IN LSAMP RESEARCH SCHOLAR (Level 1 LSAMP)NSF HRD 1618408, Indiana STEM LSAMP (IN LSAMP), 12/15/2016- 09/30/2023Faculty Mentor: Deborah Marr, PhDResearch title: Analysis of Forest Composition and changes in abundance of the understory shrub Lindera benzoin (Spicebush) in an Old Growth Indiana Forest over a 50-year time span. As a part of the Dr. Deborah Marr lab, we conducted a census of all the trees in Bendix Woods Nature Preserve, an old-growth forest, in Indiana. We census all trees in the nature preserve using 50 50-meter plot divided into 10 m quadrats. We counted trees with a diameter over 4 cm in addition to taking their GPS. At the end of the census, we analyze how an understory plant, specifically the Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), has changed as a result of forest composition over the last 50 years. The research was presented at IU South Bend and at the annual LSMRCE 2021 Conference.