[ The Proposal ]
Recent Achievements
As of November 18, 2004, the Student Aprenticeship Program mycorrhizal slide collection was completed.
The slide collection consists of 172 microscope slides holding (1 - 1.5 cm) stained root fragments ready for percent colonization analysis under the compound microscope. It was created after the realization that the lab dissecting scope would not achieve the proper magnification necessary to use the more accurate and time saving Grid-line intersect method as described by Giovanetti and Mosse (1980).
The final project in Geological and Environmental Applications of GIS (GL 661) was to create a map of a research site or place of interest. In order to accomplish this task, files had to be downloaded from available websites, converted into usable formats, and integrated into a map environment in which the data layers could overlap one another. Map features had to be identified and labeled, which is sometimes harder than it sounds as most map features are saved with distinguishing names such as A27 instead of I-675. Once the code is deciphered, the rest is simply figuring out what exactly it is you wish to focus on for your map. I chose to create a map that would display the location of my study sites. It includes Town Boundaries, Hydric Soils, National Elevation, Roads, and Waterways. Here is a picture of the finished product. If you are more interested to see what went into the map's creation, feel free to contact me. Otherwise, I am sure it will show up in a presentation of mine down the line.
Phase II: Experimental Design We are out to discover the differences between inoculated and control plants in the field across undisturbed and disturbed habitats. We would likek to demonstrate this with monocot and dicot plant species. Somewhat restricted by space, time, ability, and ultimately process time, here is my current design. Plants: Monocot versus Dicot *Typha latifolia - M *Carex vulpinoidea - M *Mimulus ringens - D *Pycanthemum virginianum - D Field Sites: Undisturbed versus Disturbed *Siebenthaler Fen - U *Fairborn Marsh - U *Woodman Fen - MODERATE - Lacks wetland hydrology *Hagenbuch Preserve - D *Southdown Reserve - D Sampling Scheme: Measurement, Harvest, and Observations *Prior to transplantation - January *Peak growth period - March *Flowering - June *Final Harvest - July Number of Plants Required *10 plants per harvest - to allow for plant death *4 plant species *5 field sites =200 plants per species and 800 plants total