Angela
Rivenshield
2001- 2002 CEIRP
Fellow
Research
Interest: Urban Horticulture
Department:
Soil Science
I
have spent the past four years working on ways and means
to remediate compacted urban soil using organic amendment.
Prior research (Rivenshield, 2001) has shown that the additon
of organic amendment into a disturbed soil alleviates the
negative effects of compaction, including reducing bulk density
and increasing macroporosity. My current research is an investigation
into establishing a correlation between percolation rates
and macroporosity. The connection exists in that the greater
the amount of macropores within a soil the better the percolation
rate. However, no consistent data exists on what the thresholds
are for macroporosity. This is what I will be investigating,
particularly as it relates to woody plants.
As
an undergraduate I did research in plant pathology (Dutch
Elm Disease) and Black Bear (Ursus americana) behaviour.
I have a strong background in plant and soil science, as
well as environmental ecology and zoology. I have developed
and presented units on soil site assessment (East H.S., Rochester),
allelopathy (ScienCenter, Ithaca), hydroponics (Waverly Elementary,
Waverly), Soil as a resource (Ithaca H.S., Ithaca), and botany
(S. Cayuga H.S., S. Cayuga), composting basics (Belle Sherman
Elementary, Ithaca). I am currently putting together a unit
on plant-animal interactions that I would like to pilot.
