Intern Projects

Invasive Plants

• Mapping the overall distribution of torpedo grass to provide detailed information on how serious this species may be at the Station. Time frame: 3 months.
• Use of burning, mowing, disking, and/or herbicide to develop an efficient method to control torpedo grass on the stations fire lanes and disturbed areas. Time Frame: 6 months. 
• Mapping the distribution of natal grass for the Station using GPS.  Creation of a GIS database showing the spatial extent of this species at the Station.
• Use of a combination of methods (burning, disking, mowing, and/or herbicide) to develop an effective method to control cogon grass at the Station. Time Frame: 6 months.
• Use of fire and herbicides to control Old World climbing ferns.  Time Frame: 3-6 months.
• Creation of a spatial database using GIS to determine the extent of tropical soda apple at the Reserve. Time Frame: 3 months.
• Comparison of different methods (burning, mowing, disking, and/or herbicides) to efficiently control tropical soda apple.  Time Frame: 3-6 months.
• Utilize existing maps and data to develop a spatial coverage using GIS of all invasive grasses known from the Station. Time Frame: 3-6 months.
• Enhancement of a small 2 acre section of the Reserve that is being invaded by Indian rosewood. Time Frame: 3 months.
• Comparison of different methods (heat, fire, shade, moisture, etc.) to determine the germination rate of rosary pea seeds.  Time Frame: 3-6 months.
• Determine the germination success and growth rates of air potato.  Time Frame: 3-6 months.

Restoration

• Replanting of herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees under a variety of conditions (removal of leaves, daily watering, adding fertilizer, greenhouse grown vs. removed from natural area, etc.) at restoration sites.  Time Frame: 3 months.
• Design and implement an experiment to compare the effectiveness of transplanting wiregrass to disturbed sites that are being restored.  Time Frame: 3-6 months.
• Develop written documentation on seed collection methods, digging up seedlings, potting plants, watering, fertilizing, etc. for native scrub plants grown in the greenhouse.  Time Frame: 3 months.
  

Prescribed Fire

• Development of an Excel database for the complete fire history of the Station. Database would include all the information form burn prescriptions, weather data, and burn reports.  Time Frame: 3 months.
• Comparison of the fire intensity for areas that have been burned more than once in the past 30 years.
  Create spatial overlays showing the fire intensity history of burn units that have been burned more than once in the last 30 years.  Time Frame: 3 months.
• Distribution of natal grass in natural communities.  Collection of spatial data using GIS to document the invasive potential of natal grass for time since last burn.  Time Frame: 3-6 months. 
• Seasonal effects of fire and other treatments on natal grass.  Design, set up, and initiate a project to compare the response of natal grass to different treatments during different seasons.  Time Frame: 3-6 months, Continuing.
• Measuring the heat intensity at various canopy layers (ground, mid-canopy, and upper canopy) during prescribed burns to predict pine tree mortality. Time Frame: 6 months, summer.