As the semester comes to an end, I have reflected on my time as a CURF recipient and the research process collectively. I began my project with the belief that research plans are concrete and have little alteration. However, as time progressed throughout the semester it became apparent that research is a dynamic process that requires constant adaptation. With these…
Author: Nick Heaton
Overcoming Barriers in Ecological Research
I realized I was interested in ecology and wanted to have a role in studying the complexities of relationships between organisms and their environment after taking several ecology courses. I started talking to my ecology professor at this time and asked how one can get involved in ecological research, and she advised me to try to get in contact with principal investigators that focus on ecology at…
Where have all the plant species gone? Using herbaria, iNaturalist, and Google Earth to track biodiversity loss in Western Pennsylvania
Plant biodiversity is crucial in maintaining stable interactions among all species ranging from insects to humans. As the base of the food chain, it is of paramount importance that plants maintain an appropriate level of biodiversity in the ecosystem surrounding the Pittsburgh region. However, as whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations and human development patterns continue to fluctuate and increase in the area, certain plant species…