Undergraduate research workspace
Research Projects
Student-led investigations of freshwater systems in south-central Kentucky, from question to published result. Projects begin as open questions; each one becomes a project record with a hypothesis, methods, sites, data and a faculty supervisor.
Projects
No projects have started yet.
When a student group and faculty supervisor take up one of the questions below, the project will appear here with its status. Interested? Read the related chapters and talk with your biology instructor.
Open research questions
Background in Chapter 10 →Each question links to background reading, methods and starting references. All are Proposed: none has data yet.
-
Cyanobacterial diversity Proposed
Which cyanobacteria occur in agricultural ponds of south-central Kentucky, and how does their composition change through the summer?
Background: Ch. 2 Diversity & identification, Ch. 9 Kentucky · Methods: microscopy · Start reading: Chengappa et al. (1989); Moore et al. (2016); de la Cruz et al. (2017); Rosen & St. Amand (2015)
-
Light and habitat Proposed
Do benthic cyanobacteria make up a larger share of the biofilm in sunlit stream reaches than in shaded reaches of the same stream?
Background: Ch. 3 Freshwater ecology · Methods: canopy, biofilm · Start reading: Wood et al. (2020); Quiblier et al. (2013); Loftin et al. (2016)
-
Nutrients and communities Proposed
Are nitrate and orthophosphate concentrations in Allen Branch related to the composition of its microbial biofilm?
Background: Ch. 4 Nutrients & watersheds · Methods: water chemistry · Start reading: Dodds & Smith (2016) (external site, opens in a new tab); Elser et al. (2007); Crain & Martin (2009)
-
Seasonality Proposed
How do benthic biofilms in Allen Branch change from spring to fall, and do cyanobacteria become more common as flow declines?
Background: Ch. 3 Freshwater ecology · Methods: biofilm, flow · Start reading: Wood et al. (2020); Sommer et al. (2012) (external site, opens in a new tab)
-
Zooplankton diversity Proposed
Which zooplankton occur in local ponds and Lake Cumberland embayments, and are Daphnia present during cyanobacterial blooms?
Background: Ch. 6 Food webs · Methods: zooplankton · Start reading: Ger et al. (2016); Wilson et al. (2006)
-
Cyanobacteria–grazer interactions Proposed
Do Daphnia collected from ponds with frequent cyanobacteria tolerate cyanobacterial food better than Daphnia from ponds without them?
Background: Ch. 6 Food webs, Ch. 7 Prevention & control · Methods: zooplankton · Start reading: Sarnelle & Wilson (2005); Hairston et al. (1999); Macke et al. (2017)
-
Land use and stream chemistry Proposed
Once its drainage area is delineated, how does land cover in the Allen Branch basin compare with nearby basins, and does stream chemistry differ accordingly?
Background: Ch. 4 Nutrients & watersheds · Methods: gis · Start reading: Carpenter et al. (1998); Crain & Martin (2009); Currens (2002)
-
Biological control (laboratory only) Proposed
Can locally collected grazers or their gut microbiomes reduce cyanobacterial growth in contained laboratory experiments?
Background: Ch. 7 Prevention & control, Ch. 8 Laboratory methods · Methods: safety · Start reading: Macke et al. (2017); Ger et al. (2016); Snow et al. (2005)
What a project record contains
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| title | Project title |
| research_question | The question, linked to the list above |
| hypothesis | Proposed answer and reasoning, with a testable prediction |
| investigators | Student researchers or group (public names only with consent) |
| faculty_supervisor | Responsible faculty member |
| background | What is known, with citations to the paper library |
| methods | Protocols, linked to the Methods page, with any changes |
| field_sites | Sites and stations used |
| datasets | Linked observation and measurement records |
| status | Proposed · Planning · Active · Analysis · Completed · Archived |
| results | Findings, labeled as preliminary until reviewed |
| limitations | What the data cannot show |
| references | Sources cited |
| attachments | Posters, slides, data files, photographs (with licenses) |
Status meanings: Proposed question identified · Planning methods and sites being prepared · Active collecting data · Analysis · Completed · Archived.
Roles and permissions
The authenticated research workspace is planned for Phase 4. It will use these roles:
| Role | Can do |
|---|---|
| Public visitor | Read published content. No account needed. |
| Student researcher | Create and edit their own and assigned project records, observations, measurements and photographs as drafts; submit them for review. |
| Faculty reviewer | Review observations and records; request changes; approve and publish. |
| Administrator | Manage content, members, roles, map layers and the resource catalog. |
Public pages never show private student information or unpublished research records. Student accounts do not exist yet and will be created only when the workspace is approved.