Introduction Page 15 |
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So far you have read a lot about research that has been conducted over very long periods of time (for example, monitoring the acidity of precipitation). Many scientists and graduate students also ask questions - like those above - that can be fully or partially answered in just a few years or months. Can you think of other questions that might be answered in shorter periods of time?
Avian Research
As it turns out, black-throated blue warblers, a type of bird common to the forest here, are able to raise more offspring if there is a lot of food nearby than they can if food is scarce. We know this because scientists have spent a lot of time watching these birds. In one study, scientists placed mealworms (black-throated blue warblers like to eat these) near some nests, and watched these nests and birds for the whole summer. Birds that had this artificial food source nearby generally produced more offspring than birds that didn't; and in fact, these birds were often able to build a second nest and raise another clutch of offspring after they were finished with the first - in the same summer! Avian (bird) research is an exciting and important research component here. Check out more short-term research on bugs, roots, and ice storms by taking a short tour. To learn more about HBEF scientists, go to the next page of this Introduction. ![]() ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||