Major
Environmental Science
Anticipated Graduation Year
2026
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
Marsh-dwelling birds breed and forage in Laurentian Great Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCWs). Typha × glauca (hereafter Typha) has altered the plant composition of GLCWs and impacted marsh bird populations. Emerging technologies, autonomous recording units (ARUs) and BirdNET, can be used to passively monitor birds. This study aimed to determine how plant communities (sedge meadow, Typha, bulrush, open water) and distance affect marsh bird detection rates. Detections declined beyond 75 meters in all plant communities. Detections were lower in Typha stands compared to bulrush stands. This study informs monitoring strategies for marsh bird surveys by identifying accurate sampling methods in GLCWs.
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Shane Lishawa, MS, School of Environmental Sustainability; Brian Ohsowski, PhD, School of Environmental Sustainability; Madeline Palmquist, Graduaet Student, School of Environmental Sustainability
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Marsh Bird Passive Acoustic Monitoring Detections Affected by Plant Communities
Marsh-dwelling birds breed and forage in Laurentian Great Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCWs). Typha × glauca (hereafter Typha) has altered the plant composition of GLCWs and impacted marsh bird populations. Emerging technologies, autonomous recording units (ARUs) and BirdNET, can be used to passively monitor birds. This study aimed to determine how plant communities (sedge meadow, Typha, bulrush, open water) and distance affect marsh bird detection rates. Detections declined beyond 75 meters in all plant communities. Detections were lower in Typha stands compared to bulrush stands. This study informs monitoring strategies for marsh bird surveys by identifying accurate sampling methods in GLCWs.