May 2011

Field & Berry Groups

May 2: Jennifer Johnson talked about a project she’s been working on for the last year related to modeling nitrogen isotope fractionation. She explained how the nitrogen (N) isotope ratio of a particular plant depends (1) on the N source (organic vs inorganic) and (2) fractionation uptake, metabolism, exchange with the atmosphere, & photorespiration. Her project is to sort out these various pathways in order to devise realistic models.
Tasting: Jen continued her mission to tout the delectability of native, wild plants by creating a delicious salad of miner's lettuce, dandelion & mint leaves toped with toyon berries (also called Christmas berry) and avocado & lemon juice dressing. The berries were a pleasant surprise.
May 9: Rebecca Hernandez covered her previous research on biological soil crusts (BSC) and why they matter. In arid or semi-arid lands, this thin crustal layer is composed initially of cyanobacteria colonies which can be invaded first by bryophytes and later by higher plants. Becca's study showed that BSC favor the growth of native plants, but if destroyed or disturbed, exotic non-natives may get the upper hand. Because approx. one-third of the earth's land surface is arid, this complex ecosystem deserves further study.
Tasting: Becca brought delicious watercress, cream-cheese sandwiches and apple slices. She purchased the watercress at Whole Foods Market and hoped it was a native variety because that which one may find in local streams is likely to be contaminated with pathogens.
May 16: Robert Heilmayer & Steve Klosterman are PhD students beginning their dissertation research. Today, Robert described his on-going studies of the Drives & Impacts of Chilean Forest Transitions. He gave us a broad description of both the native forests and tree plantations in different parts of Chili. The latter are composed mostly of fast-growing eucalyptus and monterey pine which are harvested frequently for wood export. And he hopes to learn what are the drivers for the regrowth of native forests.
Tasting: Steve tossed the organic ingredients for a unique & delicious carrot salad. Besides several varieties of carrots, it contained cilantro, cumin and a lemon juice & oil dressing plus raisins to add on the side.
May 27: Matt Colgan brought us up to date on his dissertation research based in Kruger Nat'l Park, South Africa. He called it "Climate, landscape, and disturbance controls over savanna woody plant biomass using airborne remote sensing." Using a transect just outside the Park that's part of a mining operation allows him to cut some trees and otherwise disturb the landscape. He's comparing the plants growing in basaltic soils with those in granite soil. The former provides more nitrogen and other minerals and thus more growth.
Tasting: Kelly McManus brought two home-baked, deep-dish pizzas containing several native plants including fennel, miner's lettuce & mint. Delicious!!

News from Jasper Ridge

May 2: The current Spring Harvest at the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment (JRGCE) began under the supervision of Todd Tobeck who reported: "There are currently four of us full time and several part timers working on harvest this time of year. Bill Gomez is a docent who has been donating time every year for as long as I have been on the project, a real trooper. Please give him honorable mention for his continued work on our project." Todd also said that digging the cores to measure root growth & carbon storage is harder this year - perhaps because of the unusually wet Spring.
The May 10 issue of the Stanford Report online featured an article with the title: Stanford faculty committee appointed to study Searsville Dam, Reservoir. This Committee includes Chris Field and is to develop a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to establish a conservation strategy for the next 50 years. Information about the Plan can be found at HCP Highlights Brochure (PDF, 580 KB)

 

Jan Brown, Editor, Email: jbrown1@stanford.edu
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Kelly picks a raffle winner.