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Life Sciences Commons

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Biology

Augustana College

Independent Research Projects

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Assessment Of The Negative Role Amur Honeysuckle Has On Urban Forest Diversity, Hayley Schlabowske, Paige Lundborg, Jason Koontz, Michael Reisner Jan 2022

Assessment Of The Negative Role Amur Honeysuckle Has On Urban Forest Diversity, Hayley Schlabowske, Paige Lundborg, Jason Koontz, Michael Reisner

Independent Research Projects

Lonicera maackii (Amur Honeysuckle), an invasive shrub species, has out-competed native species in urban riparian zones for decades due to its ability to receive more sunlight and it also secretes an allelochemical from its leaves that negatively impacts the ecosystems. Our research question is how does Lonicera maackii affect native plant species in the herbaceous understory? Five forest communities were sampled in Northwest Illinois. Sites were separated into four different categories with L. maackii only, Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) only, Neither invasive species, and sites where both occur. There were 12 sites for each of the four categories resulting in …


Detection Of Fecal Contamination Using Molecular Methods, Kristina K. Bowen Jan 2016

Detection Of Fecal Contamination Using Molecular Methods, Kristina K. Bowen

Independent Research Projects

This study explores the process of designing a molecular method to detect fecal contamination in the urban watersheds of Rock Island and Moline, Illinois. These urban watersheds are known to contain high ammonia levels and total dissolved solids based on previous studies. Additionally there is concern about the aging combined sewer and storm water system. Therefore, these watersheds are thought to have poor water quality including fecal contamination. Existing molecular methods used for detecting fecal contamination require a considerable amount of resources in the laboratory. Our goal was to design a molecular method that requires fewer resources and can continue …