My research during my master’s and doctoral degrees has focused on birds as providers of pest control in working landscapes. Cavity-nesting birds that use nest boxes on farms provide an excellent model system for understanding the interactions between birds and other lower trophic levels. My doctoral research at the University of Maryland is focused on bluebird nest boxes in rural Virginia. I am collaborating with the Smithsonian’s Virginia Working Landscapes to assess the impact of eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) on insect pests on cattle and produce farms.
Cavity-nesting birds in working lanscapes. On the left, an eastern bluebird, photo by Brooke McDonough. Middle, a tree swallow, photo by Allison Huysman. Right, barn owl nestings, photo by Allison Huysman.
Sampling vegetation and insects along a transect in a cattle farm in Virginia, photo by Brooke McDonough.
In an experimental study design, I am collecting insect samples from sites with and without nest boxes, then adding nest boxes to sites without and collecting samples after. I am simultaneously collecting fecal samples to confirm the diets of bluebirds and swallows using nest boxes. I am analyzing diet and insect community composition using DNA metabarcoding in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s Center for Conservation Genomics. These data will reveal the insects that bluebirds and swallows eat in agricultural landscapes and how the presence of nest boxes may affect the insect community.
Collecting diet and insect samples. On the left, a vial holding a fecal sample from an eastern bluebird, photo by Brooke McDonough. Middle, a malaise trap collecting insects in a cattle farm, photo by Allison Huysman. Right, sweep netting for insects, photo by Brooke McDonough
@article{10.1002/ece3.8416,title={Habitat selection by a predator of rodent pests is resilient to wildfire in a vineyard agroecosystem},author={Huysman, A. E. and Johnson, M. D.},journal={Ecology and Evolution},volume={11},year={2021},doi={10.1002/ece3.8416},url={https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8416},publisher={Wiley},}
Ornithol App
Hunting habitat use and selection of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) in the urban-agricultural setting of a winegrape growing region of California
@article{10.1093/ornithapp/duaa058,title={Hunting habitat use and selection of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) in the urban-agricultural setting of a winegrape growing region of California},author={Castaneda, X. A. and Huysman, A. E. and Johnson, M. D.},journal={Ornithological Applications},volume={122},issue={1},year={2021},doi={10.1093/ornithapp/duaa058},url={https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithapp/duaa058},publisher={AOS},}
