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Research

TAMU-ENRTA hosts a variety of research projects through multiple TAMU departments and external entities. If you are interested in using ENRTA for your research efforts, please Contact the property manager and visit the main Use Opportunities tab for details.

 

wood duck female on nestlings in nest box

Dr. Jacquelyn Grace (ECCB department) and her students are looking at nesting habits of wood ducks and black-bellied whistling ducks. The Grace Lab is particularly interested in the effects of intraspecific brood parasitism (that’s when a female of the same species lays eggs in another’s nest), as well as hormonal stress responses in ducklings as it relates to temperature and incubation conditions. The Grace Lab has three nest boxes at ENRTA that have been successfully used by wood ducks and eastern bluebirds. The Grace Lab is always looking to train student volunteers to check the nest boxes and help with data collection – contact Dr. Grace at jkgrace@tamu.edu if you’re interested! Photo credit: Keith Andringa

 

TAMU undergraduate students standing next to electric fence exclosure

Undergraduate Kirby Evelo is working in  Dr. John Tomecek’s (RWFM) Texas Carnivore Ecology Lab out at ENRTA to control feral hogs on property. Most feral hog management consists of trapping and lethal removal, but this isn’t always an option for a private landowner. So, she is installing fencing and trail cameras to test exclusion options as an alternate control method. Feral hog management is a big part of land management in Texas because hogs cause significant damage to range land and native habitat. Photo credit: Sarah Ardry

 

taking blood sample from male Canada warbler

Meredith Anderson is a first year ECCB PhD student in Dr. Sarah Hamer’s lab (CVMBS). She is looking at the effects of pesticides on immune health and disease in migratory birds. They’ll be mistnetting birds at ENRTA and taking blood samples for parts of the study. Meredith is also involved in local public outreach through the Schubot Center – a group on campus dedicated to researching health issues in birds! Meredith says “In my experience, educating people about migratory birds, their feats of athleticism, and the many problems they face is really impactful!” Photo credit: Meredith Anderson.

 

male painted bunting in hand

Simon Burton manages a Institute for Bird Populations MAPS monitoring station on property. MAPS monitoring stations are located worldwide, and provided data to better understand songbird productivity, recruitment and survival. This painted bunting was one of many species monitored in 2020. Photo credit to Simon Burton.

 

Agrilife Extension employee selfie with wasp collecting research equipment

The Texas Apiary Inspection Service (TAIP) is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture on the “Exotic Pests of Honey Bees and Native Bees” survey. This survey focuses on sampling bee and wasp species across sites nationwide, including at ENRTA, and is in collaboration with USDA -APHIS and ARS, and the University of Maryland. TAIP placed traps in summer of 2019, and collect samples every 2 weeks to document presence and absence of bee diseases, parasites and pests in the U.S. This work specifically looks at impacts on honeybees and bee keeping, but also potential impacts on native bees. Bees are vital pollinators for billions of dollars worth of agricultural crops, as well as providing pollination for our native wild plant species. Photo credit: Hannah Blackburn

 

4 undergraduate students in White Creek with thumbs up

TAMU undergraduates are researching White Creek at ENRTA and across campus through Dr. Joshuah Perkins’ Riverscape Ecology Lab (ECCB). The research team samples fish species and habitat in pools of White Creek to analyze fish meta-communities over space and time.

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