Projects and Mentors Final list for summer 2012
Plant-animal interactions, Plant
population biology
Dr. James D. Ackerman conducts research
in three main areas: (1) Invasive species biology, particularly those
involving plant-animal interactions; (2) Dispersion of orchids and
its relationship to land use history and recruitment; (3) Natural
selection and the evolution and maintenance of deception pollination
systems in the orchid family. All three areas are connected by
conceptual issues (including conservation biology) so what seems to
be disparate areas of research under one roof is actually an
integrated effort to study the patterns and processes of evolution
frequently using the Orchidaceae as a model system. The most amenable
projects would be studies on pollination, herbivory, dispersal and
natural selection.
Aquatic insect ecology Dr. Alonso Ramírez works on the ecology of aquatic insects in the streams and rivers within the Luquillo Experimental Forest, with emphasis on the role that aquatic insects play on ecosystem processes. Students will be involved in projects that focus on (1) assessing physicochemical factors affecting insect assemblages, (2) interaction between insects and shrimps and fishes, and (3) the role of insects in ecosystem processes, such as detritus decomposition and control of primary production. Students could develop projects in any of these areas and complement ongoing research or uncover new lines of research for future study. Biogeochemistry and ecosystem science
Dr. Cusack works on biogeochemistry and ecosystem science in the tropics, with an emphasis on global change factors like warming and pollution. Students will be involved in projects that focus on the effect of changes in nutrient availability, such as can result from nitrogen deposition, on: (1) plant-soil-microbe processes, (2) tropical forest carbon storage, and (3) decomposition. Students can develop projects in any of these areas, and will work in a variety of forest types in Puerto Rico.
Stream acidification effects on aquatic
insects
Pablo Gutierrez, graduate student at
UPR, is studying the effects of stream acidification on aquatic
insects, a major stressor to aquatic ecosystems. Episodic
acidification events are periods of rapid and temporary declines in
stream water pH. While much research has been conducted in North
American and European streams on the causes and consequences of
episodic acidification, tropical streams have not received as much
attention. Students could develop hypothesis to assess the effects
of experimental acidification on aquatic insects and use our artificial stream facilities to conduct experiments. Population dynamics of freshwater
decapods in response to ecological and anthropogenic factors Dr. Todd Crowl and graduate student Omar
Perez-Reyes, Utah State University, are studying the effects of urban growth on freshwater shrimps and crabs of
Puerto Rico. This research will characterize the population dynamics of
the dominant decapod species in rivers that flow through watersheds of
varying human impacts. Students can develop projects in relation to the population dynamics of three dominant shrimp species (Macrobrachium faustinum,
Xiphocaris elongata and Palaemon pandaliformis). Experiments can be run using experimental stream facilities at El Verde. In addition, students could develop projects using capture-mark-recapture techniques to study natural populations of these species. Fish assemblages in lowland rivers Augustin Engman is a doctoral student at North Carolina State University. His research includes (1) determining the fish assemblage structure of the lower rivers and estuaries of Puerto Rico, (2) understanding the recruitment dynamics of amphidromous fish, and (3) discovering the role of amphidromous fish recruitment in the Puerto Rico’s riverine ecosystems. Currently, very little in known about the early life history stages of amphidromous fish in Puerto Rico including how to identify species during post-larval stages. Students may choose projects related to amphidromous fish recruitment and developing morphological keys for the identification of post-larval amphidromous fish. Biodiversity conservation Dr.
Elvia J. Meléndez-Ackerman is currently working on projects related to
biodiversity conservation with emphasis on the interactions between
exotic species and the native biota. A current focus is the
characterization of urban biodiversity across the Rio Piedras Watershed
and the relative contributions of native vs. exotic species to this
biodiversity. One potential student project may center on aspects
related to forest regeneration at the Toa Baja Experimental Farm
(TBEF). This site was established as a series of experimental
plantations set on severely degraded land to test whether or not several
exotic forest species could facilitate local forest regeneration. A
series of censuses have shown that the establishment of some native
species may have been facilitated by these plantations. The farm
however is located within a heavily urbanized residential matrix. Green
spaces at residential areas often harbor a great number of exotic
species often used for ornamental purposes. The location of TBEF
provides an excellent opportunity to explore which species from the
residential green areas may be establishing at TBEF and what associated
plant traits may facilitate this establishment. These types of
analyses can make important contributions to the study of biological
invasions in insular systems, regeneration dynamics in green urban areas
as well and provide information on the capacity for invasion of exotic
ornamental plants. Aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in urban and forest streams
Keysa Rosas, University of Puerto Rico, works with macroinvertebrate assemblages, their trophic basis of production, and assessing factors controlling their assemblages (e.g., hydrological disturbances). She is also interested in understanding the role of macroinvertebrates in tropical urban streams. Students could develop their independent projects evaluating factors that control macroinvertebrate assemblage composition in headwater streams or the effects of urbanization on ecosystem processes.
Bat diversity at the Luquillo Experimental Forest José Rivera-Meléndez, graduate student at UPR, is studying the effects of urban sprawl on the diversity and abundance of bats in the Rio Piedras Watershed. Most of our understanding on the effects of urbanization on bats comes from research conducted in temperate urban regions. Students working in this topic could develop projects that assess 1) abundance and diversity of chiropteran species around a forested watershed and 2) the abundance of the endemic red fruit bat (Stenodermarufum) in the LEF.
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