Jason Luscier

Jason D. Luscier , Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Biological Sciences SCEN 632
1 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201
(479) 575-2984

E-mail: jluscie@uark.edu

Education:

Ph.D., Biology Universityof Arkansas (in progress)
M.S., Biology Universityof Arkansas (2004)
B.S., Wildlife Biology ColoradoState University (2000)
A.S., Environmental Science BerkshireCommunity College (1998)
A.A., Theatre Arts BerkshireCommunity College (1997)

Jason D. Luscier - CV

Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

CSU Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society

Project/Research Interests:

Presence/Absence Surveys for Estimating Population Dynamics and Habitat Use of Wintering Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus)

G. Hofmann

Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus) have drastically declined over the past several decades. In order to better understand these declines, researchers from around the continent have joined together to form the International Rusty Blackbird Technical Group (IRBTG) and developed a comprehensive research plan for organizing future monitoring programs and conservation strategies. As a member of this research group, my objectives are to determine the best survey method for monitoring population changes and to evaluate habitat selection and occupancy rates of Rusty Blackbirds on their wintering grounds of eastern AR, western MS, and northeastern LA. We surveyed presence/absence of Rusty Blackbirds 8 times at 79 sites and 10 times at 115 sites during the winters of 2006 and 2007, respectively, in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Local (e.g., tree density, canopy cover, and understory ground cover) and landscape (e.g., forest age, forest type) level habitat variables were measured at each site. Also, presence of other blackbird species (and European starlings) was recorded to estimate co-occupancy rates of Rusty Blackbirds with other species. Results from these survey methods are aimed at developing a long-term monitoring program (e.g., a Rusty Blackbird Atlas Program) and making useful habitat management/conservation recommendations.

Academic Advisor: Kimberly G. Smith

Short-term Responses of Grassland Bird Populations to Timing of Haying in Northwest Arkansas

(To access thesis, click here.)

From left to right: Nora Schubert, Elizabeth Brothers, Me, and Cora Morris.

North American grassland bird species have declined due to habitat loss and conversion from native, warm-season to non-native, cool-season grasses for cattle grazing and haying. Cool-season grasses are typically hayed at the peak of the breeding season, adversely affecting reproductive success of grassland birds. My original objective was to evaluate responses of grassland birds to a conversion from non-native, cool-season to native, warm-season grasses in Northwest Arkansas, but an environmental group protested the use of RoundUp required for this conversion, so the project was halted. Instead, I evaluated short-term responses of grassland birds to timing of haying in Northwest Arkansas during 2 breeding seasons (2002 and 2003).

During 2002, I evaluated species richness (program SPECRICH) and nest survival (program MARK) of grassland birds in 3 unhayed (reference) fields, 1 field hayed early in the breeding season (19 May), and 1 field hayed during the middle of the breeding season (1 June) in the Wedington Unit of the Ozark National Forest. Differences between estimates of species per ha for early hayed versus mid-hayed during all 4 time intervals and all differences during 30 May to 13 June were inconclusive; however, there were at least 13% more species per ha in unhayed versus mid-hayed fields during 15 to 29 May, at least 23% more species per ha in unhayed versus early hayed fields during 14 to 27 June, and at least 32% more species per ha in mid-hayed versus unhayed and at least 33% more species per ha in early versus unhayed fields during 28 June to 12 July, suggesting haying early provided better forage and cover for more species during at the end of the breeding season. Overall, there were too few data to discern a haying effect on nest survival. In order to detect more nests, I located 3 fields per treatment, in Benton and Washington counties Northwest Arkansas for the second year of the study (2003).

During 2003, I evaluated nest survival (program MARK) and bird densities (program DISTANCE) in 4 fields that were not hayed, 2 fields that were hayed early in the breeding season (26-31 May 2003), and 3 fields that were hayed late in the breeding season (17-25 June 2003) in Benton and Washington counties in Northwest Arkansas. Percent ground cover of vegetation was quantified using eCognition© (Definiens Imaging, 2000) to analyze digital photographs of ~2-m2 area centered on each nest (Luscier et al. 2006). I detected only 1 nest that was initiated in fields after early haying (26 May). The best-fitting nest survival model indicated both a temporal and an early haying effect and was >400 times more plausible than models not incorporating an early haying effect. However, differences between estimates of nest survival rates based on this top model were inconclusive. There were at least 17% more Dickcissels per unhayed field than early hayed field and at least 16% more Dickcissels per late-hayed field than early hayed field after early haying, suggesting a negative effect of early haying on Dickcissel densities. Other density estimates were not different enough to detect a haying effect.

With fewer nest initiations and decreases in Dickcissels after early haying during 2003, fields in Benton and Washington counties in Northwest Arkansas should not be hayed until after the middle of June to allow for more nests to fledge young. Cooperation between federal and state managers and private landowners is essential for implementing this. For future research in these same areas, more nests will need to be located and monitored. This would require more study fields, money, and personnel. Therefore, future studies on timing of haying on grassland birds in these study areas perhaps should focus on estimating bird densities to obtain more conclusive results.

Academic Advisor: William L. Thompson

Friends of Lake Wedington

Shorebird Monitoring on Cape Cod, Massachusetts

During the summer of 2000, I was THE Shorebird Monitor for the town of Orleans on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The main purpose of my job was to monitor the breeding success of the endangered piping plover - Charadrius melodus (pictured below). I located nests, built predator exclosures around them, and monitored fledging success. The year of 2000 was a particularly bad year for piping plover next success. A late noreaster hit the coast, destroying ALL the developed nests in the town. This resulted in most birds renesting late in the season - a little too late for fledgling success. Further duties included tern colony surveys. These colonies consisted of black skimmers, laughing gulls, and common, roseate, arctic and least terns.

adult male piping plover (Charadrius melodus)