REU Site: Ecology and Environment of the Southern High Plains

REU 站点：南部高原的生态与环境

• 批准号: 0648989
• 负责人: Raymond Matlack
• 金额: $ 23.54万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-04-01 至 2011-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0648989&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Ecology; Environment; Southern

The southern high plains of Texas are a diverse mixture of grasslands, playa lakes, and canyon lands interspersed with row crop agriculture, cattle feed lots, and urban areas. While this region is sparsely populated by most standards, it has been heavily impacted by agricultural activities. Historically the southern high plains were dominated by shortgrass prairie but row crop agriculture has replaced large tracts of grasslands and cattle have replaced once vast herds of bison. Today about 30% of all US cattle (on feed) are housed in feedlots on the southern high plains of Texas. Large areas of grasslands remain but fire suppression and over grazing have led to the degradation of grasslands and the invasion of woody vegetation. This REU site will engage 8 students each summer during a 10 week program to examine ecological and environmental issues impacting the southern high plains. Research topics for this REU include vertebrate and prairie ecology, microbiology, disease ecology, ecological risk assessment and toxicology, and other topics in environmental science. Students will work with faculty mentors to develop research questions and hypotheses, design experiments, collect data and analyze results, and present their findings at a conference during the last week of the summer session. Numerous activities have been designed to enhance the student's research experience including: (1) an ethics course that also addresses the region's history, ecology, and environmental issues; (2) field trips to ecologically significant sites; (3) seminars and brown bag sessions on research methodology, communication skills, and graduate school and science careers; and (4) informal events including movie nights and cookouts that allow time for networking. More information about this program can be found at http://www.wtamu.edu/reu, or by contacting Ray Matlack at [e-mail].

得克萨斯州南部的高平原是一个多样化的混合草原，干湖，和峡谷土地穿插行作物农业，牛饲料地段，和城市地区。 虽然按大多数标准，该地区人口稀少，但它受到农业活动的严重影响。 历史上，南部高平原主要是矮草草原，但行作物农业已经取代了大片的草原和牛取代了曾经的大群野牛。 今天，大约30%的美国牛（饲料）被安置在德克萨斯州南部高原的饲养场。 大面积的草原仍然存在，但灭火和过度放牧导致草原退化和木本植被的入侵。 这个REU网站将在为期10周的计划，每年夏天8名学生参与研究影响南部高平原的生态和环境问题。 该REU的研究主题包括脊椎动物和草原生态学，微生物学，疾病生态学，生态风险评估和毒理学以及环境科学的其他主题。 学生将与教师导师一起开发研究问题和假设，设计实验，收集数据和分析结果，并在夏季会议的最后一周在会议上展示他们的发现。 许多活动已经设计，以提高学生的研究经验，包括：（1）伦理课程，也涉及该地区的历史，生态和环境问题;（2）实地考察生态重要网站;（3）研讨会和棕色袋会议的研究方法，沟通技巧，研究生院和科学事业;以及（4）非正式活动，包括电影之夜和野餐，以便有时间建立联系。 有关该计划的更多信息可以在http：//www.wtamu.edu/reu找到，或通过[e-mail]联系雷·马特莱克。