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by Brad Williamson

2011 Smooth Earth Snake and Redbelly Snake Population Survey—Help out the Kansas BioSurvey

January 27, 2011 in KABT News, Student Research Ideas

From the Ks Biological Survey:

Kansas Biological Survey (KBS) still is conducting a survey of these two Kansas snakes recognized as Threatened in the State. We are looking for new populations and ask that students and teachers in the eastern counties of Kansas be on the lookout for these species in your area, and report sightings to us using the report form available at http://people.ku.edu/~gpisani/SWGform.html. Sightings must be confirmed by us, either by a live specimen (which may be released at capture point after we confirm identification) and/or high-quality photograph. We also need detailed documentation of habitat in which you may find them! If you find either species, note the area well and contact us ASAP! We especially need people to help us in Linn and Anderson counties; email us as soon as possible if you can help.

Both species are cool-weather snakes, and are among the very earliest to emerge from hibernation. Look for them under cover objects (tin, rocks, wood) from early March on (depending upon temperature). A great way to locate these snakes is to distribute 2ftx4ft pieces of salvaged barn tin (the corrugated kind) in likely habitat, especially edge zones between woods and unmowed grass areas. Part of this effort is to determine just what sorts of habitat both species prefer, so don’t overlook pastures, woods , or whatever habitat is in your area.. Spread some tin [with landowner permission]; see what comes in! And don’t forget to remove the tin when done sampling an area..
For an overview of current Kansas records of these species, visit the Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas pages from links on our web site (above).
To add incentive, we will award publications to people with the most confirmed sightings in new localities during 2011 as follows:

  • Most new localities reported: A copy of 2nd printing (1980) Autecology of the Copperhead 1960 by Henry S. Fitch and also a copy of 2nd printing (1991) Reproductive Cycles in Lizards and Snakes 1970 by Henry S. Fitch.
  • Second place, most new localities reported: CHOICE OF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING- a copy of 2nd printing (1980) Autecology of the Copperhead 1960 by Henry S. Fitch and also a copy of 2nd printing (1991) Reproductive Cycles in Lizards and Snakes 1970 by Henry S. Fitch.
  • Third place, most new localities reported: A copy of Biology, status and management of the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus): A guide for conservation (1993), by William S. Brown.

George Pisani
gpisani@ku.edu

Bill Busby
wbusby@ku.edu

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Avatar of Eric Kessler

by Eric Kessler

New Language Discovered: Prairiedogese

January 20, 2011 in KABT News, Nature, Student Research Ideas, Teaching Resources

Reposted from NPR’s Morning Edition by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich

If you learn a second language, there’s usually a moment where things click — you overhear some snippet of conversation and suddenly, you just get it, effortlessly.  Professor Con Slobodchikoff of Northern Arizona University has spent the past 30 years studying a foreign tongue. But there are no instructional podcasts or evening classes to help him: Slobodchikoff is trying to learn prairie dog.

View interactive media demonstrating some of the discoveries Dr. Slobodchikoff has made and listen to the 7 minute NPR Story at the following link.

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/20/132650631/new-language-discovered-prairiedogese

for those of you with access to prairie dogs colonies, it could be quite interesting to attempt to replicate Dr. Slobodchikoff’s.

Additional Links of Potential Interest

  • Video Clip on Dr. Slobodchikoff’s work from the BCC Program Prairie Dogs Talk of the Town

  • BBC Video Clip on Coyote Predation  Prairie Dogs

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Avatar of Steve Case

by Steve Case

Looking for Research Collaboration with High School Biology Classrooms

October 26, 2010 in Student Research Ideas, Teaching Resources

My name is Joanna Cielocha. I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Kansas in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. My research focuses on parasites, particularly tapeworms of sharks and rays. I am interested in questions relating to diversity and interrelationships of these parasites.

I am in the process of writing a Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant to the National Science Foundation. The deadline for this application is November 12, 2010. Part of this grant application includes a “Broader Impacts” component for which I would like to collaborate with high school science teachers in Kansas. Ideally, this would involve teachers in a rural or “under-served” area (i.e., within a district where few students have pursued biology degrees in college or where these sorts of opportunities are not common). More importantly, I would like to work with high school science teachers that are interested and enthusiastic about broadening science education in Kansas high schools. I envision participation to include 2-3 guest visits to a classroom. These visits would include lectures and discussions with the class on topics that relate to current course material but may not receive detailed attention in the regular science curriculum: parasitology, biodiversity, and marine biology. A brief section introducing students to the topic of undergraduate research opportunities and research-track careers in science after college will also be incorporated.

The selected topics are derived from my current research experiences and interests. They would flow nicely in a course on the diversity of animals, but could be incorporated into other courses such as AP Biology, thus being most suitable for high school juniors and seniors. The parasitology portion would ideally focus on the diversity of the parasitic platyhelminths (tapeworms, flukes, and monogenes) found in Kansas, and also expanded to include those parasites found in and on sharks and rays. This topic would dovetail nicely into the topics of biodiversity and marine biology. Whereas marine parasites are highly enigmatic, with their diversity largely unknown and their life cycles involving a variety of other marine organisms. The final topic, research opportunities and careers, could also apply to a broader audience of students, if other science teachers in your school are interested.

This collaboration would take place during the 2011-2012 school year (Fall and/or Spring) given the course schedule, with the possibility of extending it into a second school year. I would be happy to speak with interested teachers to address questions and/or ideas regarding the development and feasibility of this collaboration.

Sincerely,

Joanna Cielocha

Joanna J. Cielocha
University of Kansas
Ph.D. Candidate
Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
1200 Sunnyside Ave.
5024 Haworth Hall
Lawrence, KS 66045

email: jjcielocha@hotmail.com
phone: 785-864-5826

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Avatar of Brad Williamson

by Brad Williamson

Photosynthesis Response Curve with Floating Disk Assay

October 23, 2010 in KABT News, Labs, Student Research Ideas, Teaching Resources

Over the years I’ve made the claim that the floating leaf disk assay is quite possibly the best way for students to explore how the process of photosynthesis. The method is inexpensive, accurate, reliably replicable and most importantly accessible for all levels of students from 5th grade to university. However, I’ve got to say that even I was surprised at some data I collected, yesterday. Recently, while working on new AP Biology Labs, I revisited the original (and still the best) paper that first discussed this technique. (or at least the earliest I can find.)

Wickliff, J. L., and R. M. Chasson. 1964. Measurement of photosynthesis in plant tissues using bicarbonate solutions. BioScience 14, no. 3: 32–33.

In this article I saw this graph of a photosynthesis light response curve that got me to thinking:

Last year, the UKanTeach program where I teach acquired a couple of PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) meters to measure photon flux. PAR meters are typically on the expensive side but this model from Apogee runs about $300. I hadn’t taken time to try them out and decided that now was the time.

Yesterday, I went out the north side of Haworth Hall and picked an ivy (Hedera helix) leaf that was growing in deep shade under a shrub.

English Ivy leaf, shade adapted

I picked a shade adapted leaf figuring that a leaf adapted to shade would likely reach photosaturation earlier than a sun adapted leaf. I wasn’t sure whether or not my light source was bright enough to induce photosaturation.

My light source is a clamp shop light with an 8 inch reflector and an 100 watt equivalent compact fluorescent bulb. Actually, I found that if I put my meter within a couple of inches of the bulb I can get a flux reading equivalent to a summer’s day. I was sure it was bright enough for the shade adapted leaf I had picked.

I modified the technique that I presented here by placing the infiltrated disks in shallow petri dishes instead of plastic cups. I also modified the data collection procedure. Instead of counting disks floating at the end of each minute, I actually attempted to time each disk–a bit of a challenge that I wasn’t quite up to the first time. I should have used a video camera or at least used a computer timer program capable of timing 10 or more “laps” or intervals.

Modified technique

It is real easy to record the first movements of the disks with this technique.

In low light conditions, I started by carefully cutting about 80 disks from one leaf. I then infiltrated ten disks at a time with a dilute bicarbonate solution with a vacuum created with a 10 ml syringe. I placed the 10 sunken disks in separate petri dishes with a total of 30 mls of bicarbonate solution. The dishes with the disks were then placed under a box lid to exclude any light. I then tested 6 of the sets of 10 disks under different light intensities. The data from the highest light intensity are not included because I neglected to use a water heat sink filter to keep the infiltration solution temperature constant. The higher temperatures affected the results. It was only when the light was very close to the petri dish that this was a problem but I need to account for this next time.

Here’s the results:

Note that I’ve plotted plus or minus two estimated Standard Errors for each mean. I was impressed. This is a classic response curve and the parameters of this curve are consistent with data reported in the literature for shade grown English Ivy. I’m more convinced than ever that the floating leaf disk assay is a very valuable tool for a biology teaching laboratory. With this technique students can start their exploration of photosynthesis but the same technique is powerful enough to explore more sophisticated concepts.

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Avatar of Eric Kessler

by Eric Kessler

Something to do with Grass Clippings

August 1, 2010 in ID challenge, KABT News, Labs, Student Research Ideas, Teaching Resources

Early this morning, before the full heat of the day, I mowed the lawn.  Having left it to grow for two weeks, I had to stop more frequently to empty the bag onto our compost heap in the back yard.  Like many times before, I noticed that some flying insects were attracted to the new piles of grass clippings.  They hovered around like the hymenoptera in a recent post, but on a much smaller scale.  So, after finished my duties, I decided to observe for awhile and learn a little bit.  Here is what happened…

This is what this swarming looked like…

Then I witnessed this…

In this video you will see a mating pair just above the center of the screen.  After moving around a bit you will notice another individual pester the couple.  Not long after the couple parts.  What I believe to be the male, flies off, while the female can be seen wandering through the grass clippings.  In one instance you may be able to make out that her abdomen in curled.  I hypothesize that she was laying eggs amongst the grass.

Here is another, longer, mating video.  If you watch long enough, after the female is mounted and released a second time, it appears that the male might be guarding her from other males.  It makes me want to research an easy method of capturing, marking, and releasing these insects to be more certain about what is going on.

In this final image it appears we may possiblly have a sneaker male.  Interestingly enough, this additional male appears to be smaller than the male that is mounted upon the female.  Look at the cicrumferance of the eyes (although I know that the perspective is not the same).

There you have it.  I imagine that this could be quite an easy observation to reproduce, all you need is a pile of grass clippings, and some of these insects in the vicinity.  In fact, students could most likely complete such an observation from home on their own.  I did notice that these flies were amongst the grass clippings the whole day and were even there in smaller numbers the following morning as well. 

Furthermore, it was quite easy to figure out what insect species these are using Insects in Kansas Field Guide published by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. 

So, what is the Order, Family, and species of insect imaged in this post?

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Avatar of Eric Kessler

by Eric Kessler

Synthetic Biology

July 18, 2010 in Student Research Ideas, Teaching Resources


The 21st Century Prometheans?

A little over a year ago, Brad posted a link to a survey on Synthetic Biology.  Although it appears that little has fundamentally changed since then, this burgeoning field, along side nanotechnology, has become front page news, and will hopefully become a topic of conversation in your biology class in the near future.

I don’t pretend to be an expert on Synthetic Biology but I thought a few resources may provide you with enough background knowledge to approach the topic with your students this year.  Maybe they could use this post itself as a springboard for discussion or more research.  The post is in three parts, each accompanied by some thought provoking quotes from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein…

Early Years and Standford’s Drew Endy

In these links you will will find a reference to one of the first papers in the field, a few comic responses to the field, and links to two YouTube videos (originally TED Talks) of Drew Endy explaining the difference between Synthetic Biology and the more standard and familiar recombinant DNA and genetic engineering technologies.

“The world was to him a secret which he desired to divine. Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were unfolded to him, are among the earliest sensations he can remember . . . It was the secrets of heaven and earth that he desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied him, still his inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in it highest sense, the physical secrets of the world.”

  1. Synthetic Biology: Engineering Escherichia coli to see light (November 2005)
  2. Nature’s comic on Synthetic Biology (November 2005)
  3. The Story of Synthia - another comic look at synthetic biology
  4. Synthetic Biology Organization with a press link to numerous popular critiques of synthetic biology
  5. SEED’s Cribsheet on Synthetic Biology (July 2010)

(June 2007)

(December 2008)

Venter creates the News & President Obama’s Responds

“There was none among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or assist me; and should I feel kindness towards my enemies? No: from that moment I declared everlasting war against the species, and, more than all, against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery.”

(May 2010)

  1. The President’s Emerging Technologies Interagency Policy Coordination Committee’s Inaugural Meeting (May 2010)
  2. NPR Story, Presidential Panel Scrutinizes Synthetic Biology (July 2010)

Resources for those interested in Doing some Synthetic Biology

The following resources are for entering the field of Synthetic Biology.  The first link will introduce you to an annual competition used to motivate undergraduate teams of students to design and engineer novel pathways in E. coli.  If you search around, I think that you’ll find that there has been a single high school team involved in the competition before.  Some of university sponsors are quite interested in developing a kit to introduce students to the methods synthetic biology.

  1. iGEM 2010
  2. Authentic Teaching and Learning through Synthetic Biology based the E. coli engineered to sense light
  3. The BioBricks Foundation
  4. Registry of Standard Biological Parts
  5. BioBrick Assembly Kit from New England BioLabs

“‘The labours of men of genius, however erroneously directed, scarcely ever fail in ultimately turning to the solid advantage of mankind.”

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Avatar of Eric Kessler

by Eric Kessler

Hovering Hymenoptera

July 5, 2010 in ID challenge, Nature, Student Research Ideas, Teaching Resources

Observations at a Volleyball Court, accompanied by an ID & Behavioral Challenge

While on holiday in Oklahoma this weekend, I happened by this volleyball court on the way to the pool.   My attention was immediately drawn to movements that I observed in my periphery.  Here is what I observed from sand level…

and close-up from above…

The species may be territorial.  While individuals came close to each other it appeared like there were brief chases and overall there was an emergent spatial pattern (I think you can see it in the first video) suggestive of territoriality.   I tried to follow the movement of a single individual but it was too difficult for me.

After spending more time, continuing to ignore my children swimming and doing flips of the side of the pool, I made these more detailed observations suggestive of territoriality as well.  In the first video, you will see interactions between numerous live individuals with a single dead individual of the same species…

Here is a close-up image of an instance of this behavior…

In the second video, you will see interactions of these hymenoptera with a mottled leaf…

Here is a close-up image of an instance of this behavior…

The fact that the colors of the leaf are similar to some of those found in the wasps themselves made me wonder if I could elicit the behavior with another leaf.  The leaf I chose to use, unlike the one I found them naturally interacting with, was entirely yellow.  What do you hypothesize will happen?

Around the periphery of the volleyball court, I noticed holes in the sand that were approximately the same diameter as the cylinder shape of the insect themselves (see below), although maybe a bit weathered.  I should have dug them up but didn’t think of it at the time.

I had noticed similar behavior in a much smaller number of cicada killers in a children’s sandbox, but had no idea what type of hymenoptera this species was.  Similar, I wondered, was this a mating swarm?  Where they recently emerged individuals?  What was the ratio of genders?  How long does this behavior persist?  What resources might they use to maintain their energy?

A few curious individuals did happen to come by while I was making my observations, and I received seemingly conflicting reports on their longevity.  One adult mentioned that they are there all the time, while a couple of kids arriving to play volleyball hadn’t noticed them there the day before.  In fact, later that night I saw, from afar, four people playing volleyball.  I might add, that to get some of the images and video, I walked in amongst the swarm.  I did so slowly but felt that they may have ignored me even if I had walked in at a normal pace.

So, here’s the challenge…

  • What is the genus and/or species of this hymenoptera?  and
  • What the heck are they doing?

As mentioned in response to Brad’s post on aphids, I think a collection of such videos and images could make an interesting series of ecological activities for students, and possibly a series of models for them to produce their own reports, blogs, etc… on interesting outdoor observations that can motivate learning of particular ecological principles.

For anyone that responds with the answers, unknown to me with any certainty, it would be nice, and potentially helpful in the future, for you to provide links to websites that helped in your identification.

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Avatar of Eric Kessler

by Eric Kessler

Why Surface for Air?

June 19, 2010 in ID challenge, KABT News, Nature, Student Research Ideas

Observations of tadpoles in a local pond

Two days ago, while driving my eldest daughter and a friend to morning swim practice, we ran across, but not over, a rather large snapping turtle crossing the road.  This happened just east of Mission Road on 71st Street in Shawnee Misson, Kansas (it appears that he may have grown up in Indian Hills County Club).  Although the turtle appears to have lived quite a productive live to that moment, we figured that we might increase its life span by moving him somewhere a little bit less populated.

Yesterday, my two younger children and I, released our find in a wetland area adjacent to the Blue River in southern Johnson County.  While there, I treated my kids to one of the ponds I frequent with students when I am teaching about amphibians.  Here is an interesting observation that we made…

A quick google search this morning suggests that field biologist may not fully understand this behavior, and not for lack of thoughtful consideration and experimentation.  I know that school is out and that critical observations and experimentation are dependent on the life cycle of an organism who doesn’t realize that, but I share this observation none-the-less, for its potential…

…and if you want to ID the tadpoles you can do that too…

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Avatar of Eric Kessler

by Eric Kessler

Earthworms Across Kansas

May 26, 2010 in KABT News, Labs, Nature, Student Research Ideas, Teaching Resources

Looking for a new outdoor ecology investigation to conduct with your students?  … something that will require them to get their hands dirty?  … and aid in their learning and appreaciation for our native fauna? 

Then look no further than the new citizens science project, Earthworms Across Kansas organized by Dr. Bruce Snyder at Kansas State University.  As stated on their website and in an introductory letter I recieved a few weeks ago…

Earthworms Across Kansas is a free program that engages middle and high school students throughout the state in answering some basic, yet unanswered questions about Kansas earthworms, such as “Which species are here?” and “What are the ranges of these species?”

The project aims to educate Kansas’ middle and high school students about earthworm biology and invasive species issues by engaging them as citizen scientists.  One-third of the approximately 170 species of earthworms known to reside in the United States have arrived here from another continent.  We expect that most every earthworm your students collect will be an exotic species.

We are currently recruiting teachers to participate (online registration form), although only until we run out of kits.  Once registered, you can prepare for your participation by viewing curricula and lesson plans associated with earthworm biology that will be posted online through May.  In July or August your kit will be mailed, and your students can complete their collecting anytime during the 2010-2011 academic year.  The data from across the state will be uploaded on their interactive google map, and thus facilitate your students answering the basic questions posed by the project.

If you’d like more information about the program before registering certainly visit their website, and if you have further questions, please email the project at earthworm@k-state.edu.

I haven’t read through the protocols for this project yet but thought you may interested in learning from the active worm collectors and the research associated with their methods.  Check out Worm Grunting, Fiddling, and Charming—Humans Unknowingly Mimic a Predator to Harvest Bait published in PLOS.  Besides the article there are a number of interesting quicktime video links demonstrating the research.

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Avatar of Brad Williamson

by Brad Williamson

More Citizen Science–Help out the BioSurvey

January 30, 2010 in ID challenge, KABT News, Nature, Student Research Ideas

George Pisani and Bill Busby are looking for help.  You, your students and other interested parties can help expand the knowledge of two Eastern Kansas snakes:  Red-bellied and Smooth Earth Snakes.  Note that these are some of the earliest snakes to show up in the spring (March).  Spread the word to others in your community.  If you want to participate you’ll need to get going. Here are the details:


Smooth Earth Snake and Redbelly Snake Population Survey

Kansas Biological Survey (KBS) is conducting a survey of these two Kansas snakes recognized as Threatened in the State. We are looking for new populations and ask that students and teachers in the eastern counties of Kansas be on the lookout for these species in your area, and report sightings to us using the report form available at http://people.ku.edu/~gpisani/SWGform.html. Sightings must be confirmed by us, either by a live specimen (which may be released at capture point after we confirm identification) and/or high-quality photograph. We also need detailed documentation of habitat in which you may find them! If you find either species, note the area well and contact us ASAP! We especially need people to help us in Linn and Anderson counties; email us as soon as possible if you can help.

Both species are cool-weather snakes, and are among the very earliest to emerge from hibernation. Look for them under cover objects (tin, rocks, wood) from early March on (depending upon temperature). A great way to locate these snakes is to distribute 2ftx4ft pieces of salvaged barn tin (the corrugated kind) in likely habitat, especially edge zones between woods and unmowed grass areas. Part of this effort is to determine just what sorts of habitat both species prefer, so don’t overlook pastures, woods , or whatever habitat is in your area.. Spread some tin [with landowner permission]; see what comes in! And don’t forget to remove the tin when done sampling an area..
For an overview of current Kansas records of these species, visit the Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas pages from links on our web site (above).

To add incentive, we will award publications to people with the most confirmed sightings in new localities during 2010 as follows:

Most new localities reported: A copy of 2nd printing (1980) Autecology of the Copperhead 1960 by Henry S. Fitch and also a copy of 2nd printing (1991) Reproductive Cycles in Lizards and Snakes 1970 by Henry S. Fitch.
Second place, most new localities reported: CHOICE OF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING- a copy of 2nd printing (1980) Autecology of the Copperhead 1960 by Henry S. Fitch and also a copy of 2nd printing (1991) Reproductive Cycles in Lizards and Snakes 1970 by Henry S. Fitch.
Third place, most new localities reported:  A copy of Biology, status and management of the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus): A guide for conservation (1993), by William S. Brown.

George Pisani                                                Bill Busby
gpisani@ku.edu                                            wbusby@ku.edu

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