This study compared grassland bird populations and vegetation composition between two reclaimed surface mine sites in southeastern Ohio called Zion Ridge and the Southern Sector. Point count surveys found higher numbers of Henslow's Sparrows and Bobolinks in the Southern Sector, which had thicker grasses and herbs like blue grass and bird's foot trefoil. Grasshopper Sparrows were more common at Zion Ridge, where shorter grasses like fescue and brome dominated. Differences in restoration efforts led to variation in vegetation that helps explain the divergent bird species found at each site.

1. A comparison of grassland point
count data on two regions of a
reclaimed surface mine
(Southeastern Ohio)

2. Grassland bird populations have
declined in the last three decades
more than any other group of birds
in North America (Ribic, 2001,
Sampson & Knopf, 1994; Herkert,
1997)
Grasslands resulting from surface
mine reclamation support
grassland songbird populations…
especially where reclaimed mines
are large >1,000 ha. (Stauffer et.
al,2011)

3. The Wilds
• The Wilds has been a reclaimed mined grassland
since 1984
• Located in Noble, Guernsey & Muskingum
counties in southeastern Ohio
• Reclamation from late 1960s in the north to the
mid 1980s in the south.
• Timing and differences in reclamation efforts –
generally more autumn olive and Lespedeza in
the north – gradually giving way to fescue, brome
grass and a variety of forbs

7. Objectives
• To look for differences in abundance of several
grassland bird species on the two sites using
point count surveys.
• To make a broad comparison in the plant
structure and species composition between
the two areas.

8. Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus
henslowii)
Grasshopper Sparrow
(Ammodramus savannarum)
Savannah Sparrow(Passerculus
sandwichensis)
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
Eastern Meadow Lark (Sturnella
magna)
Focus Species

11. • litter,
• live vegetation
• dead vegetation
• Woody plants
• Forbes
• grasses
Vegetation

12. Methods
• Data were collected from mid-May through
mid-July of the 2014 breeding season
• Forty data-collection points total
– 17 along Zion Ridge and 23 in the Southern Sector
– Flagged, wooden stakes (200m apart)

13. Methods – Point Counts
• Various information recorded pre-trial
• 6 minute trials per point
– Bird identification within 100m radius
• Either seen or heard.
• Sex (if determinable), species, direction and distance was
recorded
• “Fly-in” Birds
– Birds that either flew into radius during trial or flew
over.
– Not counted

14. Methods – Vegetation Analysis
• In June, Vegetation analysis at each data
collection point was conducted
• From the home point, 5-meter radius was created
and N,E,S,W, directions were flagged
• At each of the four flags, litter, live vegetation
and dead vegetation height was recorded.
• Within the radius, percent calculations were
determined according to the amount of litter, live
vegetation, dead vegetation, woody (over and
under a meter high), forbes, and grasses

15. Methods – Vegetation Analysis
• From home point, three more analysis circles
were conducted in the same manner.
• First circle - 30m away from home at 240
degrees
• Second circle – 60m away from home at 120
degrees
• Third circle – 90 meters at 0 degrees

16. Results

17. Henslow’s Sparrow
(Ammodramus henslowii)
June: t = 2.07, Df = 38, p < 0.04
July: t = 3.23, df =38, p < 0.002
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
May June July
Averagenumberofbirdsateachpoint
Month of Data Collection
Zion Ridge
Southern
Sector

18. Grasshopper Sparrow
(Ammodramus savannarum)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
May June July
Averagenumberofbirdsateachpoint
Month of Data Collection
Zion Ridge
Southern Sector
May: t = 5.73, df = 38, p < 0.0001
June: t = 5.47, df = 38, p < 0.0001

19. Bobolink
(Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
May June July
Averagenumberofbirdsateachpoint
Month of Data Collection
Zion Ridge
Southern Sector
May: t = 3.15, df = 38, p < 0.003

20. 23
19.6
18.3
16.5
7
5
3.1
2.6
1.9
1.2 1.2
0.4
0.2
Average Percentage of Vegetation at the
Southern Sector
Blue Grass
Other Forbs
Bird's Foot
Brome
Litter
Other Grasses
Dead Vegetation
Fescue
Bare Ground
Lespedeza
Woody >1
Woody <1
Yellow Sweet Clover

21. 17.2
13.1
12.7
11.7
9.6
8.9
8.3
6.3
4.6
3.3
2.2
1.1
1
Average Percentage of Vegetation at Zion
Ridge
Fescue
Blue Grass
Brome
Bird's Foot
Yellow Sweet Clover
Other Forbes
Litter
Lespedeza
Dead Vegetaion
Other Grasses
Bare Ground
Woody >1
Woody <1

22. 17.2
13.1 12.7
2.6
23
16.5
0
5
10
15
20
25
Fescue Blue Grass Brome
AveragePercentage
Vegetation Type
Average Percentage of Three Main Grasses
Surveyed
Zion
Ridge
Southern
Sector

23. Summary Zion Ridge
• Fescue (Festuca sp) and Brome (Bromus
inermis) were the most prevalent grasses
• These are shorter grasses that don’t have as
much ground cover

24. Summary Southern Sector
• Thicker grasses and herbs are more prominent
such as Blue Grass (Poa pratensis) and bird’s
foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
• Has more taller herbaceous forbes than Zion
Ridge including:
– Goldenrod (Solidago sp.)
– Teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris)
– Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)

26. • Second graph

27. Conclusion
• Henslow’s Sparrows and Bobolinks are more
prevalent in the Southern Sector than at Zion
Ridge
– In the Southern Sector, blue grass, other forbes
and bird’s foot dominate.
• Grasshopper Sparrow’s are more prevalent at
Zion Ridge
– At Zion Ridge fescue, blue grass, and brome
dominate.

28. Conclusion
• Vegetation differences have occurred due to
the different restoration efforts in the two
locations including the time difference on
restoration.
– This helps explain the differences in grassland bird
species diversity.
• Shrub encroachment in the recent years has
affected grassland bird species at The Wilds.

29. Acknowledgments
The Wilds
Shana Byrd – Director of Conservation at The
Wilds
Dr. Danny Ingold
Dr Jim Dooley
Allie Leggatt
Morgenna Zuby
Jon Raugh
Devin Perry
Jessica Gutierrez