ULM Graduate Receives Grant to Study Plant Ecology - MyArkLaMiss...
1 of 2
http://www.myarklamiss.com/story/ulm-graduate-receives-grant-to-study...
ULM Graduate Receives Grant to Study
Plant Ecology
Like
09/03/2013 16:45 PM
5
Tweet
2
1
09/03/2013 16:48 PM
By:JulieLandry
Earlierthissummer,UniversityofLouisianaatMonroegraduateJenae’Clayreceived$1000in
researchfundingfromTulaneUniversity’sOscarLeePutnamCulturalandIntellectualEnrichment
Grant.Sincethen,ClayhasbeenworkinginULM’splantecologylabwithDr.JoydeepBhattacharjee,
associateprofessorofbiology.
“Jenae’isextremelyenthusiasticaboutdoingscience,averyquicklearner,andalwayswearsasmile–
notjustindoors,butalsoduringharsh ieldconditionswithtemperaturesinthehigh90s,swarmsof
mosquitoes,andunderextremelyhumidconditionsduetothickvegetation,”saidBhattacharjee.
“Thisreallyre lectsthefactthatshethoroughlyenjoysdoingresearch.”
Clay’sinterestintheinterdisciplinary ieldsofmeteorologyandbiologyledhertoworkwiththe
plantecologylabduringhersenioryearatULM.AsastudentoftheHonorsProgram,shewrotea
thesisentitled,“Canopy-mediatedMicro-climaticEffectsofAbioticVariablesonPlantGrowth:the
NursePlantHypothesis.”Nurseplants,widelyresearchedinplantecology,areusuallytreesorshrubs
thatameliorateconditionsfortheestablishmentandgrowthofothervegetationintheirproximity.
TheresultsofherresearchwerepresentedattheLouisianaCollegiateHonorsCouncilConferencein
NewOrleansandatULM’sAnnualAcademicSummit,facingpositivereceptionfrombothcollegiate
platforms.
Whileherexperimentforherhonorsthesisyieldedsupportforthenurseplanthypotheses,itwas
conductedinacontrolledenvironment.Claywantedtofurthertesttheroleoftreesas“nurseplants”
inanaturalforest.
“ReceivingthePutnamGranthaspresentedmewiththeopportunitytocarryoutindependent
researchthatcombinesmyinterestinthe ieldsofatmosphericscienceandbiology,”saidClay.“My
9/10/2013 11:33 AM
ULM Graduate Receives Grant to Study Plant Ecology - MyArkLaMiss...
2 of 2
http://www.myarklamiss.com/story/ulm-graduate-receives-grant-to-study...
presentresearchexploresbioticandabioticvariablesintheOuachitaWildlifeManagementAreato
determineiftreesundergoingsecondarysuccessioninthisbottomlandhardwoodforestactasnurse
plantsforothertrees’seedlings.”
Sincethebeginningofthesummer,Clayhascollectedvegetationandatmosphericdatafromunder
andoutsideof30treecanopieswiththeintentofdeterminingrelationshipsbetweenthebioticand
abioticvariables.Shedisplaysstrongenthusiasmfortheopportunitytodoindependentresearch
withBhattacharjeewithfundingmadepossiblebytheOscarLeePutnamGrant.
“ItisanenrichingopportunitytoworkwiththeplantecologylabasIamcarryingoutmyresearch,”
saidClay.“Thisexperiencehasemboldenedmyaspirationstopursueamaster’sdegreein
biometeorologyinthefallof2014andconductmoreresearchinthefuture.”
ClayreceivedaBachelorofScienceinAtmosphericSciencesfromULMinMay2013,graduatingwith
HonorsintheUniversity.ShegrewupinLafayette.
Copyright 2013 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Page: 1
community higher education news top stories ulm warhawks
9/10/2013 11:33 AM