Conservation of shrubland birds in working landscapes

Context Conservation practices on private, working landscapes are important to achieve conservation goals. Shrub-scrub habitat is one most rapidly decreasing habitat types in the eastern United States while also being one of the most important for avian populations. Objectives. Our objectives were (1) see how land use practices affect species of concern, (2) identify habitat thresholds necessary for an increase in occupancy probability, and (3) provide quantitative evidence of conservation opportunities in light of current bird declines. Methods. We conducted point counts at 69 locations across a gradient of land use intensity and land cover types. We used the unmarked package to model occupancy of 10 different shrub bird species. We used AIC model selection to identify top models for statistical inference. Results. Eight of the focal species for this study showed a 60–80% increase in occupancy probability with the presence of only 5% native shrub habitat within 1,000 meters of a point location. These findings suggest the importance of managed native habitat on working landscapes along with the benefits of small patches. Specifically, shrub-dominant species showed dramatic increase in occupancy with the presence of managed, native habitat in the immediate area. The results help show the possibility and successfulness of conservation on a gradient of land uses including working landscapes. Conclusions. These results show the importance of working landscapes in conservation of avian species and the clear benefit of small changes in landscape structure. More broadly, these results show the effectiveness of maintaining native habitats on working landscapes and potential ecological benefits of conservation-minded management of working lands.