Assessing the Relationship Between Invasive Berry Producing Plants and Bird Communities in Wetlands

• Luke Fultz

  Juniata College

  Author

• Karl Suttmann

  Juniata College

  Author

Invasive plants have been shown to have a profound effect on their ecosystem. Wetland ecosystems are easily impacted by these invasive plants which then may shape the wildlife community in the wetland. Research was conducted at four constructed wetland sites of similar composition, in Central Pennsylvania, to determine whether there is a relationship between the density of invasive berry producing plants and bird communities in wetland environments. Berry scores, based on abundance and density, were calculated to rank each of the four wetlands from least to greatest availability of invasive berry producing plants. We found no significant correlation between frugivorous bird density and invasive berry density (r= -0.322, p= 0.678). Conservation scores were assigned to each species. We found no significant correlation between the density of frugivorous birds of conservation concern and berry density (r= -0.453, p= 0.547). An analysis of species richness for birds by site also produced statistically insignificant results (r= 0.239, p= 0.761). Analysis of migratory vs. residential species richness (r= 0.742, p=0.258) and proportion (r= 0.829, p=0.171) compared to invasive berry density also exhibited little to no significant correlation. We also compared the density (r= -0.114, p= 0.886) and species richness (r= 0.895, p= 0.105) of insectivorous birds to the density of invasive berry producing plants and found no significant correlation. Overall, the study was unable to confirm that there is a relationship between the density of invasive berry producing plants and the density of frugivorous bird species in wetland environments.

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