You are here: CSU, Chico | Center for Ecosystem Research | Research

Research Initiatives

  • Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory: The mission of the Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory (ABL) is to support the use of biology in California's water-quality management and assessment programs. The ABL at CSU, Chico is affiliated with the Department of Fish & Game's Water Pollution Control Laboratory in Rancho Cordova, CA.

  • Future of Sacramento River Valley: A team of interdisciplinary collaborators is exploring how future changes projected in the Sacramento River Valley affect the environment and those living in the region. The team includes Drs. Colleen Hatfield, Dean Fairbanks, Kathy Gray, Anita Chaudry, and John Nishio along with Jennifer Rotnem and student, Kelly Miller. They submitted a NSF CHN proposal in December 2010, "Confronting Agricultural Resilience and Biocompatibility in a Multi-scale Natural-Human System: Sacramento River Valley--California's Water Heartland in Transition" to research how changes will affect future water availability and supply. (pending)

  • Conservation in Papua New Guinea: Drs. Don Miller and Randy Senock are supporting the designation of the Lake Hargy Caldera in West New Britain as a Special Conservation Area in Papua New Guinea. CER awarded seed grants to facilitated the project.

  • Costa Rica Volcanoes: CER awarded a seed grant to a team of collaborators, Drs. Rachel Teasdale, Dave Brown, Jim Pushnik, and Jim Houpis (CSU, East Bay), to analyze and characterize vegetation degradation at Turrialba Volcano in Costa Rica.

  • Climate Change and Plant Reproduction: CER awarded a seed grant to a team of collaborators, Drs. Chris Ivey, Don Miller, Susan Mazer (UC, Santa Barbara), and David Carr (University of Virginia), to examine the effects of drought on the evolution of plant reproductive strategies as mediated by animals.

  • Life History of Galling Aphids: CER awarded a seed grant to a team of collaborators, Drs. Don Miller, Colleen Hatfield, Chris Ivey, and Patrick Abbot (Vanderbilt University), to study the effects of non-trophic interactions and population structure on host-race formation in a galling aphid system.

  • Biodiesel: CER awarded a seed grant to a team of collaborators, Drs. John Nishio and Lisa Ott, to develop a laboratory-supercritical reaction vessel to test production of fatty acids, methyl esters, and glycerol from non-conventional sources in order to advance biodiesel production.

  • Conservation Dilemma of Introduced Endangered Species: CER awarded a seed grant to Drs. Tag Engstrom and Michael Marchetti to study endangered turtle species, introduced to Kauai, that potentially threaten the survival of native species and the integrity of native ecosystems. The grant funded professional science master's student, Chris Radford, to study the turtles during Summer 2010. Currently, Dr. Engstrom is on sabbatical in Hawaii advancing the research activities and seeking external grant funds. For more information read "The Paradox of Invasive Endangered Species Conservation" by Dr. Engstrom.

  • Dr. Lisa Ott submitted a NSF MRI program in January 2011, with a team of CER collaborators, Drs. Brown, Teasdale, and White, to equip the CER labs with an ion chromatograph-mass spectrometer (IC-MS) to support teaching and research. (Pending)