The bulrush Scirpus americanus occupies the intertidal area just above the mudflats in the coastal marshes of the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the ecological functions it performs, S. americanus has great cultural value to several Native American groups that use its stems in basketry. Data on plant a variety of plant attributes and environmental factors was collected and processing of plant samples is ongoing. The student will participate in as much of the field work as experience and opportunity allow. The independent study will include follow-up work in the lab and the writing of a paper in scientific format.
Some funding is available for field work.
Food will be provided for field days. Skills required are an enthusiasm for field work and conservation, basic course work in biology, zoology, psychology, or forestry. Plants which have exceptional dechlorinating abilities would find widespread application in phytoremediation of toxic compounds. The undergraduate student will test the ability of a new screening method for plant dechlorination of toxic compounds such as trichloroethylene, the most widespread groundwater pollutant, and pentachlorophenol, an important wood preservative pollutant. The student will learn experimental design, gas chromatographic analysis, and scientific writing.