There are several faculty who run labs that are currently affiliated with the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park. Our current partnerships are listed below. Click on the faculty members’ names to learn more about their labs and individual research interests and keep an eye on Featured Research to learn more!
Faculty: Dr. Karen Goodell, Goodell Lab
Title: Beyond Blooms: enhancing nesting resources for ground-nesting bee conservation
Student Researcher: Amber Fredenburg
Project Summary: The main goals of this project are to: 1) gain and understanding of the impact of nesting habitat manipulations and urbanization on ground-nesting bee communities by identifying key habitat features of these bees and 2) to explore the effectiveness of manipulations of nesting substrates for improving bee nesting activity.
Faculty: Dr. Suzanne Gray, The Gray Lab: Aquatic Physiological Ecology
Title: Effects of intermittent light pollution on foraging and anti-predator behavior in Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)
Student Researcher: Victoria Drum
Project Summary: The main goal of this research is to assess Bluegill foraging and anti-predator behavior under constant and intermittent artificial lighting at night (ALAN), in the presence and absence of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides), a common predator of Bluegill. This research aims to provide fisheries managers with an improved understanding of the impact of intermittent ALAN on freshwater fishes, so its intrusion into aquatic habitats can be properly managed.
Faculty: Dr. Lauren Pintor, The Pintor Lab
Title: Ongoing fish reintroduction and survey projects under the Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership between Ohio Division of Wildlife, Ohio State University, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and several Ohio state, city, and county park systems.
Staff Researcher: Brian Zimmerman, Ichthyologist
Project Summary: The main goal of these projects is to reintroduce Ohio’s fish species of Greatest Conservation Need back into Ohio streams where they have been historically recorded, using approved and vetted methods such as captive propagation and translocation. The ORWRP serves as a site for propagation of wetland/glacial lake-oriented fish species and rearing of juvenile Spotted Gar. Zimmerman has been successful in aiding with the propagation, translocation, and reintroduction of several of Ohio’s native fish species and is even responsible for some species being removed from Ohio’s Threatened list and moved to Ohio’s Species of Concern list.
Faculty: Dr. Christopher Tonra, The Tonra Lab of Avian Ecology
Title: Olentangy Wetlands Bird Banding and Song Sparrows at OSU
Student Researcher: Zoe Korpi
Project Summary: The main goal of this project is to gain a greater understanding of the lake-crossing behavior of migratory songbirds. Motus tags will be used to track song sparrow migration routes throughout Ohio and Canada using Motus technologies. Banding and tagging occurs at the ORWRP where we have an active Motus tower. This research will contribute to the larger understanding of habitat selection and will inform future management of songbird populations.
Faculty: Dr. Matt Davies, Forest Ecosystem Restoration and Ecology Lab
Title: Developing and Promoting Woodland Pawpaw Production Practices to Improve Fruit Yield and Quality
Student Researcher: Sarah Francino
Project Summary: The main goal of this research is to investigate whether low pollination rate or self-unfruitfulness is a driver of low productivity in wild patches. Researchers are accomplishing this through a pollination experiment.