Samuel Foulks
Pronouns: HE/HIM
Research Mentor(s): Kayla Hale
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology / LSA
Program:
Authors: Hale Kayla, Samuel Foulks
Session: Session 3: 11:00 am – 11: 50 am
Poster: 61
Abstract
In this project we gathered information on various fish species’ physical and behavioral traits (size, habitat, diet) from various taxonomy databases. The fish we chose to focus on were all freshwater fish that are observed at the UMBS. These species showcase the wide array of trait diversity among Michigan fish. We documented all this information in a spreadsheet. The goal is to use the data to then predict possible fish interactions. This will be done by modeling interactions on a graph with axes corresponding to various traits, to assess how well traits predict the species’ interactions. This will help us identify the species’ niche, and allow us to find gaps in the niches within and among species. As we map out these interactions and the respective traits of consumers and resource, we can attempt to identify species’ niche, and apply this information to discovering why species do or do not interact with other species, and if this would change under differing circumstances like climate change or habitat loss. Gaps in species’ niches may indicate that we are missing interactions in our food web or explanatory traits that predict the interactions we have recorded. This project is a first, exploratory step in uncovering them.
