Category Archives: Tinh

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, Final Thoughts, Tinh

A Farewell to Nicaragua

Tinh, before and after the field
Tinh, before and after the field

My time in Nicaragua has come and gone, but leaves a lasting imprint on my dreams for ecology. I remember clearly the feelings I had about Nicaragua prior to departure – a mixture of hopes and anxieties about venturing into this unexplored chapter of my life. I had hoped for awe-inspiring sights and sounds but was troubled by the prospects of understanding a system in only 3 short weeks. I thought it would be difficult finding an interesting organism to study. However, I was luckily very wrong. Strange and fascinating organisms emerged every single day, and it even became difficult to settle on the two systems for the projects. My fascinations mostly revolve around insects as their unique shapes and behaviors are full of mysteries left to be explained. I always kept an eye out for small movements, no matter how small, and was rewarded by finding a cascade of different insects performing all sorts of mesmarizing behaviors.

My projects centered around a golden ant and the leaf cutter ant, each with their facinating set of behaviors that allows them to thrive in the rainforest. However, I will never forget the diversity of insects which gave me a true appreciation for the rainforest ecosystem. It was this mesmorizing abundance of different colors, shapes, and behaviors that fueled my curiosity there, and has reaffirmed my passion for ecology and my pursuit to understand the mystical world of animal behavior. This passion for discovery helped me rise up early in the morning to carry out my two projects all the way until dusk. Despite the sore joints and the looming reality that the days are passing by, I felt envigorated knowing that my efforts every day will help build a clearer picture of the world they live in. It is this paradox that has always captivated me: our world and the animal world exist in the same place and time, yet it is the mysteries of their actions that creates this coded world of animal behavior. I aspire to gain the tools and knowledge to unveil the mysteries of this secretive world, hoping to bridge their world with ours through educating others about the wonders of animal behavior. Nicaragua is a blessed stepping stone in my pursuit in ecology. My transformation may not be apparent in my before and after picture, other than a moustashe, but Nicaragua has truly revolutionized my perspective on ecology. I entered the rainforest with my own set of hopes and dreams, and leave with even stronger ambitions to make those dreams a reality.

from the field, Tinh, Week 3

Serendipity in a Bottle

My time here in Nicaragua has allowed me to confirm at least one of my theories: the life of an ecologist is the life for me. I entered Refugio Bartola with only the slightest hint of what field ecology was. And, most of that was from nature documentaries. Now, I leave with my own perspective on fieldwork and with an even greater passion for life as an ecologist. My experiences here are a mixture of many misfortunes and many insights, but I would not have preferred it any other way. For all of the unpredictable events in nature, along with the rainy days, there are far more amazing discoveries that are made. It is this close dichotomy of the good and bad that makes all these experiences worthwhile. I truly felt that sense of serendipity that so many ecologists have written about in the past. Spontaneous luck was with me throughout my stay, and allowed me to stumble upon so many insights and connections about the tropics. In fact, my stay was so serendipitous that I could probably bottle it up and sell it.

Where do I begin with my series of fortunate events? Two weeks ago I was working with a wasp ant until the kids brought me another one, asking me to put them together. I never would have guessed it would lead to a novel observation. The two ants locked jaws together, and my jaw dropped in amazement. It was only until the last day of fieldwork that the mystery would be solved, when I happened to stumble on an ant carrying another ant, jaws locked. Did I mention this ant can curl up and look like a spider? Imagine my shock when I found an insect with that same black and yellow-stripped abdomen, curled up in a leaf. Except it wasn’t the ant, it was the spider I was predicting would exist! Frolicking in the forest has granted me so many amazing sights, many of which could have easily escaped my gaze. I saw a beautiful Amevia lizard basking in the direct sunlight, allowing it to glisten in the full spectrum of the rainbow. There was a blue serpentine-like mosquito hovering around me, always near but out of my reach. I chased it for half an hour until I finally got it on camera. I found a lizard that looks like the moon, a leaf-like moth that shivers like a leaf in the wind, a spider with her babies slowly descending from her back, and two elusive leaf hoppers standing next to each other and displaying their tails in an elegant yet mysterious way. All of these sights are just a small fragment of the picturesque beauty that exists in nature. Despite all my serendipitous discoveries, I know I have barely scratched the surface of what is out there. This only leaves me more driven to explore nature, and fuels my passion becoming a great behavioral ecologist.

from the field, Tinh, Week 2

Take one, Take two, Take…Seven?

My first experience with field research is something I will never forget. My conservation project will forever be in my memories… all seven revisions, actually. Working up-close with nature allows me to understand the limitations of fieldwork outside of a lab, yet there are wonders here that a lab can never contain. For anyone who wants to do research in ecology, experience in both the lab and field are essential to understanding both these worlds. I thought I had ample experience in the lab that will serve me well in the field, yet I was shocked by how many holes my projects had, but even more astounded by how much I learned from those mistakes.

I entered the forest fully energized with ideas in hand on how to carry them out. Two minutes later I was covered in sweat and felt the first inkling that this conservation project will be more difficult than I had imagined. My focus had always been to look at how anthropogenic effects in once-natural environments will affect wildlife and their behavior. My first project dealt with manmade lights and how it affected nocturnal moths, except I got nothing but tons of mosquitoes, and a cricket. My partner and I spent a day scouting for humming birds to test for effects of noise on feeding, finding none. We ended up spending the afternoon chasing damselflies. The point is, field conservation work is filled with unexpected events that you cannot control for, which is both a pain yet humbling realization. Here I am with nature, poised to use what I have learned in lab to present an experiment that both respects nature’s changing faces while applying the best controls I can devise.

After many insightful revisions, I am excited to carry out a conservation project looking into the effects of foot traffic on leaf-cutter ants. Although small at the individual scale, their collective efforts make them a dramatic component of the rainforest ecosystem. This warrants a look into how our usage of trails can affect their livelihood. My final days in Refugio Bartola will involve a frenzy of experiments from the break of morning to the start of dusk. As I hike up the many hills to my site knowing there is a long return journey later, I am filled with only excitement to know that those hours in between will use the methods we’ve spent so long refining. Looking back I realize how my previous set ups misinterpreted the questions I wanted to test. It took many field trials and a lot of feedback before our project tested the question at hand while staying true to our vision. Overall, every revision taught me far more than any success would have. Conservation field work has given me a greater appreciation for nature and research, combining wonders, challenges, and lessons with every passing day.

from the field, Tinh, Week 1

Floods, Sweat, and Tears!

When I entered Refugio Bartola I immediately felt at home. I have always heard of the tropics, an environment where it is rainy, humid, sunny, and cloudy. I just had no idea this can happen all at once! My partner Emily and I walk the flagged trails, letting our boots sink into the waterlogged soil caused by the many bouts of rainfall. Like Floods! The warm air becomes even more saturated with water after it rains, how that is even possible I do not know. We always come back drenched in a mixture of forest dew, humidity, and most of all… sweat! I am grateful to return to camp and being greeted to a deliciously prepared meal thanks to the wonderful staff at Bartola. The combination of forest hikes and fulfilling meals is an experience I will never forget. It has only been 4 days here, and I am already dreading the thought of returning to UCLA and having to cook my own meals. Tears!

We were able to explore the series of trails that branch throughout Bartola and get a sense of its bountiful wonders. Yet, I am certain we have not even scratched the surface of what truly goes on here. It is a humbling and invigorating sensation. We have the unique opportunity to explore deeper into this tropical wonderland, which is why I am so excited to venture fourth with a behavior and a conservation project. While my group had their eyes in the trees for howler monkeys, I kept my gaze low to see the abundance of life at my very footsteps. I noticed a golden-black insect crawling about. It’s a spider. No, it’s a wasp. No, it’s an ant! I happened to stumble upon a wasp-like ant, adorned with yellow bands and spots along its jet black body. My mind races with ideas on how to test its behavior and possible mimicry, which is even more enticing once I learned this species of ant is likely unknown. While walking with our headlamps fully ablaze at night, we noticed a flurry of moths and winged insects heading for our faces. This was the spark to look into anthropogenic lighting at night, and how it can disrupt the natural behavior of diurnal and nocturnal moths. The next step was to test the idea of attraction to a bright light. So, I did the obvious thing and tied a white pillowcase to a tree so moths can stick to it, and taped a flashlight to illuminate the fabric. I walked away proud of the rigorous scientific set up we have accomplished that day. Upon returning we saw no moths but a few mosquitoes. So at the very least, our project can explore the solutions to reduce mosquito attraction to camp sites. However, I still believe a bat ate all our moths.

Starting Out, Tinh

Wild World of Animal Behavior

Hey readers, thanks for stumbling onto my blog. I’m Tinh, a fourth year undergrad at UCLA. I’m studying ecology, behavior, and evolution while minoring in conservation biology. As a kid I’ve always been inspired by the wonders of the natural world. My first nature documentary was at the tender age of four… who wouldn’t be mesmerized by a purple, eight-legged swimming blob or transparent sack with small beads popping out of them? That was my recollection of seeing my first octopus and tadpoles emerging from their eggs.

I was always grateful to have an introduction to the natural world, even here at my suburban home. Growing up, I wanted to devote my passion and energy to learning about the world around us, and divulging that knowledge to viewers so they can experience the animal world for themselves. This winter I am embarking on a field expedition to Nicaragua where I will have my first hands-on experience on field ecology. I was be surrounded with (hopefully not swarmed by) animals ranging from the microscopic to the terrifyingly large. I hope to get a live experience of their true vitality in the field. How does a bird navigate through the dense groves and forests? How do dung beetles know where to roll that ball of poo? Are these dragonflies breeding or fighting? Can I find different animals during the day verses night? And, what’s that sloth doing there? Also…what’s that sound…

Although I’ve had plenty of experience doing lab work on animal behavior at UCLA, these were in controlled laboratory settings. Sure, studying hermit crab feeding interactions and growth patterns of invasive beetles was interesting, but I was missing the truly raw element of animal behavior. In the field I will be in their world. I shall lurk in the bushes, hand on my binoculars, the other on my notebook, and observe their world as it plays out. It is my job as an ecologist to make sense of the coded world of animal behavior.  I want to find as many cryptic species as I can, training my eye to spot a camouflaged wasp nests against a tree’s trunk… and prepare my running boots when I inevitably get chased. My walks through nature will be the spark that ignites my project. My project is to be decided, but my stirring passions will be the fuel that drives its completion. I hope you will join me on this adventure.

This blog is my first step to bringing the animal world back home, so others can feel the wonder and amazement that is out there. I hope to one day work on nature documentaries. So when I’m on PBS… please pledge and buy a $20 dollar mug!