Hello everyone, this is my last post at the CLM blog. First of all, I am going to summarize our research during my internship at the Provo Shrub Sciences Laboratory. The first month and a half, we were exploring the technical details of the portable e-nose device and smell theory. Followed by that, we standardized the e-nose methodology using known Big Sagebrush volatiles to establish the smell parameters for our experiments, and then we analyzed Big Sagebrush smell. While we were working on our lab experiments, we were also working in the field collecting phenology data for different Big Sagebrush populations at the common gardens in Utah. Also we did several field trips at different locations of Utah and Idaho to collect different samples of wild Big Sagebrush, additionally we received samples from different common gardens of Idaho. We analyzed ploidy and smell of known and wild populations at the lab, looking to differentiate between subspecies. We presented our first results in March 2014, at the Great Basin Native Plant Project Annual Meeting, in Boise Idaho. During the Spring and Summer we were collecting smell and volatile compounds at common gardens and in lab, to determine smell patterns differences between Big Sagebrush populations in different environments and seasons. In addition during the summer we were working in seed experiments at the lab, looking to differentiate between Big Sagebrush subspecies. Our results were presented at the SER Northwest & Great Basin Regional Conference, in Redmond Oregon. We are hoping to complete two papers with our data.

When I first started at the Shrub Lab I did not have much experience in the United States. Now that I am completing my internship with CLM, I feel much better prepared for graduate school in the United States. During my internship, I have had the opportunity to make new friends at the Provo Shrub Lab, and I have to say that it is a nice place to work, with very interesting people. I want to say thank you to my mentor for all the support, and the things that he taught me, and for encouraging me to continue exploring new things. Also I want to say thank you to Krissa, Wesley and Rebecca for all the support, I really appreciate it.

Thank you CLM and Provo Shrub Sciences Laboratory

Hector

Provo, UT

USDA-Forest Service RMRS, Shrub Sciences Laboratory

Hello CLM folks, I am going to talk a little bit about what we were doing during the past month in the Provo Shrub Sciences Laboratory. Since my first post, I have talked every time about our smell experiments using the e-nose.  Now, after more than 9 months, we finally took a break from Big Sagebrush smells to continue with our experiments using imageJ applied to Big Sagebrush subspecies differentiation. We are still producing data information, but apparently the imageJ seams to be a good way to analyze some physical characteristics of Sagebrush. Additionally, we starting to collaborate with the USGS to analyze some Sagebrush samples using cytometry. There is a lot of desktop work, but eventually in the next week we will be working outside in the field collecting Sagebrush volatile again. We are two weeks from the SER Regional Conference in Redmond, Oregon, which makes me feel a little bit anxious. As always said in my previous posts, my mentor is teaching me many things, but most important to me, he is inviting me to go forward and learn and explore new things.

Thank you all CLM staff for your support.

Hector

Provo, UT

USDA-Forest Service RMRS, Shrub Sciences Laboratory

Hello again CLM fellows, here at the Provo Shrub Lab Science we are working hard. It is almost a year since I came here and I have to say that work at this place has been such a great experience. A couple weeks ago we finally started to catch sagebrush smell in the field at the common gardens. As I mentioned in my previous post about applying chromatographic technics to our analysis, the results were very useful in supporting our smell profile experiments and giving us a better idea of the volatile compounds in the smell of sagebrush.  We have a lot of data and we are looking at what is the best way to discuss our results and write our report about the different smell pattern between all the populations that we have evaluated since starting our experiments. There are also some new things that I started this week.  One is to do statistics with R software which I consider to be a valuable skill for me to learn.   Also, we started a new project looking to apply some microscope technics to sagebrush, including the use of imageJ software.  I have wonderful work companions and a great mentor who is teaching me many things. I have to say that there a lot of things that I have to learn still, but this great experience at the Provo Shrub Lab inspires me to keep exploring and learning. As I said before, thank you all the CLM staff for the support and for this opportunity.

Hector

Provo, UT

Forest Service, RMRS, Provo Shrub Science Lab

Hello, I hope you all are having a fun time this summer. As in my previous post, I am going to talk about our research and my experience at the Provo shrub science lab. Our e-nose research is going well, especially during the summer days. The reason is because we are finding better smell profiles results and a good differentiation between sagebrush subspecies with the hot weather.  Additionally, at this time we are combining chromatographic techniques with our e-nose experiments which seems very promising to complement the identification of smells and chemical profiles of subspecies, and the differentiation between them. I talked in my last post about the plan to present at the SER conference in Redmond Oregon, well, I am finally registered. But we have not just done science in the laboratory this past month, we also starting cleaning some of the sagebrush experiments at Ephraim, Utah. I have to say that my mentor gave me a good lesson on how important it is to just take a break from the lab sometimes, and take a shovel and remove some weeds.

Like in my previous posts, I want to say thank you to my mentor, to all my companions and the CLM staff for all the support, and the CLM program for this great opportunity. There is always something to do at the Provo shrub science lab and I feel lucky to work in this incredible place, with such incredible people.

Hector

Provo, UT

Forest Service, RMRS, Provo Shrub Science Lab

Hello everyone, this time I will share a little bit of my internship experience at the Provo Shrub  Science Lab and also I want to share something about the new work I am doing with quaking aspen populations (Populus tremuloides) in collaboration with people from Utah State University.   As I shared in my previous posts my primary research is focused on big sagebrush and the analysis of mix volatile compounds using an electronic nose device. In this stage of the research we are scaling the experiments from leaves to seeds and trying to explore smell patterns in sagebrush seeds.  Additionally in regards to the big sagebrush populations research, I started to explore quaking aspen populations in Southern Utah. One of the activities of the project that is very interesting to me is the collection of germplasm because aspen populations have a wide genetic variability. Thinking ahead we are planning to present our big sagebrush results next fall in the Society for Ecological Restoration Conference, which also makes me very excited.

There are a lot of things to do at the Provo Shrub lab, and we are moving forward on all of our projects, but the thing that makes me really excited is that we are formulating new interesting questions about big sagebrush. As I said in previous post I am very thankful for all the support of my mentor and my companions at the Provo Shrub lab. Thank you CLM for this opportunity and, I want to say thank you to all of the staff for all the support and help, I really appreciate it.

Hector

Provo, UT

Forest Service, RMRS, Provo Shrub Science Lab

Hello everyone.  I want to share a little bit of my research in the Provo Shrub Lab. Since the last post I continue with our experiments using the electronic nose to identify smell patterns of sagebrush subspecies. We obtained our first smell patterns of sagebrush. However I am still analyzing, receiving samples, and discussing our results. The results discussions with my mentor and collaborators are very interesting and I am learning many things about sagebrush ecosystems.  Considering that the summer is coming I am looking forward to the field application of the electronic nose. The experimenting in the field at the common gardens is the next step of our research.

I feel pleased to work in the Provo Shrub Lab and with my mentor. Provo Shrub Lab is a good and very interesting place to work. I am learning many things from my work companions. Thank you CLM for this opportunity.

Hector

Provo, UT

Forest Service, RMRS, Provo Shrub Science Lab

Hello everyone, following my last post, I keep moving forward with my experiments and developing our research methods, at the Provo Shrub Lab. Our results with the electronic nose are very promising. Additionally we are now receiving sagebrush samples from Idaho to analyze. And we are planning to work with some samples from the warehouses to adapt our experiments to the seed analysis. Last month I continued collecting some samples and I had the opportunity to visit the Desert Experimental Range in Southern Utah, and learn more about the Great Basin region. My advisor is encouraging me to publish our results, so I have started to work more with the data analysis. Like my previous posts, I have to say that every day I am learning more from my advisor and my companions.

Thank you CLM for this opportunity, it is a pleasure to work in such a nice place like the Provo Shrub Science Lab, and have this learning experience.

Hector

Provo, UT

Forest Service, Provo Shrub Science Lab

Hello from Provo, Utah. The presentation of my preliminary research results in Boise, Idaho at the Great Basin Native Plant Program (GBNPP) received good comments. The research community and managers were very interested in our results and application to ecological restoration. I received valuable feedback and new ideas. Additionally, last week I started field activities, and collected new samples. Our experiments are moving forward with more materials in different environments and new variables.  This week my mentor and another scientist are training me in chemical ecology techniques for the study of big sagebrush ecosystems. One of the most interesting things of my training was discussing new ideas and projects. I really appreciate the support of my mentor and all the things that he is teaching me.

I feel thankful for all the support of my companions at the Forest Service, Provo Shrub Science Lab. I am learning many interesting things. Thank you CLM for this opportunity.

Hector

Provo, UT

Forest Service, Provo Shrub Science Lab

Hello from Provo, Utah.  Since my last post, my research has progressed with some promising results. I am preparing these preliminary results for a presentation at the Great Basin Native Plant Program (GBNPP) next month. That makes me excited, but anxious. The snow is finally gone, and I feel like we are close to starting our visits to the mountains again. We are still processing the bunch of samples that we collected during fall 2013 and this winter. One thing that I want to share is that I  appreciate that my mentor encourages me to think of new research questions to complement our experiments. I look forward to sharing this information with the research community and managers. Hopefully, my research will be a useful application for the restoration big sagebrush ecosystems.

I want to remark that I feel very thankful for all the support of my mentor and companions at the lab.  It is nice to work in a place like the Forest Service, Provo Shrub Science Lab. I am learning many things from my mentor, but the most important is how to improve every day in the things that we are doing.

Thank you CLM for this opportunity

Hector

Provo, UT

Forest Service, Provo Shrub Science Lab

Hello everyone, I started my internship in October and I am happy to say that everything is going well at the USDA Shrub Science Lab in Provo. This winter we are working with samples of Sagebrush that we collected in fall 2013. We have had good results in all our experiments of chemical ecology. Additionally my mentor is introducing me to new molecular techniques. I am still learning, but everything that we are doing is very interesting to me. Due to the weather we are on standby in the field, so instead I am working in the garden that we have in the lab.

I have been enjoying my experiences with the people of the lab. Recently I participated in a meeting where I was able to meet more people from the lab and get to know a little bit more about them.  There are a lot of things to do, but all my companions are supporting me in my assignments and experiments. My mentor is always teaching me new things, and I really appreciate all his efforts to make sure that I have everything I need to be successful in my assignments.  

I feel very good about all the things that I am doing.  But I feel more satisfied about all the things that I am learning. 

Hector

Provo, UT

USDA Shrub Science Lab