This study examined the relationship between zooplankton abundance and piscivorous bird richness at the Arcata Marsh

Senior project about wildlife-vehicle collisions on Highway 299 East. I hypothesized that more lanes and lower elevations have more roadkill.

With an ever-increasing push for urbanization, it is necessary to monitor the passerine's ability to tolerate increased anthropogenesis and ensure their persistence among changing habitats. Arcata, California is home to both a lively college campus (CPH) and a restored wildlife sanctuary (AMWS), offering ideally contrasting study sites to sample at. In order to determine if urbanization is affecting the birds’ occupancy, I will conduct a total of 30 point-counts at 15 urban and 15 rural sites to compare the number of individual passerines across land types. I hypothesize to detect a higher abundance of passerines throughout the rural settings.

My research looks at the influence of anthropogenic (human) disturbance upon the terrestrial mammalian community. The specific anthropogenic variables that I tested for against wildlife presence, use-rates, and species richness was human use intensity, human and domestic animal use intensity, building density (per mile), and distance to major roadway. The study area completed between February 20th and April 5th, 2023, within Humboldt County, California, USA. The transects were placed parallel to the coastline along an area of rural suburban, lite industrial, agricultural, and wildlands, within a coastal dune ecosystem.

This is a study that aims to test a widespread local theory that Black-tailed deer are more active on nights with a full moon.

Invasive species disrupt ecosystems and can lead to complex food web issues and increased probability of extinction for native species. The Sacramento pikeminnow (P. grandis) is invasive in the Eel River of Humboldt county and has contributed to the decline of species that local communities rely on, such as the Chinook salmon and the Pacific lamprey. This study explores the morphometric differences of the Sacramento pikeminnow within native and non-native ranges.

Black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) share the same niche with various competitor species, influencing and effecting their behavior accordingly. Recent studies show that black-crowned night herons are mainly active during dusk and dawn due to the decreased presence of competitor species at these times, suggesting there nocturnal behavior is an adaption. During my study, I observed the proportion of high and low activity of black crowned night herons in relationship to presence of competitor species and the time of day. My data suggest greater numbers of black-crowned night herons with high presence of competitors, and higher activity level with less competiton.

This poster focuses on studying the relationship between abiotic factors and salamander activity. We predict soil saturation to be the biggest factor influencing salamander activity. We also examine soil temperature, air temperature, daily precipitation, and accumulative precipitation and their affects on salamander activity.

The Smith River, known as one of the most pristine watersheds in the continental United States, dissects agricultural land used for Easter lily cultivation in the Smith River Plain of Del Norte County, California. It is estimated that this region grows 95% of all Easter lilies grown in the world. High amounts of pesticides are applied during cultivation to combat nematodes and fungi. The Regional Water Board created the Smith River Plain Water Quality (SRPWQ) Management Plan in response to pesticide and fertilizer concentrations that have exceeded USEPA benchmarks. Included in this plan are Best Management Practices (BMPs) that aim to improv

Effects of moonlight illumination on animal-vehicle collisions