Santa Cruz Island Reserve

21 Mar, 05 AM - 23 Mar, 05 AM

Complete Project title: Origin and diversification of the genus Ceanothus (Rhamnaceae) Prepared: 25 December 2008 Purpose: as described in the complete research prospectus, the purpose of my visit to Santa Cruz Island this spring season (March 21-23, 2008) is to obtain herbarium sheets, tissue samples, and soil samples from populations of Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis. These materials will be used in my Ph.D. research on the diversification of the Cerastes section of Ceanothus, which contains Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis. See the complete research description for more on the overall project. The proposed research for 2009 is substantially similar to that proposed in 2007. Field work ? Field work for the entire Ceanothus project will take place in California, Arizona, and Northern Mexico. At each field site I will prepare herbarium sheets for up to 10 individuals of each species encountered. These herbarium sheets will consist of small branch segments of each plant, in addition to a sample of branch wood obtained from dead branches, when available. I will also make collections of soil using a 2 cm X 10 cm core sampler. These samples will be taken from outside the rooting zone of plants, and will total less than 800g per population. These samples will be analyzed chemically. On Santa Cruz Island I plan to collect within three populations of Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis. Plant collections will consist of branch segments. Tissue samples for DNA extraction will be taken from these samples and stored on ice. I may also place cloth capture devices on fruiting branches of one or two plants of Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis at one locality to trap seeds. The seed traps consist of brown nylon mesh bags that will be attached to fruiting branches using plastic zip-ties. This method allows capture of seeds from the explosively dehiscent capsules of Ceanothus. I plan to geo-reference each plant locality and would also like to mark the location of each trap using flags. I would like return at the end of the summer to collect seeds that have ripened. These seeds will be used for germination and greenhouse experiments. Unused seeds will be returned for restoration work on Santa Cruz Island. Duplicates of herbarium sheets will be distributed to various herbaria, including Santa Cruz Island, at the end of my research project. Locations of work? I would like to work in chaparral or forest habitats on Santa Cruz Island where Ceanothus occurs, at three sites. I would like to collect at the following sites: a) South Ridge, near Center 2 Peak. b) South of Ca?ada Cervada on Islay Canyon Road. c) Pelican Bay Trail. These localities were visited in 2007, and are this confirmed populations for the taxon. Significance to conservation?Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis is virtually limited to the Channel Islands. This study will provide information on the origin and diversity of this narrowly endemic plant, and thus could prove useful in planning for habitat conservation, management of genetic diversity, and restoration. Schedule of work: Field work on Santa Cruz Island will take place between March 21 and 23, 2007. If seed traps are installed, I will return in early fall 2007 to retrieve the traps and collect seeds. Potential impacts: This field work is unlikely to impact the populations of plants, or their habitats, to a great degree. Branch and tissue samples are small, and are taken using clippers that are sanitized between populations using isopropyl alcohol. Soil samples are taken using a steel coring device that is also sanitized between sites, thus minimizing the potential for transfer of soil-born pathogens. Seed traps are intended to capture around 100 seeds from each plant, which usually represents just a small fraction of the total reproductive output of the plants. The traps themselves are benign and do not appear to adversely affect the plants based on limited field trials in Northern California.

Visit #16875 @Santa Cruz Island Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 7893 | Research

Diversification of Ceanothus

graduate_student - Duke University

Reservation Members(s)

Dylan Burge Mar 21 - 23, 2009 (3 days)
Dylan Burge Mar 21 - 23, 2009 (3 days)

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Dorm 2 Mar 21 - 23, 2009
Jeep 2 Mar 21 - 23, 2009