Joshua Tree National Park Association NEWS
Annual Science Research Grant
The Joshua Tree National Park Association, the Lee Family Foundation, and Joshua Tree National Park are pleased to announce the 2009 awards for research proposals through the Joshua Tree National Park Association’s Graduate Student Research Grant Program. The following individuals have been selected to receive research grants:
Andrew Gottscho is a master’s candidate at Humboldt State University. The title of his project is Landscape genetics of the Mojave fringe-toed lizard, Uma scoparia. The Mojave fringe-toed lizard, Uma scoparia, is restricted to desert sand dunes and windblown sand habitats in the Mojave Desert. These unique lizards have evolved a number of specialized adaptations for running and burrowing in fine windblown sand, including their fringed toes which increase traction and running speed The genetic data gathered from this study will identify the populations and regions that are most in need of conservation, thus helping officials manage this species of special concern for future generations. In 2006, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the Amargosa River DPS of the Mojave fringe-toed lizard as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to habitat destruction by offroad vehicles.
Kristen Hasenstab is a master’s candidate at San Diego State University. The title of her project is Systematics, Biogeography, and Character Evolution of the plant genus Cryptantha (Boraginaceae). Cryptantha is a species-rich genus, especially in the desert communities. The biogeography of Cryptantha is especially curious given that there is a large disjunct between the North American species that occur in the Western United States and in the deserts and mountains of Chile and Argentina. Some of the questions the study hopes to answer are: Where did the ancestor of this very diverse, species rich genus occur? How was this species able to disperse, and how long ago did this event occur? Why is Cryptantha so widespread and species rich in arid deserts and mountains that seem to be resource limited? Is the varied topology of the southwest driving speciation, and correspondingly what geological events are correlated with the evolutionary history of Cryptantha?
Nicole Pietrasiak is a PhD candidate at the University of California, Riverside. The title of her project is Phylogenetic analysis of green algae isolated from Joshua Tree National Park. Microbiotic soil crusts, assemblages of cyanobacteria, green algae, diatoms, bacteria, fungi, lichens and mosses, are important components of desert ecosystems. Crust communities contribute to soil stabilization, increase soil fertility and influence soil water relations. The organisms in the soil crust are involved in habitat provision and food web relations, and directly affect seedling establishment. Many studies showed that ecosystem functioning is, at least in part, dependent upon microbiotic crust composition and diversity. The
new data gathered from this study will:
‐ Allow assessment of the presence of rare and endemic species of JTNP, which require protection.
‐ Add valuable information about understudied desert soil microbe biodiversity.
‐ Determine phylogentic relationships among green algae isolates from JTNP.
‐ Permit an investigation of the variation of selected genera within and between JTNP sites.
‐ Compare algae isolated from the JTNP with algae isolated from other Sonoran and Mojave Desert habitats (data
gathered in another project).
‐ Contribute to general knowledge of evolution of green algae from diverse habitats.
Heather Schneider is a PhD candidate at the University of California, Riverside. The title of her project is Exploring Desert Seed Banks: species composition, abundance, and seed longevity. Increasing disturbance coupled with the migration of air pollution has allowed exotic species to invade California deserts. This invasion is a current and ongoing phenomenon. Desert ecosystems are historically less invaded than other habitats, presumably due to low nitrogen availability and generally harsh conditions such as extreme temperatures and low annual rainfall However, human alteration of natural systems has allowed exotics to spread. Of particular concern are the exotic annual grasses Bromus rubens and Schismus spp., which can replace native species. These invasive grasses also increase fuel loads and increase fire frequency in a system not well adapted to fire, decreasing native diversity and potentially altering the soil seed bank. Both native perennial and annual species are declining in the face of invasion. The objective of this research is to determine the longevity of native vs. exotic seed in the soil.
The Joshua Tree National Park Association’s Graduate Student Research Grant Program is a competitive grant program intended to support field research studies of the natural and cultural resources within Joshua Tree National Park. The program targets graduate student researchers and distributes up to $12,000 annually in three equal grant awards. Funding for the program is provided by the Lee Family Foundation and the Joshua Tree National Park Association.
Each of the recipients will begin their field work this spring. The researchers will present their findings to local residents through the Association’s Desert Institute Lecture Series in about 18 months.
