Samuel Mayne
MS Student, Environmental Conservation
Contact: , @smayne12
Advisors: David King, Joseph Elkinton, Jeremy Andersen
Songbirds as an insect pest reduction agent on small-scale, integrated pest management farms
I study the role that songbirds play in reducing pest insects on small-scale farms in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. These farms provide quality habitat for many species of birds, and we believe the birds also render ecosystem services to the farms they inhabit by eating crop pests. We are trying to determine which bird species are responsible for pest reduction through songbird diet analysis. We also are conducting several experiments to determine the magnitude of pest suppression.