Long term study of invasive aquatic and terrestrial species in Kenosha County, Wisconsin — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

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Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

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Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Long term study of invasive aquatic and terrestrial species in Kenosha County, Wisconsin

Name: Jennifer Dorman
Major: Environmental Science, Geography and Earth Science
Hometown: Carol Stream
Faculty Sponsor: Tracy Gartner
Other Sponsors: Scott Hegrenes
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE

Name: Beth Klein
Major: Biology
Hometown: Sheboygan
Faculty Sponsor: Tracy Gartner
Other Sponsors: Scott Hegrenes
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE

Name: Alex Lemmer
Major: Environmental Science
Hometown: Mukwonago
Faculty Sponsor: Tracy Gartner
Other Sponsors: Scott Hegrenes
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE

Abstract

The Invasive Species Working Group (ISWG) monitors aquatic and terrestrial invasive plant species found in local lakes in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. The objectives of ISWG are to monitor invasives in and near Kenosha County lakes, evaluate effectiveness of management techniques, and increase public awareness. The hypothesis of this long-term research project is the abundance of invasive species present is inversely proportional to the diversity of species. Aquatic sampling was done with a rake pull thrown into the water to assess weeds. Terrestrial sampling was done in a stratified random design near outlet streams of the lakes. The Shannon Diversity Index (SDI) and Analysis of Variants (ANOVA) measure the distribution of species and variation of species, respectively. The SDI and percentages of invasive species varied from lake to lake. The ANOVA showed lakes were significantly different with regards to SDI in the terrestrial samples, but not in the other comparisons. Treatment plans at each lake tend to dictate its percentage of invasives and diversity. Long-term monitoring has shown changes but no consistent trends in the diversity and percentage of invasives in local lakes. The hypothesis was not supported and there is no clear mathematical relationship between percentage of invasives and diversity. Further research comparing treatment methods could shed some light on trends seen in the lakes.

Poster file