Oregon State- Grassland Crew Here
From the left, we have Travis Lewis, a recent Oregon State graduate, then Angela Brandt, a doctoral student at Oregon State and Emily Orling. Emily and Travis are field botanists who are sampling the grasslands plots that were established about 3 years ago in a long-term study by Eric Seabloom and Elizabeth Borer (OSU faculty). At least part of the study is designed to look at how the annual grasses and native grass community interact. Angela has taken on a repeat study of Keith White's 1960's comparison of grazed (outside Hastings fences on adjacent ranches) and ungrazed (inside Hastings) grasslands. Repeating it 40 years later, we are finding some interesting changes; the grasslands are still in flux with new (exotic, or non-native) arrivals and various abundances of established (mostly exotic) grasses and herbs. Angela is in the 3rd year of what will be a 6-year study of these fenceline grasslands; maybe more important than grazing is whether it is a dry winter, or wet spring, etc. California's climate is so variable we need to compare at the 5 sequential years of grassland study in the 1960s to the 6 most recent years. They will be kneeling in the grasslands, looking at the species, until late May. Angela and the crew are in the Hastings Cabin.