The Ecology of Little Duck Island, Maine:
a model for studying other regional islands
UPDATE: Click here for a link to my new site where I will be updating my research more frequently.
Background:
Plants play a vital role in shaping the ecology of the undeveloped Maine coast because they both affect and are affected by the unique physical and biotic features of this region. By better understanding plant life in the Maine coastal communities we can better appreciate the multitude of ecological features in the region. And by better understanding the ecological features of the region we can better decipher the plant communities of Maine coastal habitats.
Little Duck Island (LDI), about 8 miles south of Mount Desert Island (MDI), is one of a handful of botanically under-explored islands off of the coast of Maine. With the assistance of fellow College of the Atlantic (COA) student Matthew Dickinson and grants from the Garden Club of America as well as the NASA Maine Space Grant Consortium, I inventoried the vascular plants and soils of Little Duck Island during the summer of 2010. The data includes a collection of over 250 pressed voucher specimens, 67 plots describing the percent cover of each species within 2x10m quadrats, soil samples from each plot—analyzed for nutrient concentrations, and other observational data such as a checklist of birds, a count of gull and cormorant nests, and notes on various patterns relating to the ecology of the island.
The project:
I have been using this data to compile a report that describes the ecology of Little Duck Island. This report will provide a useful comparison to several previous studies describing the plants and birds of the island--as a way to describe changes on the island over time.
The ultimate value of this study will be to use the biotic and abiotic data from Little Duck Island to generate a model that can predict the presence of plant species on other regional islands. I hope to test this on islands that already have plant lists in order to gauge the accuracy the model. It can be very difficult to create a deterministic model that actually works, but I hope I can do that by keeping to a regional scale and using as many ecological and species-specific factors as possible.
Advisers:
Although I will consult with many during this project, Dr. Nishi Rajakaruna and Glen Mittelhauser will be my primary advisers. Their extensive background of field research in botany and ecology is essential in guiding me as I analyze and compile the collected data as well as begin work on preparing and submitting a paper for publication. Dr. Rajakaruna's experiences of working with people throughout the world on projects such as ethnobotanical studies and cleaning toxic waste dumps via phytoremediation make him an ideal advisor to help me reach a vast audience with my research. Glen Mittelhauser's extensive field work on regional island floristics and ecology make him a crucial adviser regarding the regional flora and the ecological factors that influence it.
Report for Acadia National Park and National Audubon Society
Click here to download a report describing the plant communities and natural history of Little Duck Island. The file is 13.8megs, so just keep that in mind if you have a slow download speed (Right-click and "save as" or just click to open in the browser) The report is the result of my senior thesis at College of the Atlantic.
Below is the poster recently presented at the 2011 Northeast Undergraduate Research and Development Symposium in Biddeford, ME, as well as the 2011 Northeast Natural History Conference in Albany, NY
The project:
I have been using this data to compile a report that describes the ecology of Little Duck Island. This report will provide a useful comparison to several previous studies describing the plants and birds of the island--as a way to describe changes on the island over time.
The ultimate value of this study will be to use the biotic and abiotic data from Little Duck Island to generate a model that can predict the presence of plant species on other regional islands. I hope to test this on islands that already have plant lists in order to gauge the accuracy the model. It can be very difficult to create a deterministic model that actually works, but I hope I can do that by keeping to a regional scale and using as many ecological and species-specific factors as possible.
Advisers:
Although I will consult with many during this project, Dr. Nishi Rajakaruna and Glen Mittelhauser will be my primary advisers. Their extensive background of field research in botany and ecology is essential in guiding me as I analyze and compile the collected data as well as begin work on preparing and submitting a paper for publication. Dr. Rajakaruna's experiences of working with people throughout the world on projects such as ethnobotanical studies and cleaning toxic waste dumps via phytoremediation make him an ideal advisor to help me reach a vast audience with my research. Glen Mittelhauser's extensive field work on regional island floristics and ecology make him a crucial adviser regarding the regional flora and the ecological factors that influence it.
Report for Acadia National Park and National Audubon Society
Click here to download a report describing the plant communities and natural history of Little Duck Island. The file is 13.8megs, so just keep that in mind if you have a slow download speed (Right-click and "save as" or just click to open in the browser) The report is the result of my senior thesis at College of the Atlantic.
Below is the poster recently presented at the 2011 Northeast Undergraduate Research and Development Symposium in Biddeford, ME, as well as the 2011 Northeast Natural History Conference in Albany, NY
