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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Variation Of Carbon Stock Of Boca Del Drago Mangrove Forests Based On Salinity And Seaward Proximity, Fiona Wyrtzen
Variation Of Carbon Stock Of Boca Del Drago Mangrove Forests Based On Salinity And Seaward Proximity, Fiona Wyrtzen
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Mangrove forests, at the intersection of land and sea, are considered one of the most important marine environments for their variety of ecosystem services and their ability to sequester large amounts of carbon in their biomass and adjacent soils. With a changing climate, many of the abiotic and biotic factors influencing mangroves will begin to shift, potentially impacting resilience, growth capacity, and distribution of mangroves worldwide. This study aimed to examine the influence of changing salinity on the carbon stock capacity for Rhizophora mangle and Laguncularia racemosa forests, and the distribution of biomass in each species relative to salinity in …
Community Complexity Of A Pollination Network: Analysis Of Plant-Pollinator Interactions In The Eastern Ecuadorian Cloud Forest, Anisa López-Ruiz
Community Complexity Of A Pollination Network: Analysis Of Plant-Pollinator Interactions In The Eastern Ecuadorian Cloud Forest, Anisa López-Ruiz
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Global declines in pollinators and temporal/spatial mismatches between plants and pollinators threaten the integrity of plant-pollinator networks. Ecological network analysis provides a powerful framework for understanding the dynamics of plant-pollinator networks and measures of community complexity that can help inform areas of priority in conservation. This study observed a plant-pollinator network in a secondary forest close to the Río Zuñac Reserve in the eastern Ecuadorian cloud forest to identify assemblages of plants and pollinators and evaluate measures of community complexity, including specialization and nestedness. Flowering plants were identified and observed along a 1.2 km transect, and floral visitors to these …
Friends In High Places: Establishing Pollination Networks For The Páramos Of Central Ecuador, Emma Diaz
Friends In High Places: Establishing Pollination Networks For The Páramos Of Central Ecuador, Emma Diaz
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Well-known for being a global biodiversity hotspot, the Andean Páramos hosts a unique array of floristic diversity seen nowhere else in the world (Luteyn, n.d.). With the resiliency of this ecosystem dependent on the successful reproduction of these plants, it is crucial to understand the pollination network which sustains them. Modern-day research has outlined networks in the Chilean, Venezuelan, and Argentinean Páramos, but one has yet to be defined for Ecuador, despite being the suspected home to nearly half of floristic diversity in the Páramos (Arroyo et al., 1985; Pelayo et al., 2021; Medan et al., 2023; Caranqui et al., …
Variation In The Growth Parameters And Biomass Of Rhizophora Mangle Seedlings With Distances From Playa Estrella, Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Thiny Tep
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Mangrove is a salt-tolerant, intertidal, tropical tree or shrub and make up a rich community of various organism. On the Caribbean coast of Panama, in Bocas del Toro, mangrove forests cover 28 km2 and are dominated by R. mangle, followed by L. racemosa and A. germinans. Simultaneously, Isla Colón, the most populated and developed among all islands in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, is a tourist center. Unfortunately, tourism comes at the price of environmental degradation via alteration of natural habitats, solid and wastewater pollution. Therefore, this study aims to gain a preliminary understanding on how the …
Hummingbird Diversity, Abundance, And Feeding Interactions Across Three Floral Communities On Mount Totumas, Chiriquí, Panamá, Zachary Ginn
Hummingbird Diversity, Abundance, And Feeding Interactions Across Three Floral Communities On Mount Totumas, Chiriquí, Panamá, Zachary Ginn
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
(Trochilidae) are a large Neotropical bird family of nectar-feeders that have evolved as pollinators of many Neotropical plants. Interactions between hummingbirds and plants form mutualistic networks that may change in structure over environmental and anthropogenic gradients. While the unique dynamics of hummingbird diversity and floral interactions have been studied throughout the Neotropics, differing drivers between locations emphasizes the need for further local research. This deficit is especially crucial in biodiverse and understudied locations like the Western Highlands of Panamá. In this study, I investigated how hummingbird diversity, abundance, and floral interactions differed between Cloud Forest, Garden, and Oak Forest on …
How Elevation Affects Epiphyte Distribution: An Analysis In Epiphyte Distribution Changes At Different Elevations And Tree Strata In Santa Lucia Cloud Forest Reserve, Ecuador, Nicole L. Melnick
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Cloud forests are unique ecosystems due to their tropical nature, high elevations, and extremely high presence of epiphytes that serve many important roles for the ecosystem’s biotic and abiotic components. As epiphytes can make up anywhere from one-quarter (Foster 2001) to a half (Gómez González et al. 2017) of all local plant species in cloud forests, it is essential to understand how their habitat distributions change with elevation and whether climate change will have a significant effect on that. This study used observational survey methods to record the amount of monocots (separately counted bromeliads and orchids), dicots, ferns, and percent …
Investigating Primary Succession Following The Retreat Of The Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, Iceland, Ella Roelofs
Investigating Primary Succession Following The Retreat Of The Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, Iceland, Ella Roelofs
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The accelerating rates of glacier retreat around the world as a result of climate change make the study of primary succession in expanding forefields increasingly important. While this is a well studied topic in many parts of the world, little data exists specific to Iceland. This study investigated vegetation development along a chronosequence of eight time periods in the Breiðamerkurjökull outwash plain. Data was collected on percent vegetation cover, dominant species, the number of unique plant groups, and percent cover of five substrate types at 10 plots (0.55 x 0.55 m quadrats) per time period. Important findings include the fact …
A Quantitative Study Of Orchids And Their Proximate Environments Over An Elevational Gradient On The Northern Slope Of Montagne D’Ambre, Hazel Schrader
A Quantitative Study Of Orchids And Their Proximate Environments Over An Elevational Gradient On The Northern Slope Of Montagne D’Ambre, Hazel Schrader
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This research investigated change in orchid populations and their proximate environments on the Northern slope of Montagne d’Ambre, a subhumid forest in Northern Madagascar. Orchid density, way of life (epiphyte or terrestrial), phenology, and associations were recorded over 100m elevation gradients and between forest types (primary, secondary, dry, and humid forests at the same altitude). Additionally, orchid preferences for certain heights in the forest and DBH of host trees were analyzed. The establishment of 50X20m plots in 100m elevation gradients combined with ground survey yielded significant results demonstrating change along with elevation as well as forest types. Orchid density increased …
Héroes Anónimos: La Relación Entre La Gente Y Las Plantas Nativas En Río Grande, Argentina, Rachel Elliott
Héroes Anónimos: La Relación Entre La Gente Y Las Plantas Nativas En Río Grande, Argentina, Rachel Elliott
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Este estudio fue realizado para la Fundación Estepa Viva, Naturaleza y Ciudadanía con el fin de entender mejor cómo lxs residentes se relacionan con las plantas nativas y dónde ellas están ubicadas dentro de la ciudad de Río Grande, Argentina. Un total de 52 manzanas en 10 zonas de la ciudad fueron muestreadas en busca de 5 especies nativas clave: la lenga (Nothofagus pumilio), el ñire (Nothofagus antarctica), el guindo (Nothofagus betuloides), la mata negra (Chiliotrichum rosmarinifolium), and el calafate (Berberis microphylla). Además, se realizaron 50 entrevistas y se creó un mapa interactivo. Se observó que las plantas eran poco …
Ethnobotany And Dai Medicine: Herbal Roots, Jasper Tsai
Ethnobotany And Dai Medicine: Herbal Roots, Jasper Tsai
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Xishuangbanna is home to one of the most biologically and culturally diverse regions in China. Dai medicine from the Dai people has been recognized by China as one of the four major ethnic minority medicines. With over 2,500 years of practice, Dai medicine utilizes the herbs found in the diverse region mixed with principles and theories from Buddhism. There have been over 500 unique herbs used in Dai medicine, each with different properties and functions. As Xishuangbanna continues to develop as a city and expand its rubber and banana plantations, it has large impacts on the environment, living standard, education, …
Trends In Nectar Production And Concentration Of Hummingbird-Pollinated Flowers: An Investigation Of Three Flowers Of The Ecuadorian Cloud Forest: Palicourea Demissa, Mezobromelia Capituligera, And Kohleria Affinis, Grace Palmer
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Nectar concentration and sugar production both impact and are impacted by pollinator activity through a complex system of coevolution. Additionally, a variety of morphological and environmental factors influence the nectar properties of animal-pollinated flowering plants. Nectar concentration and nectar production rate (NPR) of three hummingbird-pollinated plants, Palicourea demissa, Mezobromelia capituligera, and Kohleria affinis, were measured. These flowers occur and were studied in the southern section of the Chocó-Andean subtropical montane rainforest, in the Pichincha province of Ecuador. Flowers were bagged for 24 hours and sampled at approximate two-hour time intervals for 12 or 24 hours. Nectar concentration and sugar production …
Primitive Palms: A Density Study On The Impacts Of Harvesting Natural Materials For Construction Purposes On Sumak Allpa Of The Amazon Rainforest, Zachary Bull
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
In an effort to better understand how rural construction techniques affect a surrounding environment, this study combines a density test of the natural building materials used in the construction of a school on Sumak Allpa island of the Orellana Province in the Amazon basin of Ecuador. The focus of the study measures the density of the bamboo species Guadua angustifolia and the Panama hat plant Carludovica palmata on the island while noting a comprehensive compilation of the techniques and materials used in the building process. Using a mix of plots and transects, a comparison of harvested material to remaining material …
Mixed Responses To Woody Encroachment In Icelandic Herbaceous Plant Morphology And Phenology, Cait Battle-Mcdonald
Mixed Responses To Woody Encroachment In Icelandic Herbaceous Plant Morphology And Phenology, Cait Battle-Mcdonald
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Climate change and afforestation efforts are promoting tree growth into traditionally treeless locations in Iceland. This study examined this woody encroachment’s effect on the phenology and morophology of eight plants (Agrostis aequivalvis, Equisetum pratense, Equisetum arvense, Alchemilla alpina, Ranunculus acris, Lupinus nootkatensis, Anthriscus sylvestris, and Taraxacum sp.) in Kjarnaskógur forest, Akureyri, Iceland. An initial transplantation experiment testing trees’ effect on A. aequivalvis, E. pratense, R. acris, and A. sylvestris failed due to plant death. A subsequent observational study examined trees’ effect on E. pratense, A. alpina, R. acris, L. nootkatensis, A. sylvestris, and Taraxacum by observing morphological characteristics (leaf size, …
A Catalog Of Orchid Species And Their Distribution In Mazumbai Forest Reserve, Tanga Region, Tanzania, Sierra Loomis
A Catalog Of Orchid Species And Their Distribution In Mazumbai Forest Reserve, Tanga Region, Tanzania, Sierra Loomis
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Although orchids are common in Mazumbai Forest Reserve (MFR), there are limited resources on where they grow and how to identify them. The primary objective of this study is to create an updated catalog of orchids in MFR, using species abundance, richness and diversity of the orchids as indicators of where orchids prefer to grow in MFR. Orchid species vary greatly as altitude changes, making it important to survey orchids across different altitudes. Therefore, Mazumbai Forest was split into five different altitudinal bands spanning 1400 – 1900m and six 100 x 20m plots in each band were surveyed for both …
Shift In Icelandic Plant Populations Due To Climate Change: Through The Lens Of Natural Dyes, Molly Pluenneke
Shift In Icelandic Plant Populations Due To Climate Change: Through The Lens Of Natural Dyes, Molly Pluenneke
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Northern residing plant species are at the highest risk for extinction due to temperature rise related to climate change (Schöb, Manuel, Choler & Veit, 2009). Climate change has also led to a northern shift in the geographic distribution of plant species (Parmesan & Yohe, 2003). This could lead to a necessary alteration in the way natural resources are utilized in arctic countries like Iceland (Lim-Camacho et al, 2017). The purpose of this study is to analyze the way in which Icelandic plant species used in natural dye practices may shift in distribution due to climate change and the potential impact …
Utilization And Accessibility Of Securinega Virosa For Medical Use In Morogoro Municipality, Sasha Friedrich
Utilization And Accessibility Of Securinega Virosa For Medical Use In Morogoro Municipality, Sasha Friedrich
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Approximately 80% of rural communities in Tanzania utilize the services of traditional healers. This is largely because modern medicine is often expensive, inaccessible, or has undesirable side effects. This study investigates use of traditional medicine in Morogoro Urban district where people do have access to hospitals. In particular, this study aims to assess the utilization and accessibility the plant species Securinega virosa for medicinal use by identifying and interviewing the actors involved in the supply chain from harvester to consumer. I conducted semi-structured interviews with eight traditional healers and one herbal medicine shopkeeper. I expected harvesters to express a decline …
Surveying The Distributions Of Melaleuca Quinquenervia, Psidium Cattleianum, And Litsea Glutinosa At Analalava Special Reserve, Hanusia Higgins
Surveying The Distributions Of Melaleuca Quinquenervia, Psidium Cattleianum, And Litsea Glutinosa At Analalava Special Reserve, Hanusia Higgins
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This study surveyed the distributions of three invasive plant species, Melaleuca quinquenervia, Psidium cattleianum, and Litsea glutinosa at the Analalava Special Reserve in Mahavelona, Madagascar. Analalava is a 229-hectare degraded patch of low-elevation humid forest on the northeast coast of Madagascar, and one of the last forest fragments remaining in the region. It is a haven for biodiversity, containing 343 recorded species of plants, 12 of which are locally endemic. Invasive species are considered the second-most significant threat to biodiversity, both worldwide and specifically at Analalava. Based on a systematic transect survey of these three targeted invasive species, their distributions …
Traditional Plant Use Of The Raglay In Cãu Gãy Village, Núi Chúa National Park, Alex Greene
Traditional Plant Use Of The Raglay In Cãu Gãy Village, Núi Chúa National Park, Alex Greene
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Members of the Raglay community of Cãu Gãy Village were interviewed to determine the extent and nature of their traditional reliance on plants. This community, located in the buffer zone of Núi Chúa National Park, was found to utilize 64 plant species for a wide variety of uses. Botanical specimens and photographs were used to identify 42 plants to species level, 13 to genus level, and 6 to family level, while 3 remained unidentified. For each plant, the Raglay name, local Vietnamese name, use, specific application, and preparation were documented, as well as any details of ritual or commercial significance. …