Towards a Theory of Landscape Effects on Populaltion Dynamics in Birds

University Of Vermont & State Agricultural College, Burlington VT

Investigators

Abstract

0108875 Donovan Landscapes (the collection of habitats in a given area) have been dramatically altered in North America in recent decades, and can affect the ecology and genetic structure of species in a variety of ways. The proposed research seeks to understand how landscape fragmentation affects demographic and genetic parameters of a migratory songbird, the black-throated blue warbler. Information on birth, death, immigration, and emigration rates will be collected on 9 forest patches in Vermont that vary in level of landscape fragmentation. Birds will be captured in nets, aged, sexed, and released, and then followed over the course of 2 years to estimate the vital rates across sites. Because fragmentation of continuous, natural landscapes is one of the most important factors contributing to the loss of biological diversity, it is a key issue in biological conservation. The question of how landscape fragmentation affects the demography and evolution of vertebrate populations is of extreme interest to land management agencies that are mandated to maintain viable populations of native species. The combined demographic and genetic approaches will yield insights into this important issue. Two graduate and 10 undergraduate students will gain educational and field training at the University of Vermont and Washington State University.