Meet Laura Beck, a graduate student studying range and wildlife management at Texas A&M University-Kingsville‘s Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. Her research investigates how woody plant encroachment—the spread of trees and shrubs into grasslands—affects sound transmission, and how that in turn impacts birds that rely on sound to communicate, find mates, and stay safe. Laura’s work could shape future wildlife survey methods and deepen our understanding of how ecological change impacts animal behavior and communication.
What is your research about?
My research explores how increasing woody plant encroachment by trees and shrubs into grasslands affects sound. I study how these vegetation changes alter sound transmission by their changes to small-scale temperature and humidity patterns. More specifically, how these changes may be impacting calls from bird species that were previously adapted to the area, but now may not be, due to shifts in the landscape.
When did you first become interested in this topic?
I first became interested in this topic during my graduate studies at Texas A&M-Kingsville. With my background in ecological restoration, this project offered an exciting challenge outside my comfort zone. I’ve always been passionate about plants, but this research allowed me to see them from a completely new perspective – as shapers of the acoustic environment. Sound surrounds us daily, yet I had never considered how vegetation might fundamentally change how animals communicate.
Why did you choose Shield Ranch as your research site?
Shield Ranch, like many areas of the Great Plains, experiences woody plant encroachment, where trees and shrubs increasingly take over grasslands. What makes Shield Ranch special is its active management of this process. With their expertise, we were able to implement an experiment that allowed us to manipulate the amount of vegetation, allowing for a more detailed study.
What does a typical day in the field look like for you?
A day in the field relies on ideal conditions: the right temperature range, low wind speeds, and no rain. If all those align, I head out to set up acoustic recording units and temperature/humidity sensors along one of the transects across the ranch. I play a series of tones and bird calls at different distances along the transect, to later analyze the recordings for clarity and quality of the signal. Along the way, I’m often greeted by curious black-crested titmice and treated to the breathtaking landscapes that make Shield Ranch so special.
How can your research be applied to real-world applications?
Much is known about the effects of woody plant encroachment, but not in regards to sound. My goal with this research is to help fill in some of these gaps. It is probable that changes to the small-scale climate is changing bird song structure and its receptibility, which could impact survival and reproduction. Additionally, many wildlife surveys use acoustic recording units, like those used here, and understanding how vegetation and temperature influence sound could shed light on biases in those surveys.
From left to right: An area at Shield Ranch where woody plants have been removed; photo courtesy of Laura Beck. Laura Beck installs acoustic recording units and temperature/humidity sensors at Shield Ranch. Black-crested Titmouse.
