The Viola Pod experiment has been going well! Pods have been monitored consistently. The following is the data of their pod counts over the past couple weeks.
The aphid addition and exclusion experiment was started in 2011 by Katherine Muller. The original experiment included 100 plants selected from exPt01 that were each assigned to have aphids either added or excluded across multiple years. The intention is to assess the impact of the specialist herbivore Aphis Echinaceae on Echinacea fitness.
In 2025, 32 of the original 100 plants were alive, 12 addition and 20 exclusion plants. Unfortunately, no aphids were found in exP01 but many aphids were found in other remnant plots this year. As soon as I can I will transfer aphids from the plants out in remnants to plants in exP01 to get this experiment on the move.
Plant status (basal, flowering, not present), aphids present, ants present, herbivory (number of leaves significantly chewed on), and the number of aphids added/removed (depending on specific treatment)
Protocols and datasheets are located at ~Dropbox\aphidAddEx\aphids2025
Samples collected: NA
Products:
Andy Hoyt’s poster presented at the Fall 2018 Research Symposium at Carleton College
2016 paper by Katherine Muller and Stuart on aphids and foliar herbivory damage on Echinacea
2015 paper by Ruth Shaw and Stuart on fitness and demographic consequences of aphid loads
This week the team went out to experimental plot one with one clear goal, locate Hesperostipa Spartea, commonly referred to as Porcupine Grass. The team divided the plots and went off and searched–rows 42-49 were excluded from data collection. With an average time of 13 minutes per row and an extraordinary performance by Gael being the team member with the most data gathered with 17 rows. While the plants were not dry enough for seed collection, they were marked for a quick trip back to gather seeds.
Site observations by Grace K., Aaron, and Brittany
This site was a small prairie remnant on the upwards slope on a roadside ditch. The opposite of the road was a large field of predominantly bean crops, while the remnant side was only agriculturally disturbed far up over the slope. Our immediate impression of the site was a clear distinction between the downhill slope of the ditch by the road, and the remnant on the upwards side. Along the roadside and down the roadside slope of the ditch, there was a large community of forbs and non-native plants. This included large quantities of brome and cool season grasses, as well as clover, alfalfa, and roses. However, the prairie remnant contained mostly warm season grasses and echinacea seedlings, and there was significantly more exposed ground. This created a visual juxtaposition between thicker and greener vegetation on the left side, with slightly sparser vegetation with more ground and dead growth on the right. This dead growth led us to believe the site has not been burned this past season. Once the ditch flattened out at the top, the brome reestablished.
We hypothesized that the steep upwards slope of this section of the ditch made it untenable for plowing, and it was left undisturbed as the surrounding land was developed for agriculture. We also hypothesized that the increased disturbance immediately along the road may also benefit the growth of clover and forbs.
Site: Loeffler’s Corner West (LCW)
Site observations by Grace K., Aaron, and Brittany
This site is a remnant of the prairie, found on the corner of two roads. Both sides of the road were nonagricultural sites. There were signs of terraforming on the land. A clear distinction of plant life between the ditch and prairie remnant was clear. Much of the ditch on the road side was populated with tall brome grass, with some native grasses in the mix. The landscape of the site was steep and near a lake, making it unfit for cattle grazing and agricultural needs. The site was populated with many warm season grasses like porcupine and big blue. As well, was a significant amount of dried out plant life suggesting that there was not a control burn recently.
We hypothesized that due to the steep nature of the land and the wetland surroundings, it allowed for the land to be untouched by farmers and cattle alike. We also hypothesized that due to the artificial terraforming to build the nearby road, it allowed for non-native species of plant to populate the roadside of the ditch.
I am a student at Alexandria Area Highschool. I am going to be a Senior for the 2025-2026 school year.
Pronouns: He/Him
Research Interests
This summer I hope to learn more about plant biology and evolution. I have lived here all my life and I do not know much about the land around me, but I am excited to learn.
Statement
I am from Alexandria, Minnesota, and I have lived here all my life. After high school I hope to attend the University of Minnesota Twin Cities for Mechanical Engineering. I have been involved in the outdoors for most of my life. I am an Eagle Scout as of 6/15/2025 from Troop 496 Carlos/Miltona. When I am not in the field I enjoy playing violin, throwing on the pottery wheel, working out, and biking.
