Early Cretaceous Cupressaceae in the Budden Canyon Formation of northern California

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The Early Cretaceous Budden Canyon Formation of North America contains a few anatomically preserved plant fossils ca. 125 Ma old (Barremian-early Aptian). Recent investigations of the Budden Canyon Formation have revealed a preserved seed cone assignable to the Cupressaceae. Based on serial sections and a 3-D reconstruction, the fossil cone was compared with living Cupressaceae and revealed significant differences from most genera and closest similarity, but not identity, with Sequoia. The age and morphology of the cone also suggests that it may represent an extinct member of the sequoioid, a lineage which gave rise to modern redwoods (Sequoia) and giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron).

Ecocentrism vs. Individualism

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Congress okays reducing sea lion populations to help out Chinook Salmon. Salmon are a cultural importance to Indigenous populations and play a key role in the ecosystems it lives in. The idea of killing a natural predator to save another that is used in many ways. The declining salmon populations are being affected by many different pressures and many others are being affected by it such as killer whales.

Eelgrass beds impact on juvenile Dungeness crab in Humboldt Bay, CA.

Jillian Hodge, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) is a pivotal decapod species along the Pacific coast, playing a significant role both economically and ecologically. This study aimed to investigate the influence of common eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds on juvenile Dungeness crab populations within Humboldt Bay, California. Utilizing crab hoop traps deployed across 30 sites at four distinct beach locations, the research sought to identify habitat preferences and better understand the ecological dynamics shaping juvenile Dungeness crab distributions.

Effect of Channel Size on the Development of Resistance in a Carbon Nanotube Network

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The burgeoning demand for nanotechnology presents a specific issue in that it requires the production of electronic components at a physical scale that is difficult and costly to achieve. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have potential in a wide range of electronics applications (1), but there are many lingering questions about their behavior. This project seeks to use computational modeling to propose a relationship between the number of CNT-on-CNT contacts and the effective resistance of a CNT network as the physical parameters change.

Effect of Size at Release on Tendency of Trinity River Hatchery Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to Return as Half-Pounders

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

I used scale analysis to estimate the half-pounder frequency among wild and hatchery steelhead from the Trinity River 2011 and 2012 smolt years and compare those estimates to the half-pounder frequency from 1993 until 2008. Hatchery steelhead from 2011 and 2012 had higher half-pounder tendencies than those from 1993 until 2008. Wild steelhead from 2011 and 2012 also showed increased half-pounder tendencies. This supports the hypothesis that increased size at release of hatchery steelhead is related to decline in the half-pounder life history, but also suggests that another factor influences the half-pounder tendency of these steelhead.

Effectiveness of Trailhead Signs

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

I went to three different trailheads to interview willing participants based on the information found on trailhead signs. Using this information, I was able to compile data to find the amount of visitors who looked at these signs, and which topics visitors answered most correctly.

Effects of Lethal Giant Larvae 1 on Murine Neural Progenitor Cell Differentiation

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Using Immunocytochemistry to analyze the expression of differentiation markers in mouse neural progenitor cells. Comparisons are made between wild type cells and Lgl -/- cells to view differences in their differentiation potential and analyze some of the potential impacts of the Lgl1 gene or it’s absence.

Effects of Competitor Species on Black-Crowned Night Heron Activity at Different Times of Day

Korinn Trinies, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

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.

Effects of Environmental Pressures and Physical Characteristics of Tide Pools on Marine Invertebrate Community Ecology

Jessica Hoone, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Intertidal invertebrates are an integral part of tide pool ecosystems, so what is the intertidal invertebrate’s ideal habitat? Which tide pools foster the greatest abundance and species diversity? This study was conducted to determine whether five major players in the northern California invertebrate community fair better in the rocky tide pools of a sheltered bay or the sandy tide pools of a beach exposed to the full force of the waves.

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

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.