EBIO student's Honors Thesis submissions from past years are archived here with abstracts from the student's respective papers. Peruse several of the submissions to get a sense of the area's of study our students delve into for their Honors Thesis projects.

Landscape Patterns of Litter Decomposition in Alpine Tundra - H. A. O'Lear and T. R. Seastedt - 1994

Effects of Mobile Tree Islands on Soil Carbon Storage in Tundra Ecosystems - Sheridan J. Pauker and T. R. Seastedt - 1996

Effects of Sequestered Iridoid Glycosides on Prey Choice of the Prairie Wolf Spider, Lycosa carolinensis - Demetri Hilario Theodoratus and M. Deane Bowers - 1998

Effects of Soil Nitrogen Reduction on Nonnative Plants in Restored Grasslands - K.J. Reever Morghan & T. R. Seastedt - 1999

Phylogeny of hammerhead sharks (Family Sphyrnidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear genes -  Douglas D. Lim, Philip Motta, Kyle Mara, Andrew P. Martin - 2010

Beyond immunity: quantifying the efects of host anti-parasite behavior on parasite transmission -  Elizabeth W. Daly & Pieter T. J. Johnson - 2011

Land Use and Wetland Spatial Position Jointly Determine Amphibian Parasite Communities - Richard B. Hartson,  Sarah A. Orlofske,  Vanessa E. Melin,  Robert T. Dillon Jr., and Pieter T. J. Johnson - 2011

Effects of fuels reductions on plant communities and soils in a Piñon-juniper woodland - M.R. Ross, S.C. Castle, N.N. Barger - 2012

Investigating the dispersal routes used by an invasive amphibian, Lithobates catesbeianus, in human-dominated landscapes - Anna C. Peterson & Katherine L. D. Richgels & Pieter T. J. Johnson & Valerie J. McKenzie - 2012

Incorporation of an Introduced Weed into the Diet of a Native Butterfly: Consequences for Preference, Performance and Chemical Defense - Angela Knerl & M. Deane Bowers 

Quantifying the biomass of parasites to understand their role in aquatic communities - Jason Lambden & Pieter T. J. Johnson - 2013

Conceptual Revision and Synthesis of Proximate Factors Associated with Age-Related Improvement in Reproduction - Rachel J Bradley & Rebecca J. Safran - 2014

Patterns and ecological predictors of age-related performance in female North American barn swallows, Hirundo rustica erythrogaster  - R. J. Bradley & J. K. Hubbard & B. R. Jenkins & R. J. Safran - 2014

 

Soil, tall fescue, and fungal shoot endophyte.

Symbiosis Between Tall Fescue and a Fungal Shoot Endophyte Affects Soil Microbial Communities - Xavier Rojas - 2014

Jan. 8, 2014

Abstract The symbiosis between tall fescue ( Festuca arundinaceum ) and a shoot-specific fungal endophyte ( Neotyphodium coenophialum ) has been relatively well studied but little attention has been given to how this relationship may impact the soil microbial community. Understanding how the symbiosis may structure soil microbial communities is...

Ecological Drivers and Species Interactions of Whirling Disease - Julie Allyson Byle - 2014

Jan. 8, 2014

Abstract Whirling disease is on the rise since its introduction in the United States in 1958 and is a health problem both in fisheries and in wild populations of salmonids. Prevalence of the disease is dependent on ecological context and interactions among multiple other species, including algal species such as...

American Gut logo.

Exercise can help modulate human gut micriobiota - Robert McFadzean - 2014

Jan. 8, 2014

Abstract Moderate exercise has been shown to be beneficial to health in many ways, including reducing stress, building a stronger immune system and increasing cardiovascular health. Recent studies in the human gut microbiome have demonstrated benefits of certain microorganisms in aiding human pathogen resistance and reduction of inflammation. The hypothesis...

Adult barn swallow and its nest with young ones.

Changes in parental provisioning rates across the nestling period in response to ectoparasites in the North American barn swallow Hirundo rustica erythrogaster - Matt Aberle - 2014

Jan. 8, 2014

Abstract While parasites have long been documented, the large fitness cost to their hosts has only recently been addressed via studies of ecology and evolution. Large fitness costs apply to altricial nestlings confined to the nest and completely dependent on parental care. These costs are often passed on to their...

The Atacama Desert.

Dew Formation and Water Availability at High Elevation in the Atacama Desert, Chile - Zachary R. Schubert - 2014

Jan. 8, 2014

Abstract The Atacama Desert, Chile, is among the least habitable environments on the planet largely because of its extreme aridity; nevertheless, ecosystems continue to function in many locations there, at least intermittently when water is available. This study addresses the question of whether dew could ever form at high-elevation sites...

Skyscrapers behind a line of trees and foliage.

Guiding building owners towards energy conservation measures - Sean Kuusinen - 2014

Jan. 8, 2014

Abstract Energy conservation measures have been identified as the most cost effective way to reduce carbon emissions. However, a lack of available information regarding energy conservation prevents building owners from investing in energy efficiency. This research provides the groundwork for supplying building owners with a simple model to guide retrofit...

Lowland tropical forest.

The Effects of Land-­‐Cover Change and Topography on Nitrogen Cycling in a Lowland Tropical Forest of Costa Rica - Maggie Mae Kriz - 2014

Jan. 8, 2014

Abstract While topographic variability and land-­‐use change have been shown to alter nutrient availability in diverse tropical landscapes, the combined effects of these two factors on nitrogen (N) cycling are poorly understood. In all ecosystems, however, it is vital to understand controls on N availability, as N is an element...

A cuckoo catfish.

Host-Parasite Interactions: The Cuckoo Catfish and Non-Sympatric Hosts - Anna Vinton - 2014

Jan. 8, 2014

Abstract The cuckoo catfish ( Synodontis multipunctatus ) from Lake Tanganyika in Africa parasitizes mouth-brooding cichlid fishes (catfish eggs get picked up and incubated in the mouths of cichlid females, where the catfish young feed on cichlid eggs). I examined the impact of parasitism by the cuckoo catfish on an...

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