Click on the categories below to learn more about our work
Agroecology & Sustainable agriculture
Raptors and vertebrate pest control
Quantifying the frequency and effects of secondary exposure to rodenticides in barn owls, with links to IPM.
This multi-year project will use ecotoxicology, foraging behavior, and breeding success data to understand how often barn owl chicks are exposed to anticoagulant rodenticides and to quantify the physiological effects of exposure on chick growth and development. This project has been funded by a Western SARE grant from the USDA. With Emily Phillips, Ryan Bourbour, Breanna Martinico and Josh Hull at UC Davis, and with Roger Baldwin from UC Davis and UCANR. Undergraduate student Adeyemi Walker-Thomas from Sacramento State worked on this project in summer 2018.
This multi-year project will use ecotoxicology, foraging behavior, and breeding success data to understand how often barn owl chicks are exposed to anticoagulant rodenticides and to quantify the physiological effects of exposure on chick growth and development. This project has been funded by a Western SARE grant from the USDA. With Emily Phillips, Ryan Bourbour, Breanna Martinico and Josh Hull at UC Davis, and with Roger Baldwin from UC Davis and UCANR. Undergraduate student Adeyemi Walker-Thomas from Sacramento State worked on this project in summer 2018.
Artificial raptor perches on Western cattle ranches: testing construction and perch use.
USDA-funded project to design, construct, and install artificial raptor perches on a California ranch where, like many ranches, the soil is too rocky to dig holes to anchor poles. Twelve months of remote monitoring will determine if raptors use the perches, if they prefer specific designs, and if they use perches more in certain habitats. In collaboration with Rodd Kelsey, Andrea Craig and Scott Hardage at The Nature Conservancy, and with undergraduate students Renata Chapman and Alejandra Martinez.
USDA-funded project to design, construct, and install artificial raptor perches on a California ranch where, like many ranches, the soil is too rocky to dig holes to anchor poles. Twelve months of remote monitoring will determine if raptors use the perches, if they prefer specific designs, and if they use perches more in certain habitats. In collaboration with Rodd Kelsey, Andrea Craig and Scott Hardage at The Nature Conservancy, and with undergraduate students Renata Chapman and Alejandra Martinez.
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Encouraging owl predation of rodents by erecting owl boxes: myth or potential management strategy?
Utilizing literature searches, population biology, and predator-prey modeling to determine whether barn owls are capable of controlling pest-rodent populations in West Coast vineyards and orchards. In collaboration with Roger Baldwin at UC Davis and with Elizabeth Hiroyasu and Bruce Kendall from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara. This project was funded by Vertebrate Pest Control Research Advisory Committee grant. |
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Nest box utilization by American Kestrels in Yolo County, CA
Led by Jessica Schlarbaum at UC Davis and in collaboration with Josh Hull. Jessica has built and installed over 80 American Kestrel nest boxes on different farm types in Northern California, where she and a team of undergraduate interns monitored occupancy, nest success, chick growth, and foraging behavior. The project also incorporated nest box management strategies for controlling invasive European starling populations. |
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Re-introducing the New Zealand falcon to the vineyards of Marlborough
Thesis Abstract
In our ever more populated world, the rapid expansion and intensification of agriculture is driving worldwide biodiversity loss, and the interactions between production landscapes and wildlife conservation are becoming increasingly important. Farming systems depend on ecosystem services such as biological control, while conservationists are calling for the establishment of conservation initiatives in non-preserve landscapes. Despite this, the goals of agriculture and the goals of predator-conservation are rarely mutual. Here, I demonstrate one of the first examples of a mutually beneficial scenario between agriculture and predator conservation. I used, as a case study, a reintroduction project that translocated individuals of the threatened New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) from the hills of Marlborough into vineyards, to determine if predators can survive within an agricultural landscape while simultaneously providing that landscape with biological control services.
Examples of vertebrates providing biological control to agriculture are rare. I show that the presence of falcons in vineyards caused an economically important reduction in grape damage worth over US $230/ ha. Falcon presence caused a 78- 83% reduction in the number of introduced European pest birds, which resulted in a 95% reduction in the damage caused by these species. Falcon presence did not cause a reduction in the abundance of the native silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), but did halve the damage caused by this species.
To assess the conservation value of the falcon translocations, I used remote videography, direct observations and prey analysis to measure the behavioural changes associated with the relocation of falcons from their natural habitat in the hills and into vineyards. Falcons in vineyard nests had higher nest attendance, higher brooding rates, and higher feeding rates than falcons in hill nests. Additionally, parents in vineyard nests fed their chicks a greater amount of total prey and larger prey items compared to parents in hill nests. I also found an absence of any significant diet differences between falcons in hill and vineyard habitats, suggesting that the latter may be a suitable alternative habitat for falcons. Because reintroduced juvenile falcons were released in areas devoid of adult falcons, it was possible that they were missing essential training normally provided by their parents. I used direct observations to demonstrate that the presence of siblings had similar effects to the presence of parents on the development of juvenile behaviour, with individuals flying, hunting, and playing more often when conspecifics were present. Finally, through the use of artificial nests and remote videography, I identified that falcons nesting in vineyards are likely to suffer lower predation rates. I also found that falcons in vineyards are predated by a less dangerous suite of animals (such as hedgehogs, Erinaceus europaeus, and avian predators), than their counterparts in the hills, which are predated by more voracious species (such as stoats, Mustela erminea, and feral cats, Felis catus). The work presented in this thesis has also added to the current knowledge of New Zealand falcon breeding behaviour, prey preferences, and behavioural development.
Although agricultural regions globally are rarely associated with raptor conservation, and the ability of raptors to control the pests of agricultural crops has not been previously quantified, these results suggest that translocating New Zealand falcons into vineyards has potential for both the conservation of this species, and for providing biological control services to agriculture
In our ever more populated world, the rapid expansion and intensification of agriculture is driving worldwide biodiversity loss, and the interactions between production landscapes and wildlife conservation are becoming increasingly important. Farming systems depend on ecosystem services such as biological control, while conservationists are calling for the establishment of conservation initiatives in non-preserve landscapes. Despite this, the goals of agriculture and the goals of predator-conservation are rarely mutual. Here, I demonstrate one of the first examples of a mutually beneficial scenario between agriculture and predator conservation. I used, as a case study, a reintroduction project that translocated individuals of the threatened New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) from the hills of Marlborough into vineyards, to determine if predators can survive within an agricultural landscape while simultaneously providing that landscape with biological control services.
Examples of vertebrates providing biological control to agriculture are rare. I show that the presence of falcons in vineyards caused an economically important reduction in grape damage worth over US $230/ ha. Falcon presence caused a 78- 83% reduction in the number of introduced European pest birds, which resulted in a 95% reduction in the damage caused by these species. Falcon presence did not cause a reduction in the abundance of the native silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), but did halve the damage caused by this species.
To assess the conservation value of the falcon translocations, I used remote videography, direct observations and prey analysis to measure the behavioural changes associated with the relocation of falcons from their natural habitat in the hills and into vineyards. Falcons in vineyard nests had higher nest attendance, higher brooding rates, and higher feeding rates than falcons in hill nests. Additionally, parents in vineyard nests fed their chicks a greater amount of total prey and larger prey items compared to parents in hill nests. I also found an absence of any significant diet differences between falcons in hill and vineyard habitats, suggesting that the latter may be a suitable alternative habitat for falcons. Because reintroduced juvenile falcons were released in areas devoid of adult falcons, it was possible that they were missing essential training normally provided by their parents. I used direct observations to demonstrate that the presence of siblings had similar effects to the presence of parents on the development of juvenile behaviour, with individuals flying, hunting, and playing more often when conspecifics were present. Finally, through the use of artificial nests and remote videography, I identified that falcons nesting in vineyards are likely to suffer lower predation rates. I also found that falcons in vineyards are predated by a less dangerous suite of animals (such as hedgehogs, Erinaceus europaeus, and avian predators), than their counterparts in the hills, which are predated by more voracious species (such as stoats, Mustela erminea, and feral cats, Felis catus). The work presented in this thesis has also added to the current knowledge of New Zealand falcon breeding behaviour, prey preferences, and behavioural development.
Although agricultural regions globally are rarely associated with raptor conservation, and the ability of raptors to control the pests of agricultural crops has not been previously quantified, these results suggest that translocating New Zealand falcons into vineyards has potential for both the conservation of this species, and for providing biological control services to agriculture
Habitat management for biodiversity
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Conservation in the agricultural landscape: Investigating the tradeoffs between avian conservation and farm production in an ecosystem services framework
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A bustle in the hedgerow: Woody field margins boost on farm avian diversity and abundance in an intensive agricultural landscape
This project, led by Sacha Heath at UC Davis and in collaboration with Audubon California, the National Audubon Society, and The Nature Conservancy, combined data sets from multiple studies to compare avian diversity across 103 field margins in California's Central Valley.
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Benefits and costs of birds on farms
Testing the efficacy of bird deterrents in arable farming
Status: Ongoing
While birds can benefit farmers by consuming insect pests, birds can also be highly damaging pests in numerous crops. In Aotearoa| New Zealand, species such as European greenfinch, goldfinch, and house sparrows can cause significant damage to the valuable arable farming industry. Fergus Lowen is working with the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) to develop a program to test new bird deterrent methods in these crops. This work will build off of our research in kiwifruit and in bird deterrents in general (see our publications here).
Status: Ongoing
While birds can benefit farmers by consuming insect pests, birds can also be highly damaging pests in numerous crops. In Aotearoa| New Zealand, species such as European greenfinch, goldfinch, and house sparrows can cause significant damage to the valuable arable farming industry. Fergus Lowen is working with the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) to develop a program to test new bird deterrent methods in these crops. This work will build off of our research in kiwifruit and in bird deterrents in general (see our publications here).
Understanding patterns of pest-bird damage in kiwifruit orchards
Status: Ongoing
Aotearoa leads the world in growing kiwifruit. We are working with Zespri and kiwifruit growers in the Bay of Plenty region to better understand patterns of damage to kiwifruit orchards. This project is being led by Jordan Hollinshead.
Status: Ongoing
Aotearoa leads the world in growing kiwifruit. We are working with Zespri and kiwifruit growers in the Bay of Plenty region to better understand patterns of damage to kiwifruit orchards. This project is being led by Jordan Hollinshead.
Understanding and enhancing avian pest control services on a single organic farm
Status: Ongoing
Research that we and other teams have conducted on understanding the ecosystem services and disservices from birds on farms has largely sought to understand the effects of habitat management at the farm- and landscape-scale. However, farmers in areas like the Northeast in the United States often grow numerous crops side-by-side in a single field, and understanding how the community of birds at a given site affects numerous crops simultaneously. We spent two years working with the Hudson Valley Farm Hub as part of the Applied Farmscape Ecology Research Collaborative, with research led by Andie Muñoz, and Peter Lichtenthal.
Farmer perceptions of wildlife
urban ecology
Establishing a hyper-urban to suburban transect for monitoring wildlife in New York City
We recently established the first comprehensive urban wildlife monitoring network for the best city in the world! Led by Myles Davis and in collaboration with Maria Diuk-Wasser's Eco-Epidemiology lab, we have established the first ever Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN) transect for New York City. This long-term project will monitor wildlife alongside other projects on disease risk and social science.
We recently established the first comprehensive urban wildlife monitoring network for the best city in the world! Led by Myles Davis and in collaboration with Maria Diuk-Wasser's Eco-Epidemiology lab, we have established the first ever Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN) transect for New York City. This long-term project will monitor wildlife alongside other projects on disease risk and social science.
Understanding urban wildlife networks and disease risk
As part of our collaborations with Maria Diuk-Wasser's Eco-Epidemiology lab, we are working to understand interactions between urban wildlife in New York City- especially mesocarnivore species such as raccoons and cats. This work is being led by Columbia PhD student Laura Plimpton. Sara Kross has also worked with Professor Diuk-Wasser's students Olivia Card and Michaela Mincone on Staten Island projects to understand how backyard habitat management influences wildlife use of yards, and in turn, tick abundance.
As part of our collaborations with Maria Diuk-Wasser's Eco-Epidemiology lab, we are working to understand interactions between urban wildlife in New York City- especially mesocarnivore species such as raccoons and cats. This work is being led by Columbia PhD student Laura Plimpton. Sara Kross has also worked with Professor Diuk-Wasser's students Olivia Card and Michaela Mincone on Staten Island projects to understand how backyard habitat management influences wildlife use of yards, and in turn, tick abundance.
Dangerous city: Avian conservation in New York
Working with New York City Audubon, we have been part of an effort to understand the risks that birds face in New York. Katherine Chen conducted a study using years of data from Project Safe Flight to understand how local weather patterns influence avian collision risks with buildings, and Katie Maffett worked with the Beach Nesting Birds program on the Rockaway Peninsula to understand how human activities affected nesting American Oystercatchers.
Working with New York City Audubon, we have been part of an effort to understand the risks that birds face in New York. Katherine Chen conducted a study using years of data from Project Safe Flight to understand how local weather patterns influence avian collision risks with buildings, and Katie Maffett worked with the Beach Nesting Birds program on the Rockaway Peninsula to understand how human activities affected nesting American Oystercatchers.
Conservation science
Show me the money! Assessing private foundation grants to conservation
Our lab started a side-project with the late Don Melnick to answer the question 'What does conservation do?'. We were inspired by some recent papers that sought to quantify the focus of studies in the field of conservation over more than a decade, but were skeptical that counting up studies was an accurate way to quantify our field. Thinking about how we might be able to quantify conservation action led us to a database of over ten years of funding toward conservation from private foundations, which we analyzed by developing one of the largest keyword sets available for conservation.
Our lab started a side-project with the late Don Melnick to answer the question 'What does conservation do?'. We were inspired by some recent papers that sought to quantify the focus of studies in the field of conservation over more than a decade, but were skeptical that counting up studies was an accurate way to quantify our field. Thinking about how we might be able to quantify conservation action led us to a database of over ten years of funding toward conservation from private foundations, which we analyzed by developing one of the largest keyword sets available for conservation.
Conservation education
Animal Ambassadors in Conservation Education
Animal ambassadors- live animals that are trained to be handled as part of educational programs- are popular at zoos and in numerous educational settings. Despite this popularity, we have little understanding of the effect of the presence of animal ambassadors on learning in target audience groups. Our lab is currently working on projects with the Oakland Zoo and with Twitch to begin to understand the benefit of this practice. Our main projects in this area are being led by Danny Kirsch and Michael Levin.
Animal ambassadors- live animals that are trained to be handled as part of educational programs- are popular at zoos and in numerous educational settings. Despite this popularity, we have little understanding of the effect of the presence of animal ambassadors on learning in target audience groups. Our lab is currently working on projects with the Oakland Zoo and with Twitch to begin to understand the benefit of this practice. Our main projects in this area are being led by Danny Kirsch and Michael Levin.
