Publication Date

2024

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Jones, Holly P.

Second Advisor

Heather E. Bergan-Roller

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Abstract

Tallgrass prairies are among the most globally threatened ecosystems, with only one percent of the historical extent remaining in Illinois. Prairie restoration is an essential strategy to preserve biodiversity and reestablish threatened species. Practitioners use management tools to shift the landscape context of prairie restoration sites, such as prescribed fire and land cover change. Managers can also impact the landscape connectivity and edge proximity of certain areas through the use of mowed driving lanes. The effects of these factors on small mammals, which are central in tallgrass prairie food webs and relevant to human health and restoration success, are not well understood. Using ten years of small mammal live trapping data and a vast array of metrics assessing the landscape context, vegetation composition, and management impacts, I have assessed the direct and indirect impacts of this suite of variables on the populations and community composition of prairie small mammals. This was accomplished by combining documentation of management history, annual vegetative surveys, and supervised classification of drone imagery to evaluate the complex and interconnected drivers of small mammal populations. I then applied the knowledge and understanding of tallgrass prairie landscape ecology in a lesson on landscape ecology to be used in general ecology coursework in order to support greater student understanding of this complex and critical field. I developed and implemented a lesson plan across three semesters. This lesson incorporated tallgrass prairie management into a group problem-solving challenge that asked students to take on the role of land managers and make decisions to maximize positive impacts at the landscape scale. By combining an in-depth field study and an applied lesson that takes the field into the classroom, I have helped support informed restoration management, as well as supporting students in developing key interdisciplinary skills such as spatial reasoning, collaboration, and communication.

Extent

211 pages

Language

en

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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