August 23, 2012
Research by CAP scientists has found that native vegetation in urban areas supports native bird species better than grass lawns, thus preserving avian biodiversity in cities. This is detailed in a recently-published article, "Linking foraging decisions to residential yard bird composition," in PLOS ONE by Susannah Lerman (CAP graduate student), Paige Warren (currently a visiting professor with CAP from University of Massachusetts-Amherst), Hilary Gan (CAP field assistant), and Eyal Shochat (CAP research associate). The research made use of innovative techniques to quantify bird foraging behavior in both mesic (grass) yards and yards with desert-like landscaping. For more information, see the press release from the National Science Foundation.