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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Analysis Of Microbial Diversity In Disturbed Soil, Tyler G. Sanda
Analysis Of Microbial Diversity In Disturbed Soil, Tyler G. Sanda
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
This paper uses the composition and abundance of microbial species to analyze soil recovery in disturbed land. Surface mining disturbs ecological communities throughout the world. As organizations seek to reclaim these disturbed lands, a proper analysis of recovery is needed. In previous studies, recovery of disturbed land was limited to surface examinations, which do not characterize the possible unseen devastating effects of the subsoil. Soil microorganisms are extremely sensitive to environmental changes such as strip mining. It is proposed that these microorganisms may serve as better indicators of recovery post disturbance. Our analysis indicates microbial recovery, however it may not …
The Effects Of Polyunsaturated Aldehydes On Pelagic Microbial Food Webs In The Chesapeake Bay Area And Atlantic Coastal Waters, Chase Alfman
The Effects Of Polyunsaturated Aldehydes On Pelagic Microbial Food Webs In The Chesapeake Bay Area And Atlantic Coastal Waters, Chase Alfman
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Diatoms, one of the most common classes of phytoplankton, are autotrophic plankton, and are the primary food source for many organisms. Diatoms play a key role in nearly all oceanic food webs. Under stressful conditions, diatoms can undergo biological changes that produce cytotoxic secondary metabolites such as polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUA’s). This process is a form of allelopathy, utilized by many algae as a defense mechanism against predation, as well as to inhibit competitors. Microzooplankton are an essential part of these aquatic food webs as well, as they are a key herbivore in many oceanic environments. A set of experiments was …