Black bears in suburban areas consume more anthropogenic foods

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Consumption of human food by black bears (Ursus americanus) is a common and challenging problem for wildlife managers dealing with the species, because bears will readily use human-associated foods as an easily attainable energy source, especially when natural food sources are scarce .The result of human expansion is increased rates of encounters between humans and bears, particularly if bears are being forced to search farther and wider outside their home ranges for food. In this study I assessed variation in anthropocentric foods in bear diets. To accomplish this, I compared scat samples collected in Humboldt, CA from suburban and rural areas.

Black Phoebes Sing More Often in Noisier Anthropogenic Environments

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My senior thesis research is about how anthropogenic noise, such as traffic noise influences bird communication is an important question to understand how increasing urbanization influences animal populations. A bird that might be affected by traffic noise is the Black Phoebe, a suboscine songbird that occurs in both rural and urban areas. In contrast to oscines, song in suboscines is innate and not learned, so it is thought to be less plastic. My objective was to investigate if Black Phoebes adjust their singing behavior in response to car traffic in urban and rural sites in Arcata, California.

Bringing Art to the Community

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The objective of this project is to collaborate with the Cal Poly Humboldt Art Department to create a story of how they have impacted the community. The art department has had many art education majors reach out to the community to help citizens explore the benefits of art. The reached out primarily to elementary schools and the Pelican Bay Prison

Cage Farm Fishing Restoration Project in South East Asia: Heavy Metals in the Surrounding Ecosystem

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The proposal for the study is to restore ecosystems near fish farms. Surrounded ecosystems have shown to be harmed by heavy pollutant (lead, mercury, and arsenic). In the long run the research team plans to stop more input of heavy metals into the water with the help of the Philippines community. The outcome for the project is to educate, care for the health of the community, and have cleaner and drinkable water.

California Black Bear diet composition in the Trinity and Klamath regions

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Project presentation on black bear diet composition and diversity between the Klamath and Trinity river regions.

California Firefighter Annual Magazine

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This project explores previous English 103 coursework on my discourse community, wildland firefighting, and the atmosphere of the career. It provides a sense of guidance and introduction to the discipline.

Characterizing the genetic diversity of immune genes in a non-native population of American Bullfrogs in Humboldt County, California

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is a highly invasive species that has successfully colonized different habitats around the world. The level of genetic variability in a population may help determine how resistant a population is to pathogens and how persistent an invasive population may be over time. Our project’s objective was to isolate and characterize the genetic diversity of a rapidly evolving immune gene in an invasive bullfrog population near the Mad River in Humboldt County, CA. We isolated four genetically distinct alleles from 16 frogs. When included with alleles from related species, we detected positive selection acting on putative binding sites.

Characters Influencing Plethodontid Salamander Microhabitat Selection

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Work was done studying mirohabitat selection of two local plethodontid salamander species, Batrachoseps attenuatus (California slender salamander), and Ensatina eschscholtzii (common ensatina). Results imply that the most significant factor is the relative humidity of the microhabitat.

College Instructors’ Perceived Responsibilities: A Descriptive Study

College of Professional Studies

College student demographics have been rapidly changing with more students than ever identifying as students of color, low-income students, and first-generation college students. Colleges are working to reduce equity gaps in students’ academic achievement where marginalized students typically receive lower grades than their more privileged peers. The present study investigated the perceived responsibilities of college instructors with a focus on highly equitable classroom practices. Results of the study indicate general endorsement of highly equitable classroom practices as instructors’ responsibilities. Future research can use perceptions to further assess classroom practices and behaviors.

Comparing Community Structure of Vascular Plant Species on Nurse Logs and Ground Plots in the Arcata Community Forest

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My study looked at the ecological role nurse logs play in the Arcata Community Forest, and whether they support a different vascular plant community than the forest floor.