Transmission lines as tall-grass prairie habitats: local mowing, spraying, and surrounding urbanization as determinants of wildlife richness and abundance

Abstract

To manage underused urban grassy spaces like transmission lines as tall-grass prairie habitats or other endangered ecosystems, ecologists need to know how mowing, spraying and surrounding urban lands affect species richness and numbers of plants and animals along transmission lines. I conducted surveys along 48 transmission lines in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 2007-2009 to answer these questions, and I concluded that mowing and spraying should be reduced, but not eliminated, to increase butterflies and other arthropods, resources for butterflies and other arthropods, and arthropod prey for birds. However, the amount of nearby urban land reduced plant species richness and grassland bird abundance along lines more strongly than mowing or spraying, suggesting that lines with less nearby urban land should be selected for management as grassland bird habitats. Mowing and spraying can then be reduced along these lines to benefit other species, enabling urban lands like transmission lines to contribute to conservation.