** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** SMALL-SCALE SCIENTIFIC STUDIES WHERE BIRDS WERE PREVENTED FROM EATING INSECTS OFF PLANTS (TYPICALLY BY PLACING NETTING OVER THE PLANT OR CAGES) SHOWCASE THE IMPORTANCE OF BIRDS IN MITIGATING INSECT DAMAGE ON PLANTS. FROM THOSE STUDIES, WE KNOW THAT INSECTS CAN EXPLODE IN NUMBERS IF LEFT UNEATEN BY PREDATORS SUCH AS BIRDS. FROM SMALL-SCALE STUDIES, WE CAN ONLY HYPOTHESIZE WHAT HAPPENS IF BIRDS CONTINUE TO DECLINE OR DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY SINCE LARGE-SCALE BIRD EXCLUSION STUDIES ARE EXPENSIVE AND UNETHICAL. INSECTS MULTIPLYING IN THE ABSENCE OF BIRDS IS ALARMING BECAUSE WE ARE FACING GLOBAL DECLINES IN BIRDS AND INVASIVE INSECTS CAUSE $70 BILLION DOLLARS IN GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL CROP DAMAGES EVERY YEAR. THESE DECLINES COULD HAVE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS TO OUR FOOD PRODUCTION AND INCREASE PESTICIDE USE, WHICH COULD HAVE ADDED SIDE EFFECTS TO OTHER WILDLIFE. TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL DECLINES OF BIRDS, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BIRDS DISAPPEAR AT A LARGE-SCALE. A DEVASTATING EVENT THAT OCCURRED ON THE US TERRITORY OF GUAM COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY WHAT HAPPENS TO AGRICULTURAL CROPS IF BIRDS DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY. AFTER WWII, THE BROWN TREE SNAKE WAS INTRODUCED ON THE ISLAND VIA MILITARY CARGO AND ERADICATED THE NATIVE BIRDS. TODAY, THE FORESTS ARE SILENT AND EMPTY, BUT NEARBY ISLANDS HAVE MAINTAINED THEIR NATIVE BIRD POPULATION, WHICH ALLOWS FOR NEARBY COMPARISONS. IN THIS STUDY, MY GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE LOSS OF BIRDS HAVE AFFECTED HERBIVORY AND PREDATION ON CATERPILLARS IN AGRICULTURAL CROPS.TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE LOSS OF BIRDS HAVE AFFECTED INSECT DAMAGE ON CROPS, I WILL COLLECT LEAVES FROM AGRICULTURAL CROPS ON GUAM (NO BIRDS) AND NEARBY ISLANDS (BIRDS) AND COMPARE HOW MUCH INSECT DAMAGE ARE ON THE LEAVES. TO UNDERSTAND PREDATION THAT OCCURS ON INSECTS ON CROPS IN THE ABSENCE OF BIRDS, I WILL PLACE CLAY CATERPILLARS ON THE SAME PLANTS I COLLECTED LEAVES FROM AND IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF PREDATORS THAT COULD ATTACK REAL CATERPILLARS. IN 2022, I COMPARED INSECT DAMAGE ON LEAVES OF 3 SPECIES OF NATIVE PLANTS FOUND ON GUAM AND TWO NEARBY ISLANDS (BIRDS PRESENT) AND FOUND THAT THE STORY WAS NOT AS SIMPLE AS EXPECTED. LACK OF BIRDS DOES NOT NECESSARILY LEAD TO HIGH AMOUNTS OF PLANT DAMAGE BY INSECTS LIKE THE SMALL-SCALE STUDIES SUGGESTED. FROM THE PRELIMINARY STUDY, I FOUND THAT GUAM (NO BIRDS) AND ROTA (BIRDS PRESENT) HAD SIMILARLY HIGH LEVELS OF PLANT DAMAGE BY INSECTS, WHILE SAIPAN (BIRDS PRESENT) HAVE THE LOWEST LEVEL OF PLANT DAMAGE BY INSECTS. THIS UNEXPECTED FINDING MAY BE DUE TO THE HIGH AMOUNT OF LIZARD ATTACKS ON SAIPAN (BIRDS PRESENT) COMPARED TO GUAM (NO BIRDS) AND ROTA (BIRDS PRESENT) BASED ON A SEPARATE STUDY LOOKING AT ATTACK RATES ON CLAY CATERPILLARS. I FOUND THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIZARD ATTACKS IN SAIPAN COMPARED TO THE NEARBY ISLANDS. THIS SUGGESTS THAT LIZARDS MAY ALSO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN CONTROLLING PESTS. MY RESULTS REGARDING THE ATTACKS ON CLAY CATERPILLARS WERE TRUE FOR WHETHER THE MODE,L WAS PLACED ON NATIVE AND INTRODUCED PLANTS, SUGGESTING THAT SIMILAR PATTERNS OF CATERPILLAR PREDATION MAY EMERGE ON CROP PLANTS. WHILE I OBSERVED CONSISTENT PATTERNS OF ATTACK ON CLAY CATERPILLARS AND AMOUNT OF INSECT DAMAGE ON LEAVES AMONG ISLANDS, WE DO NOT KNOW IF THESE RESULTS HOLD FOR AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE GAP. THIS STUDY IS ALSO IMPORTANT LOCALLY BECAUSE MOST OF THE FOOD ON THE ISLAND OF GUAM IS IMPORTED, WHICH MAKES FOOD VERY EXPENSIVE. THE HIGH COST OF IMPORTED GOODS DRIVES THE 24% HIGHER COST OF LIVING ON GUAM COMPARED TO THE CONTINENTAL US. HIGH DAMAGE BY INSECTS WILL ALSO LIKELY REDUCE THE THIN PROFIT MARGINS OF LOCAL FARMS IN GUAM, INCREASING THE DEPENDENCE ON IMPORTED FOOD. LASTLY, AS THE WORLDWIDE BIRD DECLINES CONTINUE, THIS WORK WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW OUR FOOD PRODUCTION CAN BE AFFECTED.