Welcome to the Forum!
I see you are in the Philippines. Perhaps if you could talk to some Indigenous elders, they might be able to narrow your topic down to something you are really interested in. I know in Canada, many Indigenous peoples have used plants in a medicinal role. It’s a fascinating topic. You probably know this, but just remember that development of drugs based on native flora is a somewhat controversial topic.
Another, less practical topic I would like to explore is how widespread species - those that span continents or have a worldwide spread, is how these populations have changed genetically. I know very little about genetic analysis, so it would be a huge undertaking!
Interesting. I never considered that aspect. Growing up in a small town, then moving into suburbia, and now twenty years on a farm, I thought that Oklahoma here had some sort of odd dandelions. They looked the same, but much taller. I suppose mowing could have something to do with it?
Did you see the jaeger migration tracking paper that came out in December? Still a lot more to discover, but an exciting start. It is summarized here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/tracking-three-jaeger-species-across-four-oceans/
3 Likes
I’d like to do an in-depth study on what species rely post and blackjack oaks here in Oklahoma. Knowing the web of interactions around them would be useful in making the case for preserving and replanting them. They are keystone species in the cross timbers ecotone, and most people here think of them as ugly trees that need to be cut down and replaced with ornamentals.
2 Likes
I’d like to study species richness in and around villages of Leningrad Oblast, how it changes from closest to city (and regional big towns) to faraway countryside and how varies in still living and abandoned villages, where we can find more rare and more introduced species, which conditions help that. So far I have an iNat project, but it will take years to generate enough representative data, we don’t have a car and taxi to far away places will cost a fortune, so for now it’s only a wish!
2 Likes
There are so many things from the very small to the very big that it is hard to decide. However, given the state of the world today, I have narrowed it down to two options;
- The feasibility of kelp farms on the west coast of Canada as a means of food production and climate change/ ocean acidification mitigation, and
- The feasibility of the large scale reintroduction of bison to the Canadian prairies as a means of restoring short and tall grass prairie and of course food production.
2 Likes
I guess you could say it is controversial, especially as research is not valued that much here. Though, I am currently studying Pharmacy and hopefully if fate permits, I could contribute some research to the field. I see so much potential in the utilization of their phytochemical properties. As for the plants used in traditional medicine, I’ve recently acquired this book called “Common Medicinal Plants of the Cordillera Region”. It contains a list of hundreds of local medicinal plants that have been used by our elders for centuries, complete with their local names, scientific names, scientific illustrations, detailed descriptions of their morphology, habitat, and info on how to collect, prepare, and compound/utilize them, including references of existing pharmacological and clinical research on those plants. I am yet to learn about Pharmacognosy (study of drugs isolated from natural sources) in my second year, so I’m sure that book will be of good use.
2 Likes
Especially if you could focus on the less well-known species. I don’t worry about gene flow across a four-lane highway for species like White-tailed Deer or any bird around here (New England) or even aquatic species like Common Snapping Turtles, but I do worry about plants whose seeds are spread by ants, for example.
Hello, there is no biological basis for ALL plants having medicinal properties, as these properties are of no advantage to them; and a fair amount of them are poisonous. Medicinal or poisonous effects for us are just a side effect of evolving bad taste to herbivores, or other kinds of defence.
2 Likes
This is what I was referring to - About the Nagoya Protocol (cbd.int). It’s referred to as Biopiracy - Biopiracy - Wikipedia. Just a heads up for a Pharmacy student, that’s all!
Hello, I do not really mean ALL plants but only some or at least the ones that we’ve been using for years as a main source of certain chemicals that give benefit, and have proven research about their pharmacological effects. One of the most important things I’ve learned so far from this field is that poison does not always equate to harmful chemical. If you’re taking a certain drug at a low dose, it will have little to no effect on your body. If you take it at just the right range of dose, it may provide benefits such as killing or slowing down the growth of bacteria, fungi etc. If you take it at a much higher dose than what is recommended then that’s when it starts becoming a poison for your body. Same goes with other basic/common day-to-day compounds like even water, certain types of food, etc. So in dosage, both positive effects and poison are just like “hot and cold”, belonging to the same line, similar to a unit of measure. The right dosage of course is not universal and depends on the person and their condition, age, body mass, etc. Though I had to admit that NOT ALL chemicals are beneficial, especially the ones that contain radioactive elements or mercury, lead, and etc. That’s why these chemicals (though it used to be in medicine years ago) are now banned for commercial use. I’d say Pharmacy like all other field is still evolving and changing. Of course when I said medicinal effects, I meant it in a human (our) perspective not the plants’.
1 Like
Thanks for the heads up :) I’ll definitely take this into consideration, though I’m sure it will be tackled in my course in the upcoming years. If not, then I’ll raise this concern to our professor/s if ever.
1 Like
I am really fascinated by coyotes. I would love to study how they interact in urban environments, and the success differences between natural and urban coyotes. I would also love to see population data on the coyote in North America more. It would also be cool to learn about how they stay so elusive. For example, coyotes are common in my area, and after 5 years, I only recently was able to catch one on my trail camera- I had never even seen one before that!
3 Likes
Makes one think of all the ancient and fun Native American myths and stories that have coyotes in them.
They are some studies of this nature in Phoenix. Look for metro Phoenix eco flora and there was an online talk about coyotes several months back.
Poisons can also be medicines. Let’s face it - chemotherapy isn’t exactly friendly to the body. Radioactive elements can also be beneficial - coming from a radiation therapy clinic. Even mercury and lead have their uses. Ethylmercury has been proven safe in vaccines, although an effort is being made to avoid it due to layperson’s fear of mercury.
2 Likes
There is a deficit of information out there, and I don’t know if it’s because it hasn’t been studied, or because I’m doing a poor job of researching it. But it seems that every time I try to see what I can do to help declining insects in my area, I come up with a lack of information. The latest was with the Blueberry Budworm Moth - does it really even eat blueberry fruit buds in its larval stage? Nobody seems to know for sure. The state rank code is “Not ranked.” What is going on with it?
This seems to apply to a lot of insects - if it is lucky enough to get on a list for conservation concern, it gets a ranking. But there are so many that are unknowns - we don’t even know what we are losing while we are losing it. And if we do know that we are losing it, we may not know how to help it. Good luck finding the funding to answer these questions, though.
2 Likes
It’s very difficult to study truly rare insects, yesterday I read reports of rare species in one of national reserves, for twenty years one moth was met 2 times and no other records of it in the region, so there’re more questions than answers about it.
2 Likes
If you haven’t yet read "Coyote America” by Dan Flores you definitely should. It is fascinating reading.
For more about the debates on urban coyotes check out the news of coyote attacks and possible causes in Stanley Park, Vancouver. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=coyotes+in+stanley+park+vancouver&t=osx&ia=web
1 Like