Friday, November 30, 2018

New Students in the Lab

Our new students Kelly, Kelsey, and Victoria have been working on research ideas during the last semester.  Research proposals are a very important part of the degree process. Our lab projects are getting some new questions applied to them for further expansion of our knowledge of the Oak Openings Region.

Kelly is working on research questions related to our ongoing bat research, with a specific focus on how bat activity and diversity are impacted by landscape factors related to urbanization.

Kelsey is learning what past land management has occurred in the area to study the effects of management created edges (e.g. prescribed fire) on the abundance and movement of small mammals and bats in the Oak Openings Preserve.

Victoria is questioning road impacts on species at a larger scale that our previous work near the Oak Openings Metropark. She is looking at how different variables, such as land use and distance from parks influence animal movement using roadkill as a lens. She is extending her surveys to four of the local nature areas.

 Our lab picture has from Right to Left: Kelly, Kelsey, Victoria, Rachel, Karen, Amanda, and Jake.