Lost Connections: w/ Andy Boyce-Pero
April 8 @ 6:30pm
Lost Connections; Uncovering the Impacts of Nearly-lost Keystone Species on
Grassland Ecosystem Health with Andy Boyce-Pero, Ph.D., Avian Ecologist,
Smithsonian
Wednesday, April 8th at 6:30 pm (MT) on Zoom
Register for the live stream and/or recording at
https://www.gallatinvalleyearthday.org/
(After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing
information about joining the webinar).
Join Andy Boyce-Pero, Ph.D., Avian Ecologist, to learn why the temperate
grassland of North America is one of the most imperiled ecosystems on
earth. This is mainly due to habitat loss – grasslands are being
continually, and permanently, converted to cropland. Another major reason
is the incredibly rapid and comprehensive loss of the region’s keystone
species; bison, prairie-dogs and beavers. During western expansion, these
species were eradicated so fast, and so completely, that as a (Western)
society we never fully understood their role in this ecosystem.
Consequently, in the present day, we don’t understand their value in
restoring this ecosystem. These lost ecological connections are sometimes
intuitive, sometimes surprising, and will be the subject of this talk.
About Andy Boyce-Pero, Ph.D.
Andy is a Research Ecologist with Smithsonian’s Great Plains Science
program. He is one of the founding members of the team and has been a part
of the project since 2018. His work focuses on one overarching theme;
understanding how to most effectively conserve imperiled grassland birds
and their habitats. Sometimes this takes the form of cutting-edge tracking
studies, old school point counts and nest searching, or even piloting
remote-controlled badgers to understand how birds respond to potential
predators. In addition to his research, he is also a faculty affiliate at
the University of Montana. Andy received his bachelor degree in Ecology and
Evolution from the University of Colorado, and his PhD in Wildlife Biology
from the University of Montana.
Presented by Gallatin Valley Earth Day, Gallatin Wildlife Association and
the Smithsonian
