Special Native Plant Lecture! Wednesday, June 1 - Research Scholarship Projects

[CNPS-SCV News]

CNPS SCV 2021-2022 Research Scholarship Projects

Special Native Plant Lecture!

Wednesday, June 1, 7:30 to 9 pm 

 

Since 1999, the chapter has sponsored a scholarship program for students doing research on native plant topics. Several of the recipients of scholarships for the 2021-2022 academic year will present their projects during this talk. Join us for this exciting and inspiring program!

We will hear from:

 

Alyssa Anzalone and Nicholas Mazzotti, UC Santa Cruz (Undergraduate Scholarship Winning Team) Does Seeding and Planting Plus Nitrogen Addition Result in Differentiated Seed Bank Composition in Restored California Coastal Grasslands? Nick is exploring how different planting versus seeding methods contribute to site seed banks. Alyssa is investigating how nitrogen fertilization affects emerging seed bank species composition by simulating anthropogenic nitrogen deposition in a greenhouse setting. Alyssa and Nick will evaluate how different revegetation methods influence the resulting seed bank postimplementation and whether increased nitrogen affects native species density. 

 

Reed Kenny, UC Davis (General Graduate Scholarship Winner) Systematics of the Genus Juncus Using DNA Analysis of Various Gene Regions.  Reed is working to determine the relationships between several species of Juncus native to California and four small genera found only in South America. Currently, molecular data indicates that these South American genera are closely related to some Juncus species and that the genus Juncus does not form a good evolutionary group. Reed hopes to resolve the relationships between the California native Juncus and the related South American genera and to publish a revised taxonomy that reflects the true evolutionary relationships in the group.

Lauren Hamm, UC Berkeley (Graduate Scholarship Winner) Evolutionary Dynamics of Climate Stress ̶ Responsive Mobile Elements in Yellow Monkeyflower  Yellow monkeyflower can be found surviving anywhere water is available. However, the steadily increasing temperatures  and hyper-variability in climate across California may affect the survival of these populations as water becomes scarcer. Lauren will be using collections of monkeyflower from locations around the state to investigate how climate change affects the movement of transposable elements, also affectionately known as “jumping genes” because of their ability to replicate and move around the genome.   

This talk will be live streamed on Zoom (requires advance registration) and YouTube (registration NOT required). Join us!