John’s Project

Here is a blurb John wrote for his project. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out! We’ll post updates as things progress if you’re interested about how their work is going.

I am working on the Ecology of Bird Loss Project (link below) that is trying to understand how the introduction of the invasive Brown Tree Snake, which caused the extinction of all of Guam’s forest birds, will affect the island ecosystems. Birds on these islands provide key benefits for plants by eating their fruit and later passing the seed, successfully dispersing tree species throughout the forest. The trees rely on the birds for reproduction and with this loss the entire community is now in jeopardy.

On Saipan, an island not yet affected by the snake I am running a gut passage and germination experiment using four different species of birds (pictures below!) and twenty one species of trees. This study will show which birds disperse which seeds, and how beneficial it is for the seeds to be passed through the bird’s gut. Understanding how birds influence germination of plant species will help them predict the future of Guam’s forests without birds, develop management strategies for the bird-free forests of Guam, plan for possible re-introductions of birds to protected areas of Guam, and shed light on the importance of seed dispersers for fragmented forests globally, that continue to face increasing destruction.

I also help in a project that mist-nets and then relocates birds on Saipan to other islands in the Marianas chain. One of the main aspects of this study, which was developed and managed by Pacific Bird Conservation, is setting up sanctuary islands as a safety net in case the bird species here were to become threatened with possible events like the Brown Tree Snake being introduced (to Saipan). They also work closely with AZA zoos in North America, setting up captive breeding populations and managing species survival plans. Pacific Bird Conservation is a 501 (c)(3) non profit that is doing some great work, their link is below!

  Ecology of Birdloss     Pacific Bird Conservation