Prairies once constituted a large portion of midwestern ecosystems and the North American landscape in general, until European settlers altered the land use. Now, 99% of prairies east of the Missouri River have been lost. Prairie restorations often produce more complex ecosystems than the sites they began on, but they lack the plant diversity found […]
B13: Where You Are and Who You’re With: Evaluating Interactions between Anuran Species across a Leaf Litter Gradient
The competition-colonization tradeoff hypothesis predicts that good colonizers are poor competitors. The Blanchard’s cricket frog (Acris blanchardi) is an effective colonizer of young ponds in wetland habitats, but this species faces range contractions. Previous studies suggest that green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) can outcompete cricket frogs and decrease their survival to metamorphosis. This study examined interactions […]
B70: Effects of pH on fungal growth rate
Soil fungi play a critical role in forest ecosystems, as they are a key component in nutrient cycling, and so their reactions to changes in the environment are of great interest. Because pH is considered a master variable in ecosystems ecology, and the pH of ecosystems can be affected by anthropogenic sources such as acid […]
C03:Trifolium repens: Balancing aesthetic and ecological lawn concerns at Miami University
Ecological concerns are an increasingly important aspect of modern life. The environmental impact certain actions, behaviors, and societal norms have on life have become a more prominent personal consideration. Monoculture grass lawns are small luxuries, requiring regular maintenance schedules that use motorized machinery, chemical fertilizers, and regular irrigation as a matter of course.Lawns are slowly […]
C10: Characterization of 70 Bacterial Isolates Capable of Metabolizing Common Pesticides
Atrazine and Glyphosate are the most commonly applied herbicides in the United States, and herbicide usage is expected to increase in the coming decades as population increases demand more crop production. While research shows that some freshwater bacterial strains are capable of degrading herbicides, thereby introducing Carbon- and Phosphorous-rich nutrients into the ecosystem, further research […]
C70: Effects of Invasive Amur Honeysuckle on Spring Wildflowers
While Honeysuckle has already been shown to have detrimental effects on local species, such as in Miller and Gorchov’s study (2004), this on-going research* seeks to look at what impact honeysuckle has on the emergence and blooming of spring flowers. To do this, three sites in Miami University’s Western Woods were set up, each site […]
CSIV-01: Estimating Deer Population and Impacts in Miami University Natural Areas
In recent history, deer populations have increased due to the near extinction of natural predators and an increase in available food from agriculture. We need to understand the impact that overabundant deer have on ecosystems in our Miami University Natural Areas. Deer browse causes damage to seedlings, and when seedlings are depleted few become saplings, […]
C18: Effects of Invasive Amur Honeysuckle on Spring Wildflowers
Invasive species, those being species that spread and thrive when outside of their native habitat, are a big issue in wildlife areas today. Amur honeysuckle, the focus of my research, is a particular problem in the Eastern United States. Compared to most native plants, Honeysuckle will leaf out sooner and keep leaves longer into the […]
B33: MBI475: Resilience of Antarctic Lake Algae-Bacteria Interactions to a Salinity Gradient
Microbial Ecology explores the way microbes interact with their environment, and the greater impact it has on their ecosystems both local & global. Aquatic ecosystems are dependent on primary production by algae to fix carbon, which contributes to over 50% of CO2 fixation globally. This is especially the case for microbial communities found within Antarctic […]
B32: MBI 475: Influence of Extreme Environmental Conditions on Antarctic Lake Algae
There are a multitude of factors which affect both the growth and distribution of marine microbial environments, such as nutrient availability, salinity levels, temperature, and light. In Antarctic marine environments, microbes are exposed to extreme conditions, which further affect the community composition. In this project, we have analyzed the effect that different salt concentrations have […]