USGS National Wetlands Research Center: NWRC Weekly Highlights 8/12/2005

Weekly Highlights

MEMORANDUM

From: Susan Horton
Subject: Biology Highlights for National Wetlands Research Center, August 12, 2005

I. Department/Bureau News
B. Current

Teacher Workshop Connects Research & the Classroom: On August 17, USGS National Wetlands Research Center (LA) staff conducted a math and science workshop for high school agriscience teachers. Scientists from USGS and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service shared aspects of their research into global climate change as well as the functions and values of wetlands and demonstrated how technology such as automated recording devices (a.k.a., frog loggers) are used to study amphibian populations in forested wetlands. A USGS geographer rounded out the workshop with WETMAAP, a wetland education through maps and aerial photography activity that teachers can take back to the classroom. (Susan Horton, Lafayette, LA, 337-266-8655)

USGS Scientist Studies Purple Invader: USGS scientist Beth Middleton traveled recently to the northern boundary of the purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) invasion in Quebec with Dr. Raja Sengupta, a researcher in the Geography Department, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. They found that this perennial invasive species native to Eurasia occurred sporadically at the northern front of the invasion, and then abruptly quit along with the researchers' cell phones as they moved out of the agricultural zone and into the sub-taiga region near Amos, Canada. Middleton's research looks at the species response to temperature and analyses of its growth patterns across latitudes to help determine the plant's future threat to uninvaded portions of North America. (Beth Middleton, Lafayette, LA, 337-266-8618)

II. Press Inquiries/Media

USGS scientists Lori Randall and Wylie Barrow provided information and a radar image depicting waterfowl movement on the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (LA) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an article about NEXRAD Doppler radar for ESPN Outdoors. See the article at: http://espn.go.com/outdoors/hunting/s/c_fea_waterfowl_NEXRAD_radar_Springer_USFWS.html Another radar image showing the exodus of Neotropical songbirds from the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge (TX) during fall migration will be used by the "Weather Channel" the first week of October to highlight National Wildlife Refuge Week.

USGS scientist and pilot Tommy Michot provided information on the impacts of Hurricanes Lili and Ivan that he observed along the Gulf of Mexico coast for an environmental program on BBC radio, United Kingdom.

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