Environmental Science & Ecology Graduate Student Awarded Grant Funding
Lexi Belleville, a graduate student in the Department of Environmental Science and Ecology was recently awarded $1,200 from the Society of Wetland Scientists for her project entitled, “Assessing Survivorship of Planted and Seeded Species within Restored Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands.”
Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands are home to many native plant species which provide important resources for a variety of animal species, as well as aid in the ecosystem’s overall structure and function.
To oberve ways in which native plant diversity can be increased in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, different methods of seeding and planting are being tested using a field experiment in the Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area in Greece, NY. Students collected field data in the seeded and planted areas this summer to be analyzed to determine which method resulted in the highest growth and survivorship.
The grant will provide funding for supplies and an undergraduate research assistant for the project. Lexi is advised by Dr. Rachel Schultz, Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Science & Ecology.
The grant will be administered by The Research Foundation for SUNY at SUNY Brockport.