"Western chorus frogs are quite common in the Midwest, and people in Illinois who have never seen them have probably heard them in the springtime," said King, who has continued to conduct research with Sacerdote-Velat after having served as her Ph.D. adviser at NIU. "The new study demonstrates how a shrub that is viewed by many as a decorative plant can become invasive and have unexpected and damaging effects on natural ecosystems."
Additionally, new research from the zoo's Urban Wildlife Institute reveals how the presence of the invasive shrub in forest preserves and natural areas correlates to increased prevalence of carnivores. Previous research by Ken Schmidt of Texas Tech University and Chris Whelan of Illinois Natural History Survey documented that these carnivores can prey more easily on native bird eggs and nestlings such as robins when nests are built in buckthorn and honeysuckle compared to nests built in native shrubs or trees.
"The relationship between invasive plants and wildlife is complex. This is the first study of its kind to investigate the association between buckthorn and habitat use by mammal species," explained Director of the Urban Wildlife Institute Seth Magle, Ph.D. "We know based on prior research that birds which build nests in buckthorn are more susceptible to predation. Our study found that the presence of buckthorn alters wildlife distribution and attracts some carnivore species. We now know that there are signifi
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Lincoln Park Zoo