Mapping vertical distributions of birds in old-growth and second-growth trees at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest

AOS Student Research Grant Seminar

Presenter: Nina Ferrari, Ph.D. Candidate, Oregon State University; 2023 Werner and Hildegard Hesse Research Grant winner

Urbanization and climate change are two major threats to biodiversity, yet they are often studied in isolation. As a result, we lack a clear understanding of how their combined effects influence birds and other wildlife. I will present preliminary results of three field seasons investigating the combined effects of urbanization and extreme temperatures on parental care behavior, stress physiology, nestling growth and survival, and nest architecture in a common urban songbird, the Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans), in the Sacramento Valley of California.

I will revisit some of Robert MacArthur’s questions around vertical partition as a mechanism for species coexistence in forests. Specifically, my research investigates the vertical distributions of songbirds in trees in the Pacific Northwest. I use territory mapping playback and bioacoustics methodologies to examine the degree vertical partitioning in this ecosystem and the potential drivers behind it.

More about the Student Research Grant Seminar Series