FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 7, 2015
For More Information:
Glenville State College
Public Relations Department
(304) 462-4115
GLENVILLE, WV - Glenville State College has received an instrumentation grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Division of Science and Research. The Division of Science and Research grants monies to institutions for the improvement of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in West Virginia.
At GSC the grant will be used to purchase plant-water instrumentation for use in forest ecology and forest management courses through the Department of Land Resources.
The instrument that GSC will be purchasing with the grant, a Flow-TDP Sap Velocity System Model XM1000, will consist of the sap velocity system, data probes, extension cables, analysis software, and solar panel power source. The instrument measures plant water use within trees defining the contribution of the vegetation to the overall forest water budget. Students utilizing the acquired instrument system will observe real-time data from the field in a campus setting improving their understanding of the dynamics of plant-water consumption. The system will be installed in the college forest where it will collect data for an extended period of time during the growing season. The implications of logging, thinning, land use change, and climate change on hydrology will be assessed providing real-world applications of the instruments. The gathering, analysis, and understanding of data from the instruments will allow students to evaluate differential plant access to water with application less of the knowledge gained to real-world issues including forest management and minimization of drought impacts.
Dr. Rico Gazal
"I am pleased to have received this grant to purchase an equipment system that I will be able to use in my forestry classes. The plan is to integrate the use of the instrument system in laboratory classes to quantify water consumption of forest trees and their contribution to the overall water budget of the forest ecosystem," said Dr. Rico Gazal , Chair of the GSC Department of Land Resources and Associate Professor of Forestry.
Students enrolled in the Glenville State College Land Resources program may choose from concentrations in applied science, business management, criminal justice, environmental science, forest technology, landman technology, and land surveying technology. For more information about the grant and the program, contact Gazal at Rico.Gazal@glenville.edu or (304) 462-6372.
