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Student Research 

The Robert J. Huckshorn Arboretum has served as a research site for numerous FAU students over the years. Below are links to several student research papers focusing of various aspects of the Arboretum:

  • Urban Forestry Ecosystem Services at the FAU Jupiter Campus 2015-2016
    • Undergraduate: Allie Lamb; Wilkes Honors College Thesis
    • Trees in urban landscapes provide ecosystem services that increase air quality, remove various air pollutants, and reduce storm water run-off. This study focuses on the urban forestry of Florida Atlantic University’s campus in Jupiter, Florida. By collecting various data from each tree and using ArcGIS and the US Forest Service’s analysis tool, “i-Tree”, the 1,556 trees on the Jupiter campus were mapped and an estimate of their structural and dollar values was calculated. Ninety-one percent (91%) of campus trees were in “excellent” condition, thus providing significant annual uptake of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds. Calculations also estimate that these trees annually store 245,232 kg of carbon, sequester 21,645 kg of atmospheric carbon, and have a structural value of $2,289,186.
  • Monitoring Butterfly Populations in the Robert J. Huckshorn Arboretum
    • Undergraduate: Tyler Bertolami; Wilkes Honors College Thesis
    • The Robert J. Huckshorn Arboretum is an established man-made habitat on the FAU Jupiter campus grounds, which features native Florida plants that showcase four of Florida’s major habitats (Mixed Hardwood Swamp, Pine Flatwoods, Oak/Cabbage Palm Hammock, and Tropical Hardwood Hammock). The arboretum also contains a butterfly garden, which includes specific Florida native plants that attract over 20 different species of Lepidoptera. This study uses a variation of the transect count method developed by E. Pollard (1977), to obtain data on Lepidoptera populations within the arboretum and to determine which habitats are preferred most. Sidewalks that pass through each habitat were used as the transects, and Lepidoptera species were counted and recorded at least twice a week. A total of 17 individual Lepidoptera taxa were identified, with 382 total individuals counted in the fall/winter and 275 individuals in the spring. The Butterfly Garden was by far the most densely populated habitat, with a total of 399 individuals identified there throughout the study.

 

 



 Last Modified 4/3/23