The first European settlers to set foot on California soil didn’t arrive alone. Clattering behind the sandals and boots of the Spanish missionaries were the hooves of their cattle and sheep. Over the next few centuries, the number of imported livestock grazing California rangelands swelled into the millions. The hungry mouths and trampling feet of […]
ISEECI
Sighted at the conservation crossroads
This post is the third in a series of reports from the World Conservation Congress, where the NRS is showcasing its international programs. Honolulu, Hawaii—This year, between September 1 and 10, the Hawaii Convention Center is located squarely at the intersection of Saving the Planet Way and Human Choices Avenue. Inside this airy behemoth of a building, the indoor-outdoor home of full-size […]
Seed snapshot for science
Project Baseline is caching seeds for scientists of the future. Collected largely from plants native to the United States, the project captures a snapshot of the range of genetic diversity in and among plant populations and species today. Its seeds will be made available to researchers of the future studying how environmental shifts like climate change alter the genes and characteristics […]
Coastal fog and redwood health
by Elliott Campbell, UC Merced The future resilience of coast redwoods is now of critical concern. Redwoods rely on fog to supplement their water intake during California’s long dry seasons. An observed decline in coastal fog over recent decades may be associated with human-caused climate change and expanding urban heat islands. However, fundamental ecological measurements are obscured by the […]
Uphill battle for CA native plants
by Alison Hewitt, UC Los Angeles Media Relations A study examining whether plant species in California have shifted to higher elevations, possibly in response to climate change, discovered that non-native plants are moving fastest, altering and potentially damaging ecosystems. The research, led by UCLA professor Jon Christensen, also showed significantly less movement by species that […]
NRS climate research gets UC president’s $1.9M research award
by Tim Stephens, UC Santa Cruz An ambitious plan to use the UC Natural Reserve System (NRS) to detect and forecast the ecological impacts of climate change in California has received a $1.9 million research award. The proposal will establish a UC-wide Institute for the Study of Ecological and Evolutionary Climate Impacts (ISEECI). The award […]