A study by three Cochise College science instructors and an undergraduate research student titled “Evidence of Resident Mountain Lions on the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA)” was published in The Journal of Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science.
The lead researcher is biology instructor Dr. Steve Merkley. Joining Merkley are instructors Frank Emanuele and Kari Durham, with Katie Puckett, a science student, as co-authors of their first peer-reviewed paper as a research group.
Merkley organized the study’s design. Durham, the department chairperson and undergraduate research program advisor, did the literary research and assisted with writing the paper. Emanuel, biology instructor and co-advisor, concurrently conducted research and planned future research.
Mountain lion kittens were observed interacting by the research group at the SPRNCA, which became the focus of their study. “This was the first documented observation of the active reproduction of mountain lions near the San Pedro in scientific literature,” Merkley said, describing their findings. The group began researching and collecting data from September 2019 to May 2021.
Puckett, the undergraduate research club president, joined the research group in the spring 2021 semester. She completed fieldwork, collected memory cards, changed camera batteries, and sorted photos of mammals in the lab. Puckett also reviewed scientific literature in addition to writing and editing the manuscript. “To become a published author in science as an undergraduate student or at a community college is very rare,” Merkley explained. “It is somewhat common for students and instructors to collaborate on research projects/papers, but this typically happens at the graduate school level.”
The team spent many hours in the field and the lab to gather data for their study. “Several current and former students helped and were involved in various aspects of the project,” Merkley said. “We made sure to acknowledge everyone involved in the paper.”
Although the study concluded, the group continues to collect data and added additional cameras. Future research studies include finding the genetic relationships of the mountain lions in San Pedro and comparing them to the rest of Arizona, the U.S. Southwest, and Mexico. “We are also working on genetic research concerning the beavers in San Pedro,” added Emanuele.
For more information about the San Pedro River Research Projects at Cochise College, visit cochise.edu/undergraduate-research. The website is updated regularly with new photos of animals caught on camera.
Original source can be found here.
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