We have been so lucky to work with so many awesome individuals in the field and in the lab over the past five years. Our NSF-funded research at Mount St. Helens has involved collaborators from the US Forest Service, Science Museum of Minnesota, Missouri State University, UW Tacoma, and Desert Research Institute.
We have created research opportunities for over 25 undergraduate students at The Evergreen State College. Undergraduate students work collaboratively on this research from the very beginning of experimental design all the way through the final stages of publication!
We would like to thank the National Science Foundation for our funding, the US Forest Service for in-kind support of Shannon Claeson, and the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument for our permit to do research on the volcano. We thank The Evergreen State College for logistical support and for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program for students. We thank the Mount St. Helens Institute for coordinating opportunities for science outreach!
Photos taken during summer 2019 field work at Mount St. Helens by Evergreen undergraduate Angie Froedin-Morgensen.
For the 2020 Society for Freshwater Science Annual conference, our lab had submitted 8 abstracts to present! The conference was canceled but let’s highlight some of the awesome work our lab members were eager to share!
Evergreen undergraduate Angie Froedin-Morgensen has taken the lead on identification off MSH benthic macroinvertebrates! Her poster presentation focused on the macroinvertebrate communities between female and male Sitka willow leaf litters dropped in both summer and fall into MSH streams.
Photos taken during summer 2019 field work at Mount St. Helens by Evergreen undergraduate Angie Froedin-Morgensen.
Evergreen undergraduate Iris Garthwaite designed her own study that focused on Mount St. Helens willow flower inputs! Her poster presentation addressed differences in decomposition between catkin litter and willow leaves in a headwater stream of MSH!
Evergreen undergraduate Maddie Thompson took charge in describing canopy covering surveys done across the Pumice Plain! Her poster presentation aimed to address how post-eruption canopy cover development influences in-stream ecosystems!
Photos taken during summer 2019 field work at Mount St. Helens by Evergreen undergraduate Angie Froedin-Morgensen.
Evergreen undergraduate Lauren Thompson found in interest in continuing some work regarding organic matter processing rates using canvas strips as a proxy. Her poster presentation focused on how organic matter processing differs across early successional streams at MSH!
Both Lauren and Maddie as well as our collaborator Abby at Missouri State University were awarded prestigious INSTARS fellowships which included travel awards to attend the conference and enhanced mentoring and networking while at the conference. Too bad the conference was canceled, but we’ve all pivoted to writing scientific papers instead!
Transferring from GHC, Evergreen Undergraduate Madeline Thompson has always had an interest in working with freshwater ecosystems. Photo by Lauren Thompson
What do you love about MSH?
“The landscape has multiple areas that scientists of many different backgrounds can investigate. It’s not just a mountain, there are multiple scales of science that bring people together. “
What is one of those mind blowing facts about MSH that you can’t un-know because it is so cool?
“It literally baffles my mind, that is was a moon landscape, literally bare, no life! To see all the pictures and it’s development in the last 40 years is mind-blowing. I had no idea! I wasn’t aware of the extent of the ecological impact of the eruption. “
What attracted you to this research?
“Carri’s passion about the topic in general. Her first time talking about it showcased positive outcome from something that was pretty devastating. This resonated with my general optimism in life and my interest in streams. I gravitated towards her positivity and knowledge about the mountain.”
Evergreen undergraduate Madeline Thompson working through several processes of DNA Extraction from incubated leaf litter. Photos by Lauren Thompson
What is your role in the L3 lab?
“I’m a blog enthusiast! DNA extractions. As a new member, it is a lot of learning from Angie and Iris (other undergraduates), but I bring my own skills and knowledge. Tasks like leaf chemistry, aquatic bugs and canvas strips, no limitations! I’ve been progressing in scientific writing with the help of Carri!”
What is a future goal you have? Next week, next year or 5 years?
“I want to feel confident in UG experience and then go to grad school. In academia, you can always feel like there is more to learn, but also, I’ve come a long way and learned a lot and I want to feel confident in that.”
Evergreen Undergraduate Madeline Thompson using the nanodrop on MSH willow DNA extraction samples. Photo by Lauren Thompson
Do you identify as a Greener? What does that mean to you?
“I had a hard time understanding what that meant until I joined the L3 lab. It means openness, it’s a family, we don’t expect anything from each other, we see each other’s contributions as being important. Acceptance is a great word to describe it.”
What is that thing that you can do now, that your past self would have never dreamed of?
“Anything related to genetics, DNA, microbial communities. To reach that level of understanding, I just didn’t think I could ever do that kind of work. Getting the opportunity to work w/ highly intelligent scientists and learn from them directly!”
There’s an idea of a scientist that we all carry, how do you fit or break that mould/expectation?
“I do both. I am advocate for women in STEM, and minority groups. To stereotype a scientist really limits things and the opportunities to advance both in yourself and others.”
The 2018-19 Open/Closed Canopy Study was done for 10 paired sites along Camp Creek, Geo-West Creek, Clear Creek, Forsyth Creek and Redrock Creek.
Following the largest landslide recorded in history- our team examined open and closed canopy differences along the five new watersheds! Looking at 10 paired sites along Camp Creek, Geo-West Creek, Clear Creek, Forsyth Creek and Redrock Creek we found some pretty interesting stuff!
Evergreen undergraduates Victoria Cowan and Lily Messinger filtering water for chemical analysis. Photo by Shauna Bittle, The Evergreen State College.
From July 2018 to May 2019 we were able to measure temperature patterns throughout wet and dry periods. As well as other physio-chemical measurements, algal community structure, macroinvertebrate community structure, and organic matter processing using canvas strips- but what’s so interesting?
A figure of the In-stream Canvas Strips: SH2 and FH2 showing the preliminary results.
Macroinvertebrates were different among the streams! Algal communities also showed differences among streams and were influenced by DO and conductivity. Remember the canvas strips? They also showed differences in processing rates among the open and closed canopy sites and across streams!
A colorful willow leaf collected along on of the Pumice Plain streams at Mount St. Helens. Photo by Carri LeRoy
Across the Pumice plain of Mount St. Helens, our research has focused mainly on understanding how plant sex differences influence ecosystem processes. Members of our lab are studying the leaf litter of male and female willows at a chemical level!
Evergreen undergraduate Iris Garthwaite standing in front of the TOF mass spectrometer at the Center for Urban Waters in Tacoma. Photo by Joy Ramstack Hobbs
To identify if male and female willows have unique chemical signatures, we measured condensed tannin, C and N, and a whole suite of compounds using Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (TOFMS) in collaboration with the Center for Urban Waters at UW Tacoma.
TOF Mass Spec readings give preliminary identification of the compounds in the willow samples. Of the 1,500 -1,600 individual compounds isolated in each sample, there were about 150 compounds that differentiate between the male and female willow samples at MSH!
Cluster diagram showing over 100 compounds that vary between male and female willows (red = present, blue = absent). Unpublished data.
Prepped samples of ground leaves (left) and tannin samples mid-extraction process (right). Photos by Iris Garthwaite
Across the Pumice Plain of Mount St. Helens, Sitka willows (Salix sitchensis) make up a major percentage of the riparian (streamside) vegetation. Parts of our research focuses on identifying phenolic compounds called condensed tannins within willow leaves!
Evergreen undergraduates, Lauren Thompson (left) and Maddie Thompson (right) running the condensed tannin extraction and assay. Photo by Iris Garthwaite
Condensed tannins of willow leaves may act as anti-herbivore compounds and make willow leaves less palatable based on their concentrations. The processes of condensed tannin extraction and assay are very long but filled with numerous colorful steps!
The colorimetric condensed tannin assay results in an awesome gradient of pink! Photo by Madeline Thompson
Phenolic compounds may differ across the Pumice Plain or by plant sex (willow is dioecious!). Leaf chemistry can influence which insects utilize the leaves and rates of decomposition for leaf litter!
