May 2, 2025
Reception & Presentations 2pm to 5pm
Cal Poly Humboldt Library
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Presenters & Abstracts: Search
Affects of Common Fishing and Recreational Beaches on Dead Seabird Abundance Found Onshore
Nikkie
Villagrana
Wildlife
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The objective of this study was to determine whether proximity to fishing communities has an affect whether or not I will find more dead seabirds on those beaches. There is evidence to suggest that one of the highest causes of plastic pollution is by commercial fishing litter. Plastic pollution has been one of the leading causes of seabird death and I aim to bridge the gap in knowledge by whether or not I find more dead seabirds onshore on the beaches that are linked to popular fishing communities in Humboldt County.
Perching Height Preference in Raptors
Jacob
Scholar
Wildlife
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
This research investigated the relationship between various raptor species and their preferred perching heights, employing a laser rangefinder and binoculars to determine these heights. My objective was to explore if different raptor species exhibit distinct perching height preferences, potentially impacting the diversity of raptors in an area, deal with various pest species using predators, and possible solutions to bring back extirpated raptor species.
Role of Recreational Trailways and Cover Objects in Relation to Terrestrial Salamanders
Anthony
Gomez
Wildlife
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Recreational trailways are becoming an ever-present component within community forests, nature reserves and national parks, with the effects on local wildlife just beginning to be understood. Prior research holds that regular trailway maintenance increases microhabitat availability for salamanders and results in increased densities. I conducted a 3-month study in a community forest in northwestern California, and used a standardized nighttime paired-field survey technique to assess for cover objects and salamander surface activity.
Around the Bay in 80 Days: Investigating the Relationship between Bird Diversity and Plants
Quinlan
House
Wildlife
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between plant species richness and bird diversity within the area of Humboldt Bay situated in north-western California. Humboldt Bay hosts a unique array of natural areas such as redwood forests, coastal dune forests, and wetlands. We examined the effect of plant species richness and diversity on bird diversity in these three habitats around Humboldt Bay by conducting point counts, plant species censusing, and plant density sampling across 10 plots at each habitat.
Small Mammals vs. Understory Plant Diversity and Health at L.W. Schatz Farm
Puyao
Zhang
Wildlife
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The experiment aims to gain insight into the ecology of small mammals and vegetation in an understory ecosystem.
Temperatures Impact on Insect Capture and Black Phoebe Foraging Activity
Alyssa
Lomeli
Wildlife
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
This project is a study I conducted which will be portraying the data I have collected. The data and additional outside research was done to depict temperatures impact on Black phoebe foraging activity and insect capture within the city of Arcata.
A meta-analysis of the variables affecting tick abundance
Curtis
Cline
Wildlife
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
I looked the current literature on ticks to determine the different variables that could impact the abundance of ticks
Effects of Freshwater on Purple Sea Urchin and Bull Kelp Dynamicx at the Mouths of Rivers Along the Mendocino Coast
Marina
Storey
Biological Sciences
Graduate Student
Izzy
Shirah
Biological Sciences
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Urchins are voracious herbivores that mow down kelp forests turning them into urchin barrens. This regime shift from kelp forests to urchin barrens has led to the closer of the red abalone fishery which had an estimated value of $44 million dollars.
In Mendocino CA, bull kelp has been observed persisting at the river mouths in making an interest to local and scientific communities. Urchins are known to not do well with lower salinities possibly leading to this phenomenon.
Mathematical Modeling of Adaptive Sex Ratios in Sea Lamprey Populations
Jaxon
Tuggle
Mathematics
Undergraduate Student
Mathematics
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
An extension of our research conducted during the Mathematical Competition in Modeling (MCM), we examined the effect that species possessing adaptive sex ratios have on their local ecosystem. We constructed a model using computer software (NetLogo) allowing multiple simulations to be run of our digital ecosystem with various parameters. This allowed us to highlight adaptive nature of the gender ratio of the selected species, the sea lamprey, and the consequences on the broader ecosystem. This project included an examination on population dynamics as well as prey-predator relationships using implementations of applied mathematics and the field of ecology.
Small Mammal’s Abundance in Relationship to Distance and Water Type
Mitchell
Owen
Wildlife
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
I went out to see if rodent abundance was impacted by how far they were from a water source and if there was a difference between flowing and standing water. There were many studies on water's impacts on rodents in deserts but not in forests, so I went out to change that.