Native Bee Diversity and Floral Host Preferences

Annette Moulay, Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Native bees provide crucial and efficient pollination services (Kremin, 2002). However, habitat fragmentation due to urban sprawl can contribute to native bee biodiversity loss (Hung, 2017). The College of the Canyons Buzz team used native bee diversity as a proxy for biodiversity and conducted research on native bee diversity on both of our college facilities and at nearby locations from April 2022 through July 2024. 213 bees across 5 families and 18 genera were collected from the Valencia campus, and floral hosts were documented. The goal was to attain an initial Shannon’s H diversity Index for the Valencia campus with a plan to enrich the campus habitat to attract more diversity.

Natural History and Basking Habits of Western Pond Turtles

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

This research represents the preliminary results of a longer term project in Sequoia National Park, California. I used temperature dataloggers to investigate western pond turtle behavior to better understand their natural history and thus inform monitoring protocol and conservation. These data suggest that snorkel surveys used to monitor turtle populations may be more effective if conducted at night. In addition, these data indicate the potential for intraspecific niche partitioning among turtles according to age. These early results hint at unique turtle behavior that is otherwise difficult to observe for a cryptic species and thereby warrant further investigation.

Natural Influences from Inside and Outside of the Classroom

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

The research project has been developed to investigate what the relationship is between early education students, teachers, living plants inside and outside the classroom, and the environment outside the windows. The research project surveys 32 center-based programs among rural and urban early education programs to produce quantitative and qualitative data for a research project that will support a blog site. The blog site will include curriculum plans, activities and images supporting incorporation of plants in children’s environments and children’s interactions with natural materials and playscapes.

NCAA DoD Grand Alliance: Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium – Longitudinal Clinical Study Core

College of Professional Studies

Humboldt State University received a two-year grant from the NCAA and the U.S. Department of Defense to expand upon the existing study that investigates concussive and repetitive head impacts in NCAA student-athletes. This collaboration is to further understand the neurobiopsychosocial nature of concussive injury and recovery to enhance the safety and health of our collegiate student-athletes, service members, youth sports participants and the broader public. At Humboldt State, researchers have conducted baseline and post injury monitoring of neurocognitive, motor control, and behavioral data in 638 athletes from all sports. The poster will have current results from the CARE consortium.

NDCI Analysis and Change Detection for Coral Reef Habitats of Duncan Island In South Chinese Sea from 2016 to 2018

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Mismanagement of coral reef habitats for construction has impacted on rapid destruction of most biodiverse coral reefs of South Chinese sea. This project examines how coral reef habitats changed in Duncan island of South Chinese sea using object based image analysis (OBIA) and coral index. We estimated the coral changes over time with different land-use classes. The unchanged coral acreage was 7.80 acres between 2016-2017, 1.21 acres between 2017-2018 and 8.22 acres between 2016-2018. The coefficient of agreement for the classification is ranged from 0.55 to 0.60. NDCI Analysis of coral regions surrounding Duncan island revealed vegetation change in coral health.

Needs Assessment for Resource Compilation for Persons Experiencing Homelessness While Caring for a Companion Animal

College of Professional Studies

Individuals facing poverty and homelessness can be denied housing when care-taking for a companion animal. Sometimes a refusal of housing is caused by rules which prohibit companion animals in housing, so the preference is to remain homeless. My project provides a compilation of local, free, and low cost resources to help provide for the companion animal’s care. A needs assessment with persons facing long-term homelessness informed the list. The compilation will allow a person facing poverty to make informed choices among resources in the community that would facilitate a healthy human-companion animal relationship regardless of status of homelessness.

Nest Tree Selection of Swainson's and Red-Tailed Hawks in Butte Valley, CA

Cristina Portillo, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

We collected microhabitat data at nest trees to determine if Red-tailed Hawks and Swainson's Hawks showed a preference for certain tree characteristics. Microhabitat data included tree height, nest height, number of primary trunks, diameter at breast height, density of canopy, the presence or absence of lichen, lichen type, and local tree density. We used logistic regression to test the expectation that Red-tailed Hawks and Swainson's Hawks select older and larger trees relative to local availability. The implications of these results could inform which trees are selected for western juniper removal, which is an anticipated treatment conducted by the U.S. Forest Service in Butte Valley.

Network Analysis of Individuals and Organizations Involved in Food Issues at Humboldt State University and Surrounding Communities (Phase 1)

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This applied research project is one attempt to contribute to the building and strengthening of partnerships among those involved with food issues at Humboldt State University and surrounding communities. While we report some information, we also seek to advocate for even more collaboration among local stakeholders.

New Petrology and SEM imagery of the West China Peak Complex of the Ironside Mountain Batholith, Klamath Mountains, Trinity County, CA

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The Ironside Mountain Batholith located in the Western Hayfork terrane in the Klamath Mountains province represents crustal derived plutonism that pre-dates the Nevadan Orogeny by 20Ma. Redating the Ironside Mountain Batholith will be done via U-Pb laser ablation of accessory zircons, this will yield an age of crystallization thus providing an age of emplacement, and constrain the pre-Nevadan orogeny. Barnes and Petersen dated the Ironside Mountain Batholith in 1992 using U-Pb, Pb-Pb, and K-Ar dating methods, and yielded a date in the Mid Jurassic from 169 Ma (K-Ar) to 174 Ma (U-Pb), with an accepted age of 170Ma.

Nifty Fifty Ain't So Thrifty- Privileges and Challenges of Locavore Diet in Arcata

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

A locavore diet aims to consume only foods that have been grown and produced typically within 100 miles of where you live (I chose to do 50 miles). Localism offers community-based solutions to global problems like fossil fuel dependency, carbon emissions, and single-use plastics while attempting to remove the individual from global markets, transnational free-trade agreements, and socio-economic exploitation of labor. This project reflects on the personal privileges and challenges with participating in a strict 50-mile diet in terms of economic viability, dietary habits, and accessibility to luxury ingredients (such as sugar, spices, and beer).