As terrestrial animals, many people don’t think of the sky as a significant ecosystem. For birds, bats and some insects, this isn’t the case. A majority of their life is spent in the air, which makes understanding their relationship to the airspace an essential aspect of ecological research. This is the focus of Colorado State University’s Aeroecology Lab, otherwise known as the AeroEco Lab.

Housed in CSU’s department of fish, wildlife and conservation biology, the lab was established by Assistant Professor Kyle Horton in 2019. Specifically, lab members study the migration of birds with contributions from several undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students.

Directing the lab involves numerous responsibilities, Horton said, including mentoring students, designing and overseeing projects and writing grants. However, it all ties back to one central goal.

“It’s this general motivation to try and understand how animals use airspaces, and that area of research, I’d say, is somewhat underdeveloped,” Horton said.

Conducting a study in the sky hosts a number of access challenges that aren’t present in the ecological studies performed on Earth’s surface. Accordingly, technology plays a significant role in the laboratory’s proceedings.

Radar, community science data and acoustics are all utilized by researchers to collect the information necessary for their studies. By sending pulses of radiation into the airspace and then analyzing the return signals, it is possible to collect several types of data, such as the height, speed or movement direction of what is in the air. Accumulation and review of this information can reveal patterns and insights into bird migration. A wide network of this data is collected across the world, allowing ecologists to conduct research on a larger scope.

“Artificial light is doubling every decade at least. It is a pervasive pollutant in the environment. The more we can draw attention to that by showing (how) it affects something people really care about, which is birds, the better.” -Carrie Ann Adams, postdoctoral fellow

“Our lab is pretty engaged with the broader ornithological community, especially the radar aeroecology community,” Ph.D. student Miguel Jimenez said. “We’re able to interact with a lot of other labs, both here at CSU and across the world.”

A portion of the lab’s projects remain focused within Colorado. Some past research was specifically localized to CSU’s Mountain Campus. Other studies scale the entirety of the United States, some even utilizing data from other countries.

A big part of the lab’s current research revolves around the effects of light pollution on bird migration. Many species migrate at night, but the visual cues they use for navigation are disrupted by human-generated light. The lab’s projects work to understand the full extent of this impact by considering factors like habitat usage or by collecting data on what could make lighting more friendly to birds.

“Artificial light is doubling every decade at least,” said Carrie Ann Adams, a postdoctoral fellow who works for the lab. “It is a pervasive pollutant in the environment. The more we can draw attention to that by showing (how) it affects something people really care about, which is birds, the better.”

Climate change — another factor that impacts aeroecology — is also a significant area of research. Cataloging changes in the timing of migration from year to year is a current investigation.

Outside of conducting research, the AeroEco Lab makes public outreach a priority. Their research translates to a number of aviary topics, applicable to those who enjoy watching, conserving and protecting birds. The institution has participated in many aeroecology conferences over the years, connecting with researchers and experts in the field. BirdCast, a website that forecasts bird migration, is another initiative the lab contributes to.

“I’d say the most fun part is sharing our research with the public,” Horton said. “It’s always fascinating that there’s people out there that are interested in what we’re doing and want to hear a little bit about it.”

Reach Hayley Bisant at science@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.