REU Site: Ecology and Environment of the Southern High Plains

得克萨斯州南部高平原是草地、普拉湖和峡谷地的多样化混合体，其间穿插着行作物农业、牛饲养场和城市地区。虽然以大多数标准衡量，该地区人口稀少，但它受到了农业活动的严重影响。从历史上看，南部高平原以短草草原为主，但行作物农业取代了大片草原，牛取代了曾经的大群野牛。今天，大约30%的美国牛(正在饲养)被饲养在德克萨斯州南部高平原的饲养场。大片草原仍然存在，但灭火和过度放牧导致了草原退化和木本植物入侵。这个REU网站每年夏天将有8名学生参加，为期10周的项目，研究影响南部高原平原的生态和环境问题。本次REU的研究课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等环境科学课题。在暑期课程的最后一周，学生将与教师导师合作，开发研究问题和假设，设计实验，收集数据和分析结果，并在会议上展示他们的发现。为加强学生的研究经验，设计了许多活动，包括：(1)伦理学课程，也涉及该地区的历史、生态和环境问题；(2)实地考察具有重要生态意义的地点；(3)关于研究方法、沟通技能、研究生院和科学职业的研讨会和咖啡袋会议；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，请访问http://www.wtamu.edu/reu，，或联系雷·马特拉克，电子邮件：rmatlack@mail.wTamu.edu。

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 rmatlack@mail.wtamu.edu.