Abstract

ABSTRACT. Grassland birds are often affected negatively by habitat fragmentation. Outcomes include greater nest predation and brood parasitism, decreased colonization rates of small, isolated patches, and greater nest density in remnant core habitats. These effects have been well documented in the Midwest, but little is known about fragmentation and edge effects on grassland birds in the fragmented agricultural fields within the forested landscapes of the northeastern United States. From 2002 to 2010, we assessed how edges and edge types affected nest-site location and daily nest survival (DNS) of Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) and Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) breeding in 11 fields (range: 13.2–38.3 ha; mean = 21.1 ha) within a large agricultural region of Vermont. Mean (± SD) distance to edge was 80.3 ± 39.6 m for Savannah Sparrows (n = 995) and 94.5 ± 56.5 m for Bobolinks (n = 652). Both species nested significantly less than expected within 50 m of the edge. For Savannah Sparrows ne...

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