Connections between trees and the birds that fly amongst them: correlations in diversity.

Abstract

This world can be quite diverse, both on the macro and micro scale. There are many causes for this diversity, some have large scale implications, like the latitude of a location; however that does not explain local differences. Thanks to countless birds we have extensive knowledge of the make-up of bird diversity, but unfortunately that knowledge does not include why it is so. By studying the mist netting data done for Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) for the Pellston area in northern Michigan ana sampling the tree species at several at the nets I hope to find a correlation between the trees and the birds that live amongst them. When the indices of the two are compared there appears to be no connection. But with further investigation there does appear to be a connection in bird families and tree groupings with the type of habitat. Most notable of these was the connection between the family Parulidae (warblers) the deciduous trees of a riparian habitat.