Field Stations Program Blog
Stay informed on the latest events at the Field Stations!
Ferns and Lycophytes at SMER
Two researchers from the Rothfels Lab in the Integrative Biology Department of the University of California, Berkeley visited the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve (SMER) in mid-January. The Rothfels Lab studies phylogenetic relationships and biodiversity of a number...
MSHCP Monitoring Surveys at SMER
As part of the ongoing Biological Monitoring Program for the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan, The Regional Conservation Authority of Western Riverside County conducts surveys for species of concern throughout the county, including SMER. Recent surveys...
Dramatic Phenotypic Transitions in Monkeyflower
Rolf Baumberger, from the University of Zurich, has studied the sticky monkeyflower, Diplacus puniceus (formerly Mimulus aurantiacus) at SMER for over two decades. An individual plant can switch from a yellow, insect-pollinated flowers to red,...
Wildfire Monitoring
Shown above is a remote fire watch system installed at SDSU's Sky Oaks Field Station, part of a collaborative project involving UCSD, SDG&E and SDSU. Powered by photovoltaic panels and tied into the HPWREN network, the four cameras provide a 360 degree...
Biological Soil Crust Organisms for the Restoration of Disturbed Soils
For her M.S. of Ecology, Sharon Reeves did her thesis research on the use of cyanobacteria and algae cultured from biological soil crusts (BSC's) for restoring disturbed soils. BSC's naturally occur on the surface of soils in arid and semiarid...
Microbiome of the Grape Phyllosphere
The wine grape leaves at the SMER Experimental Vineyard appear to harbor a diverse fungal community. Leaf-associated (phyllosphere) microbial communities can protect plants from diseases and stress. Do different grape varieties harbor different...