Environmental Conservation Graduate Student Symposium 2022
Location: John Olver Design Building, room 170 from 9am-4:30pm
Other information:
Poster sessions will be held outside of the lecture hall.
Coffee, lunch, and light snacks will be provided.
Lunch will be provided by UMass dining/catering services, and we will have a variety of options available (dairy & gluten free, vegetarian & vegan!)
9:00 AM Registration and Coffee
9:20 AM Opening Remarks
9:30 AM Keynote Address: Brian Bastarache
Brian Bastarache currently the chairman of the Natural Resource Management Department of the Bristol County Agricultural School located in Southeastern Massachusetts. Brian does research in marine biology, zoology/herpetology and ecology. Most of his work is in collaboration with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, and others.
10:30 AM Traditional Talks
Stylianos Syropoulos, PhD student, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Perceived Responsibility to Address Climate Change: A Pathway to Proenvironmental Action
A great number of social and environmental issues our society is facing today (e.g., climate change) necessitate action in the present in order to benefit future others. Perceptions of responsibility towards future generations have been shown to increase intergenerational prosociality and combat intertemporal discounting. However, the degree to which these findings are generalizable to the American population, across different countries, and across different environmental issues remains unknown. We utilized data obtained from the Public Religion Research Institute and the European Social Survey to examine the association of perceived responsibility towards future generations with proenvironmental attitudes in large and representative samples of the US population and from the population of 30 different European nations. Across a the 31 countries, and a wide variety of proenvironmental outcomes, even after controlling for key demographic covariates (e.g., political ideology, religiosity), our results suggest that perceived responsibility towards future generations has a robust relationship with proenvironmental attitudes, action, behaviors and policy support. Increasing and leveraging perceptions of responsibility towards future others may be a powerful tool for promoting intergenerational environmental concern and action. Co-authored by: Ezra Markowitz, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Conservation
Katrina Zarrella Smith, PhD student, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve Southern New England lobsters in a sea of trouble: disease as a proxy for stress
Lobsters in Southern New England (SNE) have experienced decades of environmental stressors and disease. We hypothesized that the sub-lethal effects of physiological stress resulting from increased temperature have contributed to a decline in reproductive investment in SNE lobsters. Using the presence of epizootic shell disease (ESD) as a proxy for stress, we examined (1) potential fecundity through the number of early-stage eggs and their nutritional quality, (2) realized fecundity based on counts of late-stage eggs, and (3) compared realized fecundity to historical data (1980s) from the region. Generalized linear modeling showed that female size was a significant predictor of both potential and realized fecundity as expected, but that ESD status did not result in differences in fecundity. Notably, realized fecundity of recent-day females was significantly reduced compared to the fecundity of historical females. We also found few differences in egg nutritional content from non-diseased and diseased females, though diseased individuals with larger clutches produced eggs with lower protein content and dry weight. Stressful environmental conditions, particularly temperature, may have contributed to decreased fecundity over a 30-year period in SNE. Defining how stress has contributed to the depleted condition of the SNE lobster stock will be valuable in assessing climate-related risk to other vulnerable stocks. Co-Authored by: Jason S. Goldstein, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve; Tracy L. Pugh, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Melissa Shinfuku, PhD student, Microbiology Effects of warming on ecosystem function-microbial diversity relationship are season dependent
Soil microbial communities drive many essential ecosystem processes and more diverse communities tend to be more functional. Climate change, and specifically increasing temperature, endangers the positive relationship between microbial diversity and ecosystem function. Under higher temperatures, ecosystem functions usually increase, partially due to kinetics. Microbial community composition, likewise, shifts under temperature changes. Both microbial diversity and ecosystem function are independently altered under simulated climate warming, but it is not yet clear whether these separate changes are related. We hypothesized warming would increase ecosystem function and microbial diversity, thereby strengthening the relationship between ecosystem function and microbial diversity. To test this hypothesis, we sampled from two Harvard Forest soil warming experiments which had been warmed for 28 and 13 years. At each site we sampled at 2 different times (July and October), from 2 different soil horizons, and from warmed and control treatments. We measured 7 different ecosystem functions, in addition to sequencing the microbial community. We found that the effect of warming on ecosystem function was seasonal, with soils more negatively impacted by warming in July than October. We found no effect from warming on microbial diversity. Ultimately, warming weakened the relationship between ecosystem function and microbial diversity. Our results suggest that season has a strong influence on the ecosystem function-microbial diversity relationship and that the effect of warming is also season dependent. Future analyses will examine the effect that warming has on functional diversity. Co Authored by: Luiz Domeignoz-Horta, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Univ. of Zurich; Mallory Choudoir, Microbiology Department, UMass Amherst; Kristen DeAngelis, Microbiology Department, UMass Amherst
Anaadi Pooran, Professional Master's, Sustainability Science, Environmental Conservation Foraging as a Form of Ecotourism for Caribbean Islands
For many Caribbean islands, tourism is the main GDP (Gross Domestic Product) generator. However, extractive tourism coupled with climate change severely undermines sustainable development on the islands. Thus, the need for ecotourism is eminent. Foraging is one practice that can be integrated into an ecotourism framework to benefit Caribbean islands. This practice is seeing a renewed interest and its ties with tourism are manifesting. This paper suggests how the Caribbean can utilize foraging ecotourism to enable sustainable development. However, it also acknowledges that more research is necessary when examining the validity of this notion.
Joel Ginn, PhD Student, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Structural vs. Individual Change Beliefs: Top-Down or Bottom-Up Change?Climate change is the result of both individual and collective actions and proposed solutions to mitigate its impacts include both individual and structural level change. While many experts disagree about the efficacy of such “bottom up” (i.e., individual focused) versus “top down” (i.e., systems focused) approaches, non experts hold their own, heterogeneous beliefs on how this issue should be tackled. We examine individuals’ beliefs about the most appropriate and effective ways to address climate change. People’s attributions of blame for climate change as well as their emotional responses predict variation in such top down/bottom up beliefs; in turn, these beliefs predict differential preferences about where environmental groups should focus their attention and energy. Co-Authored by: Ezra Markowitz, Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Dan Chapman, See Change Institute; Meaghan Guckian, Environmental Studies and Sustainability, Antioch University; Se Min Suh, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Brian Lickel, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Samantha Myers, MS Student, Environmental Conservation
Integrating tree functional traits to predict long-term forest carbon dynamics in Eastern temperate forestsNovel climatic conditions and increasingly severe disturbance events due to climate change urge us to develop strategies to avoid irreversible losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Forests present a unique opportunity to study adaptive management approaches that could also mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration and long-term carbon storage. Forest management strategies to enhance forest carbon storage and resilience in the Northeast typically focus on species diversity and structural complexity. However, examining the diversity of species functional traits (e.g., leaf and stem traits) could provide a more generalizable tool for adaptive forest carbon management. We sampled functional traits (leaf nutrient content, leaf area, and wood density) from 150 trees and collected growth information from increment cores across 7 mid-to-late successional state forests in western Massachusetts. By leveraging existing Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) forest inventory data starting in the 1960s at these sites, we will investigate how species functional trait distributions relate to individual tree growth, forest dynamics, and carbon stocks over time. We will integrate species functional trait distributions as well as individual growth and mortality data into a model to predict how functional trait diversity relates to long-term forest carbon storage at the community level and the implications for future forest resilience under global change scenarios. This study integrates theoretical and applied forest ecology and will inform adaptive management aimed at maximizing forest carbon storage and climate mitigation in the Northeast.
Juliana Berube, MS Student, Environmental Conservation
Effects of moose (Alces alces) population density, habitat, and climate on winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) epizootics in the northeastern U.S.Over the past several decades, moose populations in the northeastern U.S. have declined by at least 30%. Research aimed at identifying the cause of the declines indicated that high winter tick infestations are a major factor in the negative trend of moose populations, with some animals found to be hosting over 60,000 ticks. However, the geographic distribution and factors contributing to these damaging epizootic events remain unknown. This project will develop and assess approaches for monitoring moose and winter ticks, and explore the extent to which climate, habitat, and density of moose influence moose-tick dynamics from Massachusetts to Maine. Results will be used to inform management decisions throughout the region. Co-Authored by: Tammy Wilson, USGS-Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Alexej Siren, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit-Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources; Terri Donovan, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
12:45 PM Poster Session and Lunch
Katherine Hasnain, MS Student, Environmental Policy & Regulation, Geography & Environment, London School of Economics Drones in Environmental Research: An Analysis of Socio-Technical Transitions in the Usage and Barriers for Environmental Drones
The application of drones in environmental research is a revolutionary concept: it is a cost-cutting tool that empowers governments, NGOs, and corporations to monitor environmental impacts and to deter ecological hazards at their incipiency. The environmental use of drones originates from a need to observe ecological concerns while avoiding the substantial drawbacks associated with alternative technologies: helicopter photography (cost) and satellite photography (insufficient detail) (Koh and Wich, 2012). Although drone use has been briefly explored within the conservation sciences, there has been little engagement within the social sciences (Millner, 2020). Thus, my research fills an important gap in the literature on environmental drone usage. I answer the question: How do socio-technical transitions help to explain the emerging uses of environmental drones and the barriers that currently limit greater usage for environmental research? I investigate this question via semi-structured interviews from organizations and researchers experienced in their use. I predict that, as a result of its ongoing socio-technical transition, the use of drones will become a major technology in environmental research.
Stefanie J. Farrington, PhD Student, Organismic & Evolutionary Biology Program Characterizing Yellow Lampmussel habitat in the Connecticut River watershed
Yellow Lampmussel (YLM), Lampsilis cariosa, is a vulnerable freshwater mussel species that is declining throughout its range. Informal assessments have indicated that YLM occur in a variety of habitats throughout their range, suggesting that different approaches may be needed for conservation at finer scales. In CT and MA, the species has been found in multiple sites in the mainstem of the Connecticut River; however, characterization of occupied habitat is limited. The goal of this project is to describe habitat where YLM are known to occur and identify additional suitable habitat within the Connecticut River mainstem. We will use side-scan sonar and GIS tools to characterize and map habitat types. Sonar recordings will be collected?using a front-mounted recreational fish finder to minimize interference from the engine and propeller. Recordings will be processed into raster image mosaics using SonarWiz. Initial testing found that low-frequency (455 kHz) sonar recordings are sufficient to identify habitat types, despite displaying lower resolution imagery compared to medium- (800 kHz) and high-frequencies (1050 kHz). Low-frequency recordings allow for data collection at higher ranges (80-100 m, compared to 40-50 m at higher frequencies), thereby reducing sampling time in the field. Additionally, a speed of 4-5 mph was determined sufficient to yield quality imagery while minimizing sampling time. The next phase of the project is to characterize and digitize habitat types in ArcMap to create habitat maps. The results of this study may be useful for identifying target areas for novel surveys of YLM and candidate areas for release of propagated or relocated YLM.
Luis Aguirre, PhD Student, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Interacting Antagonims: Parasite Infection Alters Bombus Impaties(Hymenoptera: Apidae) Responses to Herbivory on Tomato Plants.
Little is known about how simultaneous antagonistic interactions on plants and pollinators affect pollination services, even though herbivory can alter floral traits and parasites can change pollinator learning, perception or behavior. We investigated how a common herbivore and bumble bee (Bombus spp.) parasite impact pollination in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). We exposed half the plants to low-intensity herbivory by the specialist Manduca sexta L., and observed bumble bee visits and time spent on flowers of damaged and control plants. Following observations, we caught the foraging bees and assessed infection by the common gut parasite, Crithidia bombi Lipa & Triggiani. Interestingly, we found an interactive effect between herbivory and Crithidia infection; bees with higher parasite loads spent less time foraging on damaged plants compared to control plants. However, bees did not visit higher proportions of flowers on damaged or control plants, regardless of infection status. Our study demonstrates that multiple antagonists can have synergistic negative effects on the duration of pollinator visits, such that the consequences of herbivory may depend on the infection status of pollinators. If pollinator parasites indeed exacerbate the negative effects of herbivory on pollination services, this suggests the importance of incorporating bee health management practices to maximize crop production. Co-Authored by: Lynn S Adler, Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Melissa Langley, MS Student, Environmental Conservation Anthropogenic impacts on ecosystem services in coastal wetlands
Anthropogenic stressors threaten coastal wetlands and the ecosystem services they provide. Stressors and threats including land use changes and urbanization, sea level rise, natural disasters, water quality degradation, rising temperatures, and particularly climate change all negatively impact a variety of coastal wetland ecosystem services. Coastal wetlands provide four ecosystem service types: resources, habitat, protective, and recreational/aesthetic values, and they disproportionately provide ecosystem services relative to other ecosystem types and ecosystems with greater land area. However, it is unclear how these ecosystem services will be impacted by the growing number of stressors and threats. Therefore, I will assess ecosystem services and anthropogenic impacts on coastal wetlands in Massachusetts to better understand their interactions. I will use a combination of software to provide an understanding of the interactions among coastal wetland health, ecosystem services, and climate change scenarios. I will use MassGIS software to identify and assess the health of coastal wetlands, and I will use InVEST to assess the ecosystem services of these wetlands. I will also use CMIP6 climate model to predict ecosystem service changes based on climate factors including temperature, precipitation, and sea level rise. My findings will be used to understand the interactions among vulnerability, ecosystem services, and anthropogenic change. These results will allow stakeholders to improve management decisions and better prioritize conservation and restoration projects to maximize ecological benefits. Co Authored by Dr. Timothy Randhir
Jahiya Clark, MS Student, Environmental Conservation Adaptive Silviculture for Wildlife: Supporting forest biodiversity through forest climate adaptation
Anthropogenic climate change has had profound impacts on populations, species, and ecological communities. Rising temperatures and changes in precipitation have altered species’ climate niches, forcing populations to shift poleward, upslope, or adapt and stay in place. The northeastern region of the United States is particularly vulnerable to losing unique habitats, including the boreal forest that is at its southern limit in this region. To protect forest health, silvicultural approaches are being considered to address recent and future climate change impacts. However, little research has investigated how these adaptive silviculture approaches will affect wildlife. I will analyze camera trap data taken in three climate adaptation treatments and in the surrounding Northern New England landscape. The camera traps have been active for the last five years, capturing changes in biodiversity and species behavior. I will use these images and ones recorded over the next year to analyze how silvicultural treatments, as well as climate and habitat factors, affect the occupancy of moose, white-tailed deer, red squirrels, flying squirrels, fisher, marten, black bear, and other northeastern species. This translational ecological research works with state and federal resource managers, as well as regional researchers, to design the questions, methods, and presentation of results to produce actionable science related to impacts of forest adaptation on wildlife and vice versa. Ultimately, the results from this research will inform forest management techniques to support the persistence of wildlife in the face of climate change. Co-Authored by: Alexej P.K. Sirén, USGS Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Univ. of Vermont; Toni Lyn Morelli, USGS, Northeast Climate Adaption Science Center, Univ. of Mass Amherst
Heather Siart, MS Student, Environmental Conservation Frail Children of the Air: Population and Host Plant Distribution of the White Mountain Fritillary (Boloria chariclea montinus)
Anthropogenic climate change is causing increasing temperatures and precipitation in the northeastern United States, threatening vulnerable alpine habitats. The potential for ecotones to shift higher in elevation could cause changes to alpine habitats and plant communities. The White Mountain fritillary, Boloria chariclea montinus, is an endemic butterfly occupying alpine habitats in the Presidential Range surrounding Mount Washington. Insects are often used as indicator species to monitor changes in habitats in relation to climate change. Before we can use the White Mountain fritillary as an indicator species, we must first know more about its life cycle, distribution, and habitat utilization. Therefore, with the help of New Hampshire Fish and Game, this project aims to collect critical biological information, habitat utilization, and distribution data to contribute to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service White Mountain fritillary Species Status Assessment. For this project, I will conduct a mark-recapture survey and map key habitat features to create a distribution map of White Mountain fritillary host plants, nectar sources, and population spread to show areas of greatest protection needed. I will also create a species distribution model for the White Mountain fritillary to see the potential effects of climate change on their population. Co Authored by: Toni Lyn Morelli Research Ecologist, USGS Northeast CASC, Adjunct Assistant Professor UMass, and Heidi Holman, Wildlife Biologist III, NHFG
2:00 PM Lightning Talks, Round 1
Kate Abbott, PhD Student, Environmental Conservation Enhancing resilience of riverine fishes through dam removal
Small, surface-release dams are ubiquitous across the U.S., impacting stream ecology by altering flow regimes, biotic assemblages, and impairing systems’ ability to respond to anthropogenic stressors, including climate change. Improved water quality following dam removal may increase the ecological resilience of sensitive stream taxa to climate-driven warming, yet the potential linkages are not well understood. We collected extensive pre- and post-removal temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) data and fish community data at sites across Massachusetts to quantify ecological responses to removal. Prior to removal, most sites experienced downstream warming, although the magnitude and spatial extent of dam impacts on temperature varied across sites and seasons. Within one year following dam removal, DO in impoundments generally recovered to upstream reference conditions, and downstream warming was reduced or eliminated at some, but not all sites. While removing barriers to movement is an obvious benefit of dam removal, these data suggest that concomitant improvements in water quality may also lead to more resilient fish assemblages. We expect that reductions in thermal and hypoxic stress following removal will lead to an increase in the relative abundance of fluvial and coldwater specialists within and downstream of the former impoundment, though this response may vary depending on dam, stream, and watershed characteristics. Improvements in water quality following dam removal, paired with increased access and availability of refugia, may help vulnerable fish taxa adapt to new stressors of climate change, including extreme floods, droughts, and warming waters.
Aliza Fassler, MS Student, Environmental Conservation Bee community responses to pollinator habitat enhancements on log landings
Habitat loss is a major driver of wild bee population declines in the midwestern USA. The staging areas for timber harvest operations, known as log landings, are understudied habitats within managed forests. While log landings are generally considered degraded habitat for pollinators due to compacted soil and limited vegetation, these spaces are numerous in managed forests and offer the potential for open, floral-rich habitat restoration. The Pollinator Habitat in Log Landings project (PHiLL) started with managers at the Hoosier National Forest. The PHiLL project aims to assess management techniques for improving pollinator habitat on log landings. Here we will provide an overview of the study design and bee community monitoring. In March 2021, managers treated five landings on each of three National Forests (Hoosier, Shawnee, and Mark Twain) with ripping and biochar soil amendments to reduce soil compaction. Managers seeded landings with a native pollinator seed mix in a split plot design. We compared these treated landings to an additional five un-enhanced landings on each forest. In growing season 2021 we conducted three rounds of bee sampling on log landings in each forest using pan traps, standardized netting and soil emergence traps to quantify bee abundance and richness. We quantified available floral resources by sampling quarter meter quadrats along transects in treated and untreated landings. Results of this study will be used to develop best management practices that can be applied to log landings and other restoration areas to improve pollinator habitat in managed forests throughout the Midwest. Co Authored by: Susannah B. Lerman, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service; Lauren S. Pile, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service; Dave I. King, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service; Daniel C. Dey, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service; Todd F. Hutchinson, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service; John M. Kabrick, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service; Deborah S. Page-Dumroese, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service; Cheryl Coon, Hoosier National Forest, USDA Forest Service; Steve Harriss, Hoosier National Forest, USDA Forest Service; Mark Vukovich, Shawnee National Forest, USDA Forest Service and Megan York-Harris Mark Twain National Forest, USDA Forest Service
Seema Ravandale, MS Student, Environmental Conservation Participatory Wetland governance
Wetlands are unique ecosystem and provide several ecosystem services to humankinds and many species. They are depleting at alarming rate since last century, but the depletion rate has increased exponential in 50 years mainly due to human activities. To address the issue of wetland conservation, the Ramsar Convention took place in 1971 and since then almost 172 countries have signed the Ramsar Convention on Wetland, the only international treaty on wetland conservation and management. Ramsar Convention lays the framework for the protection and sustainable management of these wetlands, including the governance mechanisms. The participation of local communities and their indigenous knowledge has been recently recognized under governance mechanism of the Convention, to protect the community’s right over wetlands as well as to establish the joint stewardship of government and communities on these vital resources. There is lack of clarity on how participatory governance can be adopted by various countries under Ramsar Convention. Hence, I attempt to study the participatory governance mechanism proposed under Ramsar Convention as well as national policies of selective case countries by deciphering the practical meaning of participation and mapping them to governance functions. The research will be conducted using qualitative and participatory research methodologies to draw the learning based on the analysis and evaluation of participatory wetland governance and to come up with policy recommendations which create better opportunities for community participation in Ramsar Convention.
2:45 PM Postdoc Panel
A Facilitated discussion on topics regarding finding and applying for a post doc position, work/family balance and planning, community building, time management and more. Panelists include Tina Mozelewski, Gordon Fitch, Mallory Choudoir and Desiree Narango. This panel will be held in the main lecture hall.
3:45 PM Lightning Talks, Round 2
Ethan Rutledge, PhD Student, Environmental Conservation Interactive Effects of Temperature and Growth on Mercury Accumulation in Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis
Environmental temperature is a master variable governing production and production efficiency of consumers in aquatic food webs. These dynamics also influence the flow and accumulation of trace elements, including toxic forms of mercury (Hg). Warming temperatures predicted under global climate change scenarios will therefore change the dynamics of secondary production and trace element accumulation. However, these effects depend on complex interactions between individual physiology and ecosystem stressors, which also have long-term trajectories of change. Our goal is to provide a general framework for understanding climate change effects on Hg accumulation in cool water fishes in the context of multiple stressors in the northern forest region to help inform management and restoration activities. Laboratory experiments were carried out to determine the effects of temperature and growth on the accumulation of Hg in Brook Trout. Preliminary results show that Hg accumulation in Brook Trout may be exacerbated by high temperatures and ameliorated through somatic growth dilution. Co Authored by: Keith H. Nislow, USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, University of Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center; Celia Y. Chen, Dartmouth College Dept. of Biological Sciences; Stephen D. McCormick, United States Geological Survey S.O. Conte Anadromous Research Station, University of Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Logan M. Miller, MS Student, Environmental Conservation The influence of family forest owners' attitudes towards climate change on the management of their forests.
As climate change impacts have become more apparent and harmful to ecosystems, there has been a push toward more resilient forestry practices to mitigate these impacts. With 10% of land in the United States owned by family forest owners (FFOs), understanding their attitudes towards climate change and other values that influence their participation in forest resiliency management is crucial for forest conservation and climate change mitigation efforts. To understand FFOs’ attitudes, values, and participation in forest resiliency programs I will establish a questionnaire through a series of cognitive interviews with FFOs from three states: Oregon, Wisconsin, and Alabama. I will then mail the questionnaire to FFOs residing in the same three states, to start establishing a novel understanding of FFOs’ attitudes towards climate change. I will measure the relationships between FFO demographics, climate change attitudes, values, and willingness to participate in resiliency programs or practices. I will also incorporate a theoretical competent with a behavioral model, such as the Theory of Planned Behavior, to understand the drivers of behavioral change in FFOs in the context of participation in resiliency programs. The survey questions will ultimately be integrated into a climate module within future iterations of the USDA Forest Service’s National Woodland Owner Survey to be administered nationally and long-term. Establishing the trends between FFO climate change attitudes, values, and willingness to participate in resiliency programs, outreach for resiliency programs can have a greater success. Co Authored by: Brett Butler, Family Forest Research Center
Douglas Bishop, MS Student, Environmental Conservation Effects of emigration strategy and estuary habitat use on juvenile river herring population dynamics
Anadromous river herring (alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and blueback herring A. aestivils) have experienced coastwide populations declines as the result of factors acting on multiple life stages in both marine and freshwater environments. In Massachusetts, river herring spawn in the headwater ponds and streams of coastal watersheds where their offspring will reside prior to migrating seaward during the summer and fall months. While freshwater nurseries play a critical role in supporting local year classes of juvenile river herring, less is known about how downstream migrations to estuarine habitats affect population dynamics. Freshwater migrants pass through estuaries in many watersheds prior to recruiting to adult populations in marine waters, but the importance of these transitional habitats is largely unknown. The goal of this research is to evaluate how freshwater emigration and estuary habitat use influence populations of juvenile river herring . We sampled freshwater, emigrant, and estuarine juvenile river herring in the Back River watershed in Weymouth, MA. Preliminary results suggest considerable size differences among freshwater, migratory, and estuarine groups that varies with time in select watersheds. Future work will examine age and residence times in estuary habitats to evaluate estuary dependency in juvenile river herring. Collectively, this work will contribute to a broader understanding of how juvenile river herring movements influence productivity and results will enhance management and restoration efforts by providing missing early life history data across the freshwater to marine transition. Co Authored by: Adrian Jordaan, Dept. of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst
David A. Murillo, MS Student, Environmental Conservation Integrated Open CanopyTM (IocTM) Coffee (Coffea Arabica) As A Conservation Tool For Nearctic-Neotropical Migratory And Resident Birds In Yoro, Honduras
Honduras possesses 349,510 hectares of coffee crops (Coffea arabica), of which most are shaded and sun coffee farms, with a smaller number of Integrated Open Canopy (IOC) coffee farms. The IOC coffee system consists of coffee crops surrounded by forest in a ?1:1 ratio, which allows preservation and restoration of native ecosystems. The objective of our investigation was to evaluate the IOC system as an alternative conservation tool for Neotropical migratory and resident birds. We evaluated ecological characteristics like species richness and abundance of individual species from November 2018 to April 2019 by establishing 75 points count survey stations in a coffee growing region in Yoro, Honduras. We found that species richness of migratory birds did not differ significantly among forest, IOC coffee, and shade coffee. Nevertheless, the richness of forest dependent species was higher in forest and IOC coffee than in shade and sun coffee, also some forest dependent species such as Slate-throated Redstart (Myioborus miniatus) and Ochre-bellied Flycatcher (Mionectes oleagineus) were more abundant (< 0.05) in forest and IOC coffee than shade and sun coffee. The results of this investigation support those conducted at IOC farms in Costa Rica – where this agroforestry land-sparing approach was first introduced. We show that IOC coffee is an alternative for the conservation of Nearctic-Neotropical migratory and resident birds, especially for the forest dependent species. Co Authored by: Dario Alvarado, Mesoamerican Development Institute; Fabiola Rodríguez, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA; Caz Taylor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA; David King, US Forest Service, North l Research Station, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA.