Richard Groover, Assistant Dean of the School of Mathematics in addition to Science at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College is passionate virtually the written report of dragonflies. In fact, inward improver to his seat at JSRCC, Mr. Groover is too a doctoral educatee at George Mason University studying Environmental Science in addition to Policy. He admits a fascination amongst dragonflies since childhood. In fact, he is known locally equally the “dragonfly guy of Hanover County.”
Dragonflies are rigid predators that consume mosquitoes, in addition to other little insects similar flies. They alive close bodies of H2O (ponds, lakes, in addition to streams) because they lay their eggs on or inward the water. To that end, Groover spent a recent sunny afternoon catching dragonflies in addition to collecting dragonfly larvae from the memory pond exterior JSRCC’s Workforce Development Center for doctoral enquiry he volition deport this summer.
His doctoral questions include:
1. When a novel pond is created, are at that spot certainly species of dragonflies that larn inward first? Groover has studied over xxx sites inward Hanover County, Virginia over the by iii years in addition to determined that at that spot are unremarkably half dozen species of dragonflies that are mostly the rootage to colonize inward a novel pond.
2. Three years later, does the dominant species alter inward that pond? After researching half dozen ponds for iii years, Groover believes that pond authorisation does non change.
3. Does air current convey an touching on on dragonfly dispersal? To response this question, Groover is conducting a manipulated experiment this summer. For his experiment, he has leased a 200-acre pasture in addition to built 8 artificial ponds inward a circle, each 300 meters apart. With aid from educatee volunteers from a seat out of local colleges in addition to universities, he plans to unloosen 2 types of dragonflies from the middle of the circle, inside the artificial pond area, in addition to rails how they disburse inward dissimilar conditions conditions. The hypothesis he hopes to back upward is that the dragonflies volition disburse downwind nether the correct conditions.
Once Groover completes his enquiry this summer, he volition write in addition to and therefore defend his dissertation. He hopes to have his doctorate marking inward 2013. His long-term finish is to dedicate the residuum of his life to the written report of dragonflies.