The ecological processes that are important for my research include the diet of killdeer, habitat factors important for shore birds, wetland habitat, grassland habitat, and human interference on avian populations. The diet of Killdeer will allow me to understand what environmental gradient will support them. Research regarding wetland and grassland habitats can help me identify what vegetation can be found at Gradients 2 and 3, and how supportive they are for avian populations. Human interference is the last area I think is quite important for my project, I want to gain insight into how the road may influence the population of Killdeer. The three terms I would use for my research would be avian population, avian habitat, and environmental gradient.