![]() ![]() Surveys for herptiles in 2003 revealed a greater number and diversity in extant shrubsteppe embedded within shrubsteppe landscapes than in other site types. Most color-banded males successfully paired, and a preliminary look at the nesting success data suggests that nests in CRP fields were at least as successful as those in shrubsteppe sites. Nesting data confirmed that these shrubsteppe-obligate birds were breeding successfully on some CRP sites, with numbers of Brewer’s Sparrow nests found in some CRP sites approaching that found in extant shrubsteppe. Highest numbers of all 3 species were recorded in old CRP sites in shrubsteppe-dominated landscapes, likely reflecting the increased occurrence and height of big sagebrush in these old CRP stands. ![]() Three shrubsteppe-obligate passerines (Sage Sparrow, Sage Thrasher, and Brewer’s Sparrow) also occurred in CRP stands, with Brewer’s Sparrows occurring in considerable numbers. This pattern was not unexpected and reflects the structure of the vegetation and its similarity to native steppe communities. Preliminary data from the first year of study show a bird community dominated by grassland species in CRP sites. From April-October 2003 we surveyed for birds, herptiles, and small mammals and we examined reproductive parameters of selected bird species. We established 48 study sites in CRP fields of varying age and landscape contexts and in extant shrubsteppe communities. In 2003 we began a study to evaluate the potential role of CRP in the long-term conservation of obligate grassland and shrubsteppe wildlife in the Columbia River Basin. In Washington, over 1 million acres (405,000 ha) of converted farmland has been planted to non-native grasses and to native grasses, forbs and shrubs under the CRP. Administered by the US Department of Agriculture, this voluntary program pays farmers to take agricultural lands out of production to achieve conservation objectives including reducing soil erosion and providing wildlife habitat. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is currently the only large-scale effort to restore habitat that may be used by grassland and shrubsteppe wildlife in the Columbia River Basin. ![]()
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