Geology topics

Research about Dolores River

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Dolores River.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2018

Influences of the invasive tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) on avian diets along the Dolores River in Southwestern Colorado USA

The tamarisk leaf beetle ( Diorhabda carinulata ), introduced from Eurasia in 2001 as a biological control agent for the invasive plant Tamarix ramosissima , has spread widely throughout the western USA. With D. carinulata now very abundant, scientists and restoration managers have questioned what influence this introduced arthropod might have upon the avian component of riparian ecosystems. From 2009 through 2012 we studied the consequences of biological invasions of the introduced tamarisk shrub and tamarisk leaf beetles on the diets of native birds along the Dolores River in southwestern Colorado, USA. We examined avian foraging behavior, sampled the arthropod community, documented bird diets and the use of invasive tamarisk shrubs and tamarisk leaf beetles by birds. We documented D. carinulata abundance, on what plants the beetles occurred, and to what degree they were consumed by birds as compared to other arthropods. We hypothesized that if D. carinulata is an important new avian food source, birds should consume beetles at least in proportion to their abundance. We also hypothesized that birds should forage more in tamarisk in the late summer when tamarisk leaf beetle larvae are more abundant than in early summer, and that birds should select beetle-damaged tamarisk shrubs. We found that D. carinulata composed 24.0 percent (± 19.9–27.4%) and 35.4% biomass of all collected arthropods. From the gut contents of 188 birds (25 passerine species), only four species ( n = 11 birds) contained tamarisk leaf beetle parts. Although D. carinulata comprised one-quarter of total insect abundance, frequency of occurrence in bird gut contents was only 2.1% by abundance and 3.4% biomass. Birds used tamarisk shrubs for foraging in proportion to their availability, but foraging frequency did not increase during the late summer when more tamarisk leaf beetles were present and birds avoided beetle-damaged tamarisk shrubs. Despite D. carinulata being the most abundant arthropod in the environment, these invasive beetles were not frequently consumed by birds and seem not to provide a significant contribution to avian diets.

Colorado↗

USGS2017

Riparian bird density decline in response to biocontrol of Tamarix from riparian ecosystems along the Dolores River in SW Colorado, USA

Biocontrol of invasive tamarisk ( Tamarix spp.) in the arid Southwest using the introduced tamarisk beetle ( Diorhabda elongata ) has been hypothesized to negatively affect some breeding bird species, but no studies to date have documented the effects of beetle-induced defoliation on riparian bird abundance. We assessed the effects of tamarisk defoliation by monitoring defoliation rates, changes in vegetation composition, and changes in density of six obligate riparian breeding bird species at two sites along the Dolores River in Colorado following the arrival of tamarisk beetles. We conducted bird point counts from 2010 to 2014 and modeled bird density as a function of native vegetation density and extent of defoliation using hierarchical distance sampling. Maximum annual defoliation decreased throughout the study period, peaking at 32–37% in 2009–2010 and dropping to 0.5–15% from 2011–2014. Stem density of both tamarisk and native plants declined throughout the study period until 2014. Density of all bird species declined throughout most of the study, with Song Sparrow disappearing from the study sites after 2011. Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Yellow Warbler densities were negatively related to defoliation in the previous year, while Lazuli Bunting exhibited a positive relationship with defoliation. These findings corroborate earlier predictions of species expected to be sensitive to defoliation as a result of nest site selection. Tamarisk defoliation thus had short-term negative impacts on riparian bird species; active restoration may be needed to encourage the regrowth of native riparian vegetation, which in the longer-term may result in increased riparian bird density.

Colorado↗

USGS2014

Influences of the Tamarisk Leaf Beetle ( Diorhabda carinulata ) on the diet of insectivorous birds along the Dolores River in Southwestern Colorado

We examined the effects of a biologic control agent, the tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda carinulata), on native avifauna in southwestern Colorado, specifically, addressing whether and to what degree birds eat tamarisk leaf beetles. In 2010, we documented avian foraging behavior, characterized the arthropod community, sampled bird diets, and undertook an experiment to determine whether tamarisk leaf beetles are palatable to birds. We observed that tamarisk leaf beetles compose 24.0 percent (95-percent-confidence interval, 19.9-27.4 percent) and 35.4 percent (95-percent-confidence interval, 32.4-45.1 percent) of arthropod abundance and biomass in the study area, respectively. Birds ate few tamarisk leaf beetles, despite a superabundance of D. carinulata in the environment. The frequency of occurrence of tamarisk leaf beetles in bird diets was 2.1 percent (95-percent-confidence interval, 1.3- 2.9 percent) by abundance and 3.4 percent (95-percent-confidence interval, 2.6-4.2 percent) by biomass. Thus, tamarisk leaf beetles probably do not contribute significantly to the diets of birds in areas where biologic control of tamarisk is being applied.

Colorado;Utah↗