Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Project Director has left the University, no information to submit. This report is to close project.
Publications
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Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: My research focuses on the ecology, behavior, and biogeography of birds, particularly habitat selection and movements during migratory stopover. This is important because migration may strongly influence annual mortality in birds. Further, there is great interest in development of wind energy in the Lake Erie basin of NW Ohio, so understanding migratory behavior is critical to limit potential negative impacts. In 2012, my MS student Patrick Johnson and I completed a study of landscape and local-scale habitat influences of migrating songbirds. I continued to build a broad collaboration with Univ of Western Ontario (C. Guglielmo), Univ of Guelph (R. Norris), and Acadia Univ (P. Taylor) to study regional movements of migratory birds across Lake Erie using an advanced array of automated radio-telemetry stations. Working with a new M.S. student Bryant Dossman, we conducted a pilot field season using the array in April-May 2012. My research also addresses consequences of global change. Breeding bird atlases are multi-year efforts to map breeding bird distributions and provide useful tools to study changes over large spatial/temporal scales. My most ambitious effort is a scientifically-rigorous citizen science project involving over 1000 volunteers, the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II (2006-2011). A key goal of OBBAII (website: http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/index.php) is to use citizen volunteers to document statewide breeding distributions and examine distributional changes since Ohio's first breeding bird atlas in the 1980s. Using new sampling methods and trained staff, OBBAII has also generated abundance estimates for breeding birds. We will use the OBBAII database to examine bird distributional changes in Ohio over the last 25 years, which is timely given concerns about climate change impacts on wildlife, but results will also provide the detailed information needed to make informed conservation decisions for birds in Ohio. An example of new research linked to OBBAII is that of my MS student Kate Batdorf who recently completed her degree. He work examined how recent climate and landscape change in Ohio has influenced bird distributions since the early 1980s. I co-presented 5 talks to educate the public about birds and recruit volunteer citizen scientists to collect data for OBBAII. I served as Chair of the Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative, which seeks to partner with governmental agencies and NGOs to enhance and expand bird conservation efforts in Ohio. Website: http://www.obcinet.org/ PARTICIPANTS: My completed graduate students (M.S.) have included Katharine Batdorf, Aaron Boone, Luke DeGroote, Ashley Buchanan, Andrea Lindsay, Lauren MacDade, David Slager, Erin Cashion, and Karen Willard, and I continue to collaborate with many of them on manuscripts. My former Ph.D. student, Stephen Matthews started a Research Assistant Professor position in SENR. Bryant Dossman, Patrick Johnson, Ben Kahler are current M.S. students. I work with numerous individuals in partner organizations, including: Nature Conservancy (Dave Ewert, Peter Whan), Black Swamp Bird Observatory (Mark and Julie Shieldcastle), Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative (Amanda Conover), ODNR-Division of Wildlife (Nathan Stricker, Dave Scott), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Patricia Heglund), U.S. Forest Service (Susan Stoudt, Louis Iverson), and Robert Smith (University of Scranton). I collaborate with University of Western Ontario (Chris Guglielmo), University of Guelph (Ryan Norris), and Acadia University (Phil Taylor) to study regional movements of migratory birds across Lake Erie. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for my research efforts on migratory bird ecology include land managers in state agencies (Ohio Division of Wildlife), federal agencies (US Fish & Wildlife Service), and conservation groups (The Nature Conservancy) that work in the western Lake Erie basin. These groups can use habitat guidelines developed through my research to make land management decisions. I've also developed habitat management guidelines for private landowners using my research findings. Over 1000 Ohioans have volunteered to work in the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas, a project for which I have served as Director since 2004. These volunteers are a target audience for outreach and educational activities in the Atlas and benefit from this research project through outreach/educational programs which are annually presented around the state. Other target audiences for this work are state, federal, and private conservation groups which can use Atlas results to identify sites of high conservation importance, sites in need of restoration, and sites with high bird diversity. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
By volunteering to collect data for the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas (OBBA), over 1,000 Ohioans have now demonstrated their strong support for the Atlas, and research based within OARDC/Ohio State. These Ohioans annually contribute approximately $300,000 in in-kind support through donated time and $200,000 in direct contributions to Ohio's economy. Each year educational programs are presented statewide for some 1000 Ohioans and OBBA staff members interact with hundreds of others at events and conferences. By the end of 2012, OBBA had collected over 1,000,000 records for 200 bird species and will generate current distribution maps and estimates of statewide population sizes. Using this database conservationists can identify sites of high diversity and conservation importance, sites in need of restoration, and will provide a basis for making informed conservation decisions for Ohio's birds. OBBA has examined distributional changes since Ohio's first breeding bird atlas in the early 1980s, which is especially timely given increasing concerns about impacts of climate change on wildlife. Website: http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/
Publications
- K. E. Batdorf, P. G. Rodewald, S. N. Matthews and M. B. Shumar. 2012. Are all species moving poleward Distributional shifts in Ohios breeding birds and potential drivers of change. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon.
- Sridhar, H. (P. Rodewald among 25 co-authors). 2012. Positive relationships between association strength and phenotypic similarity characterize the assembly of mixed-species bird flocks worldwide. American Naturalist 180(6):1-14.
- Crary, A. L., and P. G. Rodewald. 2012. Influence of plumage coloration and ornamentation on reproductive parameters in Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia). Journal of Field Ornithology 83:130-140.
- Slager, D. L., P.G. Rodewald and P. J. Heglund. 2012. Habitat-dependent stopover duration in the Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis). North American Ornithological Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- P. Johnson, P. G. Rodewald, and S. N. Matthews. 2012. Migratory Stopover of Landbirds within the Western Lake Erie Basin: Exploring How Landscape Features Influence Migrant Abundance to Inform Conservation. North American Ornithological Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- K. E. Batdorf, P. G. Rodewald, S. N. Matthews and M. B. Shumar. 2012. Are all birds moving poleward Understanding distributional shifts in Ohio's breeding birds North American Ornithological Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: My research focuses on the ecology, behavior, and biogeography of birds, particularly habitat selection and movements during migratory stopover. This is important because migration may strongly influence annual mortality in birds. Further, there is great interest in development of wind energy in the Lake Erie basin of NW Ohio, so understanding migratory behavior is critical to limit potential negative impacts. In April 2011, my MS student Patrick Johnson and I initiated a study of landscape and local-scale habitat influences of migrating songbirds. Erin Cashion completed her MS thesis, "Avian use of riparian habitats and the Conservation Reserve Program: migratory stopover in agro-ecosystems". David Slager completed his MS thesis, "Movement ecology and stopover duration of Northern Waterthrush and Yellow-rumped Warbler during spring migration along the Upper Mississippi River". I submitted a paper with former student Annie Lindsay (MS, 2008). Lauren MacDade (MS, 2009) and I published her thesis research which used stable-carbon isotopes to study importance of emergent aquatic invertebrates in the diet of migrant birds in shoreline habitats. I initiated a broad collaboration with Univ of Western Ontario (C. Guglielmo), Univ of Guelph (R. Norris), and Acadia Univ (P. Taylor) to study regional movements of migratory birds across Lake Erie using an advanced array of automated radio-telemetry stations. My research also addresses consequences of global change. Breeding bird atlases are multi-year efforts to map breeding bird distributions and provide useful tools to study changes over large spatial/temporal scales. My most ambitious effort is a scientifically-rigorous citizen science project involving over 1000 volunteers, the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II (2006-2011). A key goal of OBBAII (website: http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/index.php) is to use citizen volunteers to document statewide breeding distributions and examine distributional changes since Ohio's first breeding bird atlas in the 1980s. Using new sampling methods and trained staff, OBBAII has also generated abundance estimates for breeding birds. We will use the OBBAII database to examine bird distributional changes in Ohio over the last 25 years, which is timely given concerns about climate change impacts on wildlife, but results will also provide the detailed information needed to make informed conservation decisions for birds in Ohio. An example of new research linked to OBBAII is a project by Katherine Batdorf (MS) that examines how recent climate and landscape change in Ohio has influenced bird distributions since the early 1980s. Karen Willard completed her MS thesis research, "Habitat associations of breeding marsh birds within the glaciated region of Ohio". I co-wrote "The Ohio Atlaser: Newsletter of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II in fall 2011. I co-presented 6 talks to educate the public about birds and recruit volunteer citizen scientists to collect data for OBBAII. I serve as Chair of the Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative, which seeks to partner with governmental agencies and NGOs to enhance and expand bird conservation efforts in Ohio. Website: http://www.obcinet.org/ PARTICIPANTS: My completed graduate students (M.S.) have included Aaron Boone, Luke DeGroote, Ashley Buchanan, Andrea Lindsay, Lauren MacDade, David Slager, Erin Cashion, and Karen Willard, and I continue to collaborate with many of them on manuscripts. My former Ph.D. student, Stephen Matthews started a Research Assistant Professor position in SENR. Patrick Johnson, Katharine Batdorf, and Ben Kahler are current M.S. students. I work with numerous individuals in partner organizations, including: Nature Conservancy (Dave Ewert, Peter Whan), Black Swamp Bird Observatory (Mark and Julie Shieldcastle), Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative (Amanda Conover), ODNR-Division of Wildlife (Nathan Stricker, Dave Scott), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Patricia Heglund), U.S. Forest Service (Susan Stoudt, Louis Iverson), and Robert Smith (University of Scranton). I initiated new research collaborations with University of Western Ontario (Chris Guglielmo), University of Guelph (Ryan Norris), and Acadia University (Phil Taylor) to study regional movements of migratory birds across Lake Erie. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for my research efforts on migratory bird ecology include land managers in state agencies (Ohio Division of Wildlife), federal agencies (US Fish & Wildlife Service), and conservation groups (The Nature Conservancy) that work in the western Lake Erie basin. These groups can use habitat guidelines developed through my research to make land management decisions. I've also developed habitat management guidelines for private landowners using my research findings. Over 1000 Ohioans have volunteered to work in the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas, a project for which I have served as Director since 2004. These volunteers are a target audience for outreach and educational activities in the Atlas and benefit from this research project through outreach/educational programs which are annually presented around the state. Other target audiences for this work are state, federal, and private conservation groups which can use Atlas results to identify sites of high conservation importance, sites in need of restoration, and sites with high bird diversity. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
By volunteering to collect data for the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas (OBBA), over 1,000 Ohioans have now demonstrated their strong support for the Atlas, and research based within OARDC/Ohio State. These Ohioans annually contribute approximately $300,000 in in-kind support through donated time and $200,000 in direct contributions to Ohio's economy. Each year educational programs are presented statewide for some 1000 Ohioans and OBBA staff members interact with hundreds of others at events and conferences. By the end of 2011, OBBA has collected over 700,000 records for 200 bird species and will generate current distribution maps and estimates of statewide population sizes. Once the database is complete, this information will help conservationists identify sites of high diversity and conservation importance, sites in need of restoration, and will provide a basis for making informed conservation decisions for Ohio's birds. OBBA will examine distributional changes since Ohio's first breeding bird atlas in the early 1980s, which is especially timely given increasing concerns about impacts of climate change on wildlife. Website: http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/
Publications
- Matthews, S. N., L. R. Iverson, A. M. Prasad, M. P. Peters, and P. G. Rodewald. 2011. Modifying climate change habitat models using tree species-specific assessments of model uncertainty and life history factors. Forest Ecology and Management 262:1460-1472.
- MacDade, L. M., P. G. Rodewald, and K. A. Hatch. 2011. Contribution of emergent aquatic insects to diet and refueling performance in spring migrant songbirds. The Auk 128:127-137.
- Slager, D. L., P. G. Rodewald, and P. J. Heglund. 2011. Stopover duration and departure decisions of Northern Waterthrush and Yellow-rumped Warbler during spring migration. 129th Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists Union, Jacksonville, Florida. Abstract.
- Slager, D. L., P. G. Rodewald, and P. J. Heglund. 2011. Movement ecology of Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) during spring migratory stopover along the Upper Mississippi River. Joint Meeting of the Cooper Ornithological Society, Wilson Ornithological Society, and Association of Field Ornithologists, Kearney, Nebraska. Abstract.
- Willard, K., P. G. Rodewald, and R. J. Gates. 2011. Occupancy modeling of marsh bird habitat associations in Ohio: Validation and refinement of marshbird habitat models is needed to enhance conservation efforts. Joint Meeting of the Cooper Ornithological Society, Wilson Ornithological Society, and Association of Field Ornithologists, Kearney, Nebraska. Abstract.
- Cashion, E. B., and P. G. Rodewald. 2011. Migrant landbird use of natural and restored riparian forest habitats in agricultural landscapes during stopover. Joint Meeting of the Cooper Ornithological Society, Wilson Ornithological Society, and Association of Field Ornithologists, Kearney, Nebraska. Abstract.
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: My research focuses on the ecology, behavior, biogeography, and conservation of birds. An important emphasis has been the ecology and habitat relationships of landbirds during migratory stopover, particularly habitat selection, movement behavior, and energetics. Understanding seasonal interactions, a frontier that examines connections among events within the annual cycle, is a growing emphasis in my lab. As such, we increasingly use novel research tools to study migration, including stable isotope analysis, plasma lipid metabolite analysis, and radio telemetry. My field work focuses on the Lake Erie basin and other fragmented Ohio landscapes. Aaron Boone (MS, 2006) studied seasonal interactions in the Magnolia Warbler using stable-carbon isotope analysis to determine if use of dry, low quality forest during winter is manifested in subsequent migration. Aaron's research was published in The Condor in 2010. Luke DeGroote (MS, 2006) researched the blood parasites of migrant birds and their impact on individual condition and timing of migration; Luke's second manuscript was published in Journal of Avian Ecology in 2010. Ashley Buchanan (MS, 2008) examined movement patterns of migrant songbirds in fragmented shoreline habitats and how local and landscape-level habitat influences movement behavior and stopover duration. Ashley and I are writing two manuscripts and plan to submit for publication in 2011. Annie Lindsay (MS, 2008) studied Yellow Warblers and how events occurring during winter affect an individual in the breeding season; we will submit a manuscript in January 2011. Lauren MacDade (MS, 2009) used stable-carbon isotope analysis to study importance of emergent aquatic invertebrates in the diet of migrant songbirds in shoreline habitats. Lauren's research was published in The Auk in 2010. I recently analyzed data from 2003-2007 on migrant abundance, energetic condition, and habitat structure and a draft manuscript to be submitted in 2011. In urban landscapes of Columbus, Steve Matthews (PhD, 2008) used radio telemetry to evaluate movements and habitat selection of Swainson's Thrushes and factors influencing their stopover duration within urban forests. Steve and I published two manuscripts in 2010 (Landscape Ecology and Condor). Our research on Swainson's Thrushes was highlighted in news stories released by BBC, Society of American Foresters, Columbus Dispatch, OARDC report, and OSU Research Communications. My largest ongoing research project is a 6-year (2006-2011), statewide, scientifically-rigorous citizen science project, the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II. A primary goal of the Atlas is to use citizen volunteers to document the statewide distribution of breeding birds and examine distributional changes since Ohio's first breeding bird atlas in the early 1980s. Using new sampling methodologies and trained staff, the Atlas also will generate abundance estimates for breeding birds. Over 5 years my research has resulted in 5 MS theses (6 current M.S. students), 1 PhD thesis, 10 peer-reviewed research publications, 30 peer-reviewed research presentations, 13 editor-reviewed journal articles, and one brochure for private landowners. PARTICIPANTS: My completed graduate students (M.S.) have included Aaron Boone, Luke DeGroote, Ashley Buchanan, and Andrea Lindsay and I continue to collaborate with them on manuscripts. In February 2009, Lauren MacDade completed her M.S. degree. My former Ph.D. student, Stephen Matthews, completed his postdoctoral research position in SENR, and Patrick Johnson, Katharine Batdorf, David Slager, Erin Cashion, Karen Willard, and Ben Kahler are current M.S. students. I work with numerous individuals in partner organizations, including: Nature Conservancy (Dave Ewert, Peter Whan), Black Swamp Bird Observatory (Mark and Julie Shieldcastle), ODNR-Division of Wildlife (Nathan Stricker, Dave Scott), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Patricia Heglund), U.S. Forest Service (Susan Stoudt, Louis Iverson), and Robert Smith (University of Scranton). TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for my research efforts on migratory bird ecology include land managers in state agencies (Ohio Division of Wildlife), federal agencies (US Fish & Wildlife Service), and conservation groups (The Nature Conservancy) that work in the western Lake Erie basin. These groups can use habitat guidelines developed through my research to make land management decisions. I've also developed habitat management guidelines for private landowners using my research findings. Over 900 Ohioans have volunteered to work in the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. These volunteers are a target audience for outreach and educational activities in the Atlas and benefit from this research project through outreach/educational programs which are annually presented around the state. Other target audiences for this work are state, federal, and private conservation groups which can use Atlas results to identify sites of high conservation importance, sites in need of restoration, and sites with high bird diversity. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
By volunteering to collect data for the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas (OBBA), over 900 Ohioans have demonstrated strong support for the Atlas, OARDC, and Ohio State research. These Ohioans annually contribute approximately $300,000 in in-kind support through donated time and $200,000 in direct contributions to Ohio's economy. Each year educational programs are presented statewide for some 1000 Ohioans and OBBA staff members interact with hundreds of others at events and conferences. OBBA has collected over 500,000 records for 200 bird species and will generate current distribution maps and estimates of statewide population sizes. This information will help conservationists identify sites of high diversity and conservation importance, sites in need of restoration, and will provide a basis for making informed conservation decisions for Ohio's birds. OBBA will examine distributional changes since Ohio's first breeding bird atlas in the early 1980s, which is especially timely given increasing concerns about impacts of climate change on wildlife. Website: http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/ In migration studies, Swainsons Thrushes exhibited a minimum size requirement for urban woodlots and strong site fidelity, highlighting the importance of maintaining woodlots large enough to support migratory stopover. Migration research in the Lake Erie basin has resulted in written recommendations for land managers in ODNR and federal agencies (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service); habitat management guidelines for migrants have been presented to private landowners in outreach brochures.
Publications
- MacDade, L., P. G. Rodewald, and K. A. Hatch. 2010. Contribution of emergent aquatic insects to refueling by spring migrant songbirds. Annual Meeting of the Wilson Ornithological Society, Geneva, New York. Oral presentation.
- Boone, A. B., P. G. Rodewald, and L. W. DeGroote. 2010. Neotropical wintering habitat of Magnolia Warblers (Dendroica magnolia): effects on molt, energetic condition, migration timing, and hematozoan infection during spring migration. Condor 112:115-122.
- Matthews, S. N., and P. G. Rodewald. 2010. Urban stopover duration of a migratory forest bird: the influences of landscape attributes, energetic condition, migration date, and weather. Condor 112:96-104.
- DeGroote, L. W., and P. G. Rodewald. 2010. Blood parasites in migrating warblers (Parulidae): effects on refueling, energetic condition, arrival timing, and moult. Journal of Avian Biology 41:1-7.
- Matthews, S. N., and P. G. Rodewald. 2010. Movements and behaviour of Swainsons thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) during stopover in urban forest patches: the relative importance of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Landscape Ecology 25:955-965.
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: My research focuses on the ecology, behavior, biogeography, and conservation of birds. An important emphasis has been the ecology and habitat relationships of landbirds during migratory stopover, particularly habitat selection, movement behavior, and energetics. Understanding seasonal interactions, a frontier that examines connections among events within the annual cycle, is a growing emphasis in my lab. As such, we increasingly use novel research tools to study migration, including stable isotope analysis, plasma lipid metabolite analysis, and radio telemetry. My field work has focused on the Lake Erie basin and other fragmented Ohio landscapes. At Lake Erie, I have completed 6 spring migration seasons (2003-2008). Aaron Boone (MS, 2006) studied seasonal interactions in the Magnolia Warbler using stable-carbon isotope analysis to determine if use of dry, low quality forest during winter is manifested in subsequent migration. Aaron's thesis research is now in press at The Condor. Luke DeGroote (MS, 2006) researched the blood parasites of migrant birds and their impact on individual condition and timing of migration. A second manuscript from Luke's thesis is in press in Journal of Avian Ecology. Ashley Buchanan (MS, 2008) examined movement patterns of migrant songbirds in fragmented shoreline habitats and how local and landscape-level habitat influences movement behavior and stopover duration. Ashley and I are writing two manuscripts and plan to submit for publication in 2010. Annie Lindsay (MS, 2008) studied Yellow Warblers and how events occurring during winter affect an individual in the breeding season; we plan to submit a manuscript for publication in January 2010. Lauren MacDade (MS, 2009) used stable-carbon isotope analysis to study importance of emergent aquatic invertebrates in the diet of migrant songbirds in shoreline habitats. Lauren's research is "in revision" in The Auk. I recently have analyzed data from 2003-2007 on migrant abundance, energetic condition, and habitat structure and have drafted a manuscript to be submitted in 2010. In urban landscapes of Columbus, Steve Matthews (PhD, 2008) used radio telemetry to evaluate movements and habitat selection of Swainson's Thrushes from 2004-2007 and factors influencing their stopover duration within urban forests. Steve currently has 2 of 3 planned manuscripts in press (Landscape Ecology, The Condor). One of my larger research efforts is a 6-year (2006-2011), statewide, scientifically-rigorous citizen science project, the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II. A primary goal of the Atlas is to use citizen volunteers to document the statewide distribution of breeding birds and examine distributional changes since Ohio's first breeding bird atlas in the early 1980s. Using cutting-edge sampling methodologies and trained staff, the Atlas also will generate abundance estimates for breeding birds. Over 5 years my research has resulted in 5 MS theses, 1 PhD thesis, 25 abstracts from research presentations, 8 peer-reviewed research publications, 13 editor-reviewed journal articles, and one brochure for private landowners. I have one manuscript in revision and will submit 6 other manuscripts in 2010. PARTICIPANTS: Participants My completed graduate students (M.S.) have included Aaron Boone, Luke DeGroote, Ashley Buchanan, and Andrea Lindsay and I continue to collaborate with each on manuscripts. In February 2009, Lauren MacDade completed her M.S. degree. My former Ph.D. student, Stephen Matthews, is now a postdoctoral researcher working with me in SENR. I have four current M.S. students (David Slager, Erin Cashion, Karen Willard, and Ben Kahler). I work with numerous individuals in partner organizations, including: Nature Conservancy (Dave Ewert, Peter Whan), Black Swamp Bird Observatory (Mark and Julie Shieldcastle), ODNR-Division of Wildlife (Nathan Stricker, Dave Scott), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Patricia Heglund, Doug Brewer), U.S. Forest Service (Susan Stoudt, Louis Iverson), Robert Smith (University of Scranton), and Audubon Ohio (John Ritzenthaler). TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for my research efforts on migratory bird ecology include land managers in state agencies (Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Division of Wildlife), federal agencies (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), and private conservation groups (e.g. The Nature Conservancy) that work in the western Lake Erie basin in northwestern Ohio. Land managers within these groups make land management decisions and can use habitat guidelines developed through my research. Habitat management guidelines for migratory birds have also been developed for private landowners using the results of my migration research. Over 900 Ohioans have volunteered to work in the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. These volunteers are a target audience for our outreach and educational activities in the Atlas and benefit from this research project through outreach/educational programs which are annually presented around the state. Another target audience for this work are the state, federal, and private conservation groups which will be able to use Atlas results to identify sites of high conservation importance, sites in need of restoration, and sites with high bird diversity. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
By volunteering to collect data for the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas (OBBA II), over 900 Ohioans have demonstrated strong support for the Atlas, OARDC, and Ohio State research. These Ohioans annually contribute approximately $300,000 in in-kind support through donated time and $200,000 in direct contributions to Ohio's economy. Each year educational programs are presented statewide for some 1000 Ohioans and OBBA II staff members interact with hundreds of others at conferences and other events. OBBA II has collected over 400,000 records for 206 bird species and will generate current distribution maps and estimates of statewide population sizes. This information will help conservationists identify sites of high diversity and conservation importance, sites in need of restoration, and will provide a basis for making informed conservation decisions for Ohio's birds. OBBA II will examine distributional changes since Ohio's first breeding bird atlas in the early 1980s, which is especially timely given increasing concerns about impacts of climate change on animal populations. Website: http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/ In migration studies, Swainson's Thrushes exhibited a minimum size for urban woodlots and strong site fidelity, highlighting the importance of maintaining woodlots large enough to support migratory stopover. Migration research in the Lake Erie basin has resulted in written recommendations for land managers in ODNR and federal agencies (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service); habitat management guidelines for migrants have been presented to private landowners in outreach brochures.
Publications
- ABSTRACTS DeGroote, L., and P. G. Rodewald. 2009. Effects of forest patch size on refueling performance of three species of songbirds during spring migration. 127th stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Poster presentation.
- Rodewald, P. G., S. N. Matthews, and A. A. Buchanan. 2009. Movements and stopover duration of migrant forest songbirds within different landscapes. 127th stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Oral presentation.
- PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES - None, BUT please note that I had five manuscripts that were accepted for publication in 2009 (Landscape Ecology, Journal of Avian Biology, Auk, and Condor). All five are currently "in press". I can provide a list of these if needed, but plan to submit for my Final Report later in 2010.
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: My work addresses the stopover ecology of migratory landbirds and the biogeography of Ohio avifauna. I am particularly interested in seasonal interactions, migratory connectivity, movements, habitat use, resource selection, and energetic status of migrating songbirds, and their relationship to landscape and habitat attributes. Field work has focused on Ohio's Lake Erie basin and urban landscapes in Columbus. At Lake Erie, I have completed 6 migration seasons (Apr-June 2003-08). In 2007, I summarized 2003-06 data from point count and mistnet surveys, energetic condition of migrant birds, and habitat structure; I'm writing a manuscript which I plan to submit for publication by May. At Lake Erie in 2004-05, Aaron Boone studied seasonal interactions in the Magnolia Warbler using stable-carbon isotope analysis to determine if winter habitat use (low quality dry vs. high quality moist habitats) was manifested in migration. Aaron completed his M.S. thesis in fall 2005 and we will submit one manuscript for publication in early 2009. In 2004-06, Luke DeGroote conducted research on blood parasites of migrant birds and their impact on birds within migration. He completed his M.S. thesis in 2006 and is actively working on manuscripts (one published). In 2006-07, Ashley Buchanan examined movement patterns of migrant songbirds in fragmented shoreline habitats of NW Ohio, and how local and landscape-level habitat influence movement among forest patches, and time spent within forest patches. Ashley completed her M.S. degree in June 2008 and is working on two manuscripts (one nearly finished). In urban landscapes of Columbus, Steve Matthews used radio telemetry to evaluate movements and habitat selection of Swainson's Thrushes (2004-07), and factors influencing their stopover duration within urban forests. Steve completed his doctorate in June 2008 and has submitted 2 of 3 planned manuscripts. At Lake Erie sites in 2007-08, Lauren MacDade (M.S. ongoing) used stable-carbon isotope analysis to study importance of emergent aquatic invertebrates in the diet of migrant songbirds in shoreline habitats, and Annie Lindsay studied Yellow Warblers and how events that occur during one season (winter) may affect an individual in the breeding season; Annie defended her thesis in November 2008. Over the past 3 years, my migration research has resulted in 4 M.S. theses, 1 Ph.D. thesis, 17 abstracts from presentations at research meetings, 2 research publications, and one brochure for private landowners. In addition, 8-10 manuscripts have been prepared and nearly all are close to being ready to submit for publication. I have worked to establish and serve as Director of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II (2006-2010), a follow-up to the first Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas done in the early to mid 1980s. This project that has engaged over 800 citizen volunteers in Ohio, and uses their field observations in helping to map the distributions of all breeding bird species in Ohio. Website: http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/ PARTICIPANTS: My graduate students have included Aaron Boone, Luke DeGroote, Ashley Anderson, Andrea Lindsay (M.S., completed), Stephen Matthews (Ph.D. completed), and four current M.S. students (Lauren MacDade, David Slager, Erin Cashion, Karen Willard, and Ben Kahler). Individuals within partner organizations have included: David Ewert (The Nature Conservancy), Blac Swamp Bird Observatory (Julie Shieldcastle), ODNR-Division of Wildlife (Mark Shieldcastle, Nathan Stricker, Dave Scott), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Patricia Heglund, Doug Brewer), and Audubon Ohio (John Ritzenthaler). TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for my research efforts on migratory bird ecology include land managers in state agencies (Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Division of Wildlife), federal agencies (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), and private conservation groups (e.g. The Nature Conservancy) that work in the western Lake Erie basin in northwestern Ohio. Land managers within these groups make land management decisions and can use habitat guidelines developed through my research. Habitat management guidelines for migratory birds have also been developed for private landowners using the results of my migration research. Over 800 Ohioans have volunteered to work in the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. These volunteers are a target audience for our outreach and educational activities in the Atlas and benefit from this research project through outreach/educational programs which are annually presented around the state. Another target audience for this work are the state, federal, and private conservation groups which will be able to use Atlas results to identify sites of high conservation importance, sites in need of restoration, and sites with high bird diversity. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
My research interests focus on the ecology and conservation of bird populations. Studies of Swainson's Thrushes in urban forests indicated a minimum size for urban woodlots and strong site fidelity, and highlighted the importance of maintaining woodlots large enough to support migratory stopover. Migration research on stopover habitat has resulted in recommendations that have been presented to land managers in state (ODNR) and federal agencies (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) that work in the Lake Erie basin. Habitat management guidelines for migratory birds have been developed for private landowners and published in a color brochure. Over 800 Ohioans have demonstrated strong interest in the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas by volunteering to collect atlas field data, and annually contribute ca. $200,000 in in-kind support through donated time and ca. $150,000 in direct contributions to Ohio's economy. These volunteers demonstrate strong support for OARDC/OSU research through their involvement in the project. Educational programs are annually presented around the state to several hundred Ohioans and project staff members interact with hundreds of other Ohioans at conferences. The Breeding Bird Atlas has collected over 300,000 data points on 203 species and will generate detailed maps for all breeding birds in Ohio, and the first detailed estimates of statewide population sizes for many species. This information will allow wildlife conservationists to identify sites of conservation importance, sites in need of restoration, and sites with high bird diversity.
Publications
- DeGroote, L.W., and Rodewald, P.G. 2008. An improved method for quantifying hematozoa by digital microscopy, Journal of Wildlife Diseases 44:446-450.
- Anderson, A. A., and Rodewald, P.G. 2008. Movements, habitat selection, and stopover duration of migrant songbirds in the western Lake Erie basin of Ohio. Joint Meeting of the Wilson Ornithological Society and the Association of Field Ornithologists, Mobile, Alabama. April 2008.
- Lindsay, A. M., and Rodewald, P.G. 2008. Seasonal events and associated carryover effects in a Neotropical migratory songbird: The Yellow Warbler. 126th Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union, Portland, Oregon. August 2008.
- Lindsay, A. M., and Rodewald, P.G. 2008. Seasonal events and associated carryover effects in a Neotropical migratory songbird: The Yellow Warbler. 69th Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference in Columbus, Ohio. December 2008.
- MacDade, L., and Rodewald, P.G. 2008. Contribution of emergent aquatic insects to migrant refueling performance in the Western Lake Erie Basin of Ohio. 126th Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union, Portland, Oregon. August 2008.
- MacDade, L., and Rodewald, P.G. 2008. Contribution of emergent aquatic insects to migrant refueling performance in northwestern Ohio. 69th Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference in Columbus, Ohio. December 2008.
- Matthews, S. N., and Rodewald, P.G. 2008. Stopover habitat use of migratory landbirds within urban forest patches in central Ohio. 69th Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference in Columbus, Ohio. December 2008.
- Rodriguez-Palacios, A., Van Pelt, J., Rodewald, P.G., Anderson, A.A., Matthews, S.N., and LeJeune, J.T. 2008. Wild birds in the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile: A study in the Midwestern USA. 89th Annual Meeting of the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, Chicago, Illinois. December 2008.
- Rodewald, P. G., Anderson, A.A., and Matthews, S.N. 2008. Stopover behavior of migrant landbirds in two fragmented landscapes: Lakeshore and inland regions of Ohio. Joint Meeting of the Wilson Ornithological Society and the Association of Field Ornithologists, Mobile, Alabama. April 2008.
- Rodewald, P. G., and Ewert, D.N. 2008. Managing habitats for migratory birds in the western Lake Erie basin. Color booklet published by The Nature Conservancy. 18 pp.
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: My research on landbirds (warblers, vireos, thrushes) seeks to understand the ecology of migrating birds, identify important habitats/resources for migrants, and investigate seasonal interactions and migratory connectivity. My field work focuses on the Western Basin of Lake Erie and urban landscapes in Columbus, Ohio. At Lake Erie, I have completed 5 spring migration seasons (April-June 2003-2007). In February 2007, I completed a lengthy report on data from 2003-2006 on point count surveys, mist net captures, energetic condition of migrants, and vegetation structure; I plan to submit a manuscript on this research in 2008. At Lake Erie in 2004-05, we studied seasonal interactions in the Magnolia Warbler using stable-carbon isotope analysis to determine if winter habitat use (dry vs. moist habitats) was manifested in migration. Aaron Boone completed his thesis research in fall 2005 and is working on two manuscripts to be submitted for publication between February-July 2008. In
2004-2005, Luke DeGroote (M.S. student) conducted research on the blood parasites of migrant birds and their impact on birds within migration. He completed his thesis in December 2006 and has been working on manuscripts since. In 2008, we will have a paper published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases on a new technique for counting blood parasites using digital microscopy. In 2006 and 2007, a radio telemetry study was conducted to determine patterns of movement by migratory birds in habitats near Lake Erie in NW Ohio. The research assesses how local and landscape-level habitat attributes influence movement within and among forest patches, time spent within both habitat patches and the study area. A total of 38 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 30 Red-eyed Vireos were tracked April 21-June 1 in both years. Mean stopover duration for Yellow-rumped Warblers was 7.5 days (1-13 days) and Red-eyed Vireos stayed 1.5 days (1-7 days). My graduate student Ashley Buchanan presented this research at a
meeting in Wyoming in fall 2007; she plans to complete her M.S. degree in spring 2008 and submit 1-2 manuscripts in 2008. In urban landscapes of Columbus, we have used radio telemetry to evaluate movements and habitat selection of Swainson's Thrushes from 2004-2007. I co-presented results with my PhD student Steve Matthews at a meeting in Wyoming in September 2007. His work also examined factors that influence stopover duration within urban forests and we are working on a manuscript on modeling optimal migration decisions for Swainson's Thrush. Steve expects to defend his PhD in June 2008. I had two new M.S. students start work in 2007; Lauren MacDade is using stable-isotope analysis (C and N) to study the importance of aquatic invertebrates in the diets of spring migrants along the Lake Erie shoreline; Annie Lindsay is studying Yellow Warblers in NW Ohio and specifically how events that occur during one season (winter) affect an individual in the breeding season. I also serve as the
Director of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II (2006-2010), a project that will map distributions of all breeding bird species in Ohio. For detailed information: (http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/).
PARTICIPANTS: My graduate students have include Aaron Boone and Luke DeGroote (both completed M.S. degrees). Current students are: Stephen Matthews, Ashley Buchanan, Lauren MacDade, and Annie Lindsay. Partner organizations include The Nature Conservancy (Davis Ewert, Peter Whan), Audubon Ohio (John Ritzenthaler), Black Swamp bird Observatory (Mark and Julie Shieldcastle), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Doug Brewer), and the Ohio Division of Wildlife (Nathan Stricker, Dave Scott).
Impacts
My research interests focus on the ecology, behavior, biogeography, and conservation of birds, with a strong emphasis on management needs for bird populations. Currently, my work addresses questions concerning the stopover ecology of migratory landbirds and the biogeography of Ohio avifauna. I am particularly interested in research that focuses on movements, habitat selection, and energetic status of migrating songbirds and their relationship to landscape and habitat attributes of stopover sites. Other research uses stable isotope analysis to examine questions about migratory connectivity and seasonal interactions in migratory birds. An understanding of seasonal interactions in migratory birds can provide information about which season(s) (breeding, migration, wintering) should receive most attention from conservationists. Preliminary results from studies of Swainson's Thrushes in urban forests suggested a minimum size of habitat patch for the species; this indicates
strong site fidelity and highlights the importance of maintaining urban woodlots large enough to support migratory stopover. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II will over the next 5 years generate detailed maps of ~200 breeding bird species in the state. This information will allow conservationists to identify areas with diverse bird populations, threatened and endangered birds, and develop statewide population estimates. This research will result in guidelines to assist land managers in identifying sites of conservation importance or sites in need of management to improve habitat quality.
Publications
- Rodewald, P.G., and Brittingham, M.C. 2007. Stopover habitat use by spring migrant landbirds: the roles of habitat structure, leaf development, and food availability. Auk 124:1063-1074.
- DeGroote, L.W., and P.G. Rodewald. 2008. An improved method for quantifying hematozoa by digital microscopy. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 44(2). (In press)
- Boone, A. T., and P. G. Rodewald. 2007. The 2007 Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas Field Season. The Bobolink (fall issue).
- Boone, A. T., and P. G. Rodewald. 2007. The 2007 Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas Field Season. The Cerulean 4(3) (fall issue).
- Boone, A. T., and P. G. Rodewald. 2007. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II: put the nesting birds of your property on the map. Ohio Woodland Journal 14(1):16-17.
- Boone, A. T., and P. G. Rodewald. 2007. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II: put the nesting birds of your property on the map. Ohio Woodlands, Watersheds, and Wildlife 6(1):1. Boone, A. T., and P. G. Rodewald. 2007. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II: put the nesting birds of Ohio on the map. Ravinia Newsletter (winter/spring issue).
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
Populations of migrant landbirds may be limited by events occurring during migratory periods. My research on small landbirds seeks to identify important habitats and resources for migrants and to investigate seasonal interactions and migratory connectivity for this group. My field work focuses on agricultural landscapes in the Western Basin of Lake Erie and urbanizing landscapes surrounding Columbus, Ohio. At Lake Erie, I have completed four spring migration (April-early June) seasons from 2003-2006. In 2006 I conducted analyses on three years of data from point count surveys, mist net captures, energetic condition of migrants, and vegetation structure. I expect to have final reports done in February 2007. At Lake Erie in 2004-05, we studied seasonal interactions in the Magnolia Warbler using stable-carbon isotope analysis of feather material to determine if winter habitat use (dry scrub vs. moist habitats) was manifested in ecology and behavior during migration.
Aaron Boone completed his thesis research in fall 2005 and has been working on two manuscripts to be submitted for publication between February-June 2007. We presented our findings at the 4th North American Ornithological Conference in Mexico in fall 2006. In 2006, a radio telemetry study was initiated to determine patterns of movement by migratory landbirds in habitats near Lake Erie in NW Ohio. The research assesses how local and landscape-level habitat attributes influence movement within and among forest patches, time spent within a habitat patch, and stopover duration (time spent in study area). A total of 20 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 18 Red-eyed Vireos were tracked between April 21 and June 1. Mean stopover duration for Yellow-rumped Warblers was 7 days (max = 13 days) and Red-eyed Vireos stayed 1.5 days (max = 3-4 days). In urbanizing landscapes surrounding Columbus, we are using radio telemetry to evaluate fine-scale movements and habitat selection. I co-presented results
with my PhD student (Steve Matthews) at the 4th North American Ornithological Conference in Mexico in fall 2006. We are presently refining analyses and pursuing additional questions, such as the influence of weather conditions on the length of time an individual remains in a stopover site. Hourly weather data, such as wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure, have been obtained from local weather stations. In 2006 we found that 37% of radioed birds departed on the two days that had the greatest decreases in barometric pressure (indicating passage of a frontal system). We have also found that during the past three years, only 3 of more than 70 radio-tagged Swainson's Thrushes have relocated locally to a new stopover site prior to initiating a migratory flight (i.e., continuing their migration). The only birds to move from a site during stopover were at the smallest sites, indicating that there may be a minimum threshold of habitat patch for Swainson's
Thrushes.
Impacts
My research interests focus on the ecology, behavior, biogeography, and conservation of birds, with most work having relevance to the management needs of bird populations. Much of my current research addresses questions concerning the stopover ecology of migratory landbirds and the biogeography of Ohio avifauna. I am particularly interested in research questions focusing on the habitat selection and energetic status of migrating songbirds and their relationship to landscape and local habitat attributes of stopover sites. Some additional research uses stable isotope analysis to examine questions about migratory connectivity and seasonal interactions in migratory birds. My research will result in guidelines to assist managers of public lands and conservation groups in identifying sites of conservation importance or sites in need of management to improve habitat quality. An understanding of seasonal interactions in migratory birds can provide important information about
which season(s) (e.g., breeding, migration, wintering) should receive most attention from conservationists. Preliminary results from the fine-scale studies of Swainson's Thrushes in urban forests suggested that there may be a minimum threshold of habitat patch for the species. This result indicates strong site fidelity and highlights the importance of maintaining urban woodlots large enough to support migratory stopover.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
My field research focuses on agricultural landscapes near Lake Erie in northwest Ohio and urbanizing landscapes around Columbus in central Ohio. In the Lake Erie area in 2005 I had a field season from mid-April to early June, completing the initial phase of field research in this project. In Jan-Feb 2006, I will analyze three years (2003-2005) of migrant landbird point-count data from 28 forest sites (3 habitats; mature inland forest, dogwood shrubland, beach ridge forest) and capture data from mist nets (12 sites, 3 habitats). Energetic condition (size-corrected body mass) of captured migrants was assessed and these data are expected to provide valuable information on the quality of the three study habitats. Final reports on this phase of the project will be written by Feb 2006, with a manuscript to be submitted by summer 2006. Another field research project conducted at the Lake Erie study area that ended in spring 2005 involved a study of seasonal interactions in
the Magnolia Warbler. This project involved the use of stable-carbon isotope analysis of feather material to determine if winter habitat occupancy (dry scrub habitats vs. mesic forest) of Magnolia Warblers is manifested in their ecology/behavior (arrival data, energetic condition, plumage status) during migration. Feathers collected from 555 birds during 2004-2005 were analyzed by an isotope lab at Univ. of California-Davis. Aaron Boone completed his M.S. on this project in December 2005. Final data analysis will occur in January and February, with two manuscripts to be submitted Feb-May 2006. Finally, $50,000 in funding for continued research in seasonal interactions and migratory connectivity was obtained through a faculty Seed Grant that I received in early 2005 from OARDC. In urbanizing landscapes surrounding Columbus, I have 24 forest sites for which I have migration survey (point-count) data, as well as local habitat data. A 4th year of migrant survey and habitat data was
collected at these 24 sites in spring 2005. Similar to other years, data from 2005 show greater abundance of migrating songbirds in upland forest than in riparian forest sites. In Jan-Feb 2006, additional data will be collected from aerial photos on landscape attributes (e.g. percent forest cover) associated with the study sites. Further analysis of migrant survey data will be undertaken to test hypotheses of stopover site use within urban landscapes. The first manuscript from this project was published in The Condor in 2005. A newer component of the urban forest migration project in Columbus involves the use of radio telemetry to evaluate movements and habitat selection by Swainsons Thrushes. A better understanding of how migrating birds cope with small fragmented forests in urban settings is needed to determine how such areas may be managed for wildlife. We are in the process of summarizing results from May 2004 and 2005 when radio telemetry data were collected on 50 Swainsons
Thrushes in 7 sites. Mean minimum stay for Swainsons Thrushes in our study area was 5 days (range 1-11 days). Currently radio telemetry points and vegetation data are being overlaid onto GIS layers.
Impacts
My research examines the habitat relationships of migrating songbirds and questions surrounding seasonal interactions and migratory connectivity. More specifically, this research investigates the local habitat and landscape-level characteristics associated with use of forest sites, and uses the energetic condition of migrants to assess the quality of different habitats. Other ongoing research uses stable isotopes to identify habitats used in previous seasons and how prior habitat use may affect the behavior or condition of migrants during migration. This project will result in guidelines to assist managers of public lands and conservation groups in identifying sites of conservation importance or sites in need of management to improve habitat quality. An understanding of seasonal interactions in migratory birds can provide important information about which season(s) (e.g., breeding, migration, wintering) should receive most attention from conservationists.
Publications
- Rodewald, P. G., Santiago, M. J., and Rodewald, A. D. 2005. The role of midwestern golf courses in the conservation of Red-headed Woodpeckers. Wildlife Society Bulletin 33:448-453.
- Rodewald, P. G., and Matthews, S. N. 2005. Landbird use of riparian and upland forest stopover habitats in an urban landscape. Condor 107:259-268.
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