Photo by Grace Schuster
Project Team
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Students
- Kol Tafka (UCARE, Cabela's Apprenticeship Program)
Funding Source
Main goals for this project:
- Understand the relationship between species richness and diversity of native birds and pheasant abundance.
- Evaluate whether Ring-necked pheasants could be a valuable umbrella species for native bird communities.
Why is this research needed?
Native grassland bird species are in decline in Nebraska and surrounding Plains states. One conservation strategy to address declining numbers of bird populations is the concept of umbrella species; wherein the conservation of habitat for one species may contribute to the conservation of co-occurring species. In Nebraska, the Ring-necked pheasant is an economically important species because of its value to hunting and is therefore managed for throughout the state.
How will this research help?
Understanding the implications of pheasants as a potential umbrella species could help inform conservation strategies for other grassland bird populations. We will utilize acoustic monitor data to determine if pheasant abundance has a significant correlation to the presence of certain native bird species. The success of this project will contribute to the limited information we have on pheasant conservation and its effect on native birds. This will provide insight into more efficient conservation strategies and habitat management practices for public and private land.