FW: NGRREC’s Justin Shew Publishes Research Findings in the Journal of Applied Ecology
Fretueg, Gregory
FYI
From: Justin Shew <js...@lc.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2019 3:16 PM
To: Fretueg, Gregory <Gregory...@illinois.gov>
Subject: [External] FW: NGRREC’s Justin Shew Publishes Research Findings in the Journal of Applied Ecology
Hi Greg,
One has finally arrived! Thought this one would be of interest to the group. I presented this work at the last annual meeting. Folks can download the paper for two weeks for free using the link below in the press release and they can always reach out to me if there are questions or if they miss the two-week window. More to come in the future.
Thanks,
Justin
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Justin Shew, Ph.D. | Conservation Program Manager
National Great Rivers Research & Education Center
Lewis & Clark Community College
Jerry F. Costello Confluence Field Station
One Confluence Way | East Alton, IL 62024
618.468.2843 office | 314.520.8786 cell
Google Scholar | Research Gate Profile
For Immediate Release
January 8, 2019
NGRREC’s Justin Shew Publishes Research Findings in the Journal of Applied Ecology
GODFREY – The Journal of Applied Ecology recently published an article about grassland-bird nest survival by National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s (NGRREC℠) Conservation Program Manager Justin Shew.
The research was conducted as a part of Shew’s doctoral studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory. He earned his doctorate in December 2016.
“Our research demonstrated that tractor-based management, such as light-strip discing, and establishing native-grass practices on private grasslands enrolled in the federal and widely popular Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), can improve nest survival of multiple grassland bird species and communities,” Shew said. “However, habitat managers and conservationists must realize that when viewed from a multi-scale perspective (i.e. assessing a range of habitat factors from nest-site characteristics to landscape context), nest survival is often best predicted by unmanageable finer-scale habitat factors.”
Shew studied the nest survival of red-winged blackbirds and dickcissels, and two nesting communities (ground and above-ground nesters), relative to management and multi-scale habitat. This research is particularly important because many grassland bird populations in North America have been consistently declining over decades and properly guided management decisions may help alleviate these declines.
“We recommend grasslands be managed to provide a variety of nesting opportunities for birds and that agency staff promote grassland management and native-grass practices on private lands, especially within beneficial landscapes, that also foster within-field colonization and persistence of focal species,” Shew said.
As the NGRREC conservation program manager, Shew works closely with partners such as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which both administer and support crucial private lands conservation programs in the state of Illinois.
His research is extremely relevant to the partners with which he works, especially the NRCS. In one of his roles, he manages and coordinates NGRREC’s Land Conservation Specialist program. The specialists are remotely stationed in several NRCS service center offices and assist NRCS and many private landowners directly with the Conservation Reserve Program. Therefore, his research will be directly communicated to NRCS partners and NGRREC’s LCSs for improved habitat management guidance for the benefit of wildlife, such as grassland birds.
“Dr. Shew’s published work is a very good example of how NGRREC uses science-based information to directly inform land and water conservation practices and policies,” said NGRREC Senior Scientist Richard Warner. “NGRREC’s Land Conservation Specialist program is directly benefitting many private landholders in the Lewis and Clark district, assisting them in achieving their goals while optimizing outcomes for land, water, and wildlife conservation.”
The public will be able to access the paper for free for two weeks through the Journal of Applied Ecology’s website and Digital Object Identifier (DOI) at: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.13317. Statistical code and data can be found at: doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jt862g8. The public is welcome to contact Shew for more details regarding this research via e-mail at js...@lc.edu.
National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠)
Founded in 2002 as a collaborative partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Lewis and Clark Community College, NGRREC is dedicated to the study of great river systems and the communities that use them. The center aspires to be a leader in scholarly research, education, and outreach related to the interconnectedness of large rivers, their floodplains, watersheds, and their associated communities. To learn more about NGRREC, visit www.ngrrec.org.
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A male dickcissel (Spiza americana) perched on a dead forb stalk. Policy-based management often promoted such forbs, which were sometimes undesirable to landowners but used by certain birds for perching and nesting substrates. Photo by Justin Shew, study author
A management strip from a native dominated CRP field that was lightly strip disced via tractor the previous fall (picture taken in early spring). Of all management treatments, discing appeared to provide the greatest improvement to grassland bird nest survival, specifically for the above-ground nesting community. Photo by Justin Shew, study author
Thanks!
Louise Jett, M.Ed
Media Specialist,
Adjunct Faculty Member,
The Bridge Advisor
FO 2522, 5800 Godfrey Road
Godfrey IL, 62035
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