2007 Research Projects

Here are our 2007 cluster descriptions. Click on the links to get to abstracts for the projects that were conducted over summer.

Biodiversity

Landscapes contain an amazing variety of organisms -- understanding both the pattens and the determinants of that variety, or biodiversity, is a major goal of ecology and evolutionary biology. Biodiversity occurs at many levels of organization. We may, for example, be interested in the  number of tree species in a forest, or the genetic diversity of a rare and endangered species. The Biodiversity Cluster brings together faculty and students to gain greater insight into our understanding of the patterns and determinants of the species and genetic diversity that we see around us. Students in this cluster may have the opportunity to study patterns and processes associated with laboratory model systems, such as protozoan communities or non-pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, natural populations and communities of terrestrial or aquatic invertebrates in streams or agroecosystems, or herbaceous plants in experimental grasslands.

Faculty Mentors: Dr. Hank Stevens - Botany, Dr. David Berg, Dr. Bruce Steinly, and Dr. Alan Cady- Zoology, Dr. Ann Hagerman - Chemistry.

 

Effects of Multiple Stressors in Aquatic Ecosystems

Aquatic organisms are exposed to a vast array of natural and human-induced stressors, and they must cope simultaneously with multiple stressors throughout their lifespan as individuals and over the long-term within a population. Exposure to stressors such as increased UV and temperature due to climate change, pesticides or fossil fuels from runoff or direct inputs, and introduction of exotic or invasive species will each have predictable effects on organisms. However, the consequences of multiple stressors (eg., insecticides plus exotic species introduction; increased UV plus warmer temperatures) may result in effects at the individual, population, and community levels that are not predicted by experiments with single, isolated stressors. This research cluster will explore some of the potential consequences of multiple stressor exposure in aquatic ecosystems.

Faculty Mentors: Dr. Jim Oris, Dr. Michelle Boone, Dr. Maria Gonzalez, Dr. Craig Williamson - Zoology. Dr. Bill Renwick - Geography.

 

Dispersal

Organisms disperse for a variety reasons; they can be attempting escape the shadow of their parents, looking for mates, running from predators, reacting to a disturbance, or searching for resources or a more suitable habitat.  Only if we understand these movements can we assess how organisms will respond to the human dominated landscape.  The research in this cluster will focus on movement, its patterns and mechanisms, in a variety of organisms.  The individual projects in this cluster will include explorations of seed dispersal in plants, the activity patterns of arthropods and the home range of social mammals.   Discussions of these projects in cluster discussions will enable us to gain a comprehensive view of how dispersal is studied from a variety of perspectives. 

Faculty Mentors: Dr. Ann Ryptsra, Dr. Brian Keane, Dr. Nancy Solomon - Zoology. Dr. Charlie Kwit - Botany.