Our Field project is on!
Tenemos una versión en Español!
For at least 6 years I have been mulling over a project about green iguanas (Iguana iguana) and herbivory. In Puerto Rico, green iguanas are considered invasive and have been considered invasive for over 15 years! When you visit the island you are most likely to see a green iguana within the first hour of arriving ( if it's day time). Though they are everywhere, very little work has been done to understand their impact. That's where my science dream began.
I fantasized about someone doing an exclusion study on a farm so we could FINALLY get a number associated to this reptile's impact. Any number! Number of plants eaten, number of hours extra worked to mitigate the impact of the species. I swear, any number would have scratched my itch to know. But the years went by and no studies were done. It makes sense. There are species that are threatened that need our attention (and funds). The earth's temperature is constantly breaking records (highs and lows). There is no time or space to study the green iguana. But then, after more than half a decade thinking about it... I've got the opportunity to do the study myself.
Along with a dream team of undergrads, I will be using what is left of the summer to assess the impact of the green iguana on crop yield under three different treatments. The first treatment is the control, the second will be a spray deterrent and the last a fence. I will be applying these treatments on two plant species, and measuring a whole set of growth variables for 45 days! At the end we will measure crop yield and compare the yield among the treatments. We expect that the fenced plants will provide the highest yield, but we will have to wait and see.
I can't wait to get a number, and fingers crossed we will get a statistically significant difference between treatment means. I'm already holding my breath waiting to see our P value. We should be starting in about two weeks. I'll keep you posted!