- (Public Value) UCANR: Protecting California's natural resources
- Author: Lily Elola
At the onset of my fellowship I was nervous about spending too much time alone. Living by myself in a cottage on a ~5,500 acre remote research site stood in stark contrast to my urban upbringing in the East Bay Area. Despite the appealing prospect of a change in scenery, worries about the unintended consequences of prolonged isolation lingered. It was amidst this uncertainty that I stumbled upon an unexpectedly reliable companion— birds.
I can't say I ever paid much attention to birds before last year. I deemed their presence unimportant and their noises (at times) annoying. Admittedly, my knowledge of birds stopped at pigeons, crows, and seagulls. Like many, I dismissed birds as insignificant animals in the grand scheme of an often stressful human life. Their reality felt distinctly separate from mine.
My perception of birds underwent a remarkable shift during my first morning in the cottage. Naively, I anticipated the hardest adjustment to living alone in the woods would be the deafening silence. Imagine my surprise, then, when I was jolted awake at 5 a.m. by a loud knocking. My dog, equally startled, leapt to his feet and started barking at the front door.
I quickly threw on my robe and peered through the front door window. There, perched on the white siding of the cottage, was a small woodpecker with a striking red cap. The sheer sound of the bird's hammering made it impossible to ignore.
I stood there watching the woodpecker, equally mesmerized and annoyed by its rhythmic precision. Pale morning light illuminated its glossy black-and-white feathers. I grabbed one of my journals from the bedside table and through half open eyes scribbled "red-headed small woodpecker, black and white". My notes felt amateurish, but I hoped they might be useful if I was ever curious about the bird again.
After some investigation I learned that the culprit of my disrupted sleep was none other than the acorn woodpecker, a native to the Northern California oak woodlands known for its communal behavior of storing acorns in wooden structures. Much to my dismay, this particular woodpecker had taken a liking to the side of my porch. For the next two months acorns continued to shower from the oaks, accompanied by a relentless knocking on the side of my house. Both my dog and I grew accustomed to the noise. Gradually I realized that my futile resistance to the “disruption” of nature would only lead to further frustration and disappointment. The intrusion of the Acorn Woodpeckers served as a powerful lesson in radical acceptance over the things I can not control.
Acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
The moment also proved to be a lively interruption to the solitude I had anticipated. In the weeks that followed I jotted down sporadic notes about birds in my journal during lunch breaks, between meetings, even hanging out with friends. I found myself growing more mindful and present with every bird observation. The anxiety and loneliness that I had initially feared began to dissipate, replaced by feelings of contentment.
This newfound joy inspired me to channel my bird watching observations into a creative outlet. Quickly I began to illustrate California native birds for the Hopland Research and Extension Center. These illustrations not only provided me with a fulfilling hobby but also served as a way to occupy the abundance of alone time I had living on-site. Capturing the intricate details and social behaviors of the different bird species became a meditative escape.
Allen's hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)
Sometimes, if I was lucky, I'd look up to see the very same bird I was illustrating— a hummingbird, a raven, a jay. We would share a brief moment of coexistence, staring at each other until my subtle movements inevitably prompted it to take flight. These moments tallied. For every time I watched them, they watched me right back. With each fleeting interaction I gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of stillness and mutual respect.
California quail (Callipepla californica)
Birds serve as the not-so silent witnesses to our solitude. They coexist with us in moments of strength and vulnerability. The California quail hears me singing my favorite song through an open kitchen window. The great blue heron watches me read by the river bank. Near the porch of my cottage, a family of scrub jays chatters excitedly upon my return from work.
Inevitably I will move away from HREC, and I won't be able to take the birds with me. Instead, I'll carry the skill of birdwatching as a reminder of the connection I forged with the natural world during my time here. What began as a simple hobby has evolved into a profound understanding of the interconnectedness between all living things and the landscapes they inhabit.
I can't deny that there are still moments when feelings of loneliness or worry weigh heavily on me. After all, birds are not substitutes for human connection. They can, however, serve as momentary solace if you let them.
- Author: Lily Elola
Rangeland Stewardship: Grazing for Ecosystem Resilience
Principal Investigators Dr. Valerie Eviner and Dr. Mary Cadenasso of UC Davis's Department of Plant Sciences have collaborated with the Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) to design a study that investigates the impacts of grazing and prescribed burning on plant communities and ecosystem services in California's grasslands. Using both permanent plots and more flexible adaptive management studies, their project aims to understand how different management practices can enhance the “building blocks of resilience” in these systems– features such as the wildflower seedbank and increased water storage in soi,l which are critical for sustaining California grasslands in the face of environmental challenges such as invasive species, droughts, and wildfires.
Dr. Valerie Eviner collecting data at the Hopland Research and Extension Center
Hopland, CA
In an interview with HREC, Ecosystem and Restoration Ecology professor Dr. Eviner shared insights on emerging trends and technologies poised to shape ecological research in the coming decade. She highlighted how recent advancements in statistical tools have significantly transformed ecological research by allowing researchers to better understand the complex connections within ecosystems. She also underscored the significance of satellite and drone imagery in providing a broader perspective of plant ecology. Dr. Eviner also emphasized that recent state legislation is facilitating the widespread use of prescribed burning, which “presents a unique opportunity to explore the role of fire in grassland ecosystems through controlled experiments”. Additionally, she emphasized the growing importance of community-engaged research and working with diverse communities to foster responsible stewardship of natural resources. She concluded by emphasizing that “while data production is important, it lacks context without the wisdom cultivated through long-term observations on the land, often through thoughtful natural resource stewardship.”
A persistent challenge in developing research that is useful to land managers and policy makers is that many experiments are limited in size and duration. “Partnering with HREC allows us to conduct long-term research at the management scale, which is often not feasible at other research sites.” Dr. Eviner highlighted. According to Dr. Eviner, HREC has demonstrated a “commitment to adaptive management research” that allows her research team to gain valuable insights into what ecological management practices work and which don't– and how that may change over time.
In Dr. Eviner's opinion, the most pressing environmental challenge facing the world today is extreme events like wildfire and drought. She argues that in order for ecological research to be effective, “Science has to contribute to explaining and preparing communities for events they've never seen before.” The best path forward is for scientists to work in collaboration with land managers and policymakers to identify challenges and gaps in our understanding, and prioritize research that addresses future scenarios”. She highlights the critical role of science in identifying the foundations of ecosystem resilience, advocating for practices like retaining dead plant material to bolster soil health and water retention. Dr. Eviner also prompts a reassessment of traditional management goals in light of evolving environmental conditions, suggesting a shift towards promoting root production and carbon sequestration in grazed pastures. Furthermore, she underscores the importance of organizations such as the California Climate and Agriculture Network, in informing climate change policies and mitigation strategies at the state level.
Dr. Eviner envisions that the insights from her ecological research can extend beyond academia, effectively influencing positive change among various audiences. She emphasizes the importance of tailoring communication strategies to different groups. For instance, she notes that when engaging with land managers, there's no need to elaborate on the unprecedented environmental challenges; they are already acutely aware. Instead, discussions can focus on pragmatic approaches for adaptation and resilience.
Rangeland at the Hopland Research and Extension Center
Hopland, CA
When communicating with the general public, Dr. Eviner draws inspiration from experts like Katharine Hayhoe, renowned for her series "Global Weirding." She's observed a significant shift in public perception over the past two decades, with many individuals now having firsthand experiences of climate-related disruptions, such as living through wildfire smoke. “Younger generations, in particular, are increasingly aware of these issues” Dr. Eviner notes. Teaching at UC Davis, Dr. Eviner notices a growing enthusiasm among students for addressing environmental challenges, evidenced by the burgeoning interest in fields like restoration ecology and ecosystem management. She highlights a remarkable growth in class sizes and a prevalence of waiting lists for courses focused on these topics.This quantifiable interest in the topic of land/ecosystem management is indicative of a surge in passionate individuals dedicated to finding solutions.
Dr. Eviner's personal values and perspectives play a significant role in shaping her research priorities. She emphasizes the importance of land grant universities, which not only focus on theoretical science but also prioritize practical research that enhances California agriculture and environment. Reflecting on her own journey into ecology, Dr. Eviner recalls that during her graduate studies, it seemed like there was a tough choice between a focus on research or community engagement , but that has changed due to trail blazers such as her Ph.D. advisor, Dr. F Stuart Chapin III, whose dedication to both research and community involvement left a lasting impression on her work.
While she acknowledges the value of big data, Dr. Eviner ultimately believes that her research stands out due to its “emphasis on hands-on experience under changing conditions”. Much like land managers who adapt their perspectives based on real-time observations, conducting research in dynamic environments requires a keen awareness that different players in an ecosystem may be important under different conditions- so that we have to be flexible in what we're measuring. As an example, she highlights that when measuring seed survival after the 2018 Mendocino wildfire, on-the-ground observations made it apparent that ants played a large role in collecting viable seeds and concentrating them into “islands of recovery” of grasses. Dr. Eviner stresses the importance of collaborating with land managers and leveraging local wisdom, recognizing that even if individuals don't agree on the explanations of how a system works, they can often agree on the observations that led to those explanations, providing valuable context and wisdom.
- Author: Lily Elola
Fungal-Bacterial Interactions: Bridging Soil Niches in Regulating Carbon and Nitrogen Processes
Grasslands play a vital role in the nutrient cycling process of both carbon and nitrogen. The state of California is home to perennial and annual grasslands, distinguished from one another by their growth patterns. Annual grasses complete their growth cycle in a single season, whereas perennial grasses exhibit persistent growth throughout the year. Perennial grasses often develop extensive root systems that provide a more stable mechanism for long term carbon storage than their annual counterparts. Historically, three disturbances contributed to the conversion of California's former native perennial grasses to its current annual-dominated status: European colonization, fire-suppression, and drought.
Oak-woodland adjacent annual grasslands here in Hopland offer a distinctive seasonal rhythm. The growth season of this grass begins when rainfall is hearty enough to germinate grass seeds, typically during the late fall/winter. While characterized by herbaceous vegetation, the structure of these grasslands depends greatly on local weather and livestock grazing patterns. Because the life cycle of annual grass is limited to a single growing season, there is less time for it to contribute to long-term carbon storage. This means that the nutrient cycling process in an annual grassland ecosystem is primarily the job of biotic reactions between fungi and bacteria below the surface of the grass, in its soil. The Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) and soil microbial ecologist Dr. Mengting “Maggie” Yuan from UC Berkeley's Firestone Lab have teamed up to better understand how these biotic interactions in soil are affected by reduced precipitation conditions associated with climate change.
Dr. Mengting “Maggie” Yuan in the UC Berkeley Firestone Lab
Oxford Tract, Berkeley CA
Dr. Yuan's interest in natural resources began when her family would spend time walking together outside. This time spent in nature inspired her to think about the complexities of a much smaller biotic world. What kind of systems contribute to the function of smaller microbial ecosystems? She asked herself. This curiosity eventually led her to study environmental engineering in university. In 2011, she earned her Bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing. After which, she moved to the United States to earn her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Oklahoma in 2017.
In the world of ecology, specifically soil microbial ecology, there exists promising opportunities for innovation and scientific advancement. Dr. Yuan points out that there is no standardized model for measuring the Biological Fertility Index (BFI) of soil, because scientists don't understand on a fundamental level the heterogeneity of the soil. The analytical methods scientists use currently to measure soil fertility point more to a soil's habitat than its biotic function.
“A scoop of soil contains, on a more microscopic level, mineral surfaces and pore space” says Dr. Yuan. “It's important that future research considers the spatial difference instead of potential.” She admits that understanding soil on a spatial level is a challenging facet of soil microbial ecology. She calls this her “lifelong challenge.” Still, she hopes to work towards projects like these that create well defined frameworks for describing the probability of microbes to be able to interact with the environment and other microbes.
Fungal ingrowth cores, used to allow fungal hyphae into soil core samples
Oxford Tract, Berkeley CA
Spectrometer equipment, owned by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Oxford Tract, Berkeley CA
When it comes to staying up to date with advancements in microbial soil ecology, Dr. Yuan relies on her undergraduate researchers just as much as her postdoctoral colleagues. She cites collaboration as the mechanism of understanding what's going on in both her scientific community, and the greater academic community at UC Berkeley. She loves talking to undergraduates one-on-one to get a better understanding of their struggles and motivations for pursuing a career in natural resource science. Dr. Yuan says that, from her personal experience at UC Berkeley, “Students nowadays have a more developed understanding of their passion for climate action” and “bring to the table a valuable skill set missing from current climate solutions”. She is optimistic that undergraduate eagerness to participate in climate action research is indicative of a larger generational interest.
It was collaboration, flexibility, and the opportunity to connect with people on a national scale that encouraged Dr. Yuan to work on projects like these at UC Berkeley. She feels grateful that working in academia has allowed her the freedom to try and pose solutions to some of the state's most complex natural resource issues. Her work on this project holds profound implications for agriculture, environmental sustainability, and our understanding of climate change adaptation. The study's relevance extends far beyond the confines of HREC, as its findings will offer valuable insights applicable to other annual grassland areas in California, ultimately guiding land conservation and management strategies all around the state.
