RESEARCH
Native plants and their environment
Plants can be found in nearly every corner of the globe, from the desert to the sea. When plants are faced with changes in their surrounding environment, they cannot simply move to more favorable conditions. As a postdoctoral researcher, I have participated in several research efforts to better understand how environmental stresses are affecting native plants in two distinct habitats in California.
Plants can be found in nearly every corner of the globe, from the desert to the sea. When plants are faced with changes in their surrounding environment, they cannot simply move to more favorable conditions. As a postdoctoral researcher, I have participated in several research efforts to better understand how environmental stresses are affecting native plants in two distinct habitats in California.
Ancient bristlecone pine forests and climate change
Ancient bristlecone pines are an incredible species that can live for thousands of years in extremely harsh conditions in the California White Mountains. I worked with the GLORIA project to help identify native plant abundance at these sites. I am also currently collaborating with Brian Smithers at UC Davis to study the distribution and reproduction patterns of the bristlecone pine to better understand its history and future in response to change in climate patterns. |
Forest fire and native species abundance
Fire is often perceived as a destructive force, and yet some forest communities evolved in the presence of it. As part of an effort to better understand the impact of reintroducing fire to native forests, I am participating in a study led by Malcolm North at UC Davis and the U.S. Forest Service at the Teakettle Experimental Forest to investigate species composition in Sierra Nevada forests treated with different fire and thinning regimes. |