Abstract
Measuring edge effects in complex landscapes is often confounded by the presence of different kinds of natural and anthropogenic edges, each of which may act differently on organisms inhabiting habitat patches. In such landscapes, proportions of different habitats surrounding nests within patches often vary and may affect nesting success independently of distance to edges. We developed methods to measure and study the effects of multiple edges and varying habitat composition around nests on the breeding success of the Acadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens), an understory, open-cup nesting songbird. The Kaskaskia River in Southwestern Illinois was our study area and consists of wide (>1000-m) floodplain corridors embedded in an agricultural matrix with a variety of natural (wide rivers, backwater swamps, and oxbow lakes) and anthropogenic (internal openings, and agricultural) habitats. We also measured vegetation structure around each nest. Nest survival increased with increasing nest concealment, and probabilities of brood parasitism increased with increasing distances from anthropogenic and natural water-related openings surrounding nests. The magnitude of these effects was small, probably because the landscape is saturated with nest predators and brood parasites. These results illustrate the importance of considering both larger landscape context and details of natural and anthropogenic disturbances when studying the effects of habitat fragmentation on wildlife.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
H. Andrén (1995) Effects of landscape composition on predation rates at habitat edges L. Hanson L. Fahrig G. Merriam (Eds) Mosaic Landscapes and Ecological Processes Chapman and Hall London, United Kingdom 225–255
P. Angelstam (1986) ArticleTitlePredation on ground-nesting birds’ nests in relation to predator densities and habitat edge OIKOS 47 365–373
L.B. Best (1978) ArticleTitleField Sparrow reproductive success and nesting ecology The Auk 95 9–22
J.R. Bider (1968) ArticleTitleAnimal activity in uncontrolled terrestrial communities as determined by a sand transect technique Ecol. Monogr. 38 269–308 Occurrence Handle10.2307/1948530
G.B. Bowman L.D. Harris (1980) ArticleTitleEffects of spatial heterogeneity on ground-nest depredation J. Wildlife Manag. 44 806–813
H. Brawn S.K. Robinson F.R. Thompson SuffixIII (2001) ArticleTitleThe role of disturbance in ecology and conservation of birds Annu. Rev. Ecol. System. 32 251–276 Occurrence Handle10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.32.081501.114031
M.C. Brittingham S.A. Temple (1983) ArticleTitleHave Cowbirds caused forest songbirds to decline? BioScience 33 31–35 Occurrence Handle10.2307/1309241
D.E. Burhans D. Dearborn F.R. Thompson SuffixIII J. Faaborg (2002) ArticleTitleFactors affecting predation at songbird nests in old fields J. Wildlife Manag. 66 240–249
K.P. Burnham D.R. Anderson (2002) Model Selection and Inference Springer Verlag New York, USA
A.D. Chalfoun M.J. Ratnaswami F.R. Thompson SuffixIII (2002) ArticleTitleSongbird nest predators in a forest-pasture and forest interior in a fragmented landscape Ecol. Appl. 12 858–867
Chapa L. 2001. Abundance and nesting success of Acadian flycatchers (Empidonax virescens) at different scales of forest fragmentation in Illinois, USA. Ph. D. thesis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Chapa L. and Robinson S.K. in press. Competing effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on the nesting success of a songbird in floodplain forest corridors. Submitted to the Auk on January 26, 2005.
D.R. Coker D.E. Capen (1995) ArticleTitleLandscape-level habitat use by Brown-Headed Cowbirds in Vermont J. Wildlife Manag. 59 631–637
T.M. Donovan P.W. Jones E.M. Annand F.R. Thompson SuffixIII (1997) ArticleTitleVariation in local-scale edge effects: Mechanisms and landscape context Ecology 78 2064–2075 Occurrence Handle10.2307/2265945
T.M. Donnovan F.R. Thompson SuffixIII (2001) ArticleTitleModeling the ecological trap hypothesis: a habitat and demographic analysis for migrant songbirds Ecol. Appl. 11 871–882
G.M. Durner J.E. Gates (1993) ArticleTitleSpatial ecology of Black Rat Snakes on Remington Farms, Maryland J. Wildlife Manag. 57 812–826
Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc. 2002. Arc View Version 3.3.
Fitzgerald J.A., Herkert J.R. and Brawn J.D. 2000. Partners in flight bird conservation plan for the Prairie Peninsula (physiographic area 31). American Bird Coservancy.
J.E. Gates D.R. Evans (1998) ArticleTitleCowbirds breeding in the Central Appalachians: spatial and temporal patterns and habitat selection Ecol. Appl. 8 27–40
J.E. Gates N.R. Giffen (1991) ArticleTitleNeotropical migrant birds and edge effects at a forest-stream ecotone Wilson Bull. 103 204–217
E.F. Gustafson M.G. Knutson G.J. Niemi M. Friberg (2002) ArticleTitleEvaluation of spatial models to predict vulnerability of forest birds to brood parasitism by cowbirds Ecol. Appl. 12 412–426
D.C. Hahn J.S. Hatfield (1995) ArticleTitleParasitism at the landscape scales: cowbirds prefer forests Conserv. Biol. 9 1415–1424 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1523-1739.1995.09061415.x
R.T. Holmes P.P. Marra T.W. Sherry (1996) ArticleTitleHabitat-specific demography of breeding Black-throated blue warblers (Dendroica caerulescens): implications for population dynamics J. Animal Ecol. 62 183–195
Hoover J.P. 1992.Factors influencing wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) nesting success in a fragmented forest. M.S. thesis, Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
D.W. Hosmer S. Lemeshow (2000) Applied Logistic Regression EditionNumber2 Wiley New York
E. Huhta J. Jokimäki (2001) ArticleTitleBreeding occupancy and success of two hole-nesting passerines: the impact of fragmentation caused by forestry Ecography 24 431–440 Occurrence Handle10.1034/j.1600-0587.2001.d01-199.x
F.C. James H.H. Shugart (1970) ArticleTitleA quantitative method of habitat description Audubon Field Notes 24 727–736
Jenness J. 2004. Nearest features, version 3.7 a. Arc View Extension.
J.C. Manolis D.E. Andersen F.J. Cuthbert (2000) ArticleTitleUncertain nest fates in songbird studies and variation in Mayfield estimation The Auk 117 615–626
T.E. Martin (1992) Breeding productivity considerations: What are the appropriate habitat features for management? J.M. Hagan SuffixII D.W. Johnston (Eds) Ecology and Conservation of Neotropical Migrant Landbirds Smithsonian Institution Press Washington, D.C. 455–473
T.E. Martin (1993) ArticleTitleNest predation and nest sites. New perspectives and old patterns BioSicence 43 523–532 Occurrence Handle10.2307/1311947
T.E. Martin G.R. Geupel (1993) ArticleTitleNest-monitoring plots: Methods for locating nests and monitoring success J. Field Ornithol. 64 507–519
C.E. Moorman D.C. Guynn SuffixJr. C.C. Kilgo (2002) ArticleTitleHooded Warbler nesting success adjacent to group selection and clearcut edges in a southeastern bottomland forest The Condor 104 366–377
S.F. Morse S.K. Robinson (1999) ArticleTitleNesting success of a neotropical migrant in a multiple-useforested landscape Conserv. Biol. 13 327–337 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1523-1739.1999.013002327.x
V. Nolan SuffixJr. (1963) ArticleTitleReproductive success of birds in a deciduous scrub habitat Ecology 44 305–313 Occurrence Handle10.2307/1932177
R.F. Norman R.J. Robertson (1975) ArticleTitleNest-searching behavior in the Brown-headed Cowbird The Auk 92 610–611
R.J. O’Conner J. Faaborg (1992) ArticleTitleThe relative abundance of the Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) in relation to exterior and interior edges in forests of Missouri Trans. MO Acad. Sci. 26 1–9
J.W. Parker (1972) ArticleTitleA mirror and a pole device for examining high nests Bird Band. 43 216–218
P.W. Paton (1994) ArticleTitleThe effect of edge on avian nest success: how strong is the evidence? Conserv. Biol. 8 17–26 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1523-1739.1994.08010017.x
R.G. Peak F.R. Thompson SuffixIII T.L. Shaffer (2004) ArticleTitleFactors affecting songbird nest survival in a Midwestern agricultural landscape The Auk 121 726–737
J.T. Ratti K.P. Reese (1988) ArticleTitlePreliminary test of the ecological trap hypothesis J. Wildlife Manag. 52 484–491
S.K. Robinson D.S. Wilcove (1994) ArticleTitleForest fragmentation in the temperate zone and its effects on migratory songbirds Bird Conserv. Intl. 4 233–249 Occurrence Handle10.1017/S0959270900002793
Robinson S.K., Thompson F.R. III, Donovan T.M., Whitehead D.R. and Faaborg J. 1995. Regional forest fragmentation and the nesting success of migratory birds. Science 267: 1987–1990. March 1995
J.L. Roseberry W.D. Klimstra (1970) ArticleTitleThe nesting ecology and reproductive performance of the Eastern meadowlark The Wilson Bull. 82 243–267
Rotella J.J., Dinsmore S.J. and Shaffer T.L. 2004. Modeling nest-survival data: a comparison of recently developed methods that can be implemented in MARK and SAS. Animal Biodiv. Conserv. 27: 187–205.
J.F. Saraco J.A. Collazo (1999) ArticleTitlePredation on artificial nests along three edge types on a North Carolina bottomland hardwood forest The Wilson Bull. 111 541–549
T.L. Shaffer (2004) ArticleTitleA unified approach to analyzing nest success The Auk 121 526–540
M.F. Small M.L. Hunter (1988) ArticleTitleForest fragmentation and avian nest predation in forested landscapes Oecologia 76 62–64
A.V. Suarez K.S. Pfennig S.K. Robinson (1997) ArticleTitleNesting success of a disturbance-dependent songbird on different kinds of edges Conserv. Biol. 11 928–935 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1523-1739.1997.96063.x
Thompson F.R. III, Probst J.R. and Raphael M.G. 1995. Impacts of silviculture: overview and management recommendations. In: Martin T.E. and Finch D.M.(eds), Ecology and Management of Neotropical Migratory Birds: A Synthesis and Review of Critical Issues. Oxford University Press, pp. 201–219.
Thompson F.R. III, Robinson S.K., Donovan T.M., Faaborg J.R., Whitehead D.R. and Larsen D.R. 2000. Biogeographic landscape and local factors affecting cowbird abundance and parasitism levels. In: Smith J.N.M., Cook T.L., Rothstein S.I., Robinson S.K. and Sealy S.G.(eds), Ecology and Management of Cowbirds and Their Hosts. University of Texas Press, pp. 271–279.
Uyehara J.C. 1996. Correlates and field experiments of nest searching behavior in a brood parasitethe Brown-headed Cowbird. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of CaliforniaLos Angeles.
Uyehara J.C. and Whitfield M.J. 2000. Associations of cowbird parasitism and vegetative cover in territories of Southwestern Willow Flycatchers. In: Smith J.N.M., Cook T.L., Rothstein S.I., Robinson S.K. and Sealy S.G.(eds), Ecology and Management of Cowbirds and Their Hosts. University of Texas Press, pp. 204–209.
P.D. Vickery M.L. Hunter SuffixJr. J.V. Wells (1992) ArticleTitleIs density an indicator of breeding success? The Auk 109 706–710
D.R. Whitehead T. Taylor (2002) ArticleTitleAcadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) Birds N Am. 614 1–22
D.S. Wilcove C.H. McLellan A.P. Dobson (1986) Habitat fragmentation in the temperate zone M.E. Soulé (Eds) Conservation biology: The science of scarcity and diversity Sinauer Associates Sunderland, MA 237–256
R.R. Wilson R. Cooper (1998) ArticleTitleBreeding biology of Acadian flycatchers in a bottomland hardwood forest Wilson Bull. 110 226–232
J.L. Zimmerman (1984) ArticleTitleNest predation and it's relationship to habitat and nest density in Dickcissels The Condor 86 68–72
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chapa-Vargas, L., Robinson, S.K. Nesting Success of a Songbird in a Complex Floodplain Forest Landscape in llinois, USA: Local Fragmentation vs. Vegetation Structure. Landscape Ecol 21, 525–537 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-005-2894-7
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-005-2894-7