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    Between a rock and a hard place. What can turning rocks tell us about land-use change impacts on animals living in a rock outcrop?
    Unique rock outcrops in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India provide a setting that challenges students to develop a study to assess the impact of land-use change on threatened animals...

    Keywords: conservationagricultureland useamphibianstropicalbiodiversity losslateritic outcropopen natural ecosystemsreptilesrocks

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    Constructing Phylogenies using Herbarium Specimens
    This lab is intended as an introduction to a plant systematics course. Students work in groups of two to apply what they have learned about plant structures to develop a character matrix based on a...

    Keywords: botanyphylogenyherbariumdistance learningPlant systematicscharacter matrix

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    Exploring Coyote Morphology: Introduction to Research and Study Design
    This module is designed as a first foray for freshman-level (novice undergraduate) students into science literacy, research design, and use of museum resources in research activities. The module...

    Keywords: statisticsnatural history museumsdistance learningscience literacyStudy Designintraspecific variation

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    Is everything bigger in Texas? Introduction to Statistics with the Rock Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus intermedius)
    Natural history museums often contain large collections of the same species and therefore, are a resource for studying intraspecific variation. This module uses 172 images of rock pocket mouse...

    Keywords: statisticsnatural history museumsdistance learningStudy Designintraspecific variation

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    Observing the Birds of El Paso: Revisiting historical localities online and in the field
    In this set of activities, students are introduced to several features and use cases of museum databases to understand the importance of historical natural history specimens and their data. Using...

    Keywords: databaseBiodiversityOrnithologynatural history museumsspecies distributionsdistance learningField Experiences

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    Introduction to Assessing Biodiversity: Bivalves of the Rio Grande Area
    Learning to identify taxa is a key skill gained in many systematics classes. This module aims to introduce students to concepts and resources for identifying organisms and assessing species...

    Keywords: Biodiversityspecies distributionsdistance learninginvertebrate zoologyMuseum databases data literacyidentification

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    Introduction to Plant Phenology with Museum Specimens of Desert Prickly Pear (Opuntia phaeacantha)
    Students engage in hands-on exploration of phenology by working with digitized herbarium specimens, particularly focusing on prickly pear specimens from the UTEP herbarium. They learn to identify...

    Keywords: botanyclimate changephenologyherbariumcactus

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    Case Study: Genetic Variation and Speciation in the Black Tailed Rattlesnake complex (Crotalus molossus)
    It is important for biology students to understand how genetic variation is related to the formation of species in nature. This module is intended for students to obtain first hand experience with...

    Keywords: phylogeneticscase studySpeciationtree readingsystematicsTree thinkingPhylogeographydistance learninggenetic variation

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    Bacteria to Brains in Backyard Coyotes: An Interdisciplinary Pedagogical Case Study
    Our interdisciplinary pedagogical case study explores the differences between rural and urban coyotes at the levels of organismal and community ecology. The focus is on how coyotes’ gut...

    Keywords: dietanimal behaviorimmune systemmicrobiomeNervous systemgut-brain axisImmunoReachdysbiosisCoyoteCytokines

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    Bacteria to Brains in Backyard Coyotes: An Interdisciplinary Pedagogical Case Study
    Our interdisciplinary pedagogical case study explores the differences between rural and urban coyotes at the levels of organismal and community ecology. The focus is on how coyotes’ gut microbiomes...

    Keywords: Vision and Changeecologyintroductory biologyImmunologymicrobiologydietanimal behaviormicrobiomecore conceptscoyotesBraingut-brain axisImmunoReachcytokinedysbiosis

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    BioTA Podcast Episode #34 Biofilms Podcast Overview
    BioTA Episode #34: Biofilms Authors: Seth Higbee1, Pankaj Mehrotra2, J. Phil Gibson1 Prokaryotes are often taught to us as being free living single-celled organisms that lack membrane bound...

    Keywords: microbiologybacteriaprokaryotesBiofilmsExtracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS)16s Ribosomal RNA

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    Sorting through the Data
    Meet Thomas McElrath, a insect collection manager at the Illinois Natural History Survey and beetle researcher. Tommy explains the value of data standards while discussing beetles and variations...

    Keywords: data standardssexdata skillsBiodiversity data usage

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    Mapping New Discoveries: iNaturalist and Biodiversity Data
    Meet Lauren Esposito, the Curator of Arachnology at the California Academy of Sciences. Learn how they use community science to inform new species discovery.

    Keywords: endangered species#iNaturalistBiodiversity data usage

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    The Power of Place: A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Studying Urban Ecology, Local Apple Trees and Disease Susceptibility
    Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) offered early in an undergraduate student’s career have the potential to include a greater number and diversity of students than...

    Keywords: Disease ecologyurban ecologyUrban food forestsUrban heat islandsGenetic resistance

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    Using Aquatic Macroinvertebrates in Stream Bioassessment
    Bioassessment is an evaluation of the biological condition of a waterbody using biological surveys and other direct measurements of resident living organisms. Aquatic macroinvertebrates are...

    Keywords: toleranceMacroinvertebratesRiver Field Studies Networkbioindicatorbioassessmentstream health

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    Understanding Fish Habitat Selection Using Snorkel Surveys
    Identifying the habitat selection patterns of aquatic species is necessary for protecting threatened and endangered native fishes, as well as for producing satisfying and exciting sport fisheries....

    Keywords: fishfisheriesstreamshabitatRiver Field Studies NetworkResource Selection

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    Course materials for Quantifying Environmental Justice
    Course materials for Quantifying Environmental Justice, taught as Environmental Science 4201 at University of Minnesota, Morris in Spring 2023. Description: The concept of justice has received...

    Keywords: data analysiscomputational toolscourseenvironmental justiceSmall group discussion

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    SCIENCE/Fiction: Modular Template for Class Design
    We present a modular scaffold for designing an introductory seminar using speculative fiction and science papers to welcome university undergraduates to the biology major. A list of twelve possible...

    Keywords: geneticscell biologyneurosciencesystems biologyScience Fiction

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    Time Immemorial: Water Governance Approaches and Indigenous Rights
    The purpose of this experiential lesson is to introduce students to key concepts in water governance in the United States, and provide them with the opportunity to reflect on the western and...

    Keywords: River Field Studies Networkwater governanceprior appropriationtime immemorialfield observationsIndigenous water rights

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    An Introduction to Revealing Hidden Figures through Data Sleuthing
    In this introduction to hidden figures in natural history collections (NHCs), students will read an article that gives a unique historical perspective of museums and will then participate in a...

    Keywords: identitysocial justicenatural history collectionsAttributionBCEENETdigitizationRepresentationcourse-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs)hidden figuresdata democratizationrestorative practice

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