Mod 1 The Great Backyard Bird Count Presentation

The Great Backyard Bird Count Bio 101 Matias Vega 20200418 Introduction The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society Launched the Great Backyard Bird Count in 1998. It was the first online citizen-science project that collects data on wild birds and displays the results in real-time. One of the reasons I chose this project is because I have always wondered about birds and their abilities, for instance how they can fly across country and still find their way back home. These are some of the questions scientists and bird enthusiast are asking: ❖ How will the weather and climate change influence bird populations? ❖ How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years? ❖ How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions? Questions Guse, C. (2018, March 28) AsherJul, C. (2017, December 9) One of the many questions researchers are trying to solve is: My questions: ❖ What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas? ❖ Will we ever have one specific number of birds species or will this number continue to rise or fall as time goes on? -What is known at the moment is that suburban land uses are a point of extirpation for woodland birds, and it is also and entry point for invasive species into urban systems. ❖ Can all birds understand each other when they speak or sing? Experiments Timing in bird migration Climate change – Between 1995 and 2018 Colorado State University analyzed millions of radar scans. – The Us Forest Service has been planting silvicultural treatments and removing exotic species to enhance spruce regeneration. – Using a high-tech method (neural network) to differentiate between weather systems and migrating birds. – As well as reforestation and habitat acquisition to reduce fragmentation. – Researchers trained their neural network to sort biological patterns. That is, flocks of birds-from precipitation patterns on the weather scans. – This will help priority species withstand the effects of climate change or it will shift their range to track suitable climate conditions. Observations Climate change Timing in bird migration – Climate change affects birds directly and indirectly. – Rising temperatures are causing birds to migrate a little earlier every year, their journey home is shifting forward by a little less than two days each decade. – Increased temperatures may directly affect birds by having them use more energy for thermoregulation. Campbell, V. (2015, May 28) – This can disrupt their energy, reproduction, timing of breeding and migration, and reduce survival. 2020 GBBC Statistics Checklists Submitted: Total Species Observed: Total Individual Birds Counted: 252,351 7,009 42,135,718 Bullocks Oriole • This map depicts the seasonallyaveraged relative abundance. Summary – Scientist need the help of citizens to accurately answer their questions because when it comes to researching the bird population, the new species being found, their migration patterns, the climate effects on them, and etc., it is hard for a group let alone 1 scientists to gather all the necessary data. – By getting the help from the citizens they are allowed to expand their foot trail. – Some of the pros scientists gain by this is that they spend less money on having to hire personnel and traveling form site to site. – Another pro is time, they save so much time by having citizens go out and gather the data and inputting it for them throughout the world in a few days. – The only con I see is that the research being inputted into the trackers may not always be precise. Conclusion – This research is important because it helps us understand the birds migration patterns and how the climate change is affecting the way they live. – Helps us keep count on the birds population to see if there is a increase or decrease. – In the best of days it will help us find new species of birds or rediscover extinct species. – The possible real world applications would have to be that this project helps us work as a team throughout the world. Its almost like an unspoken peace that brings us together no matter race, nationality, sex, religion. It’s a beautiful thing when you can set aside your differences for a sole goal. References ▪ AsherJul, C. (2017, December 9). Why city birds are more aggressive than country birds. Retrieved from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/07/why-city-birds-are-more-aggressive-countrybirds ▪ Campbell, V. (2015, May 28). How Do Tired Birds Choose Where to Stop During Migration? Retrieved from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-do-tired-birds-choose-where-to-stopduring-migration/ ▪ Guse, C. (2018, March 28). A festival dedicated to birds is coming to NYC. Retrieved from https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/a-festival-dedicated-to-birds-is-coming-to-nyc-032818 ▪ Harvey, C. (2019, December 17). Millions of Birds Are Migrating Earlier Because of Warming. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/millions-of-birds-are-migrating-earlierbecause-of-warming/ ▪ The Effects of Climate Change on Terrestrial Birds of North America. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fs.usda.gov/ccrc/topics/wildlife/birds …
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