Page E. Klug, PhD

As the National Wildlife Research Center Field Station Leader for North Dakota my research focuses on methods development and population biology of blackbirds and starlings in conflict with agriculture, concentrated animal feeding operations, and urban environments. My main focus is managing the conflict between sunflower producers and blackbirds with methods including frightening devices, wildlife repellents, and evading strategies such as wetland management, decoy conservation plots, and altered agricultural practices. Optimization of methods takes into account blackbird biology at multiple biological levels and incorporates the influence of landscape ecology at various scales. 

Prior to my position as the Project Leader for the NWRC North Dakota Field Station, my research focused on the influence of human-induced, ecosystem modifications on species and species interactions. The human modifications I have investigated range from row-crop agriculture and rangeland management to the impact of introduced species. Much of my previous research focused on interaction between birds and their predators in human-altered landscapes. I have assessed how predators respond to landscape composition surrounding fragmented grasslands in an agricultural ecosystem and the impact on nesting birds. I have further investigated interactions between birds and snakes in a tallgrass prairie by modeling the overlap of predator and prey habitat to illustrate how grazing and burning may exacerbate interactions. My research concerning invasive species evaluated the effectiveness of control technologies to minimize the impact of brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on the endangered Mariana Swiftlet (Aerodramus bartschi) on Guam and the impact of invasive species on native fauna in southern Florida where invasive constrictor snakes (Python spp.), tegu lizards (Tupimambis spp.), and other invasive species threaten local biodiversity.