Hola!
We are giving the students the night off from the blog as a reward for all their hard work today on finishing data collections, analyzing results and preparing their presentations for us.
This morning students were busy working on final data collections, checking their fungus experiment plates and beginning to work on their presentation notebooks as well as recording in their lab notebooks. After lunch, students had a short break and then went back to work getting ready, doing statistical analysis of their results etc. At 4 pm they practiced their presentations for one another and Adrian (our expert scientist). At 6 pm each student group presented their experiment to one another, their teachers (us), Pablo, and two peace corp volunteers (Amy and Steven). Below is a brief overview of the presentations (so we don't spoil the parent presentation we will give later this summer).
1) Munetos (Amanda, Jackie and Fredo) tested the Effect of Temperature on the Health of the Fungus Garden. They had three different temperatures that they exposed the fungus gardens to and they recorded the mass of each garden before and after each reading. They found that heat was detrimental to the fungus garden.
2) Las Hercules (Anthony, Julia, Sarah and Katherine) tested the Effect of Acromyrmex bacteria on various leaf bacteria. They swabbed different leaves and applied the bacteria that is found on the Acromyrmex ants to that bacteria to see if it would inhibit its growth. Ficus and Citrus had statistical significance. Their second experiment was testing a natural ant repellent. They made an extract of leaves that the ants didn't like and painted it onto leaves they did like to cut. Again, ficus showed statistical significance.
3) La Camisa Negra (Alyssa, Austin, Priya and Hannah) tested the Effect of Leaf Species on Fungal Growth and Activity. They were curious why ants chose certain leaves over others and how they chose those particular leaves. They made an extract and painted leaves to set out in the lab and on the trail to see if the ants would cut those leaves. They found that the guava leaf (one the ants do not like) when painted with melina leaf paste (one the ants do like) showed some statistical significance.
4) Las Tortugas Azules (Beth, CJ and Olivia) tested the Effect of the Bird of Paradise plant on the activity of the Atta Cephalotes. They were hoping to use this as an organic repellent. They created barriers made of the Bird of Paradise plants leaves, seeds, flowers and bark to surround Melina leaves (a plant the ants like to cut) and then tested it in the lab and in the field. None of their results were statisically significant but they did find another species of ant on the tree that may have something to do with keeping the Atta ants away.
5) La Pandilla (Maddie, Haley and Nick) tested Guava Infused Melina leaves in which they made a paste to coat Melina leaves as well as testing Antibiotic specialization in a second exeperiment. In this case they wanted to see if the antibiotic the bacteria on the ants make is specific to the bad parasite of the fungus garden, Escovopsis. In both cases they did not find statistcal significance but was noted was that the bacteria was not affected by the ant antibiotic. This is a great result however as the antibiotic should be specific to the bad fungus and not all other beneficial microbes in the garden (like the bacteria that fix nitrogen).
All in all it was a long day of science but we are very impressed by the work the students have done this week. Tomorrow we head to the dry forest for another experience in a climate very different from our rainforest retreat. This is truly a great group of very funny, intelligent, hard working and adventurous students. They have grown so much this week and have made new friends within our group! We are sad that our time in Costa Rica is coming to a close in a few short days but look forward to seeing our families. And according to students.....not wearing bug repellent every moment of every day, wearing cute clothes, drinking milk and sleeping in beds that they fit into (poor Nick).
Buenos Noches,
Katie Foley & Kristin Gabel
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