Steven Brady

Steven Brady

heron
Wetlands situated in human dominated landscapes support larger and more diverse communities of wetland dependent birds.

2010 Urban Fellow

Research Topic: Water Quality and Hydrology

Faculty Advisor: David Skelly

Polluted waters: the impacts of runoff on ephemeral wetlands across an urban gradient

Anthropogenic development leads to the conversion of native habitat, resulting in landscapes characterized by a mosaic of agricultural fields, human settlement, and forest. A large body of research documents the negative consequences of habitat conversion on native wildlife. However, recent studies suggest that some species may respond positively to human dominated landscapes. This study looks at how wetland dependent birds respond to habitat conversion by investigating their distribution across three classes of land cover: urban/suburban, agricultural, and forested.