BIOL 30200 RESEARCH IN BIOLOGY Fall 2007 Projects
René Borgella (section 17)
Alternative Landscaping Project
Research on ecological / environmental issues regarding alternatives to traditional turf-grass lawns.
Opportunities to investigate plant-animal interactions, biodiversity of meadows vs. lawns, as well as
cost-effectiveness of land management practices
Field Research on Ithaca College’s Natural Reserve System (South Hill and Newfield).
Biological Diversity & Population and Community Ecology on IC Natural Lands.
Bird ectoparasite load as a function of forest patch size
We are interested in the relationship between forest patch size and bird ecotoparasite loads. Wild birds carry
tick ectoparasites around the bill (gape), crown, chin, and ears, which are inaccessible to personal grooming.
Other ectoparasites include mites, found under the wings, and feather lice, which can interstice between the
feather barbs during flight but are shed upon molting. Ticks in particular carry various infectious disease
bacteria, protozoa, and viruses, among them Lyme disease and West Nile Virus. Thus, determination of the
ectoparasite load on birds can allow us to predict fitness and disease risk associated with forest patch size.
Forest patch size evaluation is an important factor in decisions involving such diverse concerns as logging,
homeowner land management, and conservation. Our hypotheses predict that smaller forest patches would
have higher parasite loads, and that birds that forage above the ground would have lower parasitic loads than
ground feeders.