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January, 1998
Dear Prospective Earthwatch Volunteer:
Thank you for your interest in my research project, the Characterization of Aquatic Ecosystems in Big Bend National Park and Hudson Bay Using Adult Insects. This will be our second Earthwatch trip to the Big Bend desert and our first Earthwatch trip to the tundra wetlands of Churchill, Manitoba. Jim Kooser, my co-PI, has referred to our 1998 Earthwatch research agenda as the "Fire and Ice Tour." I think that the name will stick! I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself, my research interests and the project.
My interest in the outdoors was peaked when I was a child in Ohio. My earliest memories are of walks in the park, asking about the types of trees (I remember that the American Beech was the first tree that I learned) and of taking care of plants in my grandparent’s gardens. Looking back, I see that I was interested not only in the identity of the plants I saw during my walks in the woods, but also of the requirements necessary for the plants to grow and to be healthy. It is hard for me to believe that as an ecologist, I am interested in exactly the same questions as an adult!
Although I have been interested in biology as long as I can remember, I really didn’t expect to earn a living as a biologist until my last year as an undergraduate at Kent State University (Ohio). The realization that I was good at problem solving and that I liked to learn came quite suddenly. I applied to graduate school knowing that I would earn a Master’s and continue my studies to earn a doctorate. It was during my first term at Youngstown State University (Ohio) that I became interested in wetlands. My first quarter, I attended a lecture given by a well-known Ohio botanist and I found her enthusiasm for peatlands to be contagious. I spent three years collecting insects in Ohio bogs and fens during the early 1980s. After completing my work in Ohio peatlands, I returned to Kent State University to earn a doctorate in aquatic ecology. While at Kent State University I became interested in the role that nutrients play in structuring biological communities. I have spent almost a third my life answering questions about the structure of wetland insect and plant communities and how aquatic ecosystems function.
Aquatic ecosystems (i.e., wetlands, bogs, fens, springs, riparian areas,
rivers, streams, lakes, etc.) are in peril world wide. These ecosystems
are often situated at the terminus of river and stream networks. Therefore,
in addition to being directly affected by human actions (e.g., draining
& filling), these ecosystems experience the cumulative effects of actions
that occur within their watersheds (i.e., sedimentation, introduction of
exotic species, human alterations to energy and nutrient fluxes). In Texas,
aquatic ecosystems are disappearing or being altered at an alarming rate
as the human demand for water increases. Desert springs in Big Bend National
Park should be among the best examples of these types of aquatic ecosystems
that remain in Texas, and perhaps in the United States. Decision makers
need to possess an understanding of how certain types of aquatic ecosystems
differ from one another,
how different types of disturbances may affect each type of aquatic
ecosystem, and how to measure impairment of ecosystem structure and function.
In Big Bend National Park work is underway to restore a wetland that was
drained in the late 1880s. This riparian wetland contains the only
known population of the Big Bend Mosquitofish (Gambusia gaigei).
Results from our research will be used by the park in this wetland restoration
effort.
Wetlands of Hudson Bay are a sharp contrast to those of the Big Bend desert. Temperature regimes, plant and insect species, and time since the last geologic disturbance are markedly different between these two areas. In addition, tundra wetlands are larger and more permanent than those in the desert. We will sample the tundra wetlands to determine if they too can be characterized using adult insects and if the insect communities are related to the wetland vegetation.
The work to be accomplished in 1998 is ambitious: it cannot be finished without the assistance of Earthwatch Volunteers. As a member of my field team, you will play an integral role in the success of this research endeavor. I believe that there is much to be gained by your participation in this trip. I will ask you to suffer strenuous hikes to field sites to set up insect traps and to measure plant communities. I will ask you to adhere to the unforgiving light trapping schedule: the necessity of setting up the traps at dusk and retrieving the traps each morning sets the schedule for each day. Life in the desert and on the tundra is physically harsh. Working under these conditions, especially as a group, takes both physical and emotional stamina.
To set the insect traps, you’ll have to hike to the sites just before sunset. This usually coincides with dinner time for most of us. Necessarily, we’ll have delay eating dinner until we all return from setting up the traps, usually well after dark. Mealtime suffers again the following morning when field crews must make an arduous, early morning hike to the field sites to retrieve traps. During the day, volunteers will clean light traps and maintain batteries so that the traps can be redeployed that evening. As a member of the crew you’ll also have the opportunity strain your eyes by spending hours counting and identifying (dead) insect specimens collected in light traps. We’ll have microscopes set up for you to use. Much of the work involves picking up individual insects from a pan of alcohol with forceps and sorting the insects into taxonomic groups. Or perhaps, you’ll be on a field team that returns to the sites to tromp through rattlesnake-infested wetlands (in Big Bend) to perform vegetation surveys. Volunteers who remain at base camp will help with the construction of the computer databases and data analysis. In Big Bend you’ll be asked to help with camp chores: water will have to be carried, snacks will have to be prepared, dishes will have to be washed, etc. Life in the desert can be quite uncomfortable during the heat of the day and without the use of showers (we’ll be able to shower every few days). The research station in Churchill is a bit more comfortable than conditions at Big Bend, i.e., there are showers and the meals will be made for you; however, you’ll still be asked to wash dishes and to help with equipment maintenance. And, of course you’ll be out in the field for long periods of time.
I am committed to making this a learning experience for all of us. In addition to the immediate goals of my research, I am genuinely interested in what you take away from this experience. Plan to spend a lot of time talking about science. I am not afraid to engage you by asking you questions. I like to take time to discuss the data as we’re collecting them. My co-investigators are also adept at this teaching style. We have been working together for the past few years, leading students into the field in Ohio and in Texas.
After surviving the rigors of the day, the real pay off comes at night when everybody returns to camp (after deploying the light traps, of course!). Sitting around the camp or lab, sharing our experiences, integrating the new with the old and looking up at the stars or the northern lights. The evenings are the best part of the trip for me. I hope to see you there.
Dr. Lauren Schroeder, James Kooser, David Bradsby and I are looking
forward to sharing this research experience with you. If you have
questions, feel free to email (rgarono@earthdesign.com)
or phone (541.757.7896) me. You can learn more about my research on the
world wide web at www.earthwatch.org
or www.earthdesign.com. I hope
to see you in 1998.
Cheers,
Ralph J. Garono, Ph.D.
Aquatic Ecologist