Conservation on Grasslands
Avoid fragmenting existing grassland tracts. The larger the
grassland, the greater the number of area-sensitive species, such as
Upland Sandpiper and Henslow’s Sparrow, that will be able to nest
successfully in the area.- When restoring grasslands, minimize the amount of edge habitat by designing roughly circular or square plots. Use native grasses and local seed sources. Determining the species that should occur at a given site may require research.
- To benefit area-sensitive birds, plots should be no smaller than 125 acres, and preferably 250 acres or more. Fifty acres or less will benefit birds that are least sensitive to habitat size, such as the Dickcissel and Red-winged Blackbird.
- If plots smaller than 50 acres are the only option, they should be as numerous as possible and no farther apart than 1 mile.
- Monitor the grass height. Eliminate woody vegetation that grows higher than the native grasses.
- Grasslands evolved with regular burning. Learn about prescribed burns and evaluate the possibility of instituting this practice.