Plant-Dwelling Spiders Care Where They Live: Higher Diversity and Greater Abundance On Native Plant Species, Specific Plant Types, and in Areas With Vegetation Richness

Brooke Culler, Biological Sciences Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Spiders are very effective biocontrol agents, particularly when their communities are more diverse. In the progression of more sustainable and natural agriculture, supporting spider communities in California vineyards has potential to keep vines safer from pests. I decided to observe spider taxonomic and guild richness, as well as abundance, on crop and non-crop vegetation in vineyards, while recording a site’s plant species richness and assigning each of those species to be native or not. I set out to determine what factors support more spider diversity, and ultimately, how those factors may encourage spider communities on the vines themselves.

Plastic Ectotherm Plasticity

Jacob Mackenzie, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Comparison of different anthropogenic materials as coverboards for ectotherm surveying, including two different kinds of plastics, Lexan and Acrylic, using temperature, humidity and occupancy status differences. The increased soil temperatures found from plastics compared to other materials may have further impacts on global warming and ectotherm ecosystems.

Plastic Ectotherm Plasticity

Jacob Mackenzie, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Comparison of different anthropogenic materials as coverboards for ectotherm surveying, including two different kinds of plastics, Lexan and Acrylic, using temperature, humidity and occupancy status differences. The increased soil temperatures found from plastics compared to other materials may have further impacts on global warming and ectotherm ecosystems.

Plastic Pollution and Effective Reduction Policies

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

During the International Mathematical Contest in Modeling, our team tackled the problem of the destructive accumulation of plastic in the earth's land and waterways. We researched national and international policies attempting to curb the production and consumption of plastic, and constructed a simple model to predict plastic mass growth in the future, under various parameters and scenarios.

Plastics in the Gut's of Leach's Storm Petrels in Humboldt County, California

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

For this project, we looked at the plastics that were found in the Guts of Leach's Strom Petrels in Humboldt County, CA. In 2020, 57 of these storm petrels were found dead of natural causes and stored at Cal Poly Humboldt. In my project, I analyze if these storm petrels had plastics in their stomachs at the time of their death, and if so, how much plastic. This is the first of such studies done on Leach's Storm Petrels on the Pacific Coast. The results help to contribute to the ever-growing knowledge of how plastics in our oceans are affecting wildlife.

Plethodontid Salamander Microhabitat Selection

Freya Prissberg, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My research is done on Ensatina and California slender salamander microhabitat selection in the Arcata Community Forest. Soil moisture, canopy cover, soil temperature, cover object length/width, foliage cover and salamander length and weight were all recorded. This data was used to determine if Ensatina and California slender salamanders show microhabitat selection for certain soil temperature, soil moisture, canopy cover or foliage cover.

Plethodontid Salamander Proximity to Surface Water Relative to Ocean Distance

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My research was conducted on the coast of Humboldt County, where I measured salamander proximity to a freshwater source relative to the distance to the ocean. I used two study sites, one in the Arcata Community Forest and one in Trinidad. I found 38 salamanders while sampling 60 1x1 meter quadrats.

Poetic Persons Preventing Problematic Principles

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Artistic communities can be problematic, as any community can be. One aspect of activism is working from within, and poetry communities are a great way to do this. It allows for people to communicate in an artistic manner, and communication is the best way to resolve conflict/differences. By taking a stand against violence through poetry, the communities hearing these poems will be open to taking in this vital information because it’s within their own community.

Police Body Cameras

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This project is one I have been working on with my internship at the Humboldt Center for Constitutional Rights. The emphasis is on police body cameras and the protocols or standard practices that are required. I have looked into several police departments (including some of our own in Humboldt County) to see what procedures, if any, are taken when recording before and afterwards. The purpose of my research is to educate/inform all on the footage that is captured in public and what is normally done.

Police Officer Identification and Leadership Prototypicality

College of Professional Studies

Survey data was collected from the CSU system’s 21 campuses’ police officers in June of 2017. We will be examining the extent to which officers’ perceptions of their leader's representativeness predicts their support for the leader, trust for the leader and the leader’s effectiveness, and how these relationships are affected by officer uncertainty.