This website is intended to share an environmental research project which we the interns: Brooke Christofferson, Kelley Gates, and Julie Taylor, for the Environmental Science Summer Research Experience for Young Women, created and performed.  Our research project explores the possible impact of plant diversity and plant type on centipede populations. 

    As a start to our research we performed biota surveys in two different microclimates.  As a result of T-testing and analyzing our data we realized a significant difference in centipede populations between two microclimates.  After exploring various possible causes to the difference we recognized the vast difference in plant type and diversity between the two microclimates.  We then designed an experiment to test whether plant type or diversity affect centipede populations.

    Centipedes are a member of the Chilopoda order and predators to other arthropods.  We decided to test for centipedes amongst four major plant types: English ivy, rhododendron, knotweed, and jewelweed. We expanded our test area to include the original two microclimates plus two other microclimates. By testing for centipedes within equal sized plots in areas with different environmental factors, we were able to determine whether it was in fact the plants which determined the presence of centipedes.  Areas were also found with a mix of plants including one of the four major plant types in order to explore the affect of plant diversity.

    Other research topics that could be used with our procedure, include testing the effect of plant type or plant diversity on nematodes, total arthropods, or any specific arthropod. By placing this experiment in different microclimates it is possible to test the effect of other variables such as amount of sunlight or water on centipede populations.  A test to compare the possible relationship between soil texture and centipede populations may also be an interesting follow-up experiment.

Home | Introduction |  Procedure | Results & Analysis | Troubleshooting

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