Source: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA submitted to
ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF FOREST BIRDS
Sponsoring Institution
State Agricultural Experiment Station
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
STATE
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0185278
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
FLA-WEC-03844
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
May 9, 2000
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2006
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Sieving, K. E.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611
Performing Department
WILDLIFE ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
Non Technical Summary
Many forest bird species are declining due to the advance of agricultural and other human land uses into previously forested lands. This research seeks to understand avenues for integration of human land uses with conservation of forest birds. The purpose of this study is to understand how to enhance human-dominated landscapes (previously forested) such that native forest birds can more readily persist.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
15%
Applied
85%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
13508201070100%
Knowledge Area
135 - Aquatic and Terrestrial Wildlife;

Subject Of Investigation
0820 - Wild birds;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
1. To characterize behavioral and ecological mechanisms (e.g., risk aversion) underlying processes (e.g., local movements, habitat selection) and interspecific interactions (e.g., nest predation, heterospecific attraction / facilitation) that influence bird species distributions and population viability in fragmented and disturbed forest landscapes (primarily agriculture-dominated). 2. To utilize this understanding to develop predictive models aiding in protection and restoration of degraded forest landscapes (particularly agricultural areas) for forest bird use.
Project Methods
My approach includes various types of ecological assessments in order to identify key mechanisms (behaviors, species interactions, etc.)underlying the distributions of native forest birds in human-dominated landscapes. Identification of mechanisms and processes influencing bird distributions then allows development of management actions to enhance the sustainability of bird populations and communities in disturbed, fragmented, and partially converted forest landscapes. Field surveys of bird communities, field experiments, caged experiment trials, and surveys of human stakeholders are used, ina ddition to other techniques.

Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: PROGRESS and OUTPUTS Specific activities reflecting progress in my research program include continued successful grantsmanship, continued publication of research findings with my mentees and colleagues, continued and new collaborations with colleagues in the US and abroad, and invitations to collaborate/advise/present/teach within the international and national community of conservation scientists. GRANTSMANSHIP: With my help (direct and indirect) my graduate/undergraduate students collectively applied (as PI or Co-PI/collaborator) for 33 competitive grants and awards in 08/09, and received over 55,000$ in funding for their own programs. I was PI, Co-PI, or collaborator on more than 15 competitive grants and awards submitted for over 1 million dollars collectively, and awarded over 40,000$. PUBLICATIONS (see below). COLLABORATIONS: In fall 2008, I took a sabbatical in Brasil and interacted with colleagues and students in two cities/regions - Acre State in the western Amazon basin (Univ Federal do Acre) and Sao Paolo (Univ do Sao Paolo). I taught a course in Research Design for Conservation Biology (aided by Dr. Lyn Branch (UF), Dr. Karl Didier (Wildlife Conservation Society), and my student Willa Chaves in Acre. This trip was funded by the Moore Foundation. At USP, I went in the field with Dr. Cintia Cornelius, a post doc in Dr. Jean Paul Metzger's lab to confer on research in progress that was designed based on my previous work in Chile with using behavioral studies of forest birds to ascertain sustainable configurations of forest cover in human-dominated landscapes. Several of my graduate students are conducting similar work and the collaboration continues with my colleagues in Brasil. Moreover, Dr. Cornelius and I organized and led a symposium on behavioral landscape ecology at the first Latin American Chapter of the International Association of Landscape Ecologists in Campos do Jordao (Fall 09). INVITATIONS: In addition to the sabbatical activities, I was invited to participate in the following: An international working group concerning restoration and conservation of critically endangered species on Juan Fernandez Islands of Chile, funded by the Chilean government; I was invited as a keynote speaker in a symposium at the International Ornithological Congress; and invited symposium participant in two other meetings; I was invited to teach my Research Design for Conservation course in Costa Rica (for Organization for Tropical Studies) and in Acre State during this time period; and finally - I was invited to submit a paper in a special series in the journal OIKOS concerning the ecology of information sharing among bird species (see publications). PARTICIPANTS: All of these things are detailed in the text of the report. There are many! Training and collaboration are major impacts of my research program that are included in the report. TARGET AUDIENCES: Much of this is included in the report text. But my main audiences include direct and indirect. Direct audiences include my own advisees (graduate students, undergraduate students and post-docs; students who I train in my research design courses. In the reporting period this included 23 students at University of Florida in 4 different departments, 16 students from Brasil and Western Amazonia (incl. Peru), and another 7 students from all over that took the OTS course in March of 2009 that I co-taught with Mickie Swisher for OTS. Other direct audienses targetted with my research-based knowledge included the international community of conservationists that collaborate with me in meetings, research projects, etc. Indirect impacts are conveyed via my publications in international peer-reviewed journals. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
OUTCOMES and IMPACTS: 2008/10 TO 2009/09 The main impacts of my work this past year fall in three areas; 1. TRAINING of young professionals. All of my research is collaborative with undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral advisees, and I mentor and publish with all of them. I finished one MSc student (Willa Chaves-Didier) two PhD's (Ivan A Diaz, and Matthew J Reetz) and one undergraduate honors thesis student (Montana Atwater) in 2008/2009. With my help, Willa won a 4-year fellowship and entered UF's SNRE for her doctorate; Ivan obtained a tenure track faculty position in the School of Forestry at Austral University in his home country, Chile; and Matthew obtained a 1 year teaching position at Franklin College in Indiana, and has now started a post-doc at the University of Wisconsin. Montana successfully applied to the Entomology department at UF and is now working on a graduate degree. 2. INCREASED UNDERSTANDING of bird species behavioral responses to human-altered habitat and landscape structure. My work (and my students') focuses on behavioral mechanisms underlying animal movement in fragmented landscapes, and our results are applicable to management of vegetation at local (farm or landowner) to regional scales. Results from Chilean work (2001-2007 published works) are being used in regional conservation planning in Chile, and have sparked similar approaches to landscape fragmentation research in Brasil (among my colleagues/students in USP). I am working on solidifying a cogent theory framework for Behavioral Landscape Ecology with several colleagues we presented with in Brasil last year - this will aid in focusing research in more productive ways, specifically, at the interface of field studies and modeling at large scales. Within my lab, work in this area has produced results and collaborations with significant conservation organizations in three countries - Chile (WWF, Chilean government); Brasil (State government of Acre and WCS; Sumatra (Birdlife International, Harapan Rainforest Initiative - all regions with significant land use change patterns that threaten biodiversity. 3. INCREASED UNDERSTANDING of species interactions, specifically, (1) the use of warning signals produced by species in family Paridae by a variety of other forest birds. Information sharing about predation risks appears to govern many aspects of avian spatial behavior across scales, and my students and collaborators are pushing the frontier of knowledge in this area. Evidence of impacts are emerging (the invited OIKOS paper, below, and increased invitations by the public (Audubon Society, et al.) to present information on these topics. (2) Work on the interactions of avian insectivores and other beneficial species in organic farming continues and we are preparing publications currently that should have important impacts on understanding just how much insect biomass can potentially be consumed by native birds in organic farming operations.

Publications

  • Diaz IA, KE Sieving, ME Pena-Foxon, J Larrain & JJ Armesto. 2010. Epiphyte diversity and biomass loads of canopy emergent trees in Chilean temperate rain forests: A neglected functional component. Forest ecology and Management.
  • Fletcher, R. A. and K. E. Sieving. 2010. Social information use in heterogeneous landscapes: A prospectus. Condor.
  • Sieving KE, Hetrick SA, and Avery MA. Published Online: 13 Nov 2009. Anti-predator communication by the tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor): Encoding of predation risk information. OIKOS, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.17682.x
  • Atwater M, and Sieving KE. 2008. Native dragonflies as pest-consumers in organic gardens and farms of North-central Florida: A preliminary assessment. Journal of Undergraduate Research. http://www.clas.ufl.edu/jur/
  • Schmidt, KA, E. Lee2, R. S. Ostfeld, and K. E. Sieving. 2008. Eastern chipmunks increase their perception of predation risk in response to titmouse alarm calls. Behavioral Ecology 19:759-763.
  • Farley, E. A., K. E. Sieving, and T. A. Contreras3. 2008. An objective method for determining species participation in complex mixed-species bird flocks. Journal of Ornithology 149: 451-468.


Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06

Outputs
Many forest bird species are declining due to the advance of agricultural and other human land uses into previously forested lands. This research seeks to understand avenues for integration of human land uses with conservation of forest birds. The purpose of my overall research program is to understand the range of processes and patterns in human-altered landscapes (previously forested) that allow or prevent native forest birds from persisting in them. Currently, I have various funded research projects focused on integration of native bird conservation with human-dominated systems. These systems include (but are not limited to) organic farming systems in Florida; national forest and other protected lands in Florida; and national park and private forest lands in Southern Chile. Approaches to sustainable integration of forest bird conservation with human systems draw from behavioral ecology, community ecology, and landscape ecology.

Impacts
The main impacts of my work this past year fall in three areas; 1. Training of young professionals. All of my research is collaborative with undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral advisees, and I mentor and publish with all of them. I finished several students this year (2 masters and 1 doctoral) and a post doc I advised got a tenure-track position. 2. Increased understanding of bird species behavioral responses to human-altered habitat and landscape structure. My work (and my students') focuses on behavioral barriers to moving in fragmented landscapes, and our results are applicable to management of vegetation at local (farm or landowner) to regional scales. Results from Chilean work (see Castellon publications) are just getting out and are being requested for conservation planning, and work here in Florida with organic farmers supports the observed rise in use of sunflower intercrops to promote biodiversity in organic farmlands. Our work is sought out by researchers and growers interested in sunflowers as biodiversity management tools. 3. Increased understanding of species interactions in enhancing species diversity in fragmented habitat. I work with complex facilitative interactions and recent findings indicate that some birds may be important to protect because their anti-predator behavior enhances persistence and possibly survival of other (sympatric) bird species. The impact of these findings has been greater understanding of the value of common species with positive interactions for less common species.

Publications

  • Willson, M. F., T. L. De Santo, K. E. Sieving, and J. J. Armesto. 2007. Nest success of open-cup nesting birds in Chilean rainforest. Boletin Chileno de Ornithologia.
  • Castellon, T. D., K. E. Sieving, and M. F. Willson. 2007. Invited essay. Conservation planning for flagship species in Valdivian temperate rainforests: Patch networks for the endemic Chucao Tapaculo. In J. Schipper, E. Dinnerson, D. Olson, T. Allnut, G. Castilleja (eds.), Terrestrial Ecoregions of Latin America and the Caribbean: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press Washington, DC.
  • Castellon, T. D. and K. E. Sieving. 2006. Landscape history, fragmentation, and patch occupancy: Models for a forest bird with limited dispersal. Ecological Applications 16: 2223-2234
  • Langham, G. M., T. A. Contreras, and K. E. Sieving. 2006. Why pishing works: Titmouse (Paridae) scolds elicit a generalized response in bird communities. Ecoscience 13: December.
  • Jones, G. A. and K. E. Sieving. 2006. Intercropping sunflowers in organic vegetables to augment avian predators of arthropod pests. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment. Castellon, T. D. and K. E. Sieving. 2006. An experimental test of matrix permeability and corridor use by an endemic understory bird. Conservation Biology 20: 135-145.


Progress 05/09/00 to 09/30/06

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Ecology and Conservation of Forest Birds Kathryn E. Sieving, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida OUTPUTS GOAL (1) Talks at National and Regional Meetings and Universities Aug. 2011. EXPLORATORY BEHAVIOR VARIES WITH MIXED-SPECIES FLOCKING PARTICIPATION AND FORAGING GUILD. Huang, P. Sieving, K. E. Fletcher, R. J. American Ornithologist's Union, Jacksonville FL Nov. 2009. A theory framework for behavioral landscape ecology. Behavioral Landscape Ecology symposium (co-organized by K. Sieving and C. Cornelius) and the 1st annual Latin American Intl Assoc. of Landscape Ecologists, Campos do Jordao, Brasil. Oct 2011: Tufted Timice and other Parids as Community Informants in Holarctic Bird Communities. School of Natural Resources, University of Illinois Sep 2008: Sound the alarm! Behavioral landscape ecology in the information age. Dept. of Biology, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brasil. Jan 2008: Risk-based or functionally-referential interspecific communication by titmice In the actions of the beholder Dept. of Animal Biology, University of Illinois. Jan 2008: Use of the focal species approach in conservation planning A Chilean case study and discussion. Illinois Natural History Survey. Oct. 2008: Sound the alarm Behavioral landscape ecology in the information age. Guest lecture in ZOO 6934 Behavioral ecology and conservation (Scott K. Robinson). GOAL (2) Talks and Posters July 2010. Domestic dogs as a threat for the conservation of the southern pudu in Chile diagnosis and management alternatives. Silva-Rodriguez, E.A., C. Verdugo, O.A. Aleuy, D. Gonzalez-Acuna & K.E. Sieving. 7th International Deer Biology Congress, Huilo-Huilo, Chile. Apr. 2010. Reproduction of Eastern bluebirds in relation to land management & food resources in NC FL. Emerging Issues 3 Along Urban-rural Interfaces: Linking Science & Society. Atlanta, GA. June 2008. Do birds listen when the titmouse speaks An experimental test of forest bird mobbing response under simulated predation risks in southeastern United States. Hua, Silva, et al. National meeting of TWS in Miami FL. July 2011. The Role of Birds, Bees and Bats in Farming. Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference, Kissimmee FL. Workshop Jim Devalerio, Jaret Daniels, & Holly Ober. Feb. 2011. Integrating sustainable farming and bird conservation. Invited by Santa Fe Audubon Society, Melrose. Dec. 2009. Heroic deeds of common garden birds: How tufted titmice help other birds avoid being eaten by predators. Invited speaker by Bellamy Road Gallery in Melrose, FL, for their fundraiser (Birds of a Feather Audubon Series of lectures and films) for Melrose Audubon Society. March 2008: Dragonfly foraging ecology on organic gardens and farms. University Scholars Program Symposium. Montana Atwater* and K. E. Sieving. (POSTER). PARTICIPANTS: All of this is in the report already entered. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Impacts are here defined as a. Student training and degree completion under directions on the objectives of this project. and b. Advances in understanding gleaned from the work conducted under the objectives. GOAL (1) a. Student/advisee training and degree completion Since 2008, the following students received their degrees under this research program goal. Dr. Ivan A. Diaz, Ph.D. 2008. (has faculty position in Chile) Dr. Matthew J. Reetz, Ph.D. 2008. (has post doc position in Wisconsin) Ping Huang, M.Sc. 2010. (is in a doctoral program). Willandia Chaves-Didier, M.Sc. 2009. (in the doctoral program). And the following undergraduate scholars completed theses related to this topic. Chelsea Heatherington, B.Sc. Highest Honors. 2011. (in a doctoral program) Chloe Wright, B.Sc. Highest Honors. 2011. (employed) Derrick Thrasher, B.Sc. Highest Honors. 2011. (in a doctoral program) Kelly Frye, B.Sc. Honors Thesis (2012) (in vet school) And the following graduate students have been accepted and are currently working on their degrees related to this project (projected graduation dates listed). Fangyuan Hua, Ph.D. candidate (2012) Eduardo Silva, Ph.D. candidate (2012) Jackson Frechette, Ph.D. candidate (2013) Willandia Chaves-Didier, Ph.D. candidate (2014) And the following undergraduate scholars have been accepted and are currently working on their theses under this program goal. Amanda Abel, B.Sc. (2013) Michael Bainum, B.Sc. (2013) b. Major Advances in understanding. i. Social information (from one species) influences the movements and risk-taking behavior of other species in forest bird communities - this finding explains why it is that the presence of tufted titmice alters the connectivity of fragmented landscapes for birds in NC Florida and elsewhere. ii. Direct information about predator activity is also used by birds to select breeding sites. iii. Domestic dogs heavily influence the distribution of prey species that are subject to harassment by free-ranging dogs, and iv. How well fed dogs are influences their harassment of wildlife species. v. Rat snakes are indirect facilitators of red-cockaded woodpeckers (they eat the competitors of RCWs, helping RCWs to maintain control over their cavities. Citation rates of related pubs are increasing. GOAL (2) a. Student/advisee training and degree completion Since 2008, the following students received their degrees under this research program goal. John J. DeLuca, M.Sc. 2008. (USFS Biologist, AZ) This graduate student will graduate next year under this program. Rosalyn Johnson, Ph.D. candidate (2013) This undergraduate scholar conducted her thesis on this project. Montana Atwater, B.Sc., Highest Honors. 2008. (in a docotral program)

Publications

  • Huang, Sieving, Fletcher. 2012. Exploratory Behavior Varies with Mixed-species Foraging Flock Participation. Ethology.
  • Silva-Rodriguez EA and Sieving KE. 2012. Domestic dog impacts on pudu in Chile. Biological Conservation.
  • Diaz IA, Sieving KE, Pena-Fox M, & Armesto JJ. 2012. Contribution of epiphytes to invertebrate diversity A field experiment in old-growth Chilean temperate rain forest. Ecosphere.
  • Huang P, Sieving KE, St. Mary CM. 2012. Heterospecific Information about Predation Risk Influences Exploratory Behavior. Behavioural Ecology.
  • Castellon TMD, Sieving KE. 2012. Can focal species planning for landscape connectivity meet the needs of South American temperate rainforest endemics Natural Areas Journal.
  • Hetrick SA and Sieving KE. 2011. Antipredator calls of tufted titmice and interspecific transfer of encoded threat information. Behavioral Ecology
  • Silva-Rodriguez EA & Sieving KE. 2011. How the care of domestic carnivores influences their predation on wildlife in Southern Chile. Conservation Biology Volume
  • Contreras TA and Sieving KE. 2011. Winter foraging flock leadership by tufted titmouse: Are tufted titmice passive nuclear species International Journal of Zoology. Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 670548, 11 pages
  • Kappes JJ, Jr. & KE Sieving. 2011. Resin-barrier maintenance as a mechanism of differential predation among occupants of red-cockaded woodpecker cavities. Condor 113:362-371.
  • Diaz IA, Sieving KE, Pena-Foxon ME, Larrain J & Armesto JJ. 2010. Epiphyte diversity and biomass loads of canopy emergent trees in Chilean temperate rain forests: A neglected functional component. Forest Ecology & Management 259:1490-1501.
  • Fletcher, R. A. and K. E. Sieving. 2010. Social information use in heterogeneous landscapes: A prospectus. Condor 112: 225-234.
  • Sieving KE, Hetrick SA, and Avery MA. 2010. Anti-predator communication by the tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor): Encoding of predation risk information. Oikos 119:264-276.
  • Schmidt, K. A., E. Lee, R. S. Ostfeld, and K. E. Sieving. 2008. Eastern chipmunks increase their perception of predation risk in response to titmouse alarm calls. Behavioral Ecology 19: 759-763.
  • Farley, E. A., K. E. Sieving, and T. A. Contreras. 2008. An objective method for determining species participation in complex mixed-species bird flocks. Journal of Ornithology 149: 451-468.
  • Sieving and De Luca. 2010. Reproduction of Eastern bluebirds in relation to land management and food resources in NC Florida. Emerging Issues 3 Along Urban-rural Interfaces: Linking Science and Society. Atlanta, GA. ABSTRACT.
  • Atwater M and KE Sieving. 2008. Native dragonflies as pest-consumers in organic gardens and farms of North-central Florida: A preliminary assessment. Journal of Undergraduate Research 2008 no. 11. www.clas.ufl.edu/jur/200811/papers/atwater.pdf


Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05

Outputs
This report actually covers activity since 2002. In this time, I and my students and collaborators reached two major plateaus in our work. First, in understanding the mechanisms causing isolation of forest birds when forest habit is fragmented, research studies in Chile and Florida have clearly identified the importance of 1. predator-escape cover in the intervening matrix between isolated forest patches, and 2. behavioral facilitation of movement between patches by social dominants (in this case - bird species that flock with Eastern Tufted Titmice). In the case of the first finding, it is clear that conservation of forest birds in human-dominated landscapes will require management of vegetation in the matrix. Our work in Chilean old-fields, in fragmented forest of NC Florida, and in organic farm fields has shown that provision of vegetative complexity allows forest birds to make important interpatch movements to fulfill important ecological functions (feeding, mate-finding, and dispersal). Our second finding is that flocking species of forest birds rely on the socially dominant species (in this case Tufted Titmice) to facilitate interpatch crossings through open habitat with high risk of predation by flying raptors (i.e., sharp-shinned hawks). This interspecific dependency influences the realized connectedness of the ladscape for forest birds. In other words, if looking at an aerial photo of forest fragments, the realized connectivity of that landscape for forest birds would be less than we would know via landscape metric analysis alone if the facilitator species was absent. We are actively pursuing understanding of why other species follow titmice so readily, but so far we have clearly documented the leader-follower relationships. Our work suggests that conservation of titmice, and leader/facilitator species in general, may be critical for maintaining and restoring biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes.

Impacts
Some realized impacts of my work, that will continue to become even more important, is that the research findings for Chilean birds in fragmented south-temperate rainforest are already being used in regional conservation planning (by WWF and Chilean government) to establish reserve networks in the tenth region of Chile to help restore and maintain the critically endangered south-temperate rainforest biome. I and my students have been invited to several international workshops and meetings to participate in planning strategies for protection of this biome - both scientific and social aspects of identifying scenarios for future protection schemes. My work in organic farms has identified an intercropping practice (multi-branching sunflowers) that increases insectivory in vegetable cropd by native passerine birds. Several local growers, as a result of participating in our study, now regularly plant sunflowers and swearthat it reduces insect herbivore damage to their leafy greens. We are in the process of writing proposals to quantitatively assess the impacts of the intercrop on insect populations and herbivory. That is the next step.

Publications

  • Castellon, T. D. and K. E. Sieving. 2006. An experimental test of matrix permeability and corridor use by an endemic understory bird. Conservation Biology.
  • G. S. Cumming, G. Barnes, S. Perz, M. Schmink, K. E. Sieving, J. Southworth, M. Binford, R. D. Holt, C. Stickler, T. Van Holt. 2005. An exploratory framework for the empirical measurement of resilience. Ecosystems 8: 975-987.
  • Davis, J. D, K. E. Sieving, and J. J. Kappes, Jr. 2005. Red-cockaded Woodpecker roost cavity defense during the non-breeding season. Florida Field Naturalist 33: 81-92.
  • Jones, G. A., K. E. Sieving, S. K. Jacobson. 2005. Avian biodiversity and functional insectivory in north-central Florida farmlands. Conservation Biology 19: 1234-1245.
  • Jones, G. A., K. E. Sieving, M. L. Avery, R. L. Meagher. 2005. Parasitized and non-parasitized prey selectivity by an insectivorous bird. Crop Protection 24: 185-189.
  • Diaz, I., J. J. Armesto, S. Reid, K. E. Sieving, and M. F. Willson. 2005. Linking forest structure and composition: avian diversity in successional forest of Chiloe Island, Chile. Biological Conservation 123: 91-101.
  • Willson, M. F., K. E. Sieving, T. L. De Santo. 2004. Aves de Chiloe: diversidad, amenazas y estrategias de conservacion. Chapter in History, Biodiversity and Ecology of the Coastal Rainforest, Chile. Cecilia Smith-Ramirez, Juan J. Armesto & Claudio Valdovinos (eds.). Editorial Universitaria, Santiago,Chile.
  • Sieving, K. E., T. A. Contreras, and K. L. Maute. 2004. Heterospecific facilitation of forest boundary-crossing by mobbing understory birds. Auk 121: 738-751.
  • Davis, J. M., K. E. Sieving, and J. J. Kappes, Jr. 2003. Red-cockaded woodpecker roost cavity defense during the non-breeding season. Proc. Red-cockaded Woodpecker Symposium IV. US Fish and Wildlife Service.
  • Willson, M. F., T. L. De Santo, and K. E. Sieving. 2003. Red squirrels and predation risk to bird nests in northern forests. Canadian Journal of Zoology 81: 1202-1208.
  • Jacobson, S. K., K. E. Sieving, G. A. Jones, J. McElroy, M. E. Hostetler, S. W. Miller. 2003. Farmers' opinions about bird conservation and pest management on organic and conventional North Florida farms. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Circular 1426. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW169
  • Jacobson, S. K., K. E. Sieving, G. A. Jones, and A. Van Doorn. 2003. Assessment of farmer attitudes and behavioral intentions toward bird conservation on organic and conventional Florida farms. Conservation Biology 17: 595-606.


Progress 10/01/01 to 10/01/02

Outputs
Project 1. Forest bird movement and habitat use in degraded forest landscapes of North Florida. One paper published, two manuscripts in review - not listed here. 2 grants received, two grant proposals submitted. Kappes, J. J. and K. E. Sieving. Snag and red-cockaded woodpecker cavity use by cavity-requiring species. Supported by FL Department of Military Affairs 30,000. Funds John Kappes' dissertation research. Sieving, K. E., G. W. Tanner, and T. Contreras. Vertebrate responses to fire and fire surrogates. National Joint Fire Science Program, USDI-USDA Forest Service. 60,000. This contract provides salary for post-doctoral position dedicated to moving this part of my program forward. Project 2. Landscape ecology of rainforest-requiring birds in pastoral landscapes of southern Chile. 1 Manuscript written within 2 months of submission, not listed here, and 1 paper in review, 1 paper published, no new grants received, 4 grant proposals submitted. Project 3. South-temperate rainforest restoration in Chile. 2 manuscripts in preparation, 2 grant proposals submitted, no new grants received. Project 4. Evolutionary ecology of avian nest predation. 1 paper published, 2 mss in preparation to be submitted soon.

Impacts
My research focuses on the consequences of forest degradation for avian biodiversity, and practical strategies for its restoration and maintenance in human-dominated landscapes. My work has significantly helped to catalyze two major interdisciplinary research proposals that were formalized this year. 1. A Center for Organic Farming Research was established this past year in IFAS (yay!), and I am on the Board of Directors. 2. Spatial Aspects of Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems was a joint proposal submitted this year to NSF's Biocomplexity Program. PI's, Graeme Cumming, Kathryn Sieving, Michael Binford, Jane Southworth, Steven Perz.

Publications

  • Jacobson, S. K., K. E. Sieving, and G. A. Jones. 2002. Attitudes and behavioral intentions of organic and conventional farmers toward wild bird conservation. Conservation Biology.
  • De Santo, T. L., M. F. Willson, and K. E. Sieving. 2002. Nesting biology of Tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae) in fragmented south-temperate rainforests of Chile. Condor 104:482-495.
  • Santisteban, L., K. E. Sieving, and M. L. Avery. 2002. Sensory cues used by selected avian and mammalian nest predators. J. Avian Biology 33: 245-252.


Progress 10/01/00 to 10/01/01

Outputs
Project 1. Forest bird movement and habitat use in degraded forest landscapes of North Florida. 2 Manuscripts Written, within 2 months of submission, not listed here, and 2 papers in review, not listed. 3 Grants Received, Kappes, J. J. and K. E. Sieving. Snag and red-cockaded woodpecker cavity use by cavity-requiring species. Supported by FL Department of Military Affairs 180,000. Funds John Kappes' dissertation research. Sieving, K.E. and G.A. Jones. Birds and Flowers in Organic Farm Fields: Refugia for the Enhancement of Natural Enemies of Arthropod Pests. Organic Farming Research Foundation 4,600. Sieving, K. E., G. W. Tanner, and T. Contreras. Vertebrate responses to fire and fire surrogates. National Joint Fire Science Program, USDI-USDA Forest Service. 60,000. This contract provides salary for post-doctoral position dedicated to moving this part of my program forward. New post-doc will be in place by March 2002 to begin generating faster progress in this area. Graduate Students Supported: John J. Kappes, Jr., Doctoral Candidate, Gregory A. Jones, Doctoral Candidate Project 2. Landscape ecology of rainforest-requiring birds in pastoral landscapes of southern Chile. 2 Manuscripts Written within 2 months of submission, not listed here, and 1 paper in review, 1 Grant Received Darnell, T. M. and K. E. Sieving. Matrix permeability and corridor use by endemic forest birds of south-temperate rainforest. Disney Conservation Fund 16,000. Graduate Students Supported, Traci Darnell; doctoral candidate, Matthew J. Reetz, doctoral student Project 3. South-temperate rainforest restoration in Chile. Graduate Students Supported, Michael P Milleson, MSc student - A predictive model of avian influences on native forest regeneration rate was developed, and will be tested this coming field season. Milleson's thesis work on this topic is nearing completion, and manuscripts will be generated soon. Project 4. Evolutionary ecology of avian nest predation. 2 Manuscripts Written within 2 months of submission, not listed, 1 paper in press not listed, Graduate Students Supported, Leonard Santisteban, MSc degree awarded Dec 2001.

Impacts
My research focuses on the consequences of forest degradation for avian biodiversity, and practical strategies for its restoration and maintenance in human-dominated landscapes. My work has significantly helped to catalyze two major interdisciplinary research proposals that will be formalized in the coming year. 1. Development of a UF Research and Training Facility for Organic Agriculture, Proposal submitted to the Deans for Research, Academic Programs & Extension. UF Participants, M.E. Swisher, K. E. Sieving, J.M.S. Scholberg, S.A. Sargent, R. McSorley, J. Ferguson, K.L. Buhr, G. Cumming, D. Haman, A. Hodges, E. Simonne, D. Graetz, O.E. Liburd, S.K. Jacobson, Professional Participants, R. Koenig, M. Mesh 2. Spatial Aspects of Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems, to be submitted to the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis CO - PI's, Graeme Cumming, Kathryn Sieving, Michael Binford, Grenville Barnes, Marianne Schmink, Juan Armesto.

Publications

  • Willson, M. F., J. L. Morrison, K. E. Sieving, T. L. De Santo, L. Santisteban, and I. Diaz. 2001. Patterns of nest survival and predation risk in a Chilean agricultural landscape. Conserv. Biol. 15:447-456.
  • Kappes, J. J. and K. E. Sieving. 2001. Monitoring and research: red-cockaded woodpeckers on Camp Blanding Training Site. Final report to Florida Department of Military Affairs, St. Augustine, FL.
  • Darnell, T. M. and K. E. Sieving. 2001. Matrix permeability and corridor use by endemic forest birds of south-temperate rainforest. Annual Report to Disney Conservation Fund.


Progress 10/01/99 to 09/30/00

Outputs
1. Forest bird movement and habitat use in degraded forest landscapes of North Florida. a. I finished collecting data last winter to describe the relative influences of different forest bird species alarm calls on the intensity of the mobbing response by understory winter flocks. This work suggests that our previous findings, that solicitation of mobbing flocks by tufted titmice can draw understory forest birds outside forest into open and degraded forest habitats (Sieving and Maute, ms), derive from behavioral mechanisms uniquely associated with titmice. Results of these studies will be combined with data from experiments planned for this winter concerning the size of the titmouse alarm call repertoire; we will determine whether titmice have reliably distinct calls for different predator species. Together, these studies will help us to discern potential mechanisms underlying the strong mobbing response that titmice elicit within the understory bird community. Several more experiments are planned to extend this work such that I will (eventually) be able to fully test the complex hypothesis that tufted titmice may facilitate movement of understory flocking species in degraded forest landscapes, via reduction of perceived risk from predation. b. My doctoral student, Gregory Jones, is currently analyzing data collected on the distribution and foraging behavior of wild birds in organic and conventional farms (Florida First funding (20,000$) to me and Susan K. Jacobson). This study will culminate in two publications next year, and will provide the foundation for assessing the potential for integrating wild bird conservation with pest management schemes on organic farms in Florida (Greg Jones' dissertation topic). 2. Corridors for rainforest-requiring birds in pastoral landscapes of southern Chile. This sub-project is being continued by my doctoral student, Traci Darnell, funded by Disney Conservation Fund (20,000) for the next two field seasons (Dec - March 2000-2001 and 2001-2002). Preliminary work was published this year in Conservation Biology (see below), and was featured on the cover of the issue. 3. South-temperate rainforest restoration in Chile. This project is being carried forward by my masters student Michael P. Milleson, funded primarily by my state research allocation, and is currently focused on understanding how to design 'recruitment foci' (spots that attract seed-dispersing birds and provide seed germination sites) in abandoned oldfields to facilitate native forest regeneration. Michael has successfully defended his proposal and is currently headed to Chile for his second field season. This work will provide a strong foundation for further experiments at the landscape scale designed to identify the most efficient and least costly methods for forest regeneration to enhance both the quality of life for local landowners and habitat for the unique and endangered biota of south-temperate rainforest. 4. Evolutionary ecology of avian nest predation. Several manuscripts are in various stages of analysis, preparation, review, and publication for this project (see below). No data collection is in progress at this time.

Impacts
My research focuses on the consequences of forest degradation for avian biodiversity, and practical strategies for its restoration and maintenance in human dominated landscapes. In Florida, my research is directed toward understanding management of human dominated landscapes, where forest is the principal historic cover type (farmlands and protected areas), to favor bird conservation. In Chile, my work is used by national natural resource agencies in regional planning for biodiversity conservation, and this benefits the global community from the perspective of protection of an endemic fauna and globally unique biome. In the local farming community where we work in southern Chile, our research is directed toward the goal of realizing economic and ecological benefits for landowners (least-cost forest restoration).

Publications

  • Willson, M. F., J. L. Morrison, K. E. Sieving, T. L. De Santo, L. Santisteban, and I. Diaz. 2000. Predation risk and survival of bird nests: patterns in a Chilean agricultural landscape. In Press, Conservation Biology.
  • Sieving, K. E., M. F. Willson, and T. L. De Santo. 2000. Defining corridor functions for endemic birds of south-temperate rainforest. Conservation Biology 14:1120-1132.