The Biodiversity Project
Director: Dr. Erika Barthelmess

Project Objectives

• To create a science education program at St. Lawrence University in which students learn about science by actively participating in hands-on research projects throughout the science curriculum over their four years of study at St. Lawrence University.

• To engage St. Lawrence University science students and faculty in collaborative research that focuses on the following five questions:

1. What organisms live in the nature preserve on campus?

2. Where do these organisms live in the nature preserve?

3. What are the physical and/or biological factors that may influence where organisms live in the nature preserve?

4. How may these organisms be adapted to living in the environmental conditions that occur in the nature preserve habitats throughout the year?

5. How may organisms living in the nature preserve modify their habitat or area they utilize?

• To establish a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Database of organisms and environmental conditions in our area to be published on the Internet. This database will not only serve as a resource for our students in their courses but also for the world community as part of a growing database system that can be utilized for examining biological diversity, developing environmental policy, and monitoring environmental impact.

The Biodiversity Project has three goals: measuring extant organisms on the Kip Tract, understanding their ecology, and determining if there are species that should be present but are not. In Fall, classes survey parts of the Kip Tract: General Biology students examine bacterial diversity in the Little River, Mammalogy students monitor small mammal populations, Invertebrate Biology students develop and test terrestrial invertebrate keys, and Ethnobotany students describe herbaceous vegetation (with help from Nancy Eldblom, who has helped us develop a Kip Tract plant key).

Attempts to understand the impact of interactions between organisms on species diversity include Ecology students monitoring the effects of deer browse on herbaceous plants species diversity. A major ISEI goal is to share data between classes. In Natural World, students work on a tree trail guide that will be web-based. In spring, students in Forest Ecology develop the guide even further. In spite of winter weather, Forest Ecology students have developed a management plan for the wooded areas of the Kip Tract. Students frequently use the Kip for their research projects. For example, Becca Ostman ‘01, conducted her senior honors project examining the effects of food supplementation on stress in populations of white-footed mice, Matt Kokoska, ‘03, radio collared and monitored individual porquipines home ranges.

 

Biodiversity Student Projects

Josh Earl
Campus Tree Inventory

Ian Hubbard
Examination of the Viability of Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) to determine Body Condition in Erethizon dorsatum (The North American Porcupine)