Bird Abundance and Diversity Research
As an undergraduate student, Eva Soluk conducted independent research at Spirit Mound Historic Prairie in southeast South Dakota. Her project included an inventory of bird species present at Spirit Mound based on both density dependent surveys and free wandering bird surveys aimed at observing (by sight or sound) breeding behavior. The goal of the research was to assess prairie restoration efforts and its impact on the bird community at Spirit Mound after 10 years of restoration by comparing the data that she collected with a bird inventory that was completed in 2003. Overall she found a decline in prairie dependent bird species and concluded that multiple factors may have led to the decline.
Peer-reviewed articles from the experiment:
Soluk, E. L., M. E. Jarchow, and J. D. Carlisle (submitted) Declines in prairie bird populations despite tallgrass prairie restoration. South Dakota Bird Notes.
Please e-mail Meghann Jarchow to request the paper.
