This awards supports summer research by undergraduates at the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site of the University of New Mexico. Students will live at the Sevilleta LTER during the 12-week summer program while pursuing research problems related to ongoing research at the LTER. Sample areas of research include 1) investigation of the role of genetic and physiological variation in abundance and distribution of cottonwood trees along the Rio Grande, and 2) response of desert grassland ecological processes to rodent removal. Students will attend seminars and participation in other group activities that will include discussions of the research process, of scientific ethics, and of teaching. Communication of research results will also be emphasized.
