Category Archives: Emily

Blog, Emily, Research Summary, Tinh

Effects of Ecotourism on Leafcutter Ants

Tinh and Emily in the field
Tinh and Emily in the field

The leaf cutter ants are a quintessential component of the rain forest. They deliver an iconic image of the rainforest through their magnificent trails, but beyond this their ecosystem services truly keep the rainforest thriving. As ecotourism rises, the effects of increased human foot-traffic and disturbances pose a real threat to the pristine rainforest we strive to go see. These disturbances can be felt at an immediate level, even caused by our very own footsteps. The leaf cutter ants pave trails all throughout the rainforest, and these trails commonly intersect with manmade trails. When the ants are not using the trails to forage, they can be seen in the colony taking care of broods or tending to their fungal garden for food. Disturbances on their trails force these worker ants to divert their energy from colony maintenance in order to maintain the trail.

As ecotourism promises to merge our world with theirs, we asked how human disturbances affect the activity in leaf-cutter ant trails. We ran a two-part study to look further into this. Experiment 1 consisted of studying how different hiker group sizes affect ant rates. We hypothesized that as we increase the group size disturbance and damage to the trail, this would ultimately lead to a decrease in activity rates of leaf cutter ant trails. For Experiment 2, we were interested to see how the frequency of visitations affects ant rates. We hypothesized that as the frequency of the disturbance increases from 1 to 3 to 6 times, the activity rates of the ant trails would decrease according to the treatment.

For Experiment 1, we found that overall there was a significant effect of time but not of treatment. What this means is that after the disturbance treatment, the activity rates of the trails were significantly different than from the control trails that did not receive any disturbance treatment. For Experiment 2, we found that overall only time had a significant effect. This means that although the specific treatments didn’t have an effect as time progressed, overall activity rates were significantly different after the disturbance. From both of these experiments, we found that group size and frequency of visitation didn’t have a significant effect. However, our results show how disturbances as a whole do have an effect on the activity rates of leaf cutter ant trails over time. Also, at the beginning of the study, we predicted that the smallest disturbances would not significantly impact the ant trails. However, our results show that even the smallest disturbance did affect activity levels. Although more research still has to be done, we have found that human activity weighs in on leaf cutter ant activity, and that ecotourism should be approached carefully in order to preserve these wonders of the rainforest that continue to fascinate us.

Blog, Emily, Final Thoughts

Back to Reality

Emily's gopro group shot
Emily’s gopro group shot

Being back home has definitely made me reflect about my time in Nicaragua. I feel that we were so busy while we were there that there was really no time to just sit down and take a breather. I think my one outlet of letting everything spill about how I was feeling or what happened that day was writing in my journal every night. I have been reading some of the entries I wrote while I was there and it felt like I was going way back in time years ago when it was really just about a week ago.  Also, I’m so happy that I was able to bring a GoPro to Nicaragua (quick shout out to Victoria for being the kindest best friend and letting me borrow it!). Last night, I finally downloaded all the videos and pictures and I was having so much fun being able to replay some of those memories. It was also very heartwarming to see how much we evolved as a group. In the first video you see how everyone is still getting comfortable with each other, politely waving at the camera. On the last video, people are jumping across the camera, making the silliest of faces, singing, laughing, hugging, and taking pictures with one another. I’m glad I was able to meet such a great group of people.

I think the biggest thing about being back has been seeing how it’s the little things that matter. For example, for the whole time we were there it was always cold showers. The first hot shower I took at home honestly felt like heaven. Being able to use conditioner and actually be able to brush my hair was amazing. Having a laundry machine that thoroughly washes your clothes is such a privilege. I’m so happy that I am now able to value these things more. I think trips like these are important because sometimes we get so caught up living in such a fast-paced society that we forget to cherish the little things.

In whole, this trip was far from what I expected it to be. When they say you do field work every day, they literally mean every day. What are weekends? When they say you really get to know the 15 other students, they are not lying. When they say you will get frustrated with your project, it’s definitely true. And when they say this experience will be one of the highlights of your undergrad career, there couldn’t be a truer statement.

Emily, from the field, Week 3

Live and Learn

At the beginning of the trip, I told myself that I would make it a point to learn at least 1 thing from every single person on this trip. Being true to my word, here is the list. Thank you to all my new friends, TA’s, professors, and even the kids for all you’ve taught me!

  1. Vivien: Getting bitten by a gecko is much more adrenaline filled when your best friend is by your side screaming bloody murder.
  2. Kaylee: You can use a razor to remove all the little clumps on your leggings. (Major tip for the ladies!!) Another thing…you only need two iPhones to become a true DJ.
  3. Lindsey: One can never have too many animated dreams. Also, salt is key!
  4. Juan: He is Juan-of-a-kind. When everyJuan is pissing you off, he can make sure to make you feel better. There’s noJuan quite like him.
  5. Tinh: One can never make too many puns…no matter how dreadful they are. Also, there’s a planetarium show everyone Wednesday on top of the LS building, who knew!
  6. Callan: When you make a situation extremely awkward, break out into a dance to make it even more awkward.
  7. Michelle: A simple smile goes a long way! Michelle’s actually the queen. From being the greatest singer to becoming a yogi in .10 seconds, she has a heart of gold and will always be there offering a helping hand.
  8. Joey: Sass is not an option, it’s a necessity.
  9. Ben: When in doubt, “I’m down”.
  10. Brigit: She’s taught me too many things. But the most important one has been to always remember how empowering it is to have full control of every part of your body and spirit.
  11. Kathleen: Memories last a lifetime…and so do Kathleen’s uber high def pics. Can’t wait to see all of them!
  12. Caleb: A gnarly beard takes 2 years to grow. Also, it’s a great feeling when you find that one person who is “perceptive of [your] being.”
  13. Jeff: Sliding down a trail is a bad idea. Your ear might get injured.
  14. Paria: When boys make you angry you can’t hit them because then you get in trouble and get sent to the principal’s office. (Very important.)
  15. Wiley: You don’t need to speak the same language to make a new friend.
  16. Adrea: Butterflies are pretty rad. Headbands can be rocked with every outfit. Travel as much as you can.
  17. Rachel: There’s a fruit called crescentia. It’s only seed disperser is thought to be a gomphothere, an elephant like animal that is now extinct and no other animal is able to spread its seeds. Now, the only way it continues to exist is when a human plants it. Also, juice is amazing, especially pineapple juice. (Note: buy a juicer)
  18. Dr. Shier: In order to trap an agouti you will need a whole pineapple, 30 bananas, 20 coconuts, a fully furnished cage, hot water for showers, and Wi-Fi connection.
  19. Dr. Grether: Catching a toad single handedly is no biggie. Same applies to a caiman.
  20. Becky: Sometimes the best teachers are actually family members. Literally.
  21. Don: Light doesn’t follow a linear pattern with distance. Light intensity is 1/distance2.
Emily, from the field, Week 2

So what’s your question?

Coming up with my conservation experiment was a test all on its own. Deciding on a question, figuring out variables, and executing the whole plan is much easier said than done. Being here for only 4 weeks, time has also been another stress factor. The most difficult part, in my opinion, was coming up with a question. Even though I have heard this being said over and over again, it truly does come down to “What is your question?”. Every part of your project centers around what you are trying to ask and sometimes I have gotten so caught up with methodology that I forget to think back and remember what my focus was.

After multiple trial and errors and an infinite amount of assistance from Professor Shier and my TA Rachel, Tinh and I were finally able to come up with a project! We are focusing on group size and the effects they have on the activity of leaf-cutter ant trials. The reason we decided on this topic is because we realize that as ecotourism increases, more and more people will be traveling the trails of natural reserves. Although this is a positive change, the effects of different size groups walking through trails are still unknown.

In order to try and figure out if there are any effects, we will be conducting “walk-through” trials where we simulate different group sizes on different leaf-cutter ant trials and seeing how the activity changes after 30 and 60 minutes.

So far, we have picked out the 10 different colonies we will be testing and ran 20 successful trials. Within the next 3 days, we should be done with this part of the project and hope to move on to the second part of our experiment. In the second part, we will use the baseline information we collected from the first experiment and using it to compare how the frequency of visitation by these different group sizes affect the activity of the trails. With only 9 days left here at Refugio Bartola, pressure is on to get as much data as possible, definitely crunch time!

Emily, from the field, Week 1

Where’s My Sloth?

Even though my two/three toed sloth is still playing hide-n-seek with me, I am amazed by the biodiversity of the rainforest of Nicaragua. On the first day here, we took a stroll through one of the trails and we ran into a pack of howler monkeys and were able to observe them for over an hour! The best part was that one of them was carrying a baby on its back! Then today, not only did we see an agouti but I was finally able to spot and capture a green and black poison dart frog (don’t worry we set it free after taking some awesome pics).

Although we’ve been here for a couple days now, it still feels extremely surreal being here. Everyday consists of early morning breakfast, trekking through boot-high mud (tropical rainforest=rain 24/7), coming back for lunch, heading back to the trails, coming back for dinner, and heading back out for night time trials. The professors and TA’s warned us about how tiring fieldwork could be but my goodness, it is exhausting! It’s funny because today at dinner, Adrea mentioned how there’s a certain satisfaction you get from being so physically drained everyday that you immediately fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow and I could not agree with her more. Even though I come back from the field drenched in sweat, it’s totally worth it!

One of the things I look forward to during every meal is the fresh tropical juice we get. My favorite so far is naranjilla, it really brings back memories of home. The food here is amazing! And the staff is also so great, I love that they always have a smile on their faces. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know a couple of the rangers here and they’ve shared some of the best stories and shown me some amazing pictures. They’ve even offered to help me with my behavioral project, how amazing is that! If all this has happened within the first week, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the trip.

Emily, Starting Out

In Search of a Sloth

Hi All! My name is Emily, and I am a 3rd year Bio major at UCLA. This quarter I am embarking on a new journey: traveling and conducting research through the rainforests of Nicaragua. I feel tremendously lucky to have this opportunity and I want to invite you all to also come on this journey with me! In this blog, you will get it all: posts about my scientific findings, photos of all the animals and plants I encounter, my personal thoughts, any and every random fact I learn, and an inside scoop of what really happens during the trip.

Before I jump on the plane and then go on a 3 hour bus ride followed by a 4 hour ride down the river to finally reach Refugio Bartola, it’ll be a good idea to begin with my goals for this trip.

Growing up in Ecuador, family trips to the Amazon was something I always looked forward to. After many years, I’m finally able to go back into the rainforest! I’ve never been to Nicaragua so one of my personal goals would be to speak to the locals and learn a little more about my surroundings.

On a different note, I am looking forward to exploring as much of Refugio Bartola as possible. I want to walk every trail, paddle down the river, and see as much of the biodiversity this amazing place has to offer. I’m crossing my fingers that I will run into a sloth! I hope I will get the chance to admire this slow-moving animal in action and get a couple of really good pictures. Although this is aiming a little high since there haven’t been many sloth sightings in the recent years, I hope luck will be on my side.

I’ve never traveled with a group of individuals who are just as passionate about the wild as me so as you can imagine, I am ecstatic that 15 other people will be joining me on this journey! This leads me to my next goal: to learn at least 1 thing from each and every single one of my peers and at least return from this trip with 15 new facts. Let me correct myself…at least 19 new facts since I know I will most definitely learn something new from my two professors, Greg and Debra, and my two TA’s, Adrea and Rachel.

I truly hope you enjoy seeing the world the way I see it for these next 10 weeks!