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Presenters & Abstracts: College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Fish Stock Assessment and it's Affects Due to Global Warming
- Daisy MontalvoMathematicsUndergraduate Student
- Julia VangMathematicsUndergraduate Student
- Edwin EspinozaMathematicsUndergraduate Student
Built a mathematical model to perform prediction analysis of the fish stock assessment located in Scotland and the affects of rising temperature in Atlantic Ocean.
Fluidity of Fragility: Modeling the Effect of Climate Change on State Fragility
- Hahn ArchibaldMathUndergraduate Student
- Olivia HelprinGeologyUndergraduate Student
- Jared WalbertGeologyUndergraduate Student
Summary of a mathematical modeling contest submission investigating the impact that climate change bears upon state fragility index, as defined by the Fund for Peace. Parameters used in this model include total annual precipitation and percentage of water made available to rural populations over a span of 24 years. From our model, we find that states that are fragile and vulnerable will be affected by climate change.
Food preference of backyard birds in Siskiyou County, CA
Cheyanne Nelson, Wildlife Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & SciencesThis project examined the food preferences of backyard birds in Siskiyou County, California in Spring 2024. We used Nature’s Way CWF3 Cedar Platform Tray Bird Feeders at eight different locations. For each trial, feeders presented two food types: nut n' berry mix and sunflower seeds. Feeders were left out for 72 hours. We recorded the weather conditions (i.e. cloudy, windy, rainy, sunny), as well as the minimum and maximum temperature, and feeder height. A combination of direct observation and game cameras was used to determine bird species present. We predicted that birds, on average, will prefer the nut and berry mix due to the higher fat content relative to sunflower seeds.
Foraging and Vigilance in American Coot
April Barillas , Wildlife Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & SciencesI observed American Coots at the Arcata Marsh and Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge for 10 minutes based on foraging and vigilance in a group or individual.
Foraging Success of American Robins (Turdus migrators) in Pasture Conditions
Sara Dabovich, Wildlife Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & SciencesMy research project investigated success American Robins (Turdus migratorius) as predators in livestock pastures. Using random focal sampling and critical behavior incidence recording I obtained percent of successful attempts in moderately and over grazed pastures made by male and female birds.
Forest Attributes of Reproductive Habitat for Harpy Eagles in Darien Province, Panama
- Jilma Rachel GuineaWildlife DeparatmentUndergraduate Student
A Harpy Eagle's, (Harpia harpyja), reproductive cycle is distinctive amongst all raptors. Therefore, obtaining detailed knowledge of their reproductive habitat would assist in creating new management policies and conservation guidelines. We measured variables describing forest characteristics within 0.5-ha plots around each of ten nesting and control trees in the Pacific region of Darien Province, Panama. Variables measured were: tree family richness; tree density, height and diameter; shrub density; and coverage of understory and canopy foliage. We then used Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) to compare a series of models specified a priori to assess the importance of forest attributes.
Forest Response to Severe Drought: Do restoration thinning treatments in coast redwood-Douglas fir forests increase resiliency to drought?
- Laura LalemandForestryGraduate Student
Coast redwood-Douglas-fir forest hold important economic, ecological, and cultural values which will likely be threatened by changing climate and increased drought stress. Restoration thinning has been used by forest managers with the goals of decreasing stand competition and accelerating maturation to old-growth conditions. However, uncertainty still remains on whether restoration treatments provide forests with increased resiliency to disturbances such as severe drought. The aim of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of different restoration treatments in improving second-growth forest resiliency to drought stress in coast redwood-Douglas-fir forests of Redwood NP.
Frequency and Intensity of Exposure to Carbonate Corrosive Waters in a Near-shore Upwelling Environment
- Jasen JacobsenOceanographyUndergraduate Student
A primary consequence of increasing atmospheric CO2 is the lowering of ocean pH and associated stress on calcium carbonate bearing organisms. Coastal regions are vulnerable to low-pH due to seasonal upwelling which periodically introduces CO2–enriched deep water to the surface. Time-series of pH at Trinidad Head, California were analyzed to ascertain the frequency and intensity of exposure to carbonate corrosive waters from 2006-2011. Most years experienced 11-35 days of exposure to corrosive water, while enhanced upwelling in 2010 resulted in 61-84 days of exposure. Some instances show that corrosive conditions were ameliorated by enhanced photosynthesis in response to upwelled nutrients.
From the Post-Soviet to Eurasia: Regional Constructs a Quarter-Century after Independence
- Matthew DerrickGeographyFaculty
- Merien TownselGeographyUndergraduate Student
- Hyejin JunGeographyUndergraduate Student
This project, an overview of an in-progress edited book, interrogates Eurasia as a form of regional definition for the states that gained independence after the USSR’s breakup, arguing for the continued relevance “post-Soviet” as a regional construct. The idea of the post-Soviet is positioned as a heuristic device to evaluate existing prior attempts at regional definition. Path-dependency as a concept suggests that preexisting institutions condition the institutional form that follows political transition; the condition of path-dependency remains relevant across the post-Soviet successor states.
Functional impact of alternative splicing on the transcriptomic landscape and fate of multipotent skeletal stem cells and osteosarcoma
- M. Gohazrua K. ButlerBiologyGraduate Student
Greater than 90% of all protein-coding genes in the human genome undergo post-translational alternative splicing (AS), giving rise to many unique isoforms from a single gene. Our work with human skeletal stem cell (hSSC) has demonstrated the need to examine AS as it relates to cancer, development, aging, skeletal regeneration and skewing of hSSCs towards non-skeletogenic lineage fates. Here we explored the relationship between AS and function of hSSCs. Using RNA microarray technology we discovered RNA-binding proteins involved in hSSC function; inhibition of these proteins prevents differentiation and formation of osteosarcoma. Our current work reveals other essential roles of AS in hSSCs.