|
Past REU Projects at Konza Prairie (1995-2009) |
|
1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
|
Tina L. Graver |
Investigation of plant functional traits in the Flint Hills, Kansas (Mentor:
Kendra McLauchlin |
|
Kelsey Hixson-Bowles Kansas State University, KS |
Generality of nematode bacterial defense pathways (Mentor: Michael Herman |
|
Brian V. Kearns |
Change in vocal culture of Spiza
americana based on density, distance, and habitat (Mentor: Tim Parker |
|
Rose Keith |
Development of simple sequence repeat loci in Helianthus maximilianii |
|
Matt Nielsen |
The genetics and evolution of cold tolerance within the Drosophila genus (Mentor: Ted Morgan |
|
Nathan Pavlovic Grinnell College, IA |
Nitrogen and phosphorus addition affect microbial polar lipid metabolism in
a grassland ecosystem (Mentors: Richard Jeannotte and Ruth Welti |
|
Dumi Presuma Bethune-Cookman University, FL |
Variables affecting nitrogen uptake in prairie streams (Mentors: Alex Reisinger and Walter Dodds |
|
Zak Ratajczak Vassar College, NY |
Positive micro-climate feedbacks lead to expansion of the shrub
Cornus drummondii in tallgrass prairie: source water partitioning (d
18 O and
d D), litter dynamics and leaf
area index
(Mentor: Jesse Nippert |
|
Rebecca Spurr St. Olaf College, MN |
Landscape-level variation in temperature sensitivity of soil carbon
respiration (Mentor: Joseph Craine) |
|
Gabriella Sterne Whitman College, WA |
Dickcissel site fidelity and local vocal culture (Mentor: Tim Parker |
|
Maya Wilson Franklin and Marshall College, PA |
Ecology of the Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma
cornutum) in the Flint Hills of Kansas(Mentor: Eva Horne |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Daron Blake SUNY Binghamton, NY |
Effects of climate change on establishment and mortality of two invasive plant species (Mentor: Melinda Smith) |
|
Joanna Bronkema Earlham College, IN |
Testing for adaptations in color patterns of the common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) along a geographic cline using phenotypic and genotypic data (Mentors: Mike Westphal and Ted Morgan) |
| Carina Castro California State University at Fullerton, CA |
Temporal changes in the song dialects of Dickcissels (Spiza americana) (Mentors: Tim Parker and Brett Sandercock) |
| Nicholas DiRienzo Benedictine University, IL |
Nuptial feeding in the southern ground cricket, Allonemobius socius: Conflict or investment? (Mentor: Jeremy Marshall) |
| Jennifer Fill University of Massachusetts at Amherst, MA |
The influence of habitat variation on snake body temperature and behavior at Konza Prairie (Mentors: Page Klug and Kimberly With) |
| Laura Kangas Michigan Technological University, MI |
Spatial and temporal physiological variation among tallgrass prairie plants (Mentor: Jesse Nippert) |
|
Jorge Mendoza Kansas State University, KS |
Investigating the home-ranges of Common Nighthawks (Mentors: Rebecca Lohnes and Brett Sandercock) |
| Amy Strauss Whitman College, WA |
Effects of habitat on geographic patterns of song sharing in Dickcissels (Spiza americana) (Mentor: Tim Parker) |
| Katherine White Cornell University, NY |
Evaluating fish habitat usage in the Kansas River at species and community levels (Mentor: Craig Paukert and Joe Gerken) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Andrés
Andrade University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, OR |
Removal of the shrub Cornus drummondii: an analysis of two restoration techniques for the tallgrass prairie (Mentors: John Blair and David Hartnett) |
| Melissa
Blundell Humboldt State University, CA |
Are brood parasites unique in their begging? A comparative approach with the Red-winged Blackbird (Mentors: Jim Rivers and Brett Sandercock) |
| Adam Carter Muhlenberg College, PA |
Subsidies of Kansas streams: the diet of an omnivorous fish (Mentor: David Hoeinghaus and Walter Dodds) |
| Anthony Dalisio Sterling College, VT |
The response of male Dickcissels to geographic song variation (Mentor: Tim Parker and Bill Jensen) |
| Jesús
Gómez-Carrasquillo University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, PR |
Hide-and-seek among wolf spiders and grasshoppers: applying the ecology of fear theory to invertebrates (Mentor: Tony Joern) |
| Auctavia Grant Grambling State University, LA |
The effects of grazing on Konza Prairie butterflies (Mentor: Jodi Whittier) |
| Lauren Hallet Yale University, CT |
Effect of altered precipitation and temperature on the growth rates of two dominant C4 grasses (Mentor: Melinda Smith) |
| Sara Jackrel The College of New Jersey, NJ |
Evaluation of habitat use by nesting grassland birds and their snake predators (Mentors: Page Klug and Kimberly With) |
| Tyler Kohler Kansas State University, KS |
Effects of nutrient loading and grazing on periphyton communities in experimental streams (Mentor: Keith Gido) |
| Clairisse Nash Arizona Western College, AZ |
Applying a new herbarium database: geographical patterns of collection of introduced species and targeted plant collecting (Mentor: Carolyn Ferguson) |
| Katie Parsons Colorado State University, CO |
The response of the dominant C4 grasses to extreme temperatures (Mentor: Alan Knapp) |
| Andrea Marie Severson Utah State University, UT |
High water habitat: Fish populations in two Kansas River backwater areas (Mentor: Craig Paukert) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Elizabeth Bach Cornell College, IA |
Above- and belowground response to dominant grass removal on tallgrass prairie (Mentor: Gail Wilson and Charles Rice) |
| Aaron Berdanier Beloit College, WI |
How pressing is increased nitrogen? Rethinking plant responses and the pulse paradigm (Mentor: John Blair) |
| Clayton Bowers New Mexico State University, NM |
The growth cycle of the Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor): an unusual mode of development (Mentor: Brett Sandercock) |
|
Eric Kightley Ohio State University, OH |
Potential effects of the introduced bullhead minnow (Pimephales vigilax) on the native bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus) (Mentors: Darren Thornbrugh and Keith Gido) |
| Viviana Loaiza Instituto Tecnólogico de Costa Rica, Costa Rica |
Is phosphorus a limiting nutrient for nymphs of Melanoplus bivittatus (Orthoptera: Acrididae)? (Mentor: Tony Joern) |
| Megan Matonis Colorado State University, CO |
Ecosystem responses to more extreme precipitation patterns and warming (Mentor: Alan Knapp) |
|
Chris McLaughlin University of Mary, ND |
Foraging ecology of bison in tallgrass prairie (Mentor: Tony Joern) |
| Kelsey Reider Ohio State University, OH |
A lizard on the rocks: collared lizards and Konza geography (Mentor: Eva Horne) |
| Loren Reinhardt Virginia Polytechnic and State University, VA |
Spatial heterogeneity of ammonium uptake in prairie streams (Mentor: Walter Dodds) |
| Derek Schook College of Wooster, OH |
Microgeographic song variation and the formation of dialects in the Dickcissel (Spiza americana) (Mentor: Tim Parker) |
| Emilie Throop Berea College, KY |
The effects of nest, local and landscape scale habitat features on snake depredation of grassland birds (Mentor: Page Klug and Kimberly With) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Nicole
Blalock Willamette University, OR |
Characteristics of freezing tolerance in fifty-two Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes: a study based on geographic distribution (Mentor: Mark Ungerer) |
| Jeffrey
Eitzmann Kansas State University, KS |
Spatial and temporal patterns of blue suckers (Cycleptus elongatus) in the Kansas River, Kansas (Mentor: Craig Paukert) |
| Rider Frey Kansas State University, KS |
Mycorrhizal function in big bluestem growth (Mentor: Gail Wilson) |
| Krysta Hougen Concordia College-Moorhead, MN |
The effect of fire regime on woody shrub abundance at Konza Prairie (Mentor: David Hartnett and Gail Wilson) |
| Julie James Haskell Indian Nations University, KS |
Phenology and allocation to flowering in C3 and C4 grasses in a mesic grassland: implications for climate change (Mentor: Alan Knapp) |
| Tony Modzelewski Donelly College, KS |
Carbon cycling in cool- and warm-season grasses with and without mycorrhizae (Mentors: Charles Rice and Tim Todd) |
| Karan Odom Ohio Wesleyan University, OH |
Upland Sandpiper nest site selection and daily nest survival in four burning and grazing treatments (Mentor: Brett Sandercock) |
| Crystal Sinn Butler County Community College, KS |
A comparative study: soil fertility vs. mycorrhizal symbiosis on Big Bluestem growth and soil CO2 flux (Mentors: Charles Rice and Tim Todd) |
| Alyssa Standorf University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, WI |
Canopy effects on stream metabolism (Mentor: Walter Dodds) |
| Samantha Tolve Colorado College, CO |
Female mate choice in collared lizards: use of chemical or visual signals in detection of chigger mite ectoparasites on males (Mentor: Eva Horne) |
| Ben VanderWeide Calvin College, MI |
Fire resistance of trees in gallery forest at Konza Prairie (Mentor: David Hartnett and Gail Wilson) |
| Alyssa Whu Cornell University, NY |
Comparison of two passive collecting techniques for Hymenoptera in a tallgrass prairie (Mentor: Greg Zolnerowich) |
| Perry Williams Saint Olaf College, MN |
Local song dialects in the Dickcissel (Mentor: Tim Parker and Bill Jensen) |
| Jacqueline Wilson University of Kansas, KS |
Altering C:P:N ratios to assess mycorrhizal function (Mentors: Gail Wilson and Nancy Johnson) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Erin Hewett Cornell University, NY |
The effect of Brown-headed Cowbird removal on the demography of the Dickcissel: a declining grassland bird (Mentor: Brett Sandercock) |
| Brian Holloway Washburn University of Topeka, KS |
Factors affecting the establishment of a native tallgrass species in areas dominated by the invasive grass Bothriolchola bladhii (Mentor: John Blair) |
| Rebecca Lohnes Yale University, CT |
Nest defense behavior of female Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) (Mentor: Brett Sandercock) |
| Kristen Pitts University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, WI |
Effects of flooding on the fish distribution on Kings Creek, Kansas (Mentor: Craig Paukert) |
| Laura Sellens Western Washington University, WA |
Insect visitation of introduced versus native plant species at Konza Prairie (Mentor: Carolyn Ferguson) |
| Jeremy Thornbrugh Kansas State University, KS |
Carnivore community distribution in tallgrass prairie (Mentor: Samantha Wisely) |
| Andrew Tilker Midwestern State University, TX |
Interaction of small-stream fish with natural and artificial barriers (Mentor: Keith Gido) |
|
Melinda Williamson Haskell Indian Nations University, KS |
Dominance and territoriality in the Great Plains skink, Eumeces obsoletus (Mentor: Eva Horne) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Matthew Bakker Dordt College, IA |
The incidence of Fusarium spp. and Macrophomina phaseolina in the roots of three prairie forbs in relation to burn regime and topographic position (Mentor: Karen Garrett) |
| Elizabeth Bockman Gustavus Adolphus College, MN |
Above- and below ground vegetation characteristics in native and restored tallgrass prairie (Mentor: Gail Wilson) |
| Isaac Deal Lenoir-Rhyne College, NC |
Life history and mark-recapture analysis of the regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia Drury) at Konza Prairie, Kansas (Mentor: Brett Sandercock) |
| James Eckberg Gustavus Adolphus College, MN |
Effects of altered rainfall variability on C3 plant communities (Mentor: Jesse Nippert and Alan Knapp) |
| Courtney Franssen Kansas State University, KS |
Effects of barriers on the distribution and movement of prairie stream fishes after a flood (Mentor: Keith Gido) |
| Sarah Haller William Jewell College, MO |
Pollination ecology of Lespedeza cuneata and Lespedeza capitata (Mentor: Carolyn Ferguson) |
| Dustin Jasken North Dakota State University, ND |
The effects of fire and grazing on the belowground architecture and vegetative reproduction in tallgrass prairie perennials (Mentor: David Hartnett) |
| Elizabeth Murray Gustavus Adolphus College, MN |
Territoriality in male Blanchard's cricket frogs, Acris crepitatans blanchardi (Mentor: Eva Horne) |
| Judd Patterson Kansas State University, KS |
Analysis of soil properties six years after prairie restoration (Mentor: John Blair) |
| Beth Ross Kansas State University, KS |
The effect of prairie vole runways on tallgrass prairie (Mentors: Aaron Reed and Don Kaufman) |
|
2002 - No REU Program |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Cameron Cooley Middle Tennessee State University, TN |
Grassland arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities: does environmental change affect structure? (Mentor: Ari Jumpponen) |
| Brian Darby Northwestern College, IA |
Soil resource partitioning in grasses and forbs: implications for tallgrass prairie productivity in a variable climate (Mentor: John Blair) |
| Brian DeGasperis College of the Holy Cross, MA |
Substrate-induced respiration for determining eukaryote: prokaryote ratios in soils (Mentor: Charles Rice) |
| Travis Englebert Bethany College, KS |
Pre-fledging growth rates of Common Nighthawks (Mentor: Brett Sandercock) |
| Theresa Kelly Loras College, IA |
Invasive ecology of Meliotus officinalis (Yellow Sweet Clover) in undisturbed tallgrass prairie (Mentor: Alan Knapp) |
| Amanda Kiecke Saint Olaf College, MN |
Effects of root micro-flora on big bluestem seedlings and soil-borne fungi associated with prairie plant roots (Mentor: Karen Garrett) |
| Heather Nippert Kansas State University, KS |
Movement and activity patterns of bison (Bison bison) at Konza Prairie Biological Station (Mentor: Brent Brock) |
| Audrey Owens University of Florida, FL |
Home range organization and sexual dimorphism in the Collared Lizard, Crotophytus collaris collaris (Mentor: Eva Horne) |
| Amy Seery Kansas State University, KS |
Parent/offspring interactions in bison (Bison bison) at Konza Prairie (Mentor: Christopher Smith) |
| Matthew Trager Grinnell College, IA |
Effects of topographic position and burn regime on the vegetation of bison wallows (Mentor: David Hartnett and Gail Wilson) |
| Kyle Whittinghill Middlebury College, VT |
Differences in microhabitat use between populations of Physella integrata with and without native fish predators (Mentor: Walter Dodds) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Vanessa
Agosto Swarthmore College, PA |
Sex ratio in six insect-pollinated species (Mentor: Christopher Smith) |
| Barry
Broeckelman Kansas State University, KS |
Effects of rainfall timing and quantity on goldenrod leaf rust (Mentor: Karen Garrett) |
| Cameron Cooley Middle Tennessee State University, TN |
Observed molecular diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Koeleria pyramidata (Mentor: Ari Jumpponen) |
| Anna Fiedler Lawrence University, WI |
Leaf level photosynthesis and resource availability in restored prairie (Mentor: John Blair) |
| Natalie Pheasant Colorado College, CO |
Agonistic behaviors of the Great Plains skink (Eumeces obsoletus) (Mentor: Eva Horne) |
| Renae Schmitt Creighton University, NE |
The association between Brown-Headed Cowbird foraging and ungulate grazing on native tallgrass prairie (Mentor: Jack Cully) |
| Zachary Simpson Colorado College, CO |
Diel horizontal migration of Daphina galeata mendotae and Simocephalus in response to multiple predator cues (Mentor: Christopher Guy) |
| Sadie Solomon Applachian State University, NC |
Habitat associations of Coleoptera in tallgrass prairie (Mentor: Eva Horne) |
| Arden Thomas Earlham College, IN |
Population ecology of the tallgrass invasive species Andropogon bladhii: implications for management (Mentor: David Hartnett) |
| Laura Wiles Allegheny College, PA |
Temporal variation in aquatic invertebrate communities of bison wallows (Mentor: Walter Dodds) |
| Julia C. Wilcox Hiram College, OH |
Effect of plant density on growth of tallgrass prairie forbs (Mentor: Alan Knapp) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Jessica
Allewait Augustana College, IL |
The effects of altered precipitation on soil nitrogen cycling (Mentor: John Blair) |
| José
Checo Colón-Gaud University of Texas at El Paso, TX |
In situ growth rates for Chironomidae (Diptera) in two habitats in Kings' Creek (Mentor: Matt Whiles) |
| Alexandra Latham Illinois Wesleyan University, IL |
Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism rates on ground nesting birds of the tallgrass prairie in bison-grazed and ungrazed habitats (Mentor: Jack Cully) |
| Molly Magill Kansas State University, KS |
Side-pool dynamics of King's Creek (Mentor: Walter Dodds) |
| Jim McFadden Harvard University, MA |
Environmental history and the trajectory of scientific management since 1971 on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (Mentor: Jim Sherow) |
| Catherine Mohr Wayne State College, NE |
Growth response of the crayfish Orconectes neglectes to various food treatments (Mentor: Jim Garvey) |
| Hope Phillips College of Saint Benedict, MN |
Evaluation of population estimation by removal sampling in King's Creek (Mentor: Christopher Guy) |
| Catherine Stewart Colorado College, CO |
Growth of Andropogon gerardii and Solidago canadensis under altered precipitation regimes (Mentor: Phil Fay) |
| Amy Toth Bard College, NY |
Preliminary studies on the foraging behavior of the western slender glass lizard (Mentor: Eva Horne) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Virginia
Flanagin Illinois Wesleyan University, IL |
The effect of nest site, grazing and burning on the daily survival of artificial nests (Mentor: John Cavitt) |
| Nathan
Heavers Princeton University, NJ |
The effects of cattle ranching on the Dewey Ranch ecosystem (Mentor: Jim Sherow) |
| Mary Jamieson University of Kansas, KS |
Pollen-ovule ratios and breeding systems of prairie forbs (Mentor: Christopher Smith) |
| Amanda López Kansas State University, KS |
Nutrient uptake in prairie streams (Mentor: Walter Dodds) |
| Jennifer Nelson Colby College, ME |
Indirect interaction chains (Mentor: Walter Dodds) |
| Shawn Papon Southwestern College, AZ |
Nutrient content of invertebrates on different sites (Mentor: Robert Robel) |
| Sophie Parker Wellesley College, MA |
Dogs as models in the study of predator olfaction (Mentor: Phil Gipson) |
| Tanya Smutka Valparaiso University, IN |
Food habits and predation rates of creek chubs (Mentor: Christopher Guy) |
| Natali West Coastal Carolina University, SC |
The effect of bison grazing on soil respiration on the Konza Prairie (Mentor: Loretta Johnson) |
| Charmaine Woodard University of Texas of the Permian Basin, TX |
Abundance and diversity of burying beetles (Silphidae) on Konza Prairie (Mentor: David Rintoul) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Donna
Allen University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC |
Correlations between litter fall, wood production and precipitation in the gallery forest (Mentor: Alan Knapp) |
| Michael
Cottam University of Utah, UT |
An analysis of wallowing behavior in American bison (Mentor: Don Kaufman) |
| Melissa Hill Kansas State University, KS |
Activity of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (Mentor: Glennis Kaufman) |
| Jamie S. Johnson Michigan Technical University, MI |
Habitat preferences of mammalian predators in the Flint Hills of Kansas (Mentor: Phil Gipson) |
| Laura Krueger University of Michigan, MI |
Diversity and food preference of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) on Konza Prairie (Mentor: David Rintoul) |
| Daniel Neafsey Loyola University of Chicago, IL |
Interactions between three trophic levels: a carrion flower, its insect pollinators and crab spiders (Mentor: Christopher Smith) |
| Aaron Pearse Kansas State University, KS |
Effects of food supplementation on incubation behavior of Bewick's Wrens (Thryomanes bewickii) and House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) (Mentor: John Cavitt and Jack Cully) |
| Melissa Pline Aquinas College, MI |
Characterization of eastern red cedar forests in northeastern Kansas (Mentor: John Briggs) |
| Tara Schubert Swarthmore College, PA |
The effects of competition and mycorrhizae on selected tallgrass prairie plants (Mentor: David Hartnett) |
| Rachel Smit Carleton College, MN |
Stocking the prairie: the changing historical landscape of the Dewey Ranch, 1900-1930 (Mentor: Jim Sherow) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Andres
Aguilar Humboldt State University, CA |
Testing the feasibility of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) produced from whole blood PCR to assess parentage in House Wrens and Bewick's Wrens (Mentor: Dale Kennedy) |
| Jon
Beckmann Kansas State University, KS |
Habitat and spatial distribution of the eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana) on Konza Prairie (Mentor: David Hartnett) |
| Nicole Ann Castro University of Wisconsin at Madison, WI |
The effect of predator type on the nest defense strategy of Brown Thrashers (Toxostoma rufum) (Mentor: John Cavitt) |
| Jean Fantle University of Wisconsin at Madison, WI |
Delivery of social cues in the eastern woodrat, Neotoma floridana (Mentor: Eva Horne) |
| Audra Gallaspy Delta State University, MS |
Farming and ecological changes on Konza, 1855 to 1950: an environmental historical interpretation (Mentor: Jim Sherow) |
| Kerri Kobbeman McPherson College, KS |
The effects of mycorrhizal fungi suppression on growth, demography, photosynthesis, and water potential of three tallgrass prairie forbs (Mentor: Gail Wilson) |
| Scott Kocher Hamilton College, NY |
Distribution of carnivore dens on Konza Prairie (Mentor: Don Kaufman) |
| John Matchett Colorado State University, CO |
The effects of bison grazing on soil nitrogen transformation in the tallgrass prairie (Mentor: Loretta Johnson) |
| Erin Questad Pennsylvania State University, PA |
Physiological responses of Andropogon gerardii to grazing pressures from bison and cattle (Mentor: Alan Knapp) |
| Elizabeth Zacharias Harvard University, MA |
Herbivory tolerance of New Jersey tea, Ceanothus herbaceous (Mentor: Phil Fay) |
|
Student |
Research Topic |
| Britta
Culbertson University of New Mexico, NM |
The effects of Compostoma anomalum and Oronectes neglectus grazing on a periphyton community (Mentor: Walter Dodds) |
| Chris
Desjardins Cornell University, NY |
Nutritional analysis of nymphs and adults of orthopterans of the Flint Hills region of Kansas (Mentor: Robert Robel) |
| Natalie Dubois Albion College, MI |
Territorial responses in sympatric House Wren and Bewick's Wren populations (Mentor: Dale Kennedy) |
| Jason Hoeksema University of Michigan, MI |
Interaction between Caucasian bluestem and native tallgrass prairie plants (Mentor: David Harnett) |
| Micah Kaufman Principia College, IL |
Distribution of bison wallows on a tallgrass prairie (Mentor: John Briggs) |
| Stacy Morris Syracuse University, NY |
The effects of predator exclosures on the nesting success of Dickcissels (Mentor: John Cavitt) |
| Jennifer Rudgers Denison University, OH |
Comparison of the reproductive strategies of three milkweed (Asclepias) species at Konza Prairie (Mentor: Christopher Smith) |
| Gregory Shenk Kansas State University, KS |
Effects of bison on spatial patterning of soil resources in annually burned tallgrass prairie (Mentor: John Blair) |
| Erik Sparling Middlebury College, VT |
Microbial biomass and nutrient cycling under homogeneous single species plant populations (Mentor: Charles Rice) |
| Heather Throop Carleton College, MN |
Impacts of fire and herbivory on Ceanthous herbaceous architecture and reproduction (Mentor: Phil Fay) |
 |
Last updated: August 2008