Duck Nest Density and Survival in Post‐Conservation Reserve Program Lands

Abstract

AbstractFluctuations in both commodity prices and conservation policy have reduced producer enrollment into the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the northern Great Plains. Reductions of CRP hectares result in reduced nesting cover for upland nesting ducks as perennial cover is often converted to row crops. Working landscapes that include livestock grazing and haying as management options can maintain perennial grass cover and continue to provide habitat for many wildlife species while simultaneously creating a commodity. To assess the potential of working landscapes for waterfowl conservation, we estimated density and survival of duck nests in post‐CRP fields used for cattle grazing, haying, and crop production over a 9‐year study period in southwestern North Dakota, USA. We used the chain‐drag method to locate 477 nests of 6 duck species. The density analysis was separated into 2 periods to correspond to changes in treatments (i.e., 2006–2011 and 2013–2015). Mean ± SE nest density was lowest in crop fields (0.01 ± 0.01 nests/ha−1), which differed from idle (0.33 ± 0.06 nests/ha−1), season‐long grazed ( 0.18 ± 0.02 nests/ha−1), and haying (0.15 ± 0.04 nests/ha−1). We found no evidence that density was affected by grassland treatment from 2013–2015. Daily nest survival increased with nest age and vegetation height but was lower for nests located in crop fields. Based on our findings, it appears that livestock grazing could be a viable option for waterfowl conservation in post‐CRP fields if nesting vegetation height is considered in grazing plans. Loss of CRP may be mitigated by working landscapes that offer a management alternative to crop production. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.