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Articles 1 - 30 of 35
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Discrimination Of Aposematic And Novel Prey By Mature Sceloporus Malachiticus, December 2006, Jeff Masterson
Discrimination Of Aposematic And Novel Prey By Mature Sceloporus Malachiticus, December 2006, Jeff Masterson
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Prey use a variety of defenses against predators in order to avoid predation and often use warning coloration known as aposematism to advertise unpalatability to predators. Predators have accordingly evolved defenses against possibly unpalatable prey by being selective, and avoiding aposematically colored prey items. Some predators are more selective, avoiding anything appearing novel (neophobia), thus lowering the risk of unprofitable foraging by restricting their diet to familiar items. Previous studies have shown that neonatal Sceloporus malachiticus will innately avoid aposematic prey. In this experiment I examined any potential changes in prey selection concerning aposematic or novel prey items in S. …
Maternal Defensive Behavior Of Umbonia Ataliba Treehoppers, December 2006, Sarah Anvik
Maternal Defensive Behavior Of Umbonia Ataliba Treehoppers, December 2006, Sarah Anvik
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
A population of Umbonia ataliba (Homoptera: Membracidae) located between 1300 and 1500 m in Monteverde, Costa Rica was studied from October to November 2006. The maternal defensive behavior exhibited by these subsocial insects toward nymphs of different developmental stages was experimentally investigated. The purpose of my study was to determine how the defensive behavior changed from eggs to adults and in response to two different predator types. I attached dead wasps to long wooden sticks and then simulated predator approaches toward family groups of eggs, second instar and fourth instars nymphs. I found that the defensive behavior by females guarding …
The Effect Of Wing Color On Heliconius Melpomene Mating Behavior And Its Implications On The Evolution Of Mimicry, December 2006, Ellen Thompson
The Effect Of Wing Color On Heliconius Melpomene Mating Behavior And Its Implications On The Evolution Of Mimicry, December 2006, Ellen Thompson
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Wing color is important to butterflies both for social signals and protection from predators. Butterflies gain protection from predators by having aposematically colored wings that warn the predator that the butterfly is distasteful. Some butterflies are also part of Mullerian mimicry complexes in which two distasteful species converge on the same color pattern to enhance their aposematic protection. Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene are Mullerian mimics that exhibit a wide variety of wing patterns throughout Central and South America. Their wing patterns have greatly diverged within each species, but between the species they are almost perfect mimics in each area. …
Patch Fidelity Behavior In Coexisting Damselflies: Hetaerina Cruentata (Odonata: Calopterygidae) And Argia Extranea (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), December 2006, Anna C. Peterson
Patch Fidelity Behavior In Coexisting Damselflies: Hetaerina Cruentata (Odonata: Calopterygidae) And Argia Extranea (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), December 2006, Anna C. Peterson
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Patch fidelity in coexisting territorial damselfly species, Hetaerina cruentata and Argia extranea was studied to determine if these species displayed differing territorial behavior, which may be one mechanism for niche differentiation of these species. Data such as light amount and proximity to water of the patch sites were gathered to provide information about territorial preferences of these two species. No significant relationships between patch fidelity and patch characteristics were found. A significant difference was seen between the patch fidelity of the two species, implicating territory as a possible niche differentiating mechanism. Possible explanations for the variation in patch fidelity behavior …
Medicinal Plant Use And Knowledge For Monteverde Residents Based On Age And Education, December 2006, Cassandra Gurgiolo
Medicinal Plant Use And Knowledge For Monteverde Residents Based On Age And Education, December 2006, Cassandra Gurgiolo
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Approximately 80% of the world population relies on medicinal plants from the forest, home gardens, or market as a primary form of healthcare (Alcorn 1995). However, increased development and deforestation in recent years may be compromising the practice of natural medicine among the inhabitants of many developing countries. Interviews with 33 residents of Monteverde, Cost Rica examine both the current level of knowledge concerning natural medicine and its practice based upon age and educational level. Statistically significant positive linear relationships were found between both utilization and knowledge of medicinal plants and age. Knowledge and utilization of medicinal plants decreased weakly …
Species Composition Of Bats (Chiroptera) In Different Land- Use Mosaics, December 2006, Samantha Carter
Species Composition Of Bats (Chiroptera) In Different Land- Use Mosaics, December 2006, Samantha Carter
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Bats are an abundant and diverse group of species that can be used as indicators of habitat disturbance and to test the effects of land-use mosaics on an ecosystem. For 11 nights I used mist-nets to sample the bat assemblages in pastures, forest fragments, banana fields and coffee fields on the Finca Santamaría in Cañitas, Monteverde, Costa Rica. The differences between the land-use areas were not significant in the abundance of bats, species richness, species diversity or trophic diversity. However the species that were found, such as Glossaphaga commissarisi and Sturnia ludovici could be considered indicators of disturbed habitats suggesting …
Soil Organic Matter (Som) In Agroecosystems And Intact Cloud Forest In The Monteverde Area, Costa Rica, December 2006, J. T. Metten
Soil Organic Matter (Som) In Agroecosystems And Intact Cloud Forest In The Monteverde Area, Costa Rica, December 2006, J. T. Metten
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Properly managed agroecosystems have great potential for sequestering carbon as Soil Organic Matter (SOM) (Brown et al. 2002; Lal 2005). I measured % SOM, Bulk Density, Total SOM, and Root Biomass in two agroecosystems, forest fragment, and intact cloud forest in Cañitas and Monteverde, Costa Rica. These data were analyzed to see if agroecosystems and forests differ in carbon sequestering ability. I found significant differences in % SOM and Bulk Densities between agroecosystems but when Total SOM was calculated, results were not significant. Analysis on Total SOM alone suggests that agroecosystems and forest in Monteverde have an equal ability to …
Blood Parasite Infection In Mice From Cloud Forest And Nearby Disturbed Habitats, December 2006, Jesse A. Blumenstock
Blood Parasite Infection In Mice From Cloud Forest And Nearby Disturbed Habitats, December 2006, Jesse A. Blumenstock
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Conversion of habitat by humans is pervasive, increasing, and the root of serious environmental problems. This study was performed to find differences in blood parasite infections of host mice in neotropical cloud forest versus nearby disturbed habitat. In Monteverde, Costa Rica, mice were trapped and examined for blood parasite species richness and abundance in primary forest and disturbed areas near houses. Twenty-eight mice were captured: 15 from the forest and 13 from the disturbed habitats. Eighty-six percent of these mice were of the species Peromyscus nudipes. There was no significant difference of parasite species richness between mice from the forest …
Microclimate Effects On Cyphellae Density In Sticta Lichens, December 2006, Aidée Casillas
Microclimate Effects On Cyphellae Density In Sticta Lichens, December 2006, Aidée Casillas
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
The genus Sticta is a dominant lichen in tropical montane rainforest environments that is unique in possessing cyphellae, i.e. depressed pores involved in gas exchange, on the undersides of thalli. Microclimatic parameters such as relative humidity, canopy density and temperature were measured in relation to cyphellae density and colony size of S. filix in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Significant correlations were found relating canopy density to cyphellae density (R2 = 0.200, p = 0.0007, n = 54), (R2 = 0.213, p = 0.0016, n = 44), colony size to temperature (R2 = 0.239, p = 0.0002, n = 54), (R2 …
Hymenoptera Diversity And Abundance In Fragmented And Continuous Forest In San Luis, Costa Rica, December 2006, Katie Macdiarmid
Hymenoptera Diversity And Abundance In Fragmented And Continuous Forest In San Luis, Costa Rica, December 2006, Katie Macdiarmid
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Fragmentation of forest habitats can have a negative impact on the diversity of many species. When fragmentation impacts pollination, it can result in major changes to the composition of forest plant communities as well as a reduction in fruit production for nearby agriculture. I studied Hymenoptera diversity in a four hectare fragment and a continuous forest using Euglossine traps as well as a mixture of honey and water to attract Hymenoptera species. Hymenoptera diversity did not differ significantly between the two habitats but abundance of Hymenoptera, Euglossine, and Apidae were all significantly greater in the continuous forest site. This indicates …
Integration Of Art And Environmental Education: The Centro De Educación Creativa In Monteverde, Costa Rica, December 2006, Veronica Harried
Integration Of Art And Environmental Education: The Centro De Educación Creativa In Monteverde, Costa Rica, December 2006, Veronica Harried
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Population growth and deforestation are negatively affecting biodiversity in the Tropics, necessitating environmental education for local populations. Arts education increases the ability to comprehend complex information, enhance creativity and provide problem solving skills (Longley 1999, Siegesmund 1998). Together, environmental education and Arts education can enhance ecological processes and conservation themes in students’ minds so they are retained well into their adulthood. This increases the likelihood that these individuals will make environmentally informed decisions throughout their lives (Gurevitz 2000). In this project, I incorporate current Arts curriculum guidelines from the United States into the Costa Rican environmental curriculum used at the …
Oviposition Preference And Larval Growth Rates Of Caligo Memnon (Nymphalidae: Brassolinae), December 2006, Emily Webb
Oviposition Preference And Larval Growth Rates Of Caligo Memnon (Nymphalidae: Brassolinae), December 2006, Emily Webb
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Caligo memnon caterpillars specialize on plants in three families, Heliconiaceae, Marantaceae, and Musaceea. These families are in the Order Zingiberales. Heliconiaceae and Marantaceae are native to the Neotropics, but Musaceae is an introduced family. I studied oviposition preference and larval performance of C. memnon on four host plants: Heliconia latispatha and Heliconia stricta (Heliconiacea), Calathea insignis (Marantaceae), and Musa acuminata (Musacea). Results showed that preferred host plants for oviposition did not correspond to the host plant that provided the fastest growth rate for caterpillars. Females preferred to oviposit on M. acuminata even though larval growth was lowest on this species, …
Tropical Cloud Forest Canopy And Subcanopy Adapt To Different Light Environments By Regulating Photosynthetic Pigments, December 2006, Bradley D. Wallentine
Tropical Cloud Forest Canopy And Subcanopy Adapt To Different Light Environments By Regulating Photosynthetic Pigments, December 2006, Bradley D. Wallentine
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
The canopy and subcanopy of a Tropical Cloud Forest provide distinctly different light environments. Here, the amounts and ratios of photosynthetic pigments in leaves from a Cloud Forest canopy and subcanopy plants are compared. The pigments of forty canopy and subcanopy leaf samples are extracted using acetone and analyzed using a spectrophotometer. It is found that canopy and subcanopy plants possess equivalent means of concentrations of photosynthetic pigments per mass of leaf tissue (x = 0.21± 0.09 mg/g and 0.22 ± 0.11 mg/g, respectively). Therefore, plants from these two microhabitats invest the same quantity in major pigments for photosynthesis. However, …
Behavioral Changes Of The Slate-Throated Redstart (Myioborus Miniatus) And The Collared Redstart (Myioborus Toquatus) Along An Altitudinal Gradient In The Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, December 2006, Emma Gabrielsson
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Climate change has been found to affect the distribution of bird species in Monteverde, Costa Rica (Holmes 2000). In this study, the Slate-throated Redstart (Myioborus miniatus) and the Collared Redstart (Myioborus toquatus) were observed in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. Both altitudinal distribution and behavior were observed for both species. It was found that the Slate-throated Redstart has moved up in altitude. Further, observations for both species were compared using a chi square test, and there were significant differences between the two species, and also within the same species. This study shows that climate change is possibly responsible for the …
Sugar Concentrations, Hummingbird Aggressiveness, And Community Composition In Monteverde, Costa Rica, August 2006, Paul Brooks, Jennifer M. Gillen
Sugar Concentrations, Hummingbird Aggressiveness, And Community Composition In Monteverde, Costa Rica, August 2006, Paul Brooks, Jennifer M. Gillen
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
We studied hummingbird communities in Cañitas, Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica to observe territorial tendencies when given high and low percentage sugar concentration of food resources at artificial feeders along the edge of a forest patch. We wanted to determine if community composition was disproportionately affected by more aggressive, and therefore territorial species. We observed interactions of hummingbirds at artificial feeders of 20 and 33% sugar concentration. We found a disproportionately high number of visits by Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds (Amazilia tzacatl) at both sets of feeders (52.5% at 20% feeders and 89.4% at 33% feeders). We found a higher frequency of visits …
Population Distribution And Variability Of Mucosal-Sheath Mass Of Calastoma Cinnabarium In The Cloud Forest Of Monteverde, Costa Rica, August 2006, Cecilia Sorensen, Tanner Scrivens
Population Distribution And Variability Of Mucosal-Sheath Mass Of Calastoma Cinnabarium In The Cloud Forest Of Monteverde, Costa Rica, August 2006, Cecilia Sorensen, Tanner Scrivens
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Comprising an entire kingdom to themselves, fungi have been poorly studied relative to their diversity and importance across ecosystems. Calastoma cinnabarium is one of these widely distributed but understudied mushrooms found throughout the Americas. The purpose of this study was to examine its elevational distribution at Monteverde, Costa Rica and adaptive value of its distinctive mucosal-sheath to investigate its possible role in moisture regulation. Population censuses were conducted along an elevational gradient through two life zones in the Monteverde Cloud Forest in parallel with a study determining mucosal-sheath mass to cap size diameter. Additionally, the adaptive value of mucosal-sheathing was …
Avian Feeding Guild Diversity In Sun-Grown And Shade-Grown Coffee Farms In San Luis Valley, Monteverde, Costa Rica, 2006, Anna Richey, Toria Waldron
Avian Feeding Guild Diversity In Sun-Grown And Shade-Grown Coffee Farms In San Luis Valley, Monteverde, Costa Rica, 2006, Anna Richey, Toria Waldron
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Three coffee farms were studied to determine avian feeding guild diversity differences between sun-grown and shade-grown plots in San Luis Valley, Monteverde, Costa Rica. Sun-grown and shade-grown plots were observed on three coffee farms, species were identified by sight, and separated into feeding guilds. Using the Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index, we found a significantly greater overall avian diversity in sun-grown plots (Modified t-test, t= -4.00, df = 267.36). We also found no significant difference in feeding guild diversity between sun-grown and shade-grown plots, but found a significant difference within insectivorous and omnivorous feeding guilds supporting greater diversity in the sun-grown plots …
Epiphyll Community Diversity On Anthurium And Philodendron (Araceae), June 2006, Ellen Frondorf
Epiphyll Community Diversity On Anthurium And Philodendron (Araceae), June 2006, Ellen Frondorf
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Little is known about epiphyll community diversity. This study compared epiphyll diversity growing on leaves from Anthurium and Philodendron. I hypothesized that the effect of a collecting vein, present on Anthurium, but not on Philodendron, would affect microhabitats and epiphyll species diversity. I predicted lower epiphyll abundance on Anthurium than on Philodendron. Fifteen leaves were collected from each plant species. Morphological species of epiphylls were counted for total percent cover, as well as the total area of the leaves. The Shannon-Weiner Index was used, along with Margalof’s index of richness. Analysis was done at metacommunity (all the leaves of Anthurium …
Reproductive Decisions Of Pollinator (Agaonidae) And Non-Pollinator (Torymidae) Fig Wasps Of Ficus Pertusa (Moraceae), June 2006, Kevin J. Loope
Reproductive Decisions Of Pollinator (Agaonidae) And Non-Pollinator (Torymidae) Fig Wasps Of Ficus Pertusa (Moraceae), June 2006, Kevin J. Loope
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Ficus pertusa (Moraceae), a common Neotropical fig, is host to one pollinating (Agaonidae) and three nonpollinating (Torymidae) fig wasps. Bronstein (1991) addressed interspecies interactions between these species and suggested they may be partitioning resources within individual fig inflorescences (syconia) due to a forced association and observed morphological differences. I tested whether or not these wasps’ partition oviposition sites within a fig based upon distance from the syconium wall. Also, these wasps exhibit different reproductive strategies that vary the degree of local mate competition (LMC) between brothers for mates. LMC and inbreeding have been used to explain female-biased sex ratios (Harre …
Use Of Pheromones To Enhance Foraging Efficiency In Atta Cephalotes, June 2006, Rachel Schiesher
Use Of Pheromones To Enhance Foraging Efficiency In Atta Cephalotes, June 2006, Rachel Schiesher
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Atta (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) are important herbivores in the Neotropics, cutting between 12 and 17% of the vegetation there (Holldobler and Wilson 1990). Atta cephalotes uses pheromones to communicate and maximize efficiency during foraging. The presence and specificity of pheromones was studied on leaf segments, between trails in the same colony and between different colonies. All studies were completed at the Santuario Ecológico in Cerro Plano, Costa Rica. Leaves cut by ants were retrieved from the cache at a significantly faster rate than those cut by hand (p-value = <0.0001), suggesting pheromones were laid on the plant material. The leaves were also retrieved at a significantly faster rate when compared to leaves collected from ants on a different trail within the colony or from a different colony (p-value = 0.0386 and 0.0010 respectively). Individual ants also foraged at a significantly faster rate on their own trail when compared to when they were transferred to a different trail within the colony or to a trail of a different colony (both p-values = <0.0001). This suggests that the trail pheromones used for foraging are more complex and specifically recognized by workers on a certain trail. A higher specificity of pheromones may prove beneficial to the enhancement of worker specialization and colony foraging efficiency.
Hummingbirds And Pollen Flow In A Neotropical Agricultural Mosaic, June 2006, Amy Strieter
Hummingbirds And Pollen Flow In A Neotropical Agricultural Mosaic, June 2006, Amy Strieter
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Land transformation in the Tropics leads to greater landscape and forest fragmentation, creating land use mosaics. Some species adjust to new habitats while others go extinct. Adaptability is more complicated, however, when a species is involved in a mutualistic relationship. If host plants are spatially isolated, their pollinators may or may not be able to continue linking that subpopulation to the metapopulation; the pollinator population in turn may suffer due to decreased food supply, habitat, etc. This study examines hummingbird responses to a tropical agricultural/forest mosaic and tracks artificial pollen flow between feeders in different habitats. Hummingbird presence was monitored …
Stomatal Density And Aperture In Four Species Of Pleurothallid Orchids (Orchidaceae), June 2006, Kristen Becklund
Stomatal Density And Aperture In Four Species Of Pleurothallid Orchids (Orchidaceae), June 2006, Kristen Becklund
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
This experiment explored stomata density and aperture in four different species of epiphytic orchids in the sub-tribe Pleurothallidinae. Pleurothallids are likely to exhibit stomatal adaptations that reduce transpirational water loss because they are subject to the xeric conditions of the canopy environment and lack water-storing pseudobulbs. I calculated daytime and nighttime frequencies of open stomata on leaves of Masdevallia chasei, M. striatella, Lepanthes monteverdensis, and L. ciliisepala in order to test their ability to respond to environmental fluctuations in the short term. In order to see if pleurothallids can respond adaptively to water stress over longer time scales, I calculated …
Food Choice In Frugivorous Bats, June 2006, Lauren Riegler
Food Choice In Frugivorous Bats, June 2006, Lauren Riegler
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Frugivorous bats are important dispersers for many tropical plants and their conservation depends on furthering knowledge in their foraging behaviors and food preferences (Brosset et al. 1996). This study investigated a possible fruit preference of five frugivorous bat species (Carollia brevicauda, Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus jamaicensis, Artibeus toltecus and Platyrrhinus vittatus) found in Monteverde, Costa Rica among three wild fruit species (Solanum umbellatum, Solanum aphyodendron and Ficus pertusa) and two cultivated fruit species (Musa accuminata and Carica papaya). Fruits were presented to the bats in the Bat Jungle of Monteverde, where the foraging of bats can be closely observed. Artibeus toltecus …
Edge Effects On Understory Rubiaceae Communities In Lower Montane Moist Forest At Monteverde, Costa Rica, June 2006, Jenna Halsey
Edge Effects On Understory Rubiaceae Communities In Lower Montane Moist Forest At Monteverde, Costa Rica, June 2006, Jenna Halsey
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Understory plants are important to tropical forest structure as they support diverse communities of frugivorous birds, insects, and mammals. The biodiversity in understory communities is becoming increasingly altered as fragmentation of forests exposes more land to edge effects. Rubiaceae is a common understory fruiting plant family that can be found in forest fragments in tropical and subtropical regions. This study examined the effects of distance from a pasture edge on the abundance and species richness of Rubiaceae. I tested a total of ten transects that ran 68 m deep into the forest fragment. Each transect contained four 2x2 m2 plots, …
Streambed Substrate Composition And Macroinvertebrate Communities In The Presence Of A Dam, June 2006, Julia Goldstein
Streambed Substrate Composition And Macroinvertebrate Communities In The Presence Of A Dam, June 2006, Julia Goldstein
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
The construction of dams to satiate human year-round water needs has been so extensive in the past 50 years that small streams are some of the world’s only water flows to still run unregulated (Allan, 1995; Vitousek et al., 1997). That said, plenty of small stream water regimes are regulated, and the effects of this on biodiversity are under-investigated, especially in the tropics (Allan, 1995). In this study the effects of a small dam on the physical environment and macroinvertebrate communities of a tropical montane stream, the Quebrada Máquina, in Monteverde, Costa Rica, were analyzed. Substrate composition, temperature and macroinvertebrate …
Rar Especies Advantage Against Herbivory Among Epiphyte Peperomia Spp. (Piperaceae), June 2006, Nichole Tiernan
Rar Especies Advantage Against Herbivory Among Epiphyte Peperomia Spp. (Piperaceae), June 2006, Nichole Tiernan
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Herbivory is often a greater problem for tropical plants than for temperate plants. With higher herbivore pressures, tropical plants have more defense mechanisms than temperate plants. This drives host specialization and helps to explain why the tropics are so diverse. One premise that attempts to explain how the tropics can be so diverse is the rare species advantage. Two theories that help to explain the rare species advantage are those of density dependence and frequency dependence. The purpose of this study is to see if there is density or frequency dependent herbivory in species of the epiphytic genus Peperomia. By …
Testing The Unified Neutral Theory Using The Epiphylls Of Geonoma Spp. (Arecaceae) As Model Communities, June 2006, Caroline Farrior
Testing The Unified Neutral Theory Using The Epiphylls Of Geonoma Spp. (Arecaceae) As Model Communities, June 2006, Caroline Farrior
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
This experiment tests the predictions of the Unified Neutral Theory of Ecology (Hubbell 2001) using epiphylls on leaves of the palm tree Geonoma spp. Arecaceae) as local communities. The metacommunity is defined as the collection of leaves of one palm tree. The UNT assumes all species to be competitively equivalent and population sizes to remain constant overtime. It also asserts that community drift is strong and that for diversity to exist there must be factors that slow its progress. The UNT predicts that increases in connectivity of the metacommunity, community area, population size of local and metacommunities, as well as …
Permaculture Garden Design For The Cloud Forest School-The Centro De Educación Creativa, June 2006, Lauren Fifield
Permaculture Garden Design For The Cloud Forest School-The Centro De Educación Creativa, June 2006, Lauren Fifield
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
This is a proposal for the creation of a permaculture garden at the Cloud Forest School- Centro de Educación Creativa (CFS-CEC), in Monteverde, Costa Rica. This garden will be used for food production, but will also be used for educational purposes. Permaculture gardens teach students how to live with nature. They are able to produce food for themselves in a way that uses the least amount of land as possible, thus leaving this land for forest species. The garden provides various teaching tools such as native species, gap area, gardening techniques, mimicry complexes as well attracts various species. It will …
Physical Defenses Against Herbivory In Gesneriaceae, June 2006, Meagan Turner
Physical Defenses Against Herbivory In Gesneriaceae, June 2006, Meagan Turner
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
I studied physical plant defenses in seven species within the family Gesneriaceae: Alloplectus tetragonus, Besleria princeps, Besleria solanoides, Besleria triflora, Columnea glabra, Columnea microcalyx, and Monopyle maxonii. The species display varying levels of pubescence and leaf toughness. The purpose here is to determine if these physical traits deter herbivores and decrease the amount of herbivory. Data were collected on plants growing along the Senderos Principal and División behind the Estación Biológica, and the Sendero Nuboso in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica, from April 16 to May 8, 2006. Twenty individuals from each species were sampled and the percent …
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids In Néctar: Deterrents To Generalist Pollinators And Nectar Robbers, June 2006, Arden G. Piland
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids In Néctar: Deterrents To Generalist Pollinators And Nectar Robbers, June 2006, Arden G. Piland
Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are toxic chemicals found in multiple plant families. Eight experiments were conducted in Gardens 2 and 3 of the Monteverde Butterfly Garden to examine if PAs function as deterrents to generalist Heliconiine (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) butterflies and ant nectar thieves. To examine if Heliconiine butterflies were deterred by PAs in nectar, cut and naturally growing flowers were manipulated to contain either a 20% sucrose solution, a solution containing 20% sucrose and PAs, a solution made with 20% sucrose and plant material that did not contain PAs, or were flushed with water to produce an “empty” effect. Heliconiine visits …