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What is the context of this research?

Northeast Ohio, like much of the United States, has a very fragmented landscape. In this area, there is a complex mix of urban, rural, industrial, and other landscape uses. Interspersed in the mix are chunks of green spaces, parks, and protected areas. Home of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Northeast Ohio has a rich and diverse collection of habitats in those pockets of conserved land, ranging from bogs and fens, to ponds and streams, to hardwood forest and secondary succession fields.



This diversity of habitats leads to a diversity of organisms, the real interest of this research project. While surveying the Trumbull campus flora and fauna, we'll also be looking at the Trumbull County parks property adjacent to the campus, to expand the number of sampled habitats, number of organisms represented, and to compare "pristine" habitats to "developed" habitats, as a demonstration of the conservation value of preserving green space (this data set will be used in my Life on Planet Earth class). Information on the parks property will be shared with Trumbull County Parks District, with whom I am partnering in exchange for access to the park's property.



What is the significance of this project?

Primarily, this project will beneficially affect the students involved in the research, as they learn taxonomy, identification, ecology, and diversity through this endeavor. However, this research will also add to the general understanding of what organisms exist where in Northeast Ohio, possibly add new records for some species- invasive or native- as we survey the areas. This research will also serve as a demonstration of undergraduate research as a learning tool, and the abilities of undergraduate research to improve student outcomes while also adding to original research. At the same time, this survey of organisms found in local parks will serve as a source of information for Trumbull County Metro Parks on the diversity found in and around their parks properties.

What are the goals of the project?

During this research project, my Biological Diversity students and I will:



