Visiting Research

The Forest is a living laboratory and the Garden encourages its use by visiting researchers and classes. All projects and classes need to be pre-approved and scheduled with the Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections. Submit requests of proposed research or classes to Todd Forrest. All requests should include a description of the activities including title, background, materials, methods, and hypotheses.

A list of recent visiting researchers and projects are:

Researchers

• • • Dr. Jason Munshi-South, Fordham University (2010 to present)
    • “Rapid Evolution of White-footed Mice in New York City’s Urban Forests“
    • Dr. Mark Weckel, American Museum of Natural History and Dr. Chris Nagy, Mianus River Gorge Preserve (2010 to present)
    • “Mapping coyote habitat and dispersal corridors in the greater NYC metropolitan area “
    • Dr. Eric Sanderson, Wildlife Conservation Society (2010 to present)
    • ”The Welikia Project”
    • Dr. Charles Merguerian, Hofstra University and Duke Geological Laboratory (2012-2013)
    • ” Geology of The New York Botanical Garden”
    • Dr. Chanda Bennett, Wildlife Conservation Society (2011)
    • ”Urban Bat Survey”
    • Dr. Craig Frank, Fordham University (2011)
    • ”The effects of climate change on hibernation of eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus)”
    • Dr. Dena Vallano, Cornell University (2008)
    • “Partitioning the relative influence of soil N, mycorrhizal associations, and direct leaf nitrogen uptake on foliar δ15N patterns along a temperate forest N deposition gradient”
    • Dr. Catherine Burns, WildMetro, University of Maine, Earthwatch (2008-2009)
    • “Urbanization’s impacts on flora and fauna in the New York metropolitan region”

Graduate Students

• • • Acer VanWallendael , Fordham University (2015)
    • “Epigenetic diversity of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) in North America”
    • Xiupeng Zhang , Fordham University (2014 to present)
    • “ Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles in Riparian Zone under the Effect of Urbanization”
    • Lea Johnson , Rutgers University (2010 to 2013)
    • “Long-term outcomes of urban forest restoration: Assessing trajectories in plant community ecology to improve environmental health”
    • Alison Cucco, Fordham University (2009 to 2011)
    • “Urbanization effects on nitrogen cycling and plant productivity”
    • Rosalind Becker, Fordham University (2011)
    • “Genetic approaches for characterizing soil microbial communities”
    • David Waring, Fordham University (2010-2011)
    • “Population dynamics of the invasive plant Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) along an urban-rural gradient”
    • Chris Nagy, City University of New York (2010)
    • “Abundance, Survival, and Landscape-Level Selection in Screech Owls in New York City”
    • Eric Morgan, Bartlett Arboretum (2008-2009)
    • “Determining the Invasive Capabilities of the Exotic Tree Phellodendron amurense in Northeastern North America”

Undergraduate Students

• • • Erica Gaeta, Humboldt State University (2013).
    • “Effects of Hurricane Sandy on the Terrestrial Eastern Red-Backed Salamander”
    • Erica Gaeta, Humboldt State University (Fordham University CSUR Program) (2013)
    • “Filling in the Gaps: Plant Establishment After Hurricane Sandy in an Urban Old-Growth Forest.”
    • Michelle Mathios, Fordham University (2012).
    • “Bats of the Bronx: An Acoustic Survey”
    • Alyssa Beasley, College of New Rochelle (Fordham University CSUR Program) (2011)
    • “The Future of the Forest: Vegetation Change Over Time and Invasive Plant Species in an old-growth Forest”
    • Rolando Rojas (Fordham University CSUR Program) (2011)
    • “New York’s Melting Pot: Forest Fragmentation Effects“

High School Students

• Abrahim Assaily, Bronx High School of Science, Bronx NY (2013-2014)
• “Correlations between macroinvertebrate populations and phosphates/nitrate levels in the Bronx River”
• Cherry Huang, Bronx High School of Science, Bronx NY (2013-2014)
• “Herbarium specimens and field observations show changes in first flowering dates for Prunus serotina and Acer rubrum within US regions.”
• Cindy Zhou, Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, NY (2013-2014)
• “Regeneration in Forest Gap Understory at The New York Botanical Garden After Hurricane Sandy.”
• Megan Krause, Pelham Memorial High School, Pelham, NY (2013)
• “Assessing the Plant Species, Mortality Rates, and Water Availability under the Canopies of the MillionTreesNYC Plots.”
• Owen Robinson, Pelham Memorial High School, Pelham, NY (2012)
• “Impact of Leaf Species on Northeastern Macroinvertebrate Populations”
• Leah Buchman, South Side High School, Rockeville Centre, NY (2010 to 2012)
• “Effects of biotas on pollinator Apoidea (Anthophilia) diversity.”
• Francesca Giordano, Yorktown High School, Yorktown, NY (2010 to 2012)
• “Increasing plant species richness by managing Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed) in an urban forest.”
• Rebecca Policello, Ossining High School, Ossining, NY (2010 to 2012)
• “The effects of urbanization on cutaneous bacteria ability to inhibit the threatening Chytrid fungus on eastern redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus).”
• Erik Zeidler, Bronx Science High School, Bronx, NY (2009 to 2010)
• “Investigating the ecology of Chelydra s. serpentina, the common snapping turtle, in a highly urban setting.”
• The New York Times City Room blog – The Turtle Gatherer of the Bronx