Broadly, I am interested in why and how populations change in response to environmental drivers. Questions that guide my research include: how do populations differ in their responses to land management; how does weather impact individual vital rates; and how can we best conserve declining species?

Brief summaries of my research projects are below. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or are interested in collaborating!

​VIRTUAL CATTLE FENCING IN THE FLINT HILLS

Virtual fencing is an innovative technology that allows ranchers and land managers to graze without establishing physical fences. This project explores the ecological outcomes of using virtual fencing, with particular emphasis on avian biodiversity, vegetation structure, and stream quality. How does cattle exclusion during the summer impact breeding birds? How does cattle exclusion impact stream sediment and erosion? Do improvements in grassland habitat coincide with positive financial outcomes for ranchers and landowners?

Collaborators: The Nature Conservancy, National Parks Service, Kansas State University, Mushrush Red Angus

Media coverage of this project:

• NPR: https://www.npr.org/2022/07/25/1113528095/outfitting-cows-with-gps-trackers-could-be-good-for-ranchers-and-prairie-birds
• K-State News: https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/2022-05/virtual-fencing-biology5522.html
• Kansas Reflector: https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/09/ksu-researching-virtual-fencings-influence-on-grassland-conservation-cattle-business/​​

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GRASSHOPPER SPARROW POPULATION DYNAMICS

Grasshopper Sparrows are highly mobile, migratory songbirds that disperse within and among breeding seasons. They are currently in decline across their range and exhibit high variation in local, site-level abundance. How do weather and land management impact apparent survival? Are changes in local abundance primarily due to movement or survival? What vital rates most impact population growth? 


Collaborators: Dr. W. Alice Boyle, Narmadha Mohankumar, Dr. Allison Louthan, Dr. Koley Freeman, and Dr. Trevor Hefley

Publications associated with this project:

• Silber, K., Mohankumar, N.M., Hefley, T.J., and W.A. Boyle. (2023) Apparent survival is associated with lagged precipitation in a grassland songbird. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 87(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22371
• Mohankumar, N.M., T.J. Hefley, K. Silber, and W.A. Boyle. (2023) Data fusion of distance sampling and capture-recapture data. Journal of Spatial Statistics. 55:100756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spasta.2023.100756
• Freeman, N.E., K. Silber (co-first author), T.J. Hefley, A.M. Louthan, and W.A. Boyle. (in review) Changing precipitation regime threatens population growth and persistence of a declining grassland songbird. Nature Climate Change.

GRASSLAND SONGBIRD TERRITORY SELECTION

​Grassland songbirds have lower breeding site fidelity than birds in most other systems. So what dictates their settlement decisions? How can we utilize multiple data sources to identify the cues grassland birds use to select territories? What specific conservation actions can we take to create grassland habitat? How do weather and land management affect vegetation structure and composition?


Collaborators: Dr. W. Alice Boyle, Dr. Zak Ratajczak, Dr. Trevor Hefley

Publications associated with this project:

• ​Silber, K., T.J. Hefley, H. Castro-Miller, Z.R. Ratajczak, and W.A. Boyle. (in review)​ The long shadow of woody encroachment: an integrated approach to modeling grassland songbird habitat. Ecological Applications. 

Photo credit: W. Alice Boyle

CLIMATIC DRIVERS OF NEST SURVIVAL

I am currently working on a global meta-analysis to assess if the relationship between precipitation and nest survival can be predicted by biome, reproductive behavior, diet, or life history. Stay tuned for the results!

E-MAIL

[email protected]
[email protected]

TWITTER

@katysilbird​