2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium
Location
Schindler Education Center, University of Northern Iowa
Presentation Type
Open Access Poster Presentation
Document Type
poster
Abstract
Birds are known to specialize in habitats based on vegetation characteristics like litter and bare ground cover, vegetation stature, and density (Fisher and Davis 2010). On a global scale, birds reside in certain regions where the vegetation suits their needs. Habitat selection by species is influenced by many factors, including food and resource availability and vegetation structure (Gumede et al. 2022). In restored tallgrass prairie habitats, plots of different ages and management histories may have varied vegetation characteristics, resulting in a mosaic of heterogeneous patches that may influence bird habitat use and maintain grassland bird species diversity (Hovick et al. 2015). Some species prefer open ground and minimal vegetation for foraging and nesting, while others prefer taller and denser vegetation with more litter cover (Myers et al. 2015).
Irvine Prairie is a large restored tallgrass prairie spanning 292 acres near Dysart, Iowa. The University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center has restored 8 to 35 acres of farmland to prairie each year since 2018. This effort has created a large, mosaic prairie with plots of different ages having distinct vegetation characteristics, providing a diverse array of bird habitats. Our study’s main research objectives were to:
- Document variation in vegetation characteristics among plots
- Determine whether bird assemblages (groups of species) are uniform or variable among plots at Irvine Prairie.
Start Date
31-7-2026 11:00 AM
End Date
31-7-2026 1:30 PM
Event Host
Summer Undergraduate Research Program, University of Northern Iowa
Faculty Advisor
Mark Myers
Department
Department of Biology
Department
Tallgrass Prairie Center
Copyright
©2026 Sykora Smith, Claire Newton, Myah Sierens, and Mark C. Myers
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
2.62 MB
Recommended Citation
Smith, Sykora; Newton, Claire; Sierens, Myah; and Myers, Mark C., "Bird Habitat Selection in a Mosaic Restoration" (2026). Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium. 7.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/surp/2026/all/7
Bird Habitat Selection in a Mosaic Restoration
Schindler Education Center, University of Northern Iowa
Birds are known to specialize in habitats based on vegetation characteristics like litter and bare ground cover, vegetation stature, and density (Fisher and Davis 2010). On a global scale, birds reside in certain regions where the vegetation suits their needs. Habitat selection by species is influenced by many factors, including food and resource availability and vegetation structure (Gumede et al. 2022). In restored tallgrass prairie habitats, plots of different ages and management histories may have varied vegetation characteristics, resulting in a mosaic of heterogeneous patches that may influence bird habitat use and maintain grassland bird species diversity (Hovick et al. 2015). Some species prefer open ground and minimal vegetation for foraging and nesting, while others prefer taller and denser vegetation with more litter cover (Myers et al. 2015).
Irvine Prairie is a large restored tallgrass prairie spanning 292 acres near Dysart, Iowa. The University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center has restored 8 to 35 acres of farmland to prairie each year since 2018. This effort has created a large, mosaic prairie with plots of different ages having distinct vegetation characteristics, providing a diverse array of bird habitats. Our study’s main research objectives were to:
- Document variation in vegetation characteristics among plots
- Determine whether bird assemblages (groups of species) are uniform or variable among plots at Irvine Prairie.
