Presenter(s)

    Kiyah Burroughs

    Comments

    3:00-4:15, Kennedy Union Ballroom

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    Description

    Invasive plant species pose serious threats to biodiversity within many ecosystems, including in the American Midwest, by outcompeting native plants. Extended phenology of invasive plants is a useful adaptation of invasive plant species that allow better success at outcompeting native plant species. This research focuses on identifying bird species found within two study sites, Spring Run Conservation Area and Fouke Forest Preserve, and the identification of seeds found within bird feces collected at those sites, throughout the year, to gain a better understanding of the influence birds have on seed dispersal into prairie habitats. It is hypothesized that seed species within bird droppings will vary throughout the year as well as vary among the different bird species. Bird feces were collected in baskets from the study sites from July 2024-January 2025 and sorted to species. Seed viability was accessed through the use of a TZ test and germination trails. Many seed species were identified based on seed morphology. Those that were difficult to identify through seed morphology alone underwent a cold stratification before being germinated so that they may be identified using sprout morphology. After collection, it was observed that native seedlings were collected more in the summer while invasives were present in bird feces in the late fall and winter. The visible shift in seed species from native seeds to heavily invasive shows the effectiveness invasive plant species have on open field establishment through bird dispersal techniques. This research aids in providing a wider understanding of the impact birds have on open field plant establishment, specifically their impact on invasive species success, and brings us one step closer to finding solutions

    Publication Date

    4-23-2025

    Project Designation

    Course Project - BIO 421 01

    Primary Advisor

    Lindsey Christine Dewey, Ryan W. McEwan

    Primary Advisor's Department

    Biology

    Keywords

    Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

    Institutional Learning Goals

    Practical Wisdom; Vocation; Critical Evaluation of Our Times

    From Beak to Prairie: Bird Influence on Seed Dispersal and Invasive Plant Establishment

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