Cervid Browsing Effects on Native and Non-Native Plant Communities in Kittitas County, Washington Wyatt Vertefeuille Project Mentor(s): Mary Poulson, PhD Cervids such as elk and deer can have significant effects on plant communities by changing what kinds of plants are able to grow, survive, and spread in an area. In Kittitas County, Washington, cervid browsing may affect overall plant community composition and alter the balance between native and non-native species if cervids show preference for one over the other. Using field surveys at several sites throughout Kittitas County, and guidelines to limit observations to cervid browsing, data will be collected to assess total plant composition at each site, the abundance of browsed plants, and differences in browsing between native and non-native species. The main focus of this study is to determine whether cervids browse native and non-native plant species differently. By comparing these groups, this research aims to better understand how cervids influence plant communities and local biodiversity. This study seeks to provide insight into the role of large herbivores in Kittitas County ecosystems and how their browsing may contribute to the persistence of native species and overall habitat health. Identification of Meropenem Resistant Organisms from Kittitas County Canals Mathew Webb, Alex Olvera-Vargas Project Mentor(s): Holly Pinkart, PhD Meropenem is a β –lactam antibiotic categorized within a larger class of broad-spectrum antibiotics known as carbapenems. These drugs target bacterial cell wall synthesis, inhibiting bacterial proliferation. Antibiotic resistance occurs when an organism evolves mechanisms to evade antibiotic inhibition, making the drug ineffective for treatment. Meropenem-resistant organisms were cultured and isolated from across Kittitas County irrigation canal water samples. Using selective growth media, 28 meropenem-resistant organisms were isolated and then identified to a species level via biochemical testing. These findings are important because Meropenem is often a last-resort antibiotic for the treatment of multidrug-resistant pathogenic organisms. Finding resistant organisms implicates the potential for the sharing of resistance genes among bacterial communities, contributing to the ongoing problem of multidrug resistance (MDR). With the identification of these organisms in an irrigation canal, there is potential for spread of MDR pathogens within agricultural ecology. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (May 21, 9:30am–3:00pm) Keywords: Cervids, Plants, Herbivory, Native vs. Non-native SOURCE Form ID: 251
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (May 21, 9:30am–3:00pm) Keywords: Microbiology, Anti-microbial resistance, Ecology SOURCE Form ID: 135
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