Graduate Exit Seminar via Zoom - Leanna DeJong

Plan to join via Zoom Leanna DeJong's graduate exit seminar on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. Leanna will present, "Impacts of Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) Removal on the Composition of Avian Assemblages in Rural Riparian Forests."

Abstract:

Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is a highly invasive shrub that threatens both plant communities and wildlife, including avian species, throughout the Eastern United States. The shrub can modify avian species composition - selecting for generalists - and represents an ecological trap for birds. Due to its negative effects on ecosystems, managers have put forth substantial effort towards removing the shrub. Albeit many studies have explored the impacts that Amur honeysuckle has on avian species, there is a lack of research that identifies how removing the shrub affects birds. In order to help optimize management strategies in this regard, I investigated how Amur honeysuckle removal in rural riparian forests impacts the composition of avian assemblages. To accomplish this, I analyzed avian point count and vegetation data that I collected in Greene County, OH during the 2019 peak breeding season at plots either invaded by or removed of the shrub. Results suggest that the removal of Amur honeysuckle in rural riparian forests changes avian community composition. More specifically, I found that the Acadian flycatcher, all avian species combined, woodpeckers, and songbirds that prefer open woodland habitat were more abundant in areas where Amur honeysuckle has been removed than in areas where the shrub is still invading.

Advisor: Stephen Matthews