February Program Meeting

Raise your hand! Do you know what a Meadowlark eats? Nearly one-third of North American bird species are in decline, and one reason is that many birds are finding it harder to locate the nutritious food they need. Eastern Meadowlark populations, for example, have declined by more than 50% within a single human lifetime. Most baby birds depend on insects to grow and survive, including meadowlarks. In fact, insects are the foundation of many food webs, transferring energy from plants to birds and other wildlife. When insect populations decline, the effects ripple throughout the ecosystem. So why are insects dwindling? There is no single cause, but changes in plant nutrition play an essential role. Yup, bite for bite, crops and other plants are less nutritious due to rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and declining levels of essential nutrients in plant tissues like nitrogen and sodium, thus making plants less nutritious. You can help! Grassland restorations create habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife. In prairie ecosystems, carefully managed cattle grazing introduces natural processes (like nitrogen recycling) and restores the natural balance for all biodiversity including the prairie’s familiar birds like the Barn swallow, Yellow Warbler, and the Kansas state bird, the Western Meadowlark.

Biodiversity is nature’s recipe for success! Mary Liz Jameson is a biodiversity scientist who explores the interconnections between organisms on the planet. Based on scientific evidence, we know that each organism — from teeny dung beetle to delightful dolphin — is 100% essential for proper planetary function. Jameson studies habitat declines, animal declines, and ecosystem sustainability. As an insect biodiversity scientist, Jameson has discovered and named 50 new species, and nine species have been named in her honor. Her research on biodiversity is recognized nationally, and she is one of only four scientists at Wichita State university who is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.