Date of Award
1-1-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S. in Biological Science
First Advisor
Jason Hoeksema
Second Advisor
Clifford Ochs
Third Advisor
Michel Ohmer
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
The global human population continues to grow exponentially, and agriculture will need to become more productive to meet growing food demands. Humans also need clean water and other services that ecosystems provide. This requires future agriculture production to reduce environmental and wildlife impacts through improved efficiencies and best management practices. Migratory shorebirds rely on wetlands throughout North and South America as stopover habitat for rest and refueling during migration. Temporarily flooded farmlands in the Mississippi Delta have proven to be beneficial locations for shorebirds during migrations along the central flyway. This conservation practice also enhances wetland properties that promote excess nitrogen (N) retention or removal. However, little research has been conducted to evaluate how shorebird activity influences N cycling in these temporary wetland habitats on agricultural lands. Soil cores collected from shorebird exclosure plots and shorebird accessible plots were used to measure N cycling processes including denitrification and N uptake. The paired exclosure plots were also used to measure invertebrate densities to identify the relationship between shorebird presence, invertebrate densities, and their relationship to nitrogen cycling. Exclosure plots had a significant impact on total invertebrate densities and oxygen consumption while showing no effect on nitrogen cycling. Using these results, we can better understand how interactions between wildlife and habitat created through best management practices may enhance ecosystem services in managed agroecosystems.
Recommended Citation
Blocker, Victoria, "Indirect and direct pathways of migratory shorebird effects on nitrogen cycling within temporarily flooded agricultural fields" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2921.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2921