Small Mammal and Grassland Bird Response to Wildfire on the Marfa Grasslands, Texas Bobby Allcorn, Department of Natural Resource Management Dr. Bonnie.

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Presentation transcript:

Small Mammal and Grassland Bird Response to Wildfire on the Marfa Grasslands, Texas Bobby Allcorn, Department of Natural Resource Management Dr. Bonnie J. Warnock, Dept. Chair, Department of Natural Resource Management Dr. Christopher Ritzi, Dept. Chair, Biology, Geology, and Physical Sciences Dr. Ryan Luna, Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resource Management

Objectives Small Mammals Population size Diversity Shrub density and species richness Grassland Birds Species richness Species occupation of burned and unburned areas Species occupation of ecological sites Density

Fire Past fires were a regular occurrence. European settlement lead to suppression. Increased fuel loads on unburned areas have lead to an increased frequency and intensity of fires.

Rock House Fire April 2011 < 127,000 ha (314,444 ac) 34 days

Study Site

Why Vegetation Manipulation Prey base Disease Vectors Indicators of Ecosystem Health

Small Mammal Fire Response Immediate Decrease – Immigration – Increased Predation – Lack of food Short gestation and weaning periods

Methods 24 Random sampling points (12 burned, 12 unburned) 4 burned and 4 unburned for each ecological site

Trapping Layout 3×3 grid (10 m between traps) Assess shrub density (High, Low, No) Add two 3×3 grids for remaining shrub density within 100 m

Methods Sherman live traps (7.6 × 8.9 × 22.9 cm) Bait: bird seed and peanut mixture 3 seasons – cold dry season (Jan–Mar), warm dry season (May–Jun), and warm wet season (Aug–Sep) 6 consecutive trap nights

Processing/Analysis Common measurements – Total length, tail length, hind foot length, ear size, and weight Species identification Mark and release Shumacher-Eschmeyer – 2-factor ANOVA Hutcheson t-test Poisson Regression

Results

Mean Small Mammal Population Size

Diversity

Shrub Density and Species Richness Positive relationship during 2013 summer (Exp(β) = 2.553, 95% CI [1.194, 5.496], P = 0.016) Positive relationship during 2014 winter (Exp(β) = 2.553, 95% CI [1.194, 5.456], P = 0.029)

Conclusions A combination of fire and drought can be detrimental to small mammal populations Small mammal populations can rebound quickly with precipitation Diversity takes time Shrubs might play an important role at different times

Why Essential to their environment Indicator of ecosystem health Declining populations

Grassland Bird Response to Fire Few direct deaths Immediate decrease Rebound quickly

Methods Point count surveys during summer – 24 points – Everything within 100m – Rangefinder for distances Flushing transects during winter (1km) – 12 transects – Rangefinder for distances – GPS for angles

Methods Richness Mean number of species Ecological Site and Burn Status occupation Chi-square contingency table analysis – Minimum mean expected frequency of 6 Density Program Distance 6.2 – Only for Winter Surveys – Used 100m truncation point – Picked best model based on AICc

Species Richness

Eco Site and Burn Status Summer 2013 Burn Status had an effect (P = 0.021) Summer 2014 Eco Site had an effect (P < 0.001) Winter 2014 Burn Status and Eco Site had an effect (P < 0.001) Winter 2015 Eco Site had an effect (P < 0.001)

Density

Conclusions Grassland birds respond quickly Density still lags behind Reinforces knowledge of grassland bird populations

Acknowledgments God Committee Members Sul Ross Faculty Dixon Water Foundation East Hip-O Ranch Houston Safari Club Borderlands Research Institute Family Volunteers/Grad students

Questions?