** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** IN NORTH AMERICA, POPULATIONS OF GRASSLAND SONGBIRD SPECIES HAVE DECLINED AT A FASTER RATE THAN ANY OTHERSONGBIRD GROUP. CORRESPONDINGLY, ARTHROPOD POPULATIONS, AN IMPORTANT FOOD RESOURCE FOR BREEDING SONGBIRDS, HAVE DECLINED WORLDWIDE. RANGELANDS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN US HAVE UNDERGONE DRAMATIC CHANGES OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS, MOST IMPORTANTLY AN INCREASE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SHRUB SPECIES AND REDUCTIONS IN CONTIGUOUS GRASSLANDS. THESE CHANGES TO RANGELAND VEGETATION HAVE BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED AT THE JORNADA EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH STATION (JER) AND LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH STATION (LTER) IN SOUTH-CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. LESS WELL UNDERSTOOD ARE THE EFFECTS OF THESE VEGETATION CHANGES ON WILDLIFE POPULATIONS,INCLUDINGINTERACTIONS BETWEEN PRIMARY CONSUMERS (ARTHROPODS),SECONDARY CONSUMERS (SONGBIRDS), AND HABITAT STRUCTURE. UNDERSTANDING THE INFLUENCE THAT CHANGES TO HABITAT STRUCTURE HAVE ON WILDLIFE POPULATIONS, INCLUDING BENEFICIAL POLLINATORS AND POTENTIAL PEST SPECIES, IS AN IMPORTANT STEP TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES THAT AIM TO BALANCE CONSERVATION WITH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.DURING THE SUMMER BREEDING SEASON, COUNT SURVEYSWILL BE USED TO ASSESS SONGBIRD ABUNDANCE AT LOCATIONS REPRESENTING A RANGE OF HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS. USING METABARCODING TECHNIQUES, THE DIET OF JUVENILE SONGBIRDS WILL BE TESTED TO IDENTIFY ANY EFFECTS OF HABITAT ON REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS.DATA ON INSECT ABUNDANCE AND SPECIES COMPOSITIONWILL BE COLLECTED AND USED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF VEGETATION CHARACTERISTICS ON THE INSECT COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE EFFECTS OF INSECT ABUNDANCE ON THE SONGBIRD COMMUNITY. HISTORIC DATA ON INSECT AND SONGBIRDABUNDANCE AND COMMUNITY COMPOSITIONCOLLECTED AT JERWILL SERVE AS A BASELINE TO COMPARE HISTORIC AND CURRENT COMMUNITY COMPOSITION. THESE DATA SOURCES ALLOW US TO UNDERSTAND HOW VEGETATION, SONGBIRD, AND INSECT COMMUNITIES HAVE CHANGED TOGETHER OVER TIME. AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE THE ENGAGEMENT AND TRAINING OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN RANGELAND AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE FUNCTION OF A WORKING LANDSCAPE IS IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, THE PROCESSES THAT MAY INFLUENCE ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR MULTIPLE TROPHIC LEVELS, AND INFORM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SUPPORT BOTH SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND THE CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE POPULATIONS.