Nutrient acquisition strategies of 5 epiphytic plant lineages across forest types in the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve in Peru
Paul Fine, Professor
Integrative Biology
Applications for Spring 2025 are closed for this project.
High in the rainforest canopy, epiphytic plants face the challenge of obtaining the nutrients they need without having contact with the soil. This project investigates nutrient acquisition challenges and strategies between epiphytic plants found in two different forest types in the Peruvian Amazon: relatively nutrient-rich forests with a clay substate and forests on nutrient-poor white sands substrate. Using stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon, this project investigates 1) whether nitrogen acquisition strategies differ between the two forest types 2) whether strategies differ between 5 taxonomic groups of epiphytes and 3) what sources of N different plants are using.
Role: The apprentice will assist with preparation of leaf and water samples in a lab. Preparation of dried leaf specimens for isotopic analysis will include grinding, drying, weighing, and transferring samples into capsules. Chemical preparation of aqueous samples before shipping to a lab may be included. The apprentice will learn the basics of the ecological processes that make stable isotope analysis possible and other ecological concepts as needed to understand the project. The supervising graduate student will talk through various aspects of the project, assigning a few readings at the beginning and going over findings toward the end of the apprenticeship with the apprentice to explore which hypotheses are supported by the data. Opportunity for greater involvement in specific parts of the project are possible depending on students’ interest and abilities.
Qualifications: Meticulous attention to detail
· Initiative, self-discipline, and problem-solving skills
· Ability and willingness to ask clarifying questions when needed and get timely help to correct mistakes
· Value of neatness, organization, and good record-keeping in the lab
· An interest in plant ecology/stable isotope ecology
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: fern Wildtruth, Graduate Student
Hours: 3-5 hrs
Biological & Health Sciences Arts & Humanities