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Bernard Field Station Use Fall 2001

Research Projects

Request No.: 012E6932E7
Submitted on: 12/12/01 at 10:26 AM
User: Tracy Perfors, Student, HMC
E-mail: tperfors@hmc.edu
College phone: 607-6966
Instructor/Advisor: Dr. Catherine McFadden, 604-4107, Catherine_McFadden@hmc.edu

Type of use: Research
Number in group: 1
Dates: Dec 15, 2001 to May 19, 2002
Frequency: Weekly
Time of day: Morning, Afternoon
Areas or facilities needed: Western CSS, central CSS, eastern CSS
Species to be studied: I will be studying all plant species in 24 2x2 meter plots I set up in the coastal sage scrub of BFS.
Will vertebrate animals be used? No
Will markings or flags be used? Yes - I plan to make 24 2x2 meter plots in a block pattern in the BFS coastal sage scrub. There will be four rows, the first row north of the Foothill Blvd edge, the other rows going north, 50 m apart. There will be six columns, the first column 10 m east of the College Ave edge, the other columns going east, 50 m apart. Each plot will be marked with 1"x2"x12" wooden posts at each corner. The posts will have my name and contact information written on them. I will tie twine between the posts to mark out a square. Occasionally, I may place a flag in the plots to temporarily (1-2 weeks) mark a certain plant.
Will plants or animals be collected? No

Project description: I will investigate edge effects in the coastal sage scrub plant community of the BFS, focusing on the number of exotic invaders and the species richness (diversity) of the BFS plant community. I will record the number of exotic plant invaders and the species richness in 24 plots in a block design at different distances from the BFS edge in the southwest corner of the BFS. Analysis by ANCOVA with distance to the edges as covariates will determine if the plant composition inside BFS is affected by the city outside. [A detailed project description is available.]

Request No.: 011DAE738D
Submitted on: 10/15/01 at 3:26 PM
User: Andrea Renden, Student, Pomona
E-mail: arenden@pomona.edu
College phone: 607-6408 Instructor/Advisor: Fran Hanzawa, 18601, fmh04747@pomona.edu

Type of use: Research
Number in group: 1
Dates: October 15 to May 2002
Frequency: Several-days/week
Time of day: Morning
Areas or facilities needed: Western CSS, central CSS, pHake Lake, vernal pools, eastern CSS, oak forest, corner, east field, lower neck, central neck, upper neck
Species to be studied: Sceloporus occidentalis
Will vertebrate animals be used? Yes
Will markings or flags be used? Yes - blue flags with my name
Will plants or animals be collected? Yes

Project description: I am doing research for my senior thesis. I will be catching western fence lizards, weighing, and toe clipping them. I am interested in their habitat preference and am intending on performing manipulations of habitat (removing rocks, leaf litter, and logs)and planting these features in areas that were previously absent. Manipulations will be done after winter break.

Request No.: 011B5234D8
Submitted on: 10/11/01 at 7:53 PM
User: Sarah Covington, Student, Pitzer
E-mail: scovingt@pitzer.edu
College phone: (909)626-5383
Instructor/Advisor: Cheryl Baduini, 606-8816, cbaduini@jsd.claremont.edu

Type of use: Research
Number in group: 1
Dates: As soon as possible to 12/01
Frequency: Weekly
Time of day: Varies - I will be going at various times throughout the week depending on what I am doing for my research and what is the most convenient for my schedule
Areas or facilities needed: central CSS, corner, infirmary, east field, lower neck
Species to be studied: Argentine Ant (Lepithema humile)
Will vertebrate animals be used? No
Will markings or flags be used? Yes - I will be marking baits and pit fall traps
Will plants or animals be collected? Yes

Project description: I will be measuring the effects of sugary diets on foraging activity. At the BFS I would like to set up pit-fall traps around sugar resources (honeydew-excreting hompotera) and in areas without a sugar source to determine ant abundance. I also want to test bait preference among Argentine Ants. I also want to have a lab component where I can control the diet and measure foraging activity. For the laboratory colonies I would like to take ants from the field, Argentine Ants and others, to set up a comparison.

Request No.: 011A68B32F
Submitted on: 10/6/01 at 7:53 PM
User: Margaret (Megan) Ogle, Student, Pitzer
E-mail: mogle@pitzer.edu
College phone: x76232 Instructor/Advisor: Dan Guthrie, x72836, dguthrie@jsd.claremont.edu

Type of use: Research
Number in group: 1
Dates: 9/15 to 5/10
Frequency: Other - My use of the BFS will vary depending on my progress on my thesis.
Time of day: Varies - I will be using the BFS at different times throughout the day.
Areas or facilities needed: Oak forest, lower neck, central neck
Species to be studied: Coast live oak and insect and bird species in and immediately around oak.
Will vertebrate animals be used? Yes
Will markings or flags be used? Yes - Markings will be used for subject oak trees.
Will plants or animals be collected? Yes

Project description: I will be conducting a two-semester senior thesis on island biogeography of oak patches by comparing bird and insect diversity in different patches of coast live oak on the Bernard Biological Field Station and the college campuses. My objective is to measure insect and bird diversity and compare the diversity of various "islands" of oak. I plan to follow transect lines and do surveys of insect and bird fauna.

The survey of bird fauna will consist of passive observation of birds. I will record the number of individuals in each species and the length of stay in and immediately around the oak tree of study. I will stay for a fixed time at each plot along the transect line and conduct the study only in the morning hours (7:00-9:30am).

Measuring insect diversity is a more complex process. To capture flying and crawling insects, I plan to use sticky paper that is most commonly used for trapping rodents. I will tie a strip of sticky paper at about one meter and another strip of sticky paper at about two meters on the tree. The sticky paper will remain on the tree for approximately 24 hours after which time I will retrieve the sticky paper and wrap it in Saran Wrap to facilitate insect count and identification. The second way I will measure insect diversity is by removing a square patch of outer bark 30 cm² at around 1.5 meters off the ground. I will collect all insects under the bark and place them in a Ziplock bag for identification. Finally, I will do a small transect line along the base of the oak tree rummaging through leaf litter and locating insects. These sampling techniques should give an accurate portrayal of overall insect diversity in and immediately around the oak tree.

Request No.: 01172FC34B
Submitted on: 9/28/01 at 3:07 AM
User: Noah Levin, Student, HMC
E-mail: nlevin@hmc.edu
College phone: 909-607-4761 Instructor/Advisor: Stephen Adolph, x71872, adolph@hmc.edu

Type of use: Research
Number in group: 1
Dates: Late September to Middle of December
Frequency: Several-days/week
Time of day: Morning, Afternoon
Areas or facilities needed: Western CSS, central CSS, pHake Lake, vernal pools, eastern CSS, oak forest, corner, infirmary, classroom, east field, lower neck, central neck, upper neck
Species to be studied: Sceloporus occidentalis (western fence lizard) and Lutzomyia sp. (sandflies)

Will vertebrate animals be used? Yes
Will markings or flags be used? Yes - Flags might be used to mark lizard capture sites and ground squirrel burrows temporarily and will be removed within a day or two.

Will plants or animals be collected? Yes

Project description: I will be studying a malaria-causing Plasmodium (only present in lizards) and often present in S. occidentalis, which will entail temporary capture for the purposes of marking and taking blood samples. Samples of the vector, Lutzomyia sp., might also be collected and nearly all would be re-released.