How Cutting Down Trees Helps a Unique Owl in Utah

At Audubon’s Gillmor Sanctuary at Nice Salt Lake in Utah, the grass and scattered shrubs of the uplands function very best habitat for Burrowing Owls. 

Whereas most owls are tree dwellers, this ground-dwelling species prefers open, treeless landscapes with quick, sparse vegetation. It’s no coincidence that these habitats additionally help the species who dig the burrows the owls nest in. Within the western United States, this contains floor squirrels, prairie canine, badgers, and desert tortoises.

Like many grassland species, Burrowing Owl populations have declined all through their vary as a result of habitat loss, human-wildlife battle, and different elements. Because of downward inhabitants traits, Burrowing Owls are listed as endangered in Canada and as a Species of Best Conservation Want in every U.S. state they reside in. 

At Gillmor Sanctuary, Audubon is addressing native inhabitants declines and bettering situations for Burrowing Owls and different wildlife by restoring native habitat.

Taking On Tamarisk

One of many major focuses of the restoration work has been eradicating invasive tamarisk bushes. Tamarisk, native to Eurasia, was launched within the 1800’s and utilized in financial institution stabilization, but it surely has since unfold vastly in riparian corridors and uplands with excessive water tables. Because of this, areas of Gillmor Sanctuary that have been as soon as open grassland and shrubland remodeled into dense, forested environments—and plenty of grassland birds, mammals, and different wildlife dispersed from the realm. 

Up to now, Audubon has cleared over 1,000 acres of tamarisk from Gillmor’s uplands and the uplands of neighboring properties. Many of those areas have additionally been seeded with native grasses, shrubs, and forbs. These efforts have restored the habitat again to low, open landscapes and elevated the abundance of native vegetation that Burrowing Owls, their prey, and different native wildlife depend upon.

Surveys performed earlier than, throughout, and after restoration have helped gauge the response of grassland birds. With the tamarisk bushes gone, Burrowing Owls—in addition to Lengthy-billed Curlews and Willets—are as soon as once more nesting within the uplands. Moreover, sightings of grassland songbirds comparable to Horned Larks and Savannah Sparrows have elevated.  Grassland mammals are additionally returning to those reopened areas, together with pronghorn and jackrabbits. 

Tamarisk bushes nonetheless cowl vital surrounding areas, creating alternatives to collaborate throughout property boundaries and pursuits. Wanting forward, we hope to develop tamarisk elimination efforts alongside Nice Salt Lake in partnership with duck golf equipment, the Salt Lake Metropolis airport, ranchers, and different landowners. 

Restoration efforts on Gillmor Sanctuary’s uplands additionally transcend tamarisk. Learn the way Audubon is encouraging extra Burrowing Owls to nest on the sanctuary with new digs—actually! Read more.

We wish to prolong an enormous thanks to all the organizations and volunteers who made this work potential. Thanks, additionally, to the Nationwide Fish and Wildlife Federations’ America the Lovely Problem Grant and Browning Basis for funding this necessary work.