Several topics relevant to this year’s meeting theme, Enhancing Ecological Thought by Linking Research and Education, are addressed.  Universities are placing increased emphasis on undergraduate research for students on the path to a career in biology.  While this conclusion is valid it is also self-evident.  Progress toward increased science literacy and recruitment of underrepresented groups in STEM has been very slow.  However, almost one-half of students begin their academic career at a two-year college and student diversity is much greater than at most universities.  Because many universities depend on well-prepared transfer students from two-year colleges, and if scientists are to reflect our society, a paradigm shift is in order.  Two-year colleges must provide early research experiences.  First, I discuss the opportunities and challenges to conducting undergraduate research at two-year colleges.  The characteristics of a college that will allow one to continue their research interests are described.  Second, I describe a research project conducted by students at a two-year college on the stem-galling fly Eurosta solidaginis on its host plant, tall goldenrod Solidago altissima in central Minnesota.  

Results/Conclusions

Almost 150 clones of S. altissima were characterized on area, number of plants, plant height, number of ball galls formed by E. solidaginis, and rosette galls formed by Rhopalomyia solidaginis.  Clonal area and number of ball galls in a clone were positively correlated with plant height; however, number of rosette galls was independent of clone size and plant height.  Plant density was greater in small clones than large clones.  Seven clones with large numbers of ball galls were selected for inter-clonal comparisons.  Basal stem diameter, stem diameter below and above ball galls, gall height, gall diameter, and gall volume were measured.  Significant differences occurred among clones for all parameters.  Among clones gall diameter was positively but weakly correlated with basal diameter and plant height.  Gall diameter was independent of gall height.  The diameter of the stem below and above a gall was not correlated with gall size.  Galls were examined for the presence of E. solidaginis and its parasitoid Eurytoma gigantea.  The mass of E. solidaginis larvae differed significantly among clones by as much as 19%.  Percentage of galls in a clone with E. solidaginis larvae ranged from 2% to 65%.  Percentage of galls in a clone with E. gigantea ranged from 0% to 23%.  A population-level study of E. solidaginis obscures the significant among clone differences present in the system.