The importance of covariate spatial factors in building growth models for old growth sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) in the Sierra Nevada.

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

A century of fire exclusion in the Sierra Nevada has altered the structure and composition of many old-growth forests. As a result many older sugar pines (Pinus lambertiana) are more prone to mortality due to uncharacteristically severe wildfire, pathogens and insect outbreaks, drought, and competition-induced stress, and many of these factors are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Examining tree growth is an excellent approach to understanding the influence of these factors on sugar pine vigor and survival. This study is a preliminary analysis to understand the importance spatial factors such as slope and distance to creek as covariates in building growth models for sugar pine.

The Indian Health Service and the Sterilization of Native American Women

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

In the 1960’s, the Indian Health Service (IHS) introduced and provided native american women different methods of birth control. The US government agency personnel, including the IHS, targeted native americans due to their high birth rate. As opposed to popular belief, native women were often subsidized and used as test subjects with the goal of population control under the American Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW.) This lead to an abundance of native women becoming sterilized by their physician without their consent.

The Indigenous Effort to Protect Eagles

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Native Tribes have been and continue to be an instrumental part in the protection of eagles throughout the United States. Due to their work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and researchers, they have made substantial progress in furthering their conservation areas and techniques to protect the different species of eagles from extinction. These initiatives are depicted by the Eagle Summits that have been held, as well as eagle rehabilitation areas created on tribal land. Through my research, I will be educating attendees on the work of the tribes to conserve eagle populations and rehabilitate injured eagles while continuing their cultural traditions within the Midwest.

The Indigenous Influence on Komodo Dragon Research and Conservation

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

I will be exploring the history and involvement of indigenous people from the islands of Indonesia focusing on the conservation and research of Komodo Dragons. My poster will go into depth of the history and culture that surrounds the giant reptiles of the islands, focusing on the traditional ecological knowledge and the impacts it has had and how it is changing still to this day.

The Influence of Hiking Trails on Salamanders

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

It is a field research project looking at the species diversity and individual abundance of salamanders in the Arcata Community Forest.

The influence of lupine (Lupinus arboreus) on habitat selection by black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in coastal dunes

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Invasive plant encroachment threatens native fauna and flora in the coastal dunes. Herbivores play an important role in the composition of plant communities. In this study, I measured black-tailed deer habitat use in relation to the invasive coastal lupine in order to better understand the relationship between herbivores and the dune ecosystem.

The Integration of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems with Geospatial Science and Information Technology

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My research has two components. The first component explores field research techniques involving the integration of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), with mobile mapping tools and geospatial analysis, to generate layers of data for a target study area. The layers include georeferenced orthophotographs, digital elevation models (DEMs), 3D models, common GIS raster transformations, supervised classifications, and false-color composites. The second component explores the use of information technology to develop effective methods for displaying and communicating scientific information to a broader audience.

The Involuntary Sterilization of Native American Women

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Between the 1960s and 1970s, Native American women were involuntarily sterilized when they went to the Indian Health Services (IHS). Many would go in for one procedure and end up being sterilized and made believe that it was reversible.

The JNK/c-Jun Pathway Regulates Potency and OCT4 Expression in Murine Embryonic Stem Cells

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

This study examines a role for the JNK/c-Jun pathway in stem cell potency, differentiation, and Oct4 expression. Oct 4 is a transcription factor known to regulate genes involved in embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal, pluripotency, and differentiation. cJun is a protein that regulates genes responsible for cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Its transcriptional activity is regulated in part by its activator, JUN amino-terminal kinase (JNK). In this study we modulated JNK/cJun signaling in murine embryonic stem cells through both chemical modulation of the JNK pathway and transient transfection of vectors expressing GFP cJUN, GFP L40/42A, GFP cJun R54A or GFP alone.

The Lasting Effect of Single-Use

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Our poster displays the research and analysis we did regarding the impact of single use plastics on the environment and future projections of how lowering our usage of single-use plastics can help slow climate change. We originally did this project for the CoMap International Mathematical Modeling Competition.