Tropical Ecology Student Research Presentations

February 2, 2024

The 2024 Tropical Ecology class.

Hartley and Matt - Avian Frugivores

Grayson, Dylan, & Taylor - Heliconia pogonantha flowers

Eli & Jevon - Howler Monkeys

Students who were enrolled in the winter course Tropical Ecology, led by Dr. Rinehimer and Prof. Poethke, presented their findings from their research projects that they conducted while in Costa Rica for two weeks. There were six presentations total, and they all occurred on Saturday, February 2nd in Litrenta Lecture Hall. The first group talked about howler monkeys and the frequency and reason for their howling. The second group discussed spider stabilimenta and its use to a spider’s web, and the third group talked about avian frugivores and their necessity for diverse species in the topics. Finally, the fourth group talked about Heliconia pogonantha flowers, a type of pollinator flower native to Costa Rica. The fifth group was Jo Perkins ‘24 & Theo Heiland ‘25 who overviewed avian species richness in the tropics and where most birds typically hide or rest. The last group studied bats in canopies and which canopies were the best for a wide variety of bat species (open, closed, mixed). After their presentations, students wrote research papers summarizing their findings.

Jo and Theo - Avian Species Richness

Kami & Libby - Bats in Canopies

Mackenzie & Grace - Spider Stabilimenta

Coverage by

Natalie Martinaitis ‘25