Responses of insects and birds to biosolid application on grasslands

在不列颠哥伦比亚省，通过《有机物回收条例》（2002年）对生物固体在土地上的使用进行管理，该条例允许将生物固体作为肥料进行有益的使用，同时控制对环境、牲畜或公共卫生的潜在不利影响。目前没有任何政策涉及减轻对野生动物的影响。虽然这种影响被认为是最小的，但这些影响尚未得到很好的审查，也没有制定任何政策或最佳管理做法（例如，施用的时间或数量，或在敏感物种的地区留下空白）。了解野生动物对生物固体的反应将使SYLVIS和其他生物固体管理者能够采用生态敏感和适当的做法，超越目前的牧场管理和现有的法规。本研究的目的是评估生物固体应用于草地是否影响昆虫和鸟类群落在OK牧场，一个8000公顷的牧场附近Jesmond BC。我们将解决三个主要问题：1）生物固体影响栖息地的使用和巢成功的黑松鸡？2)鸣禽的多样性或行为是否在生物固体处理过的草地和未处理过的草地之间存在差异，以及3）这些草地之间的蝗虫丰度或多样性是否存在差异？我们将无线电项圈和跟踪雌松鸡，看看他们是否选择或反对生物固体处理的草地。点计数，声学监测，巢搜索和摄像机的组合将被用来比较草原之间的鸣禽多样性和行为。蝗虫的多样性和丰富度将通过在处理过的和未处理过的草地上反复诱捕来估计。许多鸟类栖息的蚱蜢，因此我们的研究将生物固体与昆虫和鸟类群落联系起来。这些信息将有助于SYLVIS管理其应用的时间，以及指示是否有关键的敏感区域留给特定的草原鸟类物种作为缓冲或挫折。

In British Columbia, applying biosolids to land is regulated via the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation(2002), which enables beneficial use of biosolids as a fertilizer while managing the potential for adverseimpacts to the environment, livestock, or public health. No policy currently addresses mitigating impacts onwildlife. Although such impacts are assumed to be minimal, these impacts have not been well examined, andno policy nor best management practices have been developed (e.g. timing or amount of application, orleaving set-asides in areas for sensitive species). Understanding how wildlife respond to biosolids will allowSYLVIS and other biosolids managers to adopt ecologically sensitive and appropriate practices that extendsbeyond current rangeland management and existing regulation. The objective of this research is to assesswhether biosolids applied to grasslands affect the insect and bird communities at the OK Ranch, a 8000 hectarecattle ranch near Jesmond BC. We will address three main questions: 1) Do biosolids affect habitat use andnest success by dusky grouse? 2) does songbird diversity or behavior differ between biosolids-treated anduntreated grasslands, and 3) is there a difference in grasshopper abundance or diversity between thesegrasslands? We will radio-collar and track female grouse to see if they are selecting for or againstbiosolids-treated grasslands. A combination of point counts, acoustic monitoring, nest searching, and cameraswill be used to compare songbird diversity and behavior between grasslands. Grasshopper diversity andabundance will be estimated through repeated trapping in treated and untreated grasslands. Many of the birdseat grasshoppers, thus our research will link biosolids to insects to the bird communities. This information willhelp SYLVIS to manage their timing of application, as well as indicating whether there are key sensitive areasto leave as buffers or setbacks for specific grassland bird species.