Current research:
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) is an invasive annual grass that impedes the growth of native plants in the Colorado Plateau, in part by increasing fire frequency. Ecological restoration has the potential to curb cheatgrass dominance and reduce the frequency of wildfires as well as to restore a native plant community. Despite benefits from using native seed to achieve restoration goals, and policies to promote their use, exotic plants are still used to meet restoration targets. By conducting laboratory germination and growth experiments on wild-collected seed, I will determine the germination requirements of native forb species from the Colorado Plateau. I will also study the interactions between these native plants and cheatgrass in current and future climate scenarios to help guide species selection for restoration.
In addition to these research interests, I am also interested in science education, and serve as the Climate Change Education Coordinator at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I am working with teachers to develop curriculum that addresses climate change. Through the curriculum, students are able to analyze authentic climate data, and participate in Project BudBurst, a national citizen-science project.
Standing in a cheatgrass patch in Zion National Park, Utah. (The brown, dry grass is cheatgrass. The scenery is beautiful nonetheless)
Pollinator Observations at Zion
Mirabilis multiflora, one of the native plants found in cheatgrass-dominated habitats
