Wetland ecosystems function as important stopover habitats for migratory birds and add significantly to local and regional biodiversity. These ecosystems are increasingly threatened by climate change and the potential synergistic effects of increasing demand for water and invasion by exotic species. We are working to examine the effects of climate and land use change on bird populations and their wetland habitats in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America by examining the linkages between climate, hydrology, and the biological factors that influence riparian and wetland ecosystem resilience and migratory bird communities. To this end we are developing multi-spatial models that relate habitat decisions of migratory shorebirds to annual and seasonal changes in water resources, and the phenology and growth of wetland plants. By exploring effects of altered climate and habitat conditions on wetland-dependent birds using a holistic approach that incorporates both top-down and bottom-up constraints, we will better predict changes in wetland ecosystems and responses of migratory birds to those changes. This research will assist managers and conservation professionals within federal, state, and nongovernmental organizations concerned with protecting migratory bird species and managing critical wetland habitats.
