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Megan E. Jones, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, Advisor: Christine Ribic

The effect of tree row removal on the predators of grassland birds

Grassland bird populations have demonstrated a declining trend across much of their range and recent research has focused on indentifying the possible reasons for these declines. Habitat loss and fragmentation of the landscape have certainly impacted grassland bird populations, but nest predation is likely another contributing factor. The fragmentation of the landscape in the form of woody tree rows or fence lines decreases suitable habitat for grassland birds forcing them to nest in less desirable areas (closer to woody areas) where woodland predators have easier access to their nests. Tree row removal has been suggested as a management technique aimed at addressing some of these issues. My research investigates the effect of tree row removal on the predators of grassland birds by examining nest predation and predator activity before and after tree row removal. Woodland predators such as raccoons and opossums have been considered the most common grassland bird nest predators. It was hypothesized that removing tree rows would eliminate or reduce the presence of woodland predators on the landscape, thus reducing nest predation rates. However, as with most things in nature, it’s just not that simple, and my research reveals that grassland predators such as snakes and 13-lined ground squirrels are an important component of this system.

Julia Caldwell, Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development, Advisor: Nancy Matthews

Modeling reedbeds for ecosystem management in Mediterranean wetlands

I am a graduate student in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development who’s interests center around the complex dynamics between humans and the environment and how to solve the many problems that arise from these interactions. Humans play an integral role in how ecosystems are managed and function ecologically. Therefore, my research focuses on the consequences of management practices across a coastal wetland in southern France which provides numerous socio-economic and ecological services to the region.

In order to investigate the effects of ecosystem management on a Phragmites australis dominated reedbed, I have built a spatially explicit model, ReedSimII, that provides output data on several indicators of biodiversity. Using a 20 year timeline, I will simulate how various management scenarios, based on reed harvesting and irrigation, affect the levels of the biodiversity indicators and the reed dominated landscape. ReedSimII has been designed within an interdisciplinary context as a support tool for researchers, decision-makers and stakeholders in order to improve biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management.

Timothy R. Kuhman, Zoology, Adviser: Monica Turner

Contemporary land use, land-use change, and non-native invasive plants in western North Carolina

My graduate research addresses the effects of contemporary and historic land use on invasion by non-native plants in the southern Appalachians. The work spans both temporal and spatial scales, addressing questions related to plant invasion from the local community to the regional landscape in western North Carolina. Extensive forest characterizes the southern Appalachian ecoregion, and there has been substantial forest regrowth throughout the region following agricultural abandonment that began in the late-1800s. More recently, the region has experienced a rapid increase in exurban and rural development, particularly in areas with high aesthetic value.

One of the most interesting results from my work has been the importance of land-use legacies in determining patterns of plant invasion that we see today. In one watershed, areas that were previously cultivated and abandoned a century ago had more invasive plants present and greater seedling establishment success than adjacent areas that were not previously cultivated. This variation in invasibility may be related to differences in site conditions associated with the overstory community. Former agricultural areas tend to have higher dominance by shade-intolerant tree species such as tulip poplar as opposed to oaks that typically dominate areas that were not previously cultivated. In turn, these tulip poplar dominated stands have understory conditions that differ considerably from adjacent areas. The nutrient-rich soils and thin leaf litter layer in these historic agriculture sites might be facilitating invasion by non-native plants. The importance of land-use history for plant invasion has been observed at broader landscape scales across the region as well. For many non-native species, their abundance also decreases with the distance from the regional city center, Asheville, NC. It remains unclear whether this phenomenon is related to an outward expansion of the invasion front following a regional introduction in or near Asheville, or whether it is related to higher road and housing densities closer to the city center that facilitate a more rapid spread of the invasive plants.

Katie Songer, Environment and Resources, Adviser: K. G. Karthikeyan

Reducing stream phosphorus loading in agricultural watersheds: A method for prioritizing critical source areas of cropland P loss

Phosphorus (P) is a major water quality concern nationwide, including in Wisconsin. The majority of P in surface waters is from agricultural non-point source pollution, but not all farms are equal. Depending on characteristics such as soil, slope, distance to stream, and farming practices, different farms contribute different amounts of P to streams. My research is part of a long-term study with UW-CALS, USGS, WDNR, TNC, WRM, and Dane County Department of Land and Water Resources (LWRD). We are testing the effectiveness of focusing conservation resources on high-impact farms in a watershed, rather than making resources equally available to all farms. This strategy should achieve the greatest improvement to water quality with the least investment—especially important in a time of limited resources.

For my master’s thesis, my focus is on developing a simple, cheap method by which planners from agencies such as LWRD or WDNR can identify high-priority farms in Wisconsin watersheds. I conducted a survey of soil, landscape, and farming practices in Pleasant Valley watershed, and used the Wisconsin Phosphorus Index to predict areas of high and low P loss. Based on these calculations, I created a simplified screening tool that predicts priority and non-priority farms in Driftless Area watersheds. This tool can be further developed for use by planners who hope to reduce a watershed’s P loading, but do not have the resources to conduct an intensive survey.

Julie Christian, Botany, Adviser: Paul H. Zedler

Native shrub recovery nine years after reduction of extensive browsing on Santa Rosa Island, California

After getting a B.S. in Biology from the University of WI-Eau Claire, I joined the Student Conservation Association (SCA) in Southern California. As an intern at Channel Islands National Park, I received a broad introduction to plant ecology, performing long-term plant community monitoring and running greenhouse and field studies on an island endemic plant, Castilleja mollis. This combination of community and rare plant ecology has continued through my years in California as a botanist for the National Park Service. For Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, I mapped and described plant communities, led invasive eradication and restoration projects, and monitored the effects of fire. Due to the proximity of the parks, I was lucky enough to continue to perform field studies on a variety of Channel Islands endemic plants. My current research on Santa Rosa, one of the Channel Islands, focuses on community change in response to altered disturbance regimes. Specifically, I am examining the recovery of native shrubs and their communities after the removal of non-native cattle and am attempting to describe effects of the remaining non-native deer and elk. Toward that end, I am using the data that I helped collect as an SCA, the park’s long-term monitoring data. While my current research focuses on plant communities, it has also allowed me to indulge my interest in rare plant ecology as random-sampling has pulled me off the beaten paths to many new populations of rare plants.

Wisconsin Ecology

• Introduction
• Events and News
• For Students
• Wisconsin Ecology Departments & Faculty
• Research
• Contact