Articles

For more information on any of these articles, contact Peggy Strankman – Manager, Environment, with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association at 403.275.8558.

“Managing Pastureland for Biodiveristy”

Reprinted from the Saskatchewan Forage Council’s Saskatchewan Hay and Pasture Report – July 16, 2009 issue

Good management is good management. Generally speaking if you have pasture and range in healthy condition you will have good biodiversity there. In most cases, the good management practices that normally support the long term productivity of pasture and range land is what’s needed to protect the habitat of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and plants that depend on native prairie grasslands and riparian areas along creeks and rivers.

To read the full article, click here [PDF / 179.52KB]

“Grassland Birds”

Reprinted from the Saskatchewan Forage Council’s Saskatchewan Hay and Pasture Report – August 27, 2009 issue

What do meadow larks, Swainson’s hawks and loggerhead shrikes have in common? Well firstly they are commonly recognized birds that have the good sense to winter in the south. Secondly they are part of what’s called a guild of grassland birds and the guild is declining more rapidly than any other group of birds in Canada.

To read the full article, click here. [PDF / 110.88KB]

“The Secret Life of Grassland Birds”

Reprinted from the Saskatchewan Forage Council’s Saskatchewan Hay and Pasture Report – October 1, 2009 issue

Sensible grassland birds have confirmed their reservations and headed south to Texas, Mexico and into Central and South America. The Burrowing owls are the first to leave.

Grassland birds are decreasing more than any other group of birds in Canada and all of North America. Even monitoring the population change is a challenge. Many of them live in sparsely populated areas so the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) does not cover these species well. However there is now a Grassland Bird Monitoring program underway that collects information in sparsely populated areas to supplement the BBS and helps to better understand habitat needs. Between the two surveys there is enough information to know that the population trends are downward for almost all of the species.

To read the full article, click here [PDF / 169.1KB]