Brackenridge Field Lab serves as an important resource for undergraduate students interested in ecological research. The structured research experiences offered at BFL include everything from short-term independent studies to involvement in long-term community studies. Several undergraduate research assistant positions are offered at the field station, including positions in the invasive species lab and molecular diagnostics lab. Some student researchers contribute to records of the microbial, plant, and ant community records of the station or soil maps of the BFL and Stengl Biological Station properties. Others have maintained BFL’s status as a drought-net monitoring station by reporting measurements taken on the property.
Much of the independent research done by undergraduates at the field station is related to field ecology courses (BIO373L) taught on site and form the backbone of our knowledge of the diversity, habitats and ecosystem functions (see Abstracts and Table). Over the years, this research has provided opportunities for undergraduate work to be published and has even inspired long-term studies on ecological relationships and invasive species management. The field station hosts several other courses (EVS) that encourage independent undergraduate study and capstone projects. BFL regularly hosts student researchers from the Freshmen Research Initiative (FRI) such as the Biodiversity, Bugs-in-Bugs and Bioprospecting research streams for field discoveries and inspiration.
Ecological Studies by Undergraduates at BFL
Student Independent Project List
Abbreviated Titles of Undergraduate Papers
The effect different habitats have on the growth rate of different tree species in BFL
Response of Central Texas understory one year after the removal of the invasive shrub Ligustrum
Ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata) and lichens at Brackenridge Field Laboratory – host and light preference
An analysis for ant community structure over time
The recovery of select plants after the elimination of white-tailed deer at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Mapping the distribution and effects on invertebrate community by longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis)
The butterflies of Stengl: a species comparison of two meadow habitats
Neospintharus furcatus (Araneae: Theridiidae) and Emesinae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in the webs of Tidarren sisyphoides (Araneae: Theridiidae)
Comparison of meadow plant communities at Stengl Lost Pines recently purchased land
A study of the status of oak wilt in Quercus virginiana to determine projected trends in disease transmission at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Measuring population density and estimating population size of Mestra amymone at Brackenridge Field Lab
Population size and density of the common mestra at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
The impact of invasive nandina on ground dwelling arthropod biodiversity
Survey of ant species found on trees at Brackenridge Field Lab
The effect of Bothriochloa ischaemum on the biodiversity of a Stengl Biological Station grassland
Ecological survey and habitat preference of Tillansia recurvata
Relationship between the density of leaf galls in Texas persimmon and the presence of surrounding trees
Testing for canopy cover preference in lantana and lantana pollinators
Colonization of concrete substrates by adjacent native and exotic communities
Aquatic arthropod communities : Mosquito composition and diversity in two sizes of tanks
An assessment of above ground arthropod diversity in Nandina domestica removed plots
Assessing herbivory rates on Texas ash saplings
Spiders as Indicators of habitat health at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Effects of Nandina domestica on plant biodiversity at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Caterpillar community patterns at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Frog and tadpole diversity in Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Survey of anuran community composition in artificial BFL Ponds
A survey of eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) nests at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
The autumnal macrofungal community of BFL
An ecological assessment of habitat preference for juniper, mesquite, and chinaberry seedlings of Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Ant communities’ discovery-dominance tradeoff at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Effects of Vitis mustangensis on its supporting trees’ structure
Arthropod diversity at the BFL in the absence of termites
Foraging behavior of native BFL birds in the presence of a predator’s call
Defoliation of hackberry trees by herbivorous caterpillars
Ground dwelling arthropod diversity
Effects of decomposing logs on nutrient composition
Effects of deer browsing on the structural diversity of woody vegetation
Effects of grass diversity on productivity
Spider diversity and composition between forest strata levels
Rock-sheltering arthropod species richness
Predicting habitat utilization by female red admiral butterflies
Trichogramma Wasp Parasitism on Heliconius charithonia Eggs and Pseudomyrmex Impact on Heliconius charithonia Population
Pollinator communities of plants with small white flowers
Disholcaspis cinerosa (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) asexual gall distribution within clusters of Quercus fusiformis
Habitat preference of white-tailed deer within Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Presence and density of Tillandsia recurvata in the Brackenridge Field Lab depends on habitat, host species and host size
Habitat analysis of Arundo donax associated with the presence of Tetramesa romana
Distance between monogyne and polygyne fire ant mounds: The battle for land at Brackenridge Field Laboratory.
Artificial ponds create diverse canopy habitat 50 years after construction
Effects ofater availability on loblolly pine structure
Effects of insect herbivory on Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri
Fish predation and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure in ponds
Mapping Heteropogon contortus and assessing its competitive effect on native plant communities
Effects of drought on a loblolly pine population
Pollinators of lantana, cowpen daisy, and frostweed shrubs
Interspecies competition of ants under heightened thermal conditions
Flora and Nymphalidae interactions
Effects of Opuntia lindheimeri spinescence compared to the exclusionary effect of brush piles at deterring herbivory
Effects of temperature on foraging behavior of red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta)
The effects of invasive grasses Sorghum halepense and Bothriochloa ischaemum versus native grasses Setaria scheelei, Chloris texensis, Heteropogon contortus, and Bothriochloa laguriodes on biodiversity at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Estimating the size and habitat preference of the Mestra butterfly population at Brackenridge Field Lab
Flower preference and constancy in Bombus pennsylvanicus at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
The Difference in Infection Rate of Isolated Individual Clumps Versus Grouped Clumps of Bothriochloa saccharoides
Analysis of dispersal in Mestra amynone butterflies within grass mixtures of Bothriochloa ischaemum and Bothriochloa saccharoides
Nandina domestica: A case study at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Effects of deer foraging on BFL vegetation
Woodpecker habitat preference at Stengl and drought-induced tree mortality
Effects of drought on BFL tress
Butterfly community and dispersal of Colias eurytheme
Earthworm casts, canopy cover and leaf litter abundance
Oviposition in Precis coenia
Flowering plant and butterfly community composition
Using behavioral bioassays to predict social form of Solenopsis invicta in isolated areas
Population study of rusty lizard
Do ants locate food items more efficiently as their distance to a drop off increases?
The impact of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on forest dynamics
Survery of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities within four ponds at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Density of dead trees and woodpeckers at Stengl Research Center, Smithville, TX
Population size of the hackberry butterfly at BFL
Comparison of vegetation in a ten-year old oldfield with restored blackland prairie in Mueller, Texas
Canopy cover and its effects on the discovery-dominance trade-off in the ant communities of Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Cactus patches as a type of nurse plant
A survey of Parietaria pennsylvanicus at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Open pollination communities at Colubrina texensis and Opuntia lindheimeri
Differences in ant abundance and foraging activity between exclosures and surrounding areas
Methods of earthworm collection and relative moisture content at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Comparative analysis of coyote (Canis latrans) diet at Brackenridge Field Laboratory in Austin, TX
Influence of earthworm abundance and variation on the biodiversity of subterranean communities at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Discovery-dominance tradeoff in ants at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Spatial distribution and burrow habitat of the nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcintus, at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Sediment and Vegetation Survey of Flood Deposits at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Impacts of Deer Herbivory on Vegetation at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Differences in vegetation growth, abundance, and cover in the soil beneath live oak trees (Quercus fusiformis) at Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Austin, Texas
Gregarious roosting in Heliconius erato: roost size and roost fidelity
Foraging preference of ants for carbohydrates, lipids, or protein
Effects of the 2008-2009 drought on tree species at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Habitat and herbivorous insect variation associated with two species of Celtis
The distribution and foraging interactions of Solenopsis invicta and native ants around the Brackenridge Field Laboratory firefly meadow
The distribution of the foraging population of subterranean termites (Reticulitermis spp. & Coptotermes spp) across the Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Exclusion of Odocoileus virginianus and resulting community shifts
Effects of grasshopper (Orthoptera) on grasslands of the Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Abundance and distribution of the white-eyed vireo (Vireo griseus) at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Effect of deer herbivory on arthropod abundance and species richness
Inter-specific interactions of deer and arthropods through the monopolization of autotrophic resources at BFL
Prevalence of Solenopsis invicta in recently disturbed areas in Tarrytown
The effects of nutrient levels on recruitment of Solenopis invicta
Interactions between large-mammal herbivores and invertebrate communities: How deer populations affect invertebrate species diversity and abundance at BFL
Herbivory effects on soil nutrient composition
Effects of the presence of Typha latifolia on diversity of aquatic plants
Status of Quercus Virginiana (Live Oak) at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Study of the impacts of Prosopsis glandulosa on soil nitrogen and conditions favoring its growth
A comparative analysis between Opuntia (Cactaceae) populations at Brackenridge Field Laboratory and Stengl “Lost Pines” Biological Field Station and an examination of associated differences in soil chemistry
Foraging tendencies of Atta texana
A survey of raccoon, Procyon lotor, population and its nocturnal activity at Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Austin, TX
The effect of the presence of deer on the distribution and abundance of vines at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Survey of the Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Herbivory of Jupiperus ashei by Sciurus niger
Susceptibility of different ant species to antlion traps and ant avoidance of antlion zones
Impacts on Nandina domestica from deer across Brackenridge Field Laboratory during a drought
Survey of the distribution of Anaea andria on its host plant Croton fruticulosus at BFL in varying habitats.
Infestation of the Cochineal Bug, Dactylopius coccus, on the Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia sp.) at Brac
Ant Preference For Protein and Carbohydrate Rich Food Sources at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
The effects of microhabitat, soil disturbance and olfactory cues on freshwater turtle nest predation along the Colorado River at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Does morphospecies diversity of soil mesofauna under allelopathic leaf litter differ from that of non-allelopathic leaf litter?
Ground skinks: An assessment of the population of Scincella lateralis at BFL
A Comparison of Pollinating Insects found on Colubrina texensis vs Ptelia trifoliata
Effects of native versus non-native invasive and non-invasive grass species
Availability of protein or carbohydrate rich food and subsequent changes in food
Distribution and abundance of Mestra amymone at BFL
Scorpion abundance and under-rock community composition at Brackenridge Field laboratory, Austin, Texas
Measuring net primary productivity across different pond habitats: using both terrestrial and aquatic techniques
A comparison of arthropod diversity between a King Ranch bluestem, Bothriochloa ischaemum, dominated patch and a native grass patch
Ligustrum: Factors influencing growth and its effect on plant diversity
The role of Texas prickly pear, Opuntia lindheimeri as a nurse plant
Nest site distribution patterns of mud daubers at BFL: Trypoxylon politum, Chalybion californicum and Sceliphron caementarium
Finder keeps it all? Food preference, scavenger and defendant qualities in an ant population
Comparing activity of two species from two different habitats held in the same local environment
Phorid flies distribution at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Insect community patterns at Brackenridge Field Laboratory on Colubrina texensis
Timing of leaf emergence in Carya illinoinensis
Morphometrics and scaling allometry of the western slimy salamander (Plethodon albagula) at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Effects of allelopathy in soil fertility
Moss as a substrate for seed germination and growth
Tanglehead vs Bluestem dispersal
Odonata larval density diversity
Effects of aboveground biotic homogenization on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization in Texas grassland
Spatial distribution and individual variation (size and shell color polymorphisms) of the land snail Helicina orbiculata (Helicinidae) at BFL
Distribution of 9 banded armadillos at BFL
Lady beetle size class in different habitats
Diversity and abundance of leaf litter invertebrates
Distribution and recruitment of phorid flies to disturbed mounds versus baits
Soil variability and the ecological implications across Brackendrige Field Laboratory, Austin, Texas
Evaluation of biological control program in a greenhouse at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Costs and Benefits of foraging for birds species at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Soil variability and the ecological implications across Brackendrige Field Laboratory, Austin, Texas
The pollination strategy of Texas bull nettle (Cnidoscolus texanus)
Analyzing the trade-off between three ant communities at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory
A survey of grass-inhabiting spiders and the effect of herbivory on spiders diversity and abundance at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
Early larval mortality in Vanessa atalanta may facilitate Parietaria pensylvanica abundance and parasitoid community
Vertical & horizontal foraging in Solenopsis
Relationships of diversity of trees & exotic plants
Patterns of distribution in Solenopsis