Food preference of backyard birds in Siskiyou County, CA

Cheyanne Nelson, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

This 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.

Forage Site Selection of Woodpecker in Relation to Tree Species and Stage of Decay

Jeffrey Soltero, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The main objectives of this study are to determine the variation in forage habitat selection of each of these species located in the Arcata Community Forest, and to see what might influence their forage site selection. I hypothesize that forage site selection for woodpeckers will be influenced by their prey choosing certain tree species and trees in moderate to high stages of decay. The data collected and used to complete my objectives as gathered by surveying multiple trails throughout the Arcata Community Forest, taking note of any woodpeckers engaging in foraging activity along with the species of woodpecker, the species of tree, and the stage of decay the tree was in.

Foraging and Vigilance in American Coot

April Barillas , Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

I 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 & Sciences

My 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

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

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 Edge Effects on Insects in Coastal Redwoods

Sebastian Mendoza, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

When it comes to coastal redwood forests, there aren’t many studies that focus on insect abundance being affected by edge effects. The focus of this study is to see what species of insects are being affected by the forest edge. I will assess this question using pitfalls and sticky traps to trap ground insects and flying insects, respectively. I hypothesize that the closer distance from the edge habitat will positively influence insect diversity. This study will allow future researchers to see if there’s a correlation between insect abundance and other species that use insects as a food source.

Forest Response to Severe Drought: Do restoration thinning treatments in coast redwood-Douglas fir forests increase resiliency to drought?

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

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

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

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

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

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

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

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.