Hello all!
Not a whole lot to report, working mostly on data collection at Rio Mesa Center for my Master’s project and when I’m not doing that I’ve been working on a database of restoration projects monitored by the Watershed Restoration Initiative in the Colorado Plateau. More info can be found here: http://wildlife.utah.gov/watersheds/. The hope is to use this database to track which species and cultivars are being used for restoration and be able to measure the effectiveness of these seeding efforts based on pre and post treatment monitoring data. This weekend I’m going back to Grand Staircase/Escalante to collect Heterotheca villosa for another master’s student’s thesis, which I’m pretty excited about. Here’s some photos of the last time we were there doing some SOS/research collections:

Our awesome REU intern, Lisa Hintz

Cheers!
Nora

Hello Fellow CLM’ers!

I am a Master’s student at Northwestern/Chicago Botanic Garden. For my CLM internship I’m doing fieldwork for my thesis on the Colorado Plateau at the Rio Mesa Center in southeastern Utah. I’m studying native grass selection to invasive plants to determine if certain seed sources are more competitive with invasives, which could improve restoration success at previously-invaded sites. At the Chicago Botanic Garden I grew Sporobolus airoides seedlings from plants collected at long-term Acroptilon repens (Russian knapweed)-invaded populations and nearby non-invaded populations. I planted these seedlings in a common garden in a knapweed-invaded floodplain at the Rio Mesa Center to compare trait differences between the different seed sources (invaded plants and non-invaded plants).

We’re also driving all over the place (near Moab and Grand Staircase) doing seed collection for SOS and another master student’s thesis (Maggie Eschleman) and having a great time. Highlights include a nighttime drive through Arches National Park and lovely drive up Onion creek where we found the elusive Astragalus lonchocharpus we were hunting. We’ve also adapted to a siesta-like schedule to avoid the 100 plus midday heat by waking up early, taking a long midday break, and going out again in the evening when it’s cooler. So excited to be here all summer! Looking forward to more adventures!

Accommodations at the Rio Mesa Center

Terrible biting fly and knat year!

Putting out plant tags to keep track of over 450 Sporobolus airoides plants.

Looking good 1 month after planting.

Common Garden study plots in a Russian knapweed-invaded floodplain at Rio Mesa