Santa Cruz Island Reserve

24 Apr, 05 PM - 27 Apr, 05 PM

Please note that the proposed research is a continuation of the research conducted at UC Santa Cruz Island Reserve last year. In addition, I will plan for several 3-4 day trips to the island and not a two month stay as indicated by this online application. ABSTRACT Islands are natural laboratories for ecology and evolution. Past research focused on the isolation of island ecosystems to test theories of adaptive speciation among large groups of taxa or endemic organisms. However, the adaptive evolution of organisms to island habitats may occur at a much more subtle level ? within a single species common to both island and mainland sites. I will examine the ecological and genetic variation of populations of three native grasses: Bromus carinatus, Elymus glaucus, and Nassella pulchra. I will collect leaves and seeds from populations within and between Santa Cruz and other islands. Soil samples will also be collected to determine if genetic data correlate with edaphic characters. I will then compare data collected on the islands with data collected from representative mainland sites. A unique combination of genetic and ecological studies will allow characterization of local adaptation within populations of three common species. DETAILED COLLECTION INFORMATION In continuation of the research I began last year, I will make collections of seeds and leaf tissue of three native grass species: Bromus carinatus (California brome), Elymus glaucus (blue wildrye), and Nassella pulchra (purple needlegrass). I plan to collect leaf tissue (2-3 leaves) for each species from 25 plants of 10 populations on the island. Once plants have set seeds, I will return to collect approximately 15 seeds from 10 plants per population for use in the experimental study of plant growth during the second year (15 seeds x 10 plants x 10 populations = 1500 seeds per species). Native grasses produce enormous quantities of seeds and my collections should not impact island populations. In addition, only a small amount of leaf tissue is required for DNA extraction and leaf tissue sampling should not adversely affect plants. Voucher specimens of each species will be collected from each new population on the island at the time of leaf or seed sampling. These specimens will be dried in plant presses and later deposited in the UC Santa Barbara Museum of Systematics and Ecology. On the dates of either leaf tissue or seed collection on each island, I will extract six soil samples per population (approx. 300 grams per sample) for later analysis at the UC Davis DANR Analytical Laboratory. Soil samples will be analyzed for characters such as soil pH, nitrogen mineralization potential, total carbon and nitrogen, and available potassium and calcium. Soil samples will be extracted with a soil corer, and this method should result in minimal disturbance of the topsoil in these populations. Soil samples, seed samples, and leaf samples will be used for greenhouse, genetic and other laboratory analyses. At the completion of this study, I expect that the only remaining specimens will be museum vouchers that verify the species studied and the locations at which those plants were collected. This study should result in one or more publications in scientific journals.

Visit #1287 @Santa Cruz Island Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 1077 | Research

Ecological and genetic variation among Channel Island and mainland native grass populations

research_scientist - University of California, Santa Barbara

Reservation Members(s)

Kristina Hufford Apr 24 - 27, 2003 (4 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Jeep 1 Apr 24 - 27, 2003
Private Room 1 Apr 24 - 27, 2003