It is important to understand how crops will respond to climate change. Temperature, water availability, and insect predation influence crop yield and may also affect crop nutrients. Camelina sativa (camelina), an oilseed crop high in omega-3 fatty acids (FAs), grows best in the cold climates of Canada and northwestern US. In this study, camelina seeds and leaf tissue were grown at different temperatures and analyzed for FAs; glucosinolate levels were also studied in leaf tissues. This study’s findings suggest that higher temperatures significantly reduce omega-3 FAs and glucosinates in camelina.

People Anne Runkel Researcher Helen Young Professor of Biology and Advisor Dr. David Sands and Dr. Alice Pilgeram Montana State University Advisors

Related Links Undergraduate Research Symposium Priscilla (Kay) Beck ’52 Botany Enrichment Fund

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Terrestrial ecosystems play an integral role in the global carbon balance, potentially functioning as carbon sinks that fluctuate through time and seasonal changes. The net ecosystem exchange of these ecosystems has been heavily studied at the Harvard Forest Environmental Measurements Site (HFEMS) and has shown an increase in carbon sequestration over the past two decades. My study was conducted to analyze various impacts of the ice storm tat struck New England in December 2008 with respect to the forest carbon flux.

People Lauren Sanchez Researcher Steve Trombulak Professor of Environmental and Biosphere Studies Andrea Lloyd Professor of Biology

Related Links Harvard Forest Environmental Measurements Site (MFEMS) Harvard Forest on Google Maps New England Ice Storm of 2008 on Wikipedia Undergraduate Research

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The business model of the food industry, as it stands today, is unsustainable.  To counter these negative trends, organizations like Slow Food International have begun to champion the importance of “quality” for health, the environment, and the art of gastronomy. But what does quality mean and what will be its impact on the global food industry? An analysis of wines produced in France and labeled with the government-sponsored quality certification system, Appelation d’Origine Contrôlée, reveals that an emphasis on quality and geography, rather than brand, makes the food market more monopolistically competitive, more inclusive yet hierarchical.

People Emily Gullickson Researcher Thierry Warin Sponsor and Associate Professor of Economics Lynn Owens Sponsor and Assistant Professor of Sociology

Related Links Spring Student Symposium

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My research looks at the success of the Slow Food movement in the United States, and how it was a contributing factor to a mental shift from fast unhealthy food to local healthy ones in a portion of the population. The movement was started in Italy, and while support for the movement has grown at the grass roots level, new pro-fast food elements have become present in Italian politics. Since its arrival in 2000 to the United States, the movement encouraged a process of education that promotes an understanding of the food industry. This study focuses on the changes in the food culture that were spurred by the Slow Food movement and have led to educational programs across the country and how this compares to Italy’s current situation.

People Darcy Mullen Researcher Sandra Carletti Sponsor and Professor of Italian

Related Links Let’s Move Community Supported Agriculture

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A high mortality of seeds and seedlings has been documented in areas of high conspecific adult density as a result of increased predation and disease. Although this phenomenon has received significant attention in the scientific literature, the long-term evolutionary and ecological impact of density-dependent seedling mortality remains poorly understood. The purpose of the present study is to determine the population-level impact of density-dependent seedling mortality on heavily exploited big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla).

People Chris Free Researcher Matt Landis Faculty Sponsor

Related Links Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna Undergraduate Research Office Senior Work Fund

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