An Incomplete Guide to all Plants, Animals, and Insects in the Environmental Research Area at Old River Park

An Incomplete Guide to all Plants, Animals, and Insects in the Environmental Research Area at Old River Park

Presenter(s)

Mary Catherine Lloyd, Celia Montemurri, Caroline Marie Shepherd, Taylor Marie Sparbanie

Comments

This poster reflects research conducted as part of a course project designed to give students experience in the research process.

Description

An important first step in managing an ecosystem is discovering the biodiversity already present, to have the opportunity to bolster it, protect it, and manage for it. One way to document biodiversity is to perform a BioBlitz. A BioBlitz is an event where a group of people, usually including volunteers, aid a research group in identifying all species of living things in a certain area. During the one semester, or approximately four months, of this project the lab team focused on identifying certain categories of species. The Environmental Research Area is approximately 60-70 acres and surrounded by a moat-shaped lake. The research team focused on birds, plants, insects, mammals, and trees. Other categories are included in a master plan to be completed in the future. 104 species were identified in total within the set taxa. Many factors, such as time and resource constraints, contributed to the lower numbers of identification for other major groups of organisms. With further surveying to compile a more complete list of species, this list can serve as a useful tool in making management decisions to best protect the natural inhabitants of Old River Park, the Great Miami River, and Dayton.

Publication Date

4-24-2019

Project Designation

Course Project

Primary Advisor

Ryan W. McEwan, Alyssa Ashley Outhwaite

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium project

An Incomplete Guide to all Plants, Animals, and Insects in the Environmental Research Area at Old River Park

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