
Establish landscape appropriate biomass crop Avoid planting hybrid poplar in open landscapes Switchgrass managed properly could have positive impacts on wildlife Switchgrass mix would provide better wildlife habitat than monoculture
Breeding birds and hybrid poplar What are the pressing issues with wildlife (specifically breeding birds)? Studies completed in Minnesota in the last decade Developed recommendations for hybrid poplar plantations Pulp prices have made it difficult to utilize hybrid poplar as an energy source
Study Sites Large plantations (up to 300 acres) located in western and southwestern MN Eleven plantations were surveyed over 7 years Oldest plantation was 11 years (in 2001)
Bird sampling in plantations and surrounding habitats
Habitat What species respond positively to presence of plantation habitat? What species are replaced when existing land-use is converted to plantation? How can we increase plantation diversity?
Community response Total number of individuals increase as plantations age Species richness does not change much, usually 4 to 6 species
Habitat guild response Composition of bird community changes as plantations age Young plantations have species associated with open and shrub habitats Number of forest dwelling individuals increases with age
Species response Species that colonize plantations are generally found in adjacent habitats Young plantations have lots of sparrows and blackbirds Beginning to see vireos and warblers in older plantations and some permanent residents
Bird species replaced Dependent upon habitat Replacement of cropland least amount of impact Replacement with “good” CRP most impact
Pheasants Forever? Initial concern that pheasants would be negatively impacted We observed pheasants in summer and winter Likely not affected unless large percentage of area is in plantation
Landscape Context Species that colonize plantations are dependent upon landscape context Plantations in a predominantly agricultural landscape are colonized by mostly open country and shrub bird species Plantations in forest landscapes are colonized earlier by forest birds
Negative landscape effects
Habitat quality Longevity of habitat for individual species is short Community turnover is almost 50% each year Productivity of individuals is questionable Are plantations largely sink habitats?
Are plantations attractive hazards? Open tree architecture, lack of understory and ground cover may result in increase predation of bird nests and increased parasitism rates by Brown-headed Cowbirds
Artificial nest studies Plantation and surrounding habitats Results indicated that predation rates were independent of habitat type and distance from plantation edge Predation rates were high on some sites, likely due to local predator populations
Recommendation: What to avoid Replacement of “good CRP habitat” and highly erodible sites Fragmentation of open habitats especially in areas with sharp-tailed grouse and prairie chickens “Large” areas of single- aged plantations
Understand habitat change implications from upland brush and timber harvest residue removal Fire suppression has resulted in buildup of brush in forest ecosystems-create guidelines for habitat restoration A percentage of residue from timber harvest could be removed from site- create guidelines
Minnesota guidelines: Woody Biomass Removal Retain timber harvest guidelines for retention trees, snags and CWD Old guideline for slash- leave scattered on site New guideline: Leave 20% of tree tops and limbs scattered on site Issue for certified land owners to ensure that operations are sustainable
Create positive habitat change for wildlife in under-utilized ecosystem types, lowland brush Brush management for open country species includes shearing and burning brush on site which cost money Opportunity to harvest biomass from these sites and have positive impact on wildlife
Lowland Brush Harvest Positive impact on open country birds Negative impact on other species Planning needs to be done on landscape level to get best results for species with complicated life histories (Sharp-tailed grouse)
Identify species of concern Partners in Flight species of concern 4 species, Veery, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Golden- winged Warbler and Canada Warbler, use upland and/or lowland brush habitat
Summary: remaining wildlife neutral Control crop expansion on CRP lands (corn and soybeans) Establish landscape suitable biomass crops and diverse species crops if possible Exploit woody biomass on timber harvest sites with a plan Explore habitat restoration possibilities with upland brush removal Plan landscape level lowland brush harvest to benefit species of concern