Biology faculty and students to present research

Two Northwestern College biology professors and five students will present results of their research at the annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science in Storm Lake April 21–22.

Dr. Todd Tracy, assistant professor of biology, will speak on “Syllable and Song Sharing in a Recently Established Population of House Finches.” He will describe his work of recording and analyzing the songs of 23 male house finches at six sites in Sioux County. Tracy’s study suggests that the Sioux County house finches originated from the eastern population of the species.

Tracy and four students will present a poster on “The Effects of European Buckthorn on a Floodplain Forest in Sioux County, Iowa.” The poster explains the study the Northwestern group has begun on the college’s field station, five acres near Alton. Students involved in the research include Nic Boersma, a senior biology-ecological science major from Hospers; Mark Bradley, a sophomore biology-health professions major from Pierson, Mich.; Gena Dubois, a sophomore biology-ecological science major from Wolsey, S.D.; and Lisa Walters, a sophomore biology-ecological science major from Wagner, S.D.

Dr. Laurie Furlong, associate professor of biology, will present a poster on “The Effect of Pollinator Exclusion on Seed Set of Solidago rigida and Salvia azurea” with two students. The research is based on work done with two native plants, goldenrod and blue sage, at Northwestern’s tallgrass prairie near Hawarden. Students involved in the research include Boersma and Tyler Simmelink, a senior biology major from Orange City.