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Simpson College

Title: Modeling Invertebrate Responses to Plant Richness in Restored Prairies

Directors: Heidi Berger and Clint Meyer

Email: heidi.berger@simpson.edu

Dates of Program: June 10 - August 2, 2013

Summary:

The students participating in this interdisciplinary project will apply differential equations and biostatistics to model prairie restoration in Nebraska. We are interested in how restoration management decisions on planted seed diversity impact insect diversity. For the first problem, students will analyze data collected in 2012 and use ordination techniques to assess community-wide responses of invertebrates to planted seed diversity. In the second problem, students will develop a system of differential equations to model invertebrate richness and plant richness.

Student Researchers Supported by MAA:

Hannah Longstreet
Luis (Tony) Saucedo
Lauren Tirado
Demetre Van Arsdale
Grace Williams

Program Contacts:

Bill Hawkins
MAA SUMMA
bhawkins@maa.org
202-319-8473

Support for NREUP is provided by the National Science Foundation's Division of Mathematical Sciences and the National Security Agency.