Student Research Projects in Ecology

I encourage any students interested in conducting ecological research to contact me.
Present and previous student research projects are listed below.

Undergraduate Students

Larry Ashton, Annie Birdsong, Hayley Crowel, Grant Izzo, Justin Wissler, 2009-2010 - Survey for the Presence and Prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Southcentral Pennsylvania

Larry Ashton and Grant Izzo, 2008-2009 - The effects of timber harvest on small mammals in Michaux State Forest.

Danille Dougherty, 2006-2007 - The effects of the insecticide methoprene on larvae of Jefferson salamanders, Ambystoma jeffersonianum, and wood frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus. 

Chelsea Evans, 2005-2006 - Growth and development of caddisfly larvae, Limnephilus indivisus, raised on leaves of different forest trees.

Steve Berkstresser and Scott Jones, 2005-2006 - The effects of density, protein availability and size variation on cannibalism, survival, and growth in larvae of the caddisfly Ptilostomis postica.

Steve Berkstresser, Zak Davies, Danille Dougherty, Carrie Line, and Rachel Plank, 2005 - Population distribution and abundance of spotted turtles, Clemmys guttata, in south central Pennsylvania.

Molly Longnecker and Tegan McMullen, 2004 - Home range size and movements of redback salamanders, Plethodon cinereus.

Eric Snyder and Amanda Treher, 2003-2005 - Effect of invasive crayfish, Orconectes rusticus, on stream macroinvertebrate assemblages.

Tracey Crumb and Erica Kent (and Dr. Marcie Lehman), 2002 - Genetic analysis of the population structure of red spotted newts, Notophthalmus viridescens.

Matt Campbell, Tim Scripko, Kyle Lorditch, and Claudia Rocca, 2002 - Investigation of competitive interactions between salamanders and crayfish in freshwater streams.

Amy Daniels and Carolyn Holsopple, 2001 - Ecological factors affecting the distribution and density of larval marbled salamanders, Ambystoma opacum.

Gail Mills and Tara Cluck, 2000 - The effects of timber harvest and forest type on terrestrial salamander populations.

Jason Ambler, 1999-2000 - Determination of larval metabolic rates for three species of salamander occupying the same habitat.

Jenna Lempa, 1999 - Effects of kinship and population size structure on cannibalism in larval salamanders.

Neil Bossart, 1999 - Comparison of diets of adult red spotted newts, Notophthalmus viridescens,  inhabiting different ponds.

Philip Hayes, 1999 - Investigation of predator avoidance strategies of tadpoles of two species of frogs.

Sandra Foreback, 1998 - Intraguild interactions among salamander larvae inhabiting temporary ponds.

Misty Fogle, 1998 - Effects of pH on growth and survival of salamander larvae.

Tawnya Feltenberger, 1997  - Effects of  intraguild predation on growth and survival of larval spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum.

Sandra Foreback, 1997  - Behavioral effects of predators on larvae of the spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum.

Sarosh Yousef, 1997 - Survey of macroinvertebrate fauna in temporary ponds of the Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania.

Keith Bast, 1997 - Ecological correlates of stream salamander abundance and distribution.

Graduate Students

Justin Atkins, 2009 - The effects of hypoxia on interactions between an aquatic predator (Notonecta irrorata) and its amphibian prey (Ambystoma maculatum and Lithobates sylvaticus).

Misty Gruver, 2009 - Examination of the population structure and dynamics of spotted turtles,Clemmys guttata, inhabiting vernal ponds in south-central Pennsylvania.

Amy Williams, 2006 - The effect of increased salinity from road de-icing salts on predatory interactions among three amphibian species.

John Chripczuk, 2005-2006 - Effects of Notonecta (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) on amphibian assemblages in vernal ponds.

James Mellon, 2005-2006 - Hatchling ecology and nest predation in the northern diamond terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin terrapin.

Charlie Eichelberger, 2004-2005 - Habitat use of the bog turtle, Glyptemys muhlenbergii, in a late successional wetland.

Jason Ambler (and Dr. Marcie Lehman), 2003-2006 - Determination of population structure of three vernal pond amphibians using molecular techniques.

Cy Mott, 2003-2004 - The effect of body size on intraspecific and interspecific interactions among larval Ambystoma salamanders.

Tracey Librandi, 2002-2003 - Habitat use and movements of spotted turtles, Clemmys guttata.

Amy Daniels (and Dr. Marcie Lehman), 2002-2003 - Genetic analysis of the population structure of vernal pond ambystomatid salamanders

Jamie Zambo, 2002-2003 - Direct and indirect effects of acidification on larval amphibians and their invertebrate predators.

Andrew Mehring, 2001-2003 - The role of forest type and caddisfly larvae on detrital processing in temporary pond ecosystems.

Trina Morris, 2001-2002 - Effects of Timber Management on Pond-Breeding Salamanders.

Rebecca Hoopes, 2001-2002 - Ecological factors affecting the distribution and abundance of amphibians inhabiting temporary ponds.

Kim Pongpat, 2001-2002 -  A landscape-level analysis of vernal pools and their characteristics as amphibian habitat.

Joseph Wilson, 1999-2000 - Ecological correlates of wetland amphibian assemblages in south-central Pennsylvania.

William Hartzell, 1999-2000 - The effect of degradation of riparian buffer zones on fish species assemblages in south-central Pennsylvania.

David Brotherton, 1998-2000 - The larval ecology three species of Ambystoma salamanders at a temporary pond in York County, Pennsylvania.
 

 

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