09/16/2026
MSc in Environmental Management Oral Examination - Meghan Oliver
September 29, 2026 - 2:30PM (ADT)
FG 202 & Teams (email [email protected] for MS Teams link)
Understanding Bobolink Habitat Needs in Patchy Landscapes: A Case Study in the Wolastoq/Saint John River Valley
Research Summary
As a grassland obligate species, the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) now relies on agricultural landscapes throughout much of its breeding range. Previous research suggests Bobolinks are strongly associated with large, contiguous grassland patches; however, populations persist in landscapes that vary considerably in habitat amount, configuration, and connectivity. To better understand these relationships, I examined the patch- and landscape-level factors influencing Bobolink abundance and reproductive activity in the Wolastoq/Saint John River (SJR) Valley of New Brunswick, an understudied and highly fragmented portion of the species’ breeding range. Using field surveys, spatial analyses, statistical modelling, and a literature review, I found that Bobolinks consistently selected larger habitat patches and were more abundant in better-connected landscapes, but exhibited weaker responses to habitat fragmentation and edge effects than predicted. These findings suggest that landscape context may mediate Bobolink responses to habitat structure and highlight the importance of considering connectivity when assessing habitat quality. I then applied these results to develop a landscape-level, species-specific delayed haying framework for the Wolastoq/SJR Valley. Together, this research provides new insight into Bobolink habitat selection in fragmented agricultural systems and offers practical guidance for conservation planning in working landscapes.
Chaired by Dr. Tommi Linnansaari, ForEM
Examiners:
Dr. Chris Wong, ForEM, Internal
Dr. Greg Mitchell, ECCC, HRA UNB Biology, External
Supervisor Committee
Dr. Joe Nocera, Supervisor, ForEM
Dr. Heather Major, UNBSJ Biology
Dr. Graham Forbes, ForEM
