This Research Stream will sample nematodes from pedestrian locations on campus to exotic locations across Utah/including deserts/mountains/and the Great Salt Lake. After field collections/we will process soil samples in the laboratory/and perform molecular genotyping to identify species abundance and diversity. Then/we will use statistical and computational methods to analyze their relatedness. By studying the biogeography of nematodes in Utah/we will better understand the diversity/evolutionary history/and limits of this remarkable taxa.  Undergraduates will have the opportunity to gain experience in field work/and learn methods in molecular biology and phylogenetics. There may even be the opportunity to describe and name new species. We anticipate that student results will eventually be published in a scientific journal.