The Science CORPS 2023 cohort once again repeated the test of the Enemy Release Hypothesis in their unique set of sites, which expanded to include Michigan in addition to Indiana and Illinois, and explored a brand new question in urban ecology: Does seed predation differ between paved and unpaved environments?
Just like the first year Science CORPS cohort, they found no difference in seed predation between native and exotic plant species. However, they found that seed predation was greater on paved surfaces than on unpaved surfaces, suggesting that urban environments may alter seed predation patterns.
Check out their amazing poster, which they presented at the Indiana Academy of Sciences Meeting!
Macey and Winta presenting their poster at the Indiana Academy of Sciences Meeting in March, 2024.
Two other students coauthored the poster, and 12 others contributed to the research.