Blog Archives

You're a Toad

31/7/2013

Toad in hand.

Posted by Kelly Saquin (U. Pittsburgh)

It was the second day of our amphibian sampling and Dani and i were a little skeptical. The preliminary sampling of this site was not very promising and when we set our transects we only found toads. But, we set out with confidence we would find some frogs and salamanders. In the 400 meter length of the Wallace Woods stream we sampled, only 5 toads were found. Five small American toads in 400 meters. Due to the sandy soil composition we did not expect much, but we did expect a little more than this. After discussing this for awhile we concluded that there are most likely a variety of factors that make this stream a non ideal habitat. As mentioned before, the soil composition is mainly sand. Another reason is that this stream floods a lot during hard rains. This would make it difficult for a semi-aquatic amphibian to set up camp, not knowing when the place will flood. I am very interested to see what the other groups who sampled Wallace Woods found. We were constrained by the 3 meters from the bank so there could be terrestrial salamanders living deeper in the woods.

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If you could pick any animal body part and make it your own, what would you pick?

31/7/2013

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Newt skin received minimal consideration.

Posted by Donna McDermott (U. Pittsburgh)

Bird Wings- Wings were by far the most popular answer, but most people were torn on what kind of wings they want. Arm-wings like birds have are beautiful, like the flycatcher we found in a mist net this morning. They look like angel wings bursting out from a terrified little bird having one of the most confusing experiences of its life.

Bug Wings- No one straight-out claimed bug wings, which I think is a huge oversight. Bumblebee wings are wildy efficient. Wasp wings let the hornets by the volleyball court dart and dip around. Beetle wings come with their very own elytra. And the cicada that Sarah found, that Maddy has preserved in a jar in the girl’s dorm, has charming, bright blue and green wings sprouting out of its newly-molted body.

Bat Wings- Hand-bone-wings that stretch way down to your feet. They require a quick drop before you fly, so this choice in body modification probably also requires hanging upside down. That’s good for your spine, I think. Allows for quick, flappy flight, like that of the bat that flew right past my head as we were listening to the chirps of the colony that roosts in the side of the girl’s dorm. Like the bats that we watched at the edge of the lake, soaring and diving at sundown.

Badger claws/ Rhino horns- Defensive choices were less common, but definitely interesting. What would you do with a weapon like that? Leave behind animal bones, like the deer hip by the access point or the skull that John found by the lake? Toss around the Sherman traps that we set out into the woods?

Giraffe Neck- Definitely not a practical choice.

Mantis Shrimp Eyes- Watching Youtube videos of exotic animals over lunch reminded me of when I was a little kid, trying to imagine a new color. I realized then, years ago, that I couldn’t just make up a new color, that I had to see it first- and that somehow, this was outside of possibility. But mantis shrimp have three-tiered eyes that see so much more than we do. I would like to know what that’s like. It’s fascinating to me that there are sensory cues spouting out everywhere that I’m totally unaware of: ultrasonic clicks and flaps, pheromones coating the dirt, movements faster and smaller than I’d ever recognize. Just an iota of insight into that world, by technology or magic, could change your entire world.

I’ve asked this question to a lot of my classmates these past few weeks. They have good answers. The whole concept of picking up a new body part is stuck in my head, clinging onto every new thing that we do here.

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Creating new field techniques...

30/7/2013

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Bill successfully deploys his tape snare in the field

Posted by Bill Hasson (Clarion U.)

The tape snare (tape measure snare) was recently discovered by students of the Pymatuning Lab of Ecology. It is a method of trapping large mammals and is highly effective. Despite the effectiveness, it is an extremely dangerous method and should only be used by professionals. Mammals tend to get very agitated and use very vulgar and derogatory terms. In some of the recorded cases, the trapper has been maimed severely. Although death has yet to occur, it is highly probable. Researchers now suggest using tranquilizers to subdue these mammals after being caught with a tape snare. This is a precautionary measure which will make the situation safer for both the mammal and also the person doing the trapping. The picture shown above was taken during a study on 7/29/2013 and because of highly trained PLE students and the use of three horse tranquilizers... no one was hurt and there was a successful capture and release of this not so docile mammal.

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No-one likes the exoskeleton...

30/7/2013

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Unanticipated crayfish cannibalism

Posted by Priya Ranganathan (U. Pittsburgh)

Certain body parts just don't taste very nice. Bruce was all about eating, but his food choices were a little low. In the six inch by seven inch plastic container that ensconced him, food was a wee bit of a problem. Bruce nibbled his own pincers. No, he thought, I don't think I'll be eating this. Then he tried grubbing at the bottom of the plastic tank. Why, I'm eating my own feces, he thought in horror. Of course, it's difficult to find a thought-processing, intelligent crayfish, but Bruce was, if nothing else, a master of self-preservation. So he recoiled from the disgusting habit of feces-eating. And then he realized that he was not alone. He was surrounded... by his brothers and sisters. There was, I am sure, a tinge of remorse, a tinge of self-revulsion in Bruce's mind as he contemplated the unthinkable, but hey, younger siblings can be annoying and Bruce had a lot of adopted siblings running around him. So he did the natural thing and snatched up his younger sister Poppy. She stared at him, pincers clicking wildly, and he took a tiny nibble of her belly. Why, thought Bruce, this is really quite delicious. Not too different from eating fish eggs! And he chewed his way through poor little Poppy, leaving behind nothing but the tough exoskeleton that had failed to protect Poppy from her hungry big brother. When I walked into the Limnology lab yesterday morning, I found Bruce in that plastic container, the very picture of content. And in the middle of the container, like a pile of severed heads, lay the exoskeletons of his brothers and sisters. I don't like cannibalism very much. Therefore, Bruce was then given a healthy dose of liquor. He couldn't hold it, I'm afraid. I somehow doubt he'll be apologizing to his siblings in Heaven...

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It's the labor of love

30/7/2013

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Checking a cover board array in Tryon-Weber Woods

Posted by Gretchen McCormick (IUP)

Yesterday was Round #2 of data collection for Team Purple Dragons. The weather was perfect, cool and sunny, it had just rained over the weekend, perfect for fruiting fungal bodies and amphibians, and it seemed all would be in place for a perfect day of data collection. But who are we kidding – this is science – nothing is ever perfect or expected. Case in point was out data collection yesterday. Even though I had a successful day with the pH meter and re-measurements at each of the sites, my other group members weren’t as lucky. Bob only found two salamanders and a few toads for the day, while Michael found just as much if not less fruiting fungal bodies. Ben’s insect sticky traps worked successfully and caught numerous insects, but most seemed to be daddy long legs which are carnivorous, so it’s thought that they most likely were scavenging what already stuck to the paper. Sighhhh – it felt somewhat disappointing, the whole day. But you know, all of this is better than nothing – one is better than none! And on the positive side of things this project is teaching us how to work on a team successfully and how to carry out various techniques – that’s ultimately what matters right? We’re not working to prove anything huge per se – just trying to do our best with what we’ve got in the time period we have and heck, that’s good enough for me. Because doing science is a labor of love. You put in the time and energy and hope that something great can come out of it, which sometimes something does, and other times unfortunately it doesn’t but at least you tried to change it. I love everything that I’m learning here and all the experiences I’m having and at the end of the day these are what I will take with me for the rest of my career throughout science.

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The Treasure of Pymatuning

30/7/2013

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Posted by Ben Robinson (U. Pittsburgh)

There once was a camp at the edge of a lake, whose tin roofs and gravel paths would in the hot sun bake.
And contained in this camp there was a treasure so great that it could very often alter the world's fate.
What is the great treasure, this power so massive? It may surprise you to learn that its origin was passive.
For there once was a spark, an idea, a flame; an idea that spread to those who thought the same.
Let there be a place, they said, where learning can rise, where it can shine bright and early in its true guise.
And the field station grew, this camp by the lake, and learning commenced for all the world's sake.
So when you ask where the treasure of Pymatuning lies, when you recieve your answer, please don't act surprised.
Because the treasure it makes is in each one of us; it produces power through knowledge, courage, and trust.
Because here, we all work together, towards a common goal; we all want to dig this world out of the hole
Of the darkness that ignorance has thus far created; let all the world know that our quest for knowledge has never abated.
So this I say to you from the camp by the lake; here we seek science and knowledge for the world's sake.
And if you yourself should ever stop by, then you too can see where the treasure of Pymatuning does lie.

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The Bat Mobile

30/7/2013

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Maddy (center-right) and 4/5ths of the Bat Team (minus Amy)

Posted by Madelaine Cochran (Clarion U.)

We’ve got the Brains, the Muscle, the Munitions, the Wild Card… and the Seductive Vamp!! The bat team works together like a well-oiled machine. I believe that teamwork is a very important skill to learn that is highly underestimated, because all our lives in the workforce we are most likely going to need to work alongside other coworkers. I’m fortunate enough to love the group that I am in and that we work together fantastically. Our first day we all knew right off the bat that we wanted to study chiropterans. We would be able to use a program we have never had the opportunity to use and get to hear these cute little mammals talk to each other and catch prey. We made three 10X10 plots in three different areas, along the edge of the lake, deep in the forest, and on the edge of the forest. We chose these areas because we would get a diverse study to see where these bats and what (or if) specific species spend their time in these areas. Not only do I love the group that I got to work with this past week studying the local bat population I love the whole class and I am so thrilled that I got to meet each and every one of them. I made fast friends with everyone and hope to keep in touch! Even if it means using snail mail to talk to Gretta!! The end of our biology summer camp is approaching and I am going to be heartbroken when I leave everyone. This is an amazing experience and I am glad I decided to take this summer class, met all these amazing people, and learned all of the techniques that I know I will use in the future.

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Can I Keep Them?

29/7/2013

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Our class on Pymatuning Lake learning about lake ecology from Brian Pilarcik, Watershed Specialist for Crawford County

Posted by Dr. Joe Townsend (IUP)

As a first-time instructor at PLE, I arrived for this course a little more than two weeks ago filled with many of the same uncertainties and trepidations that my students have expressed in their blog posts. Perhaps my biggest question was what I could expect of the students who would be taking the course, and how much I would be able to rely on them if I opened up the course design to be more inquiry-based and project-driven. That is, to take a back-seat and let the ideas and goals of the students drive the direction that the course takes. This can be a risky endeavor in any classroom and that risk can be amplified in a field-based, temporary-challenged format such as the 15 days that contain this course. But I can now feel secure in admitting that I am currently blessed with the most capable, dynamic, and cohesive groups of students I have ever had the pleasure of teaching, without a single exception among them. And that, to me, is worth sharing.

Rather than simply offering them a series of workshop-style tutorials on field-based research methods, I challenged each student to spend time in the field generating a series of research questions they would like to address. They were then, rather unceremoniously, grouped into four teams based on the nature and relative compatibility of their research interests and questions. I paid virtually no attention to the prior experience, gender, or personality make-up of each team, opting to rely on the students to "make it work" regardless of the team composition. And make it work they have, in exceptional fashion.

Groups were formed on Wednesday afternoon of the first week. By the following Monday, each group had to turn in a full proposal for their integrative research project, and give a presentation of the project to the rest of the class. A day later, they were in the field actually carrying out their proposal research. By Friday, they had written up preliminary reports on their projects, which had to be coauthored with equal sharing of workload. To see the quality of the products that each of these teams has produced in such a painfully short period of time is nothing short of remarkable (although they may not believe that I think so, given the amount of red ink on each preliminary report!).

Each group has faced challenges that required them to quickly adjust their methods, schedules, and even principle aspects to their original proposals, and each of them dutifully rose to the challenge. Perhaps the most endearing aspect of this overall group is that, despite the challenges and pressure being placed on them and the adversities that come with field-based research, I actually get the impression that they want MORE than I am throwing at them. What more could an instructor ask for? Students that are positive, enthusiastic, and supportive of one another? Check. Students that somehow have the energy to go canoeing or hiking or have a social activity after a long day in the field? Got that too. These kids literally push the tables together in the dining hall so that we can eat dinner as a larger group, rather than in tables of 4-6.

To say I am pleased with this group of students at this point would be an understatement, and honestly, with any other class I would NEVER share this sort of praise before the class is over, lest it lead to complacency... but I know that with these 19 students, it will, if anything, only serve as more motivation to finish out the course as strongly as possible... not that they need it. This Friday is the last day and students will be presenting their final project results, and I am honestly excited to hear they have to say . What more could an instructor ask for?

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Crawfish Cowboys

29/7/2013

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Evan (left) and Tommy bonding over prime crawfish habitat

Posted by Evan Scheuer (U. Pittsburgh)

Now as much as I am learning in class, this summer course has allowed me to expand my horizons in a social aspect as well. There are students from a wide range of demographics with varying backgrounds. Some were finishing their college careers while I am only going to be a sophomore. Needless to say I was a little self conscious in my lack of knowledge compared to my peers. It turns out there was nothing to worry about. Everyone here is kind with a will to teach and relay as much information as they can, so coming in with no real specialty is no issue at all. Working in close-knit groups engages everyone so there isn’t a moment where you feel left out. Today we made a short video titled “Crawfish Cowboys” where we essentially attempt (poorly) to capture crawfish as a part of our experiment. Fun things like that really make this place seem like less of a class and more of a community. The professors, food, and staff are all great and it will be hard to go back to the real world where there isn’t a constant group of friends wanting to canoe and explore the nature around us. Bottom line is to have this experience is priceless if you have any interest in field biology. You’ll know as soon as you get bit by your first 50 mosquitoes if it’s the right fit.

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You learn something new every day

29/7/2013

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Laura (kneeling) and teammates collect water samples

Posted by Laura Esposito (U. Pittsburgh)

I’ll be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect going into this class. I mean, sure, I read the course description, but who really retains any of that information? I didn’t have much previous field experience and I can’t exactly rattle off species of small woodland creatures, but I’m really glad I ended up here. The experience I’ve gained over the past two weeks has led me to discover new things about what I might want to be “when I grow up.”

There have been ups (studying aquatic wildlife in the Tryon-Weber Woods), but far less downs (accumulating the most mosquito bites I’ve ever had at one time). And hey, now I can even say that the tiny claws of a crayfish have pinched me in a futile attempt to thwart my efforts in re-homing it. The vastness of new information I’m soaking up is seriously awesome. I never expected to learn so many new things during this short period of time and I don’t think this would have been possible at many places other than PLE.

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