Project A. Investigating people's ideas about ecosystems. Mentors: Drs. Alan R. Berkowitz, Peter M. Groffman, and Cindy Hmelo-Silver (Rutgers University). One or two students.

Understanding ecosystems is increasingly vital for decision making and citizenship, yet ecosystem literacy still eludes the educators and the public. The Cary Institute's Ecosystem Literacy Initiative is developing a "language" of ecosystems for the public - a way of thinking about and understanding the ecosystems we depend upon - that people can use in their day to day lives. To help guide this effort, we are studying how people think about and come to understand ecosystems. In the Earthworms and Ecosystems project, we are developing an educational web-based resource on the ecological roles of worms. The goal is to build on the public's general interest in earthworms and willingness to think about their effects on ecosystems. Research can be designed by the student(s) to reveal what different groups of people know, or think they know, about the ecology of earthworms and to discover where their understandings came from. In the Changing Hudson project, web-based resources for students and teachers are focusing on how the Hudson ecosystem changes over time and in response to human and other disturbances. Student research can explore the different ways people view and evaluate change in river ecosystems. The REU students will have access to a diversity of groups for interviews, focus group discussions, and/or surveys. This research will make a useful contribution to our understanding of how people develop ideas about ecosystems, and will give the student experience in social science research linked to biological inquiry.

Project B. Ecological functions of Hudson River marshes, shallows and tributaries. Mentor: Dr. Stuart E.G. Findlay. One student.

The Hudson River has a large number of diverse tidal wetlands along its shores and important vegetated shallow areas. In many cases tributaries deliver their loads of nutrients and sediment into these wetlands and shallows. Although a few sites and streams have been studied extensively there is not a general understanding of how these marshes and littoral areas contribute to food webs, serve as habitat or modify water chemistry. There are connections between land use, human population and stream water quality but the actual mechanisms are unknown. Depending on the interests of the student, simple measurements for determining functions of wetlands on vegetated shallows could be applied to a range of sites. Assessment tools have already been developed for several wetland functions including nutrient removal, tidal energy dissipation and provision of several types of habitat. Some of these tools have been field-tested while others still require verification. This project would introduce the student to the diversity of wetlands, streams and shallow habitats in the Hudson Valley and teach valuable field techniques.

Project C. Microbial processes in urban ecosystems. Mentor: Dr. Peter M. Groffman. One student.

The maintenance of "natural" microbial nutrient cycling processes in urban ecosystems is important to the functioning of these systems. This student can participate in several different projects that are part of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES), a long-term study of Baltimore, Maryland, including: the effects of exotic species on soil nutrient cycling processes, microbial processes in urban riparian forests and nutrient cycling in forest, agricultural and residential areas within the city.

Project D. What, if anything, controls tick populations and Lyme disease risk? Mentors: Drs. Richard S. Ostfeld and Felicia Keesing. One student.

The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the vector of Lyme disease and other diseases of humans and wildlife in eastern North America.  Ticks can be extremely abundant, exacerbating disease risk, but their abundance varies through time and across space.  Understanding the causes of this dramatic variation in tick abundance and disease risk is essential for disease prevention and management.  Ticks are vulnerable to several natural enemies, including predators (e.g., salamanders), pathogens (e.g. fungi), and even their vertebrate hosts, which can kill ticks while grooming.  Some of these natural enemies might be influenced strongly by abiotic factors, such as precipitation and temperature.  The student(s) will be guided in developing a research project addressed at understanding biotic and abiotic interactions important in regulating tick populations.

Project E. Songbird behavioral ecology: How do veeries use their songs for mate choice and territory defense? Mentors: Drs. Kara L. Belinsky and Kenneth A. Schmidt. One student.

Veeries are one of many species of songbirds that migrate from the neotropics to sing and breed in the forests of North America every summer. Each species of songbird uses a species-specific repertoire of songs and other vocalizations (calls) to communicate. During the breeding season, most songbirds use their vocalizations to choose their mates and defend the territories in which they breed. Veeries have eerily beautiful and unusually complex songs in addition to a large repertoire of calls. As an REU student, you will design and carry out a project exploring one or more aspects of veery communication; for example, how males use their calls during territorial disputes with neighboring males, or how predators on adults (owls ) or nests (chipmunks) affect veery singing behavior. For your project you can expect to observe veery behavior and record veery vocalizations in the field, and catalogue and analyze your recordings in the lab. In addition, you will also have the opportunity to work with our team of graduate students and field assistants to capture and color-band veeries and find veery nests.

Project F. Ecosystem response to an introduced pest in a hemlock forest. Mentors: Drs. Shannon LaDeau and Gary M. Lovett. One or two students.

Hemlock trees are widespread in the eastern U.S. and are an important component of mature forests. These majestic trees are under attack by an invasive Asian insect called the hemlock woolly adelgid, which is causing hemlock mortality throughout the eastern U.S. and has begun to affect forests at the Cary Institute. In this project, students will do field and laboratory research on the response of hemlock stands to infestation by this insect, potentially including studies of the insect and tree populations, seedling demography, soil chemistry and nutrient cycling.

Project G. Investigating the natural and anthropogenic drivers of mosquito abundance and disease risk. Mentor: Dr. Shannon LaDeau. One student.

Mosquitoes are important components of wetland food webs but can also be vectors of infectious diseases in humans. Managing human disease risk requires an understanding of how mosquito populations grow and behave in human dominated landscapes. The student will investigate how habitat and weather variables that reflect human presence influence mosquito community ecology and population demography. The interested student may also explore statistical analyses relating mosquito populations to human disease risk.

Project H. Use of remotely measured data to determine evaporation from Mirror Lake, New Hampshire. Mentor: Dr. Gene Likens. One student.

Quantification of evaporation is best done by measuring temperature and vapor-pressure gradients directly over the evaporating surface. This is the standard procedure at Mirror Lake, but many other studies must rely on remotely measured data for their evaporation estimates. Several alternate data sources exist within one to several km of the Mirror Lake watershed, providing the opportunity to compare best estimates of evaporation with those determined using remotely measured data. This study will involve determination of evaporation using data collected on site, determination of evaporation using data collected at several remote locations, and developing a comparison of evaporation estimates based on a variety of combinations of remotely measured data. An end product will include a ranking of evaporation estimates based on alternate data sources relative to evaporation determined from on-site measurements.

Project I. Simplifying measurement of the hydrologic budget of Mirror Lake, New Hampshire. Mentor: Dr. Gene Likens. One student.

Flow of water and chemicals to and from Mirror Lake, New Hampshire, has been determined for several decades and hydrologic budgets are used to provide a check of the uncertainty associated with flow measurements. However, measurements of these flows are expensive and ways are sought to reduce cost and complexity. A study will be conducted to determine the effects of replacing measurement of various components of the hydrologic budget for Mirror Lake with alternate data sources. For example, if streamflows at two adjacent watersheds are well correlated, it may be possible to make use of that relation and measure streamflow at only one location. When streamflow is well correlated with precipitation, it may be possible to make use of that relation and measure only precipitation. These and several other data substitutions will be evaluated, alternate hydrologic budgets will be determined, and a summary will include a statistical description of the effects of simplifying measurement of the hydrology of the Mirror Lake watershed.

Project J. Effects of invasive species on freshwater ecosystems. Mentors: Drs. Emma Rosi-Marshall and David Strayer. Two to three students.

Species that have been deliberately or inadvertently introduced outside of their native ranges by humans now dominate many freshwater ecosystems, where they can have large effects on native species and biogeochemical cycles. Students will work as part of a team to investigate the effects of invasive species such as the rusty crayfish, the Chinese mystery snail, and the zebra mussel on the ecosystems that they invade.

Project K. Predator activity and risk to prey. Mentor: Eric M. Schauber. One student

If you are a prey animal, your chances of being eaten depend greatly on where you are. For example, gypsy moth pupae and songbird nestlings are prey of white-footed mice, and their risk of being attacked by mice varies across space and time depending on factors like abundance of other foods and availability of cover. Some areas may act as refuges for prey if predators either (A) don't visit there or (B) visit but don't feed there. We are currently studying the linkages between acorn production, populations of native rodents, and the interactions between the rodents and their prey. We use track plates to measure local visitation by rodents, and measure their foraging intensity using artificial food patches. A variety of local conditions could influence these two measurements either in parallel or independently. Students will be guided in selecting interesting and tractable research questions, related to the effects of local conditions (food abundance, cover, or other factors) on visitation and foraging by rodents, with implications for the local persistence of their prey.

Project L. Investigating longitudinal patterns of water quality in the Wallkill River. Mentors: Drs. David Richardson,. Emma Rosi-Marshall, and Stuart Findlay. One student.

The Wallkill River flows from its source, Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, 94 miles north, through two states and three counties, to Ulster County, NY where it enters the Hudson River. At its source is Lake Mohawk, a man-made lake surrounded by a golf course and urban development. As the river flows north, there are several closed mines which are potential sources of arsenic to the surface waters, several small dams, agriculture, and a number of small towns. These features of the watershed may contribute pollutants to the Wallkill, such as nutrients, heavy metals, pesticides, or pharmaceutical by-products. The student will design a project to quantitatively measure water quality along the Wallkill River, from source to mouth. This research would help our understanding of how aquatic ecosystems transport, retain, or remove point and non-point source pollution. Through this research, the student will develop field and laboratory skills, and gain a greater understanding of aquatic ecosystems and spatial data.

Project M. Effects of roadsalt alternatives on soil microbial processes. Mentor: Dr. William Schlesinger. One student.

The Wallkill River flows from its source, Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, 94 miles north, through two states and three counties, to Ulster County, NY where it enters the Hudson River. At its source is Lake Mohawk, a man-made lake surrounded by a golf course and urban development. As the river flows north, there are several closed mines which are potential sources of arsenic to the surface waters, several small dams, agriculture, and a number of small towns. These features of the watershed may contribute pollutants to the Wallkill, such as nutrients, heavy metals, pesticides, or pharmaceutical by-products. The student will design a project to quantitatively measure water quality along the Wallkill River, from source to mouth. This research would help our understanding of how aquatic ecosystems transport, retain, or remove point and non-point source pollution. Through this research, the student will develop field and laboratory skills, and gain a greater understanding of aquatic ecosystems and spatial data.

Project N. Effects of Marcellus-Shale Drilling Fluids on Aquatic Ecosystems. Mentor: Dr. William Schlesinger. One student.

Increasing interest focuses on the extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, which is widespread in up-state New York. The extraction of natural gas follows hydraulic fracturing, in which fluids are pumped into the drilled well to mobilize the natural gas. There are a variety of such fluids proposed and little examination of the impacts on surface and groundwater. This project will examine the impact of several of them on soil microbial and stream ecosystem processes.