Research Projects
Research
We invite you to use our park to conduct your research. To help us maintain records of projects, please complete a research project form.
PAST PROJECTS
Research projects: updated January 29, 2018
Forest Composition and Growth
- Forest composition and structure - Vanessa Fox, Dana Dudle, Bryan Helm, David Pope, and Aaron Randolph
- Forest composition and structure - Iesha Brooks, Stephany Cook, Grace Harsha, Jamie Oriez, and Vanessa Fox
- Forest composition and health - Kyra Reed and Vanessa Fox
- Riparian forest - Brittany Mohrman, Tory Pavlovich, and Brett Bohlander
- Walnut trees and allelopathy – Kelsey Nosek
- Dendroclimatology in Putnam County - Julia Roell, Peter Konieczny, Rudra Vishweshwar, Ben Harsha, Weiqing Zhang, SRF project with Jim Mills, fall 2011
- Walnut and sycamore trees in an old field - Nan Ash, Anna Dixon, Cameron Meehan, and Hope Palalay
- Trees in Robe Ann Park - Sara Lejsner, Nathan Fox, Michelle Tykvart, and Abby Missimer
Trees and Vines
- Trees and vines - Scott Meyer, Danny Wetli, Vanessa Fox, and Bruce Serlin
- Grape vines and ash trees – Jessica Pond and Pooja Rathore
- Grape vines and sugar maple trees – Jack Gomez, Sam Sullivan, Chase Sadler, and Jason Kirchhoff
- Grape vines and cherry trees - Chase Sadler and Jack Gomez
Leaf litter
- Where has all the leaf litter gone? - Charlotte Buehler, Chad Byers, Summer Drake, and Vanessa Fox, summer 2006
Quarry Bottom
- Sycamore growth patterns - David Pope
- Health of sycamore trees - Zachary Young, Sarah Minor, and Hunter Schouweiler
- Juniper seed dispersal – Briana White
- Juniper and sycamore growth rates – Ellen Buening, Linda Sebisaho, Jia Qi, Ashley Junger, and Cassidy Ragains
- Distribution of junipers and sycamores - Linda Sebisaho
- Junipers and soil pH - Ellen Buening and Cassidy Ragains
- Juniper growth patterns - Eric Tandy and Tyler Hume, BIO 342 project, fall 2014
- Primary succession - Madeline Mohrman
- Cyanobacteria and primary succession - Nicole Stone and Dana Dudle
Deer
- Deer exclosures - Vanessa Fox, Ryan Kelly, Emily Meadows, and Kristen Frederick
- Deer and human scent - Mitch Strobl and Vanessa Fox
- Deer and human scent - Jason Kirchhoff and Sam Sullivan
- Deer trails and activity - Amanda Faulkenberg and Caitlin Cleary
- Deer trails - Hunter Mitchell and Kathleen Raymond-Judy
Songbirds
- Forest songbird communities - Vanessa Fox, Dana Dudle, Bryan Helm, David Pope, and Aaron Randolph
- Forest songbird communities - Libby Allard and Vanessa Fox
- Bird banding - Andy Zuwerink
Mammals
- Small mammal trapping in the Arboretum and Nature Park - Vanessa Fox and students in Organismal Biology, BIO 135, 2003-2006
- White-footed mice living "on the edge" in the Nature Park - Dan Zindrick and Ryan Heffernan, Ecology class, BIO 342, fall 2005
- Small mammal communities - Emily Vincent, Michael Britton, Curt Hardacre, and Michael Tobin
- Squirrel nests – Casandra Brocksmith and Lauren Gray
- Mammal activity - Madhavi Sreenath, Sarah Glasshagel, Eli Penate, and Melinda Ervin
Arthropods and Earthworms
- Surface active invertebrates – Aaron Randolph
- Invertebrate and leaf litter dynamics in the DePauw University Nature Park – Karl Koehler and Vanessa Fox, summer 2005
- Crickets in a meadow: does mowing improve habitat? – Jackie Betsch, Jake Donlon, Bryan Helm, and Mark Loomis, Ecology class, BIO 342, fall 2005
- Insect diversity in old field succession – Kelsey Nosek, Wesley Jones, Hannah Ramage
- Microarthropods and juglone - Colleen Conway and Rachel Miller
- Microarthropods and leaf litter - Casandra Brocksmith, Colleen Conway, Lauren Gray and Rachel Miller
- Microarthropods, earthworms, and leaf litter - Iesha Brooks
- Insect and spider abundance - Maggie Furtner, Erin Wiemels, John Sherers, and Josh Hanselman
Educational Outreach
- “Outdoor Explorers,” an environmental education program - Laura Stevens, Melinda Voss, Andie Wyatt, and Taya Malone
- Natural history of the Quarry Trail - Genevieve Espinoza, Megan Michael, and Shayla Williamson, Conservation Biology class, BIO 345, spring 2006
- “Survivor!” an educational outreach program for Greencastle Middle School students - Kala Pattar, Kathy Frees, Suzanne Donoval, Conservation Biology class, BIO 345, spring 2006
Secondary succession
- Plant communities in the floodplain field (K2 loop): classification by soil type, nutrient availability, and flooding frequency – Taylor Cantril, Megan Jensen, and Josh Yoder; BIO 342, Ecology class, fall 2010
Invasive species
- Phragmites and cattails - Susan Cordes, Brandon Dawson, Jerilyn Kramer, and Ryan Miller
- Phragmites expansion - Katie Berry, Clay Langley, Amarilis Roman, Peter Steiner, and Dana Dudle
- Garlic mustard - Kyle Burns, Tyler McPheters, Ashley Paschal, and Brian Scott
- Emerald ash borer - Megan Walton, Neil Broshears, Alex Eades, and Amanda Hendricks
- Emerald ash borer - Laura Francisco, Jillian Snow, and Julia Grace Reinke
Other plants
- Reproductive success of wild parsnip – Jing Yang and Dana Dudle
- Reproductive success of tall boneset – Brett Bohlander, Debbie Jewell, Dan Zindrick, and Ryan Heffernan
- Mullein abundance along trails - Laura Crawford and Gaby Duong, BIO 345, fall 2013
- Mullein growth patterns – Iesha Brooks and Grace Harsha
- Boneset and gall midges – Blair Qi and Emily Vincent
- Boneset and gall midges - Stephany Cook and Emily Vincent
- Boneset and gall midges – Brian Allman and Morgan Grant
- Goldenrod growth patterns - Eric Tandy, Tim Kobba, and Seth Mills
- Greenbrier growth patterns - Grace Harsha
- Bouncing bet growth patterns - J'Nai Macklin and Khadijah Crosby
- Sexual dimorphism of male- and female-phase flowers of bouncing bet - Sandra Davis, Dana Dudle, Jenna Nawrocki, Leah Freestone, Peter Konieczny, Michael Tobin, and Michael Britton, 2012-2013
- Bouncing bet: heritability of flower color - Dana Dudle, Mary Ritke, and Sandra Davis
- Why does bouncing bet blush? - Dana Dudle, Elisabeth Wilson, Michael Tobin, Trung Nguyen, Kenneth Cruz, Scott Lockwood, summer 2015
- Jewelweed growth patterns - Hanna Wood, Maddy Burds, and Izzy Murphy
- Effects of trails on vegetation - Jake Kittaka, Connor Einertson, Kyle Whistler, and Jason Kirchhoff
- Purslane: response to saline stress - Kristina Mulry, Bryan Hanson, and Dana Dudle
- Examining the potential for local adaptation of Apocynum cannabinum populations at an abandoned limestone quarry - Bryan Helm, Dana Dudle, and Vanessa Fox, summer 2004
- Apocynum cannabinum: anthocyanin expression in sun and shade - Erica Ross, Ryan Edelen, Matthew Howes and Dana Dudle
- Apocynum cannabinum: indices of anthocyanin production - Erica Ross, Ryan Edelen, Matthew Howes and Dana Dudle
- Apocynum cannabinum: anthocyanin expression over a three day period - Erica Ross, Ryan Edelen, Matthew Howes and Dana Dudle
- Apocynum cannabinum: genetic variation in anthocyanin production - Erica Ross, Allison Barnes, Dana Dudle
- Apocynum cannabinum: effect of light intensity on anthocyanin production - David Furman and Dana Dudle
- Apocynum cannabinum: variation in leaf traits - Beth Drewes, Betsy Feighner, and Dana Dudle, summer 2006
- Apocynum cannabinum: anthocyanin content of stems and leaves - Lauren Guggina and Dana Dudle
Aquatic Ecology
- Crayfish - Jason Hutchison and Scott Kreuzman
- Caddisflies - Kelly Blair, Anna Fogt, Scott Graf, and Lauren Leipprandt
- Aquatic macroinvertebrates - Stephany Cook
- Effects of fish on zooplankton - Brian Allman, Muska Fahim, Megan May, Cody Roldan, and Ryan Edelen
- Nutrient bioassay of two ponds - Katie Kraska, Stephen Hesterberg, and Matt Brown
- Bathymetry of the Quarry Pond - Alan Lee and Neil Fitzharris
- Effects of trail construction on the Quarry Pond - Shannon Crosby and Melissa Cobb