Fwd. ENVS THESIS DEFENSE: Kelley Valentine THIS Wednesday 3/22, 1:30 WSQ 111: Hedgerows Provide Critical Bird Habitat on Farms in Santa Cruz County, CA
Laura Bates
PLEASE FORWARD, ANNOUNCE, AND POST:
The Department of Environmental Studies at San José State University
pleased to present a public research presentation:
Wednesday, MArch 22, 2017 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM WASHINGTON SQUARE HALL 111 |
Kelley Valentine M.S. Candidate Environmental Studies Department San José State University
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Hedgerows Provide Critical Bird Habitat on Farms in Santa Cruz County, California
Industrial agriculture continues to deplete biodiversity and natural habitats and increase toxic pollution levels, nowhere more than in California's lucrative agroecosystems. An alternative approach to food, fiber, and fuel production that is wildlife-friendly and sustainable is required in order to reverse and curtail these adverse effects. The diversification of agricultural systems both on and near farms is an important step in attaining such agricultural practices. One tactic increasingly utilized on farms for a variety of benefits is the planting of hedgerows along field margins rather than leaving margins bare and unmanaged. Hedgerows have been extensively utilized and studied in Europe, however most research has focused on their effects on natural enemy insect populations. Research on hedgerow effects on bird populations as well as on hedgerows in the Central Coast region of California in general is lacking. This study is the first to evaluate bird populations in hedgerows compared to unenhanced field margins in Santa Cruz County, California. Observational vegetation surveys and avian area searches were conducted during the spring season on organic farms in Santa Cruz County. Avian abundance and species richness were compared between the two field margin types. Results indicated higher abundance and species richness overall in hedgerow margins compared to unenhanced margins. Specifically, insectivore and songbird abundance and richness, and resident species abundance, were higher in hedgerow margins. These results show that hedgerow margins have the potential to provide critical bird habitat to agricultural landscapes that would otherwise be lacking, without necessarily promoting increased pest species or crop predation.
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