Source: CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
TRAIT-BASED APPROACHES TO ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1019094
Grant No.
2019-67019-29459
Cumulative Award Amt.
$480,000.00
Proposal No.
2018-06918
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
May 15, 2019
Project End Date
May 14, 2024
Grant Year
2019
Program Code
[A1401]- Foundational Program: Soil Health
Recipient Organization
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY
ONE UNIVERSITY DRIVE
ORANGE,CA 92866
Performing Department
Biological Sciences
Non Technical Summary
The restoration and management of rangelands is more challenging today than at any point in human history. Drier and more variable rainfall patterns compared to the last century have unknown consequences for plant communities, and invasive species have altered a range of ecosystem services in rangelands including productivity, biodiversity, and rates of nutrient and water cycling. Most attempts to restore ecosystems rely on trial-and-error approaches and many fail, in part, due to the lack of a community-oriented approach. Ecologists have long theorized that a community assembly framework that emphasizes functional traits (characteristics of species that influence their performance) could guide and enhance restoration, but empirical tests of these ideas are lacking. Applying ecological theories to achieve restoration goals across different community types would represent one of the greatest achievements for ecological restoration.It is widely accepted that functional traits influence competitive interactions and resistance to stress, like drought. Thus, selecting species for restoration projects based on functional traits should allow managers to meet multiple goals in restored communities, including drought tolerance, invasion resistance, and the long-term sustainability of ecosystem services.The specific objective of the projectis to test whether a trait-based model can be used to restore valuable ecosystem services by strengthening drought tolerance and invasion resistance. We will work in two ecologically distinct and economically important rangelands: annual-dominated grassland in California and perennial dominated mixed-grass prairie in Wyoming. Drought and invasive plants are key challenges faced by producers in both regions. We will first combine a newly-developed model with detailed plant-trait data from the two sites to design species assemblages that are optimized for drought tolerance, invasion resistance, or functional diversity. Species mixtures will be established in field plots and subjected to drought and invasion by exotic annual grasses. Community composition, plant performance, and four ecosystem services (productivity, forage quality, nutrient cycling, water use) will be measured for three years following community establishment. This research will be a strong empirical test of trait-based ecological theories in ecosystem management, and will allow rangeland managers to use increasingly available plant trait data to tailor restorations to both site conditions and desired ecosystem services.?
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
12107991070100%
Knowledge Area
121 - Management of Range Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0799 - Rangelands and grasslands, general;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
The primary goal of this project is to test whether a trait-based model can be used to restore plant communities that are drought tolerant, resist invasive species, and enhance four ecosystem services: productivity, forage quality, nutrient cycling, and water use. Our project will provide answers to the following questions:Objective 1. Do trait-based models predict drought tolerance and invasion resistance?To test the trait-based framework, we will generate species mixtures based on traits associated with drought tolerance and invasion resistance as determined by ecological theory, long-term species composition surveys, and a pairwise competition experiment. Specifically, the model will be used to select different assemblages that have optimal trait values for drought tolerance and invasion resistance in each rangeland system. We will then experimentally test (1) if the drought-tolerant assemblages result in lower mortality and higher growth under low water conditions relative to random species mixes and (2) if the competitive species assemblages result in lower invasion of exotic species relative to random species mixes.We will also determine if these patterns are generalizable across rangelands that differ in dominance of annual and perennial species. In perennial-dominated systems such as our Wyoming site, large root systems combined with slow growth allow the dominant perennials to take up/immobilize resources (and resist invasion) even while growing slowly (which allows them to tolerate drought). In annual dominated systems such as our California site, fast growth is necessary to take up/immobilize resources, which may allow them to resist invasion but might make them vulnerable to drought. Consequently, we predict that drought tolerance and invasion resistance may be opposing factors in an annual-dominated system, but synergistic in a perennial-dominated system.Objective 2. Does optimizing drought tolerance, invasion resistance, or functional diversity yield greater gains in productivity, forage quality, nutrient cycling, and water use?Restoration practitioners will ideally optimize multiple ecosystem functions. Selecting species assemblages that optimize drought tolerance or competition with invasive species may reduce functional diversity in restored plant communities. This is potentially problematic because functionally diverse communities have been shown to enhance a number of ecosystem services including productivity, carbon sequestration, and nutrient cycling (as described above). To evaluate trade-offs between our three community assemblages, we will assess the short-term consequences of drought tolerance, invasion resistance, and functional diversity on four key ecosystem services: productivity, forage quality, nitrogen cycling, and water use.
Project Methods
We will conduct this experiment in a grassland in southern California and a mixed grass prairie in Wyoming. While both community types include a mix of annual and perennial herbaceous species, the California site is dominated by annual grasses and forbs while the Wyoming site is dominated by perennial grasses. Both community types are productive rangelands, with production values on the order of 800-1400 kg/acre. At the California site, we will focus on increasing community resistance to the invasive annual grass Avena barbata, which is a dominant invasive species throughout the state of California. At the Wyoming site, we will focus on increasing resistance to the invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum.Objective 1. Do trait-based models predict drought tolerance and invasion resistance?We will establish experimental plots using a full factorial, randomized block design at each site. Each block will include three trait restoration assemblages (optimize drought tolerance, invasion resistance, functional diversity), an invader monoculture which will allow us to compute the competitive response (reduction in invader biomass) of the invader, a random assemblage of 10 species to determine whether treatments perform better than random, and an unmanipulated control consisting of existing vegetation at the site. Each plot will be split into two subplots where one will be seeded with the invader (A. barbata in California and B. tectorum in Wyoming), which will allow us to compute the competitive effect of the invader (reduction in native biomass, Goldberg and Landa 1991). We will establish 40 blocks in total, where 20 blocks will be under rainout shelters to receive 50% ambient precipitation and 20 blocks will receive 150% ambient rainfall.Seeds will be added at the beginning of the growing season (November in CA, April in WY), and will be watered with equal amounts if rains do not occur. Plots will be weeded during the first year to establish the experimental native plant communities. Invasive species seeds will be added at the start of year 2.In years 2-4 of the project, we will measure species composition and plant performance. All plants within each 0.25 m2 subplot will be identified and the percent cover will be estimated visually by a single observer. We willassess plant performance by measuring plant height and canopy volume of five representative individuals per species per subplot. At the conclusion of the experiment (year 4), we will harvest all plants in the plots and measure productivity as aboveground biomass. Biomass data will also be used to provide a final measurement of species performance across the entire plot area.To measure the intensity of competition between native species mixtures and our focal invaders (A. barbata, B. tectorum), we will compute log response ratios (lnRR) to quantify competitive effect and response. Response ratios will be computed using plant cover for years 2-4 and biomass in year 4. The effect of drought will be quantified as ln(cover in high water treatments / cover in low water treatments). To determine the effects of the experimental restoration assemblages on drought tolerance and invasion resistance, we will use Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Models to model the log response ratios as a function of the following fixed effects: restoration assemblage, precipitation treatment, invader treatment, year, and their interactions. The same general model structure will be used to analyze treatment effects on forage quality, water use, and rates of nutrient cycling.Objective 2. Does optimizing drought tolerance, invasion resistance, or functional diversity yield greater gains in productivity, forage quality, nutrient cycling, and water use?At peak growth during the growing season in years 2-4 (March in California, June in Wyoming), we will assess water use and nitrogen cycling. Water use will be assessed at the plant level by measuring stomatal conductance on five representative individuals per species per subplot. Soil moisture and Soil N pools (NO3, NH4) and mineralization rates will be assessed in each plot at 10 cm. Forage quality will be determined using the final aboveground biomass samples. After samples are massed, tissue from each plot will be homogenized and analyzed for crude protein, total digestible nutrients, lignin, and bulk N.The same general model structure described for Objective 1 will be used to analyze treatment effects on forage quality, water use, and rates of nutrient cycling.

Progress 05/15/23 to 05/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Thus far, this project has contributed to scientific literacy in society by providing educational opportunities for multiple graduate students, high school students, and undergraduate students, who benefited from hands-on research training provided by this project. These student groups are mostly female and underrepresented minorities in science. By providing minority students with opportunities to work closely with a professor in a research lab at a university, this research experience may contribute to their success in STEM courses and careers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Jennifer Funk provided training and professional development by mentoring a field technician, graduate student, undergraduate students, and high school students. Monica Nguyen served as the lead technician for the California project and gained valuable leadership and mentoring experience. Laurel Sebastian (a graduate student at UC Davis) focused her MS thesis on how drought and seed mix interact to influence soil carbon in the California experiment. Over the duration of the project, several undergraduates contributed to field and lab work associated with the California experiment and they received training on field and lab methods. In the last two years of the project, 10 students from Davis High School assisted with soil analysis as participants in the Davis Ecological Research Experience program directed by PI Funk. Daniel Laughlin is providing training and professional development by mentoring the PhD student Hailey Mount, and the undergraduate student researcher Iris Kurz. Hailey is learning how to conduct demographic measurements on plants and management large community-level experimental datasets. Dana Blumenthal's field crew, including technicians at the undergraduate and graduate levels, have been receiving training on the design and construction of large field experiments, as well as the use of trait data to understand semiarid grassland ecosystems. Julie Kray has continually been monitoring the soil moisture probes. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?PI Jennifer Funk discussed the project and results from the California experiment in an invited presentation at the Ecological Society of America annual meeting. Laurel Sebastian presented results from the California experiment in an online presentation associated with the California Native Grassland Association. Hailey Mount presented her thesis work at a presentation at the University of Wyoming. Magda Garbowski presented her research at the Ecological Society of America and at a USGS Powell Center Webinar. Daniel Laughlin presented his related research at several invited seminars, including the University of Maine, UC Davis, University of Prague, Oxford University, and Cambridge University. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In Wyoming, we will do the following this summer: maintain rainout shelters and fix equipment as needed, monitor rain out gauges to ensure treatment effectiveness, measure soil moisture continuously on 50 plots, remeasure cover of all species on all 512 quadrats, measure standing crop (herbaceous biomass) on a subset of the plots to estimate net primary productivity. In California, we will continue analyzing samples from the fourth and final growing season. This summer-fall, we will be working on three publications arising from the California site and one synthesis paper across the two sites. Results from the synthesis paper will be presented by Hailey Mount at the Ecological Society of America.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? California site In March-April 2023, we measured species composition associated with the fourth and final growing season. At this time, we collected soil samples in all plots for soil fertility and soil carbon analysis. Soil analysis was completed in Summer 2023 and our first paper from this site is in review (Sebastian et al. in review). We also collected leaf material for forage quality analysis and aboveground biomass for net primary productivity. These data will be analyzed and submitted for publication in Summer-Fall 2024. In November 2023, we collected soil from one-half of the plots (~100) to examine species composition in the seedbank. We were interested to know if the initial diversity planted in December 2019 was still present in the seedbank. This "grow out" seedbank experiment was completed in May 2024 and the data will be analyzed and submitted for publication in Summer-Fall 2024. Magda Garbowski, a postdoc based at the University of Wyoming, is completing part of her USDA NIFA postdoctoral work (Postdoctoral Fellowship#: 2020-10591) at the California field site. The project aims to assess whether competitive outcomes among species can be predicted by differences in traits among focal plants and their surrounding communities. Magda finished data collection during the 2022-23 season and her manuscript will be submitted for publication in Summer 2024. Wyoming site In Wyoming, we deployed 32 rainout shelters on May 7, 2023 on half of the 64 experimental blocks, and took them down in September 1, 2023. 50 soil moisture probes are continually measuring soil moisture every hour across 5 control and 5 rainout shelter blocks. During the growing season we monitored soil moisture and soil nutrients several times and detected significant reductions in soil water. We continued to measure demographic data on 1500 individuals across 15 species representing 3 full demographic transitions to monitor species-level responses to treatments. We measured plant cover by species on all 512 quadrats (2 subplots x 4 communities x 64 blocks). This year we were able to get some cheatgrass established to test our hypotheses about invasion. We will deploy the rainout shelters again on May 10, 2024. We sampled soil microbial communities across the treatments to determine if native species condition the microbiome and have effects on cheatgrass establishment. We also measured soil nutrient probes to quantify soil nutrient exchange rates. Finally, we sampled vegetation to quantify forage quality on all species in the experiment. Synthesis across sites Hailey Mount, PhD student at University of Wyoming, has started synthesizing the data for all years at both California and Wyoming sites. Analysis commenced with a 3-day workshop at UC Davis attended by Hailey Mount, Daniel Laughlin, Dana Blumenthal (virtual), and Jennifer Funk. Hailey will continue to work on the manuscript with plans to submit for publication in Fall 2024 or Winter 2025.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Funk JL, Larson JE, Blair MD, Nguyen MA, Rivera BJ (2024) Drought response in herbaceous plants: a test of the integrated framework of plant form and function. Functional Ecology 38:679-691
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Nguyen MA, Kimball S, Ta P, Burger JC, Freese R, Lulow M, Major M, Schmidt K, Tamura N, Funk JL (2024) Applying community assembly theory to restoration: overcoming dispersal and abiotic filters is key to diversifying California grassland. Restoration Ecology 32:e14018
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Funk JL, Kimball S, Nguyen MA, Lulow M, Vose G (2023) Interacting ecological filters influence success and functional composition in restored plant communities over time. Ecological Applications 33:e2899
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Kimball S, Nguyen MA, Funk JL, Lulow M, Vose G, Huxman T. Native plant traits and invasibility of restored communities: Importance of environmental context and trait hierarchies.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Sebastian LT, Laughlin DC, Wauters V, Funk JL. Plant traits, diversity, and environmental factors shape soil carbon dynamics in a restored grassland.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Garbowski M, Laughlin D, Blumenthal D, Sofaer H, Barnett D, Beaury E, Buonaiuto D, Corbin J, Dukes J, Early R, Nebhut A, Petri L, Vil� M. Pearse I. Introduced species drive functional trait shifts in plant communities.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Mount, H., M. Smith, A. Knapp, R. Griffin-Nolan, S. Collins, D. Atkins, A. Stears, D.C. Laughlin. 2023. Drought-tolerant grassland species are generally more resistant to competition. Journal of Ecology 112:416-426.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Laughlin, D. C., A. Siefert, J. R. Fleri, S. J. Tumber-D�vila, W. M. Hammond, F. M. Sabatini, G. Damasceno, I. Aubin, R. Field, M. Z. Hatim, S. Jansen, J. Lenoir, F. Lens, J. K. McCarthy, �. Niinemets, O. L. Phillips, F. Attorre, Y. Bergeron, H. H. Bruun, C. Byun, R. ?uaterevska, J. Dengler, M. De Sanctis, J. Dolezal, B. Jim�nez-Alfaro, B. H�rault, J. Homeier, J. Kattge, P. Meir, M. Mencuccini, J. Noroozi, A. Nowak, J. Pe�uelas, M. Schmidt, }. `kvorc, F. Sultana, R. M. Ugarte, and H. Bruelheide. 2023. Rooting depth and xylem vulnerability are independent woody plant traits jointly selected by aridity, seasonality, and water table depth. New Phytologist 240:1774-1787.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Bertuol-Garcia, D., E. Ladouceur, L. A. Brudvig, D. C. Laughlin, S. M. Munson, M. F. Curran, K. W. Davies, L. N. Svejcar, and N. Shackelford. 2023. Testing the hierarchy of predictability in grassland restoration across a gradient of environmental severity. Ecological Applications 33:e2922.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Siefert, A., and Laughlin, D.C. 2023. Estimating the net effect of functional traits on fitness across species and environments. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 14:1035-1048.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Funk JL (2023) Using plant functional traits to restore drought- and invasion-resistant grasslands. Ecological Society of America (Portland, OR)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Sebastian, L (2023) Plant Traits, Diversity Metrics, and Environmental Factors Shape Soil Carbon Dynamics in a Restored Grassland. California Native Grassland Association GRASS Award Speaker Series
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Garbowski, M. 2023. Introduced species drive functional trait shifts in plant communities. Ecological Society of America, August 2023.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Laughlin, D.C. 2024. Completing the cathedral: the fundamental niche and other hard problems in ecology. Invited Seminar presented to the Department of Biology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK, May 20, 2024.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Laughlin, D.C. 2024. Completing the cathedral: the fundamental niche and other hard problems in ecology. Invited Seminar presented to the Department of Biology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK, May 13, 2024.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Laughlin, D.C. 2024. Completing the cathedral: the fundamental niche and other hard problems in ecology. Invited Seminar presented to the Department of Biology, Prague University, Prague, Czech Republic, May 7, 2024.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Laughlin, D.C. 2024. Completing the cathedral: the fundamental niche and other hard problems in ecology. Invited Seminar presented to the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, U.C. Davis, Davis, California. February 8, 2024.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Garbowski, M. 2023. Introduced species drive functional trait shifts in plant communities. USGS Powell Center Webinar, September 2023.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Mount, Hailey E., 2024. Testing a predictive trait-based framework for community assembly. PhD Dissertation Proposal, Program in Ecology and Evolution and Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, March 19. Oral presentation.


Progress 05/15/19 to 05/05/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Thus far, this project has contributed to scientific literacy in society by providing educational opportunities for multiple graduate students, high school students, and undergraduate students, who benefited from hands-on research training provided by this project. These student groups are mostly female and underrepresented minorities in science. By providing minority students with opportunities to work closely with a professor in a research lab at a university, this research experience may contribute to their success in STEM courses and careers. An important aspect of this project is disseminating results to the people who are charged with the management and protection of vast areas of public and privately-held land. Once our results are fully analyzed (particularly results pertaining to productivity and forage quality), we will be able to communicate these results via online publications (e.g., UC Rangelands) and at regional meetings (e.g., California Invasive Plant Council, Society for Ecological Restoration California) to reach a diverse group of people including researchers, land managers, and policy groups. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Jennifer Funk provided training and professional development by mentoring a field technician, graduate student, undergraduate students, and high school students. Monica Nguyen served as the lead technician for the California project and gained valuable leadership and mentoring experience. Laurel Sebastian (a graduate student at UC Davis) focused her MS thesis on how drought and seed mix interact to influence soil carbon in the California experiment. Over the duration of the project, several undergraduates contributed to field and lab work associated with the California experiment and they received training on field and lab methods. In the last two years of the project, 10 students from Davis High School assisted with soil analysis as participants in the Davis Ecological Research Experience program directed by PI Funk. Daniel Laughlin is providing training and professional development by mentoring the PhD student Hailey Mount, and the undergraduate student researcher Iris Kurz. Hailey is learning how to conduct demographic measurements on plants and management large community-level experimental datasets. Dana Blumenthal's field crew, including technicians at the undergraduate and graduate levels, have been receiving training on the design and construction of large field experiments, as well as the use of trait data to understand semiarid grassland ecosystems. Julie Kray has continually been monitoring the soil moisture probes. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?PI Jennifer Funk discussed the project and results from the California experiment in an invited presentation at the Ecological Society of America annual meeting. Laurel Sebastian presented results from the California experiment in an online presentation associated with the California Native Grassland Association. Hailey Mount presented her thesis work at a presentation at the University of Wyoming. Magda Garbowski presented her research at the Ecological Society of America and at a USGS Powell Center Webinar. Daniel Laughlin presented his related research at several invited seminars, including the University of Maine, UC Davis, University of Prague, Oxford University, and Cambridge University. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? California site In March-April 2023, we measured species composition associated with the fourth and final growing season. At this time, we collected soil samples in all plots for soil fertility and soil carbon analysis. Soil analysis was completed in Summer 2023 and our first paper from this site is in review (Sebastian et al. in review). We also collected leaf material for forage quality analysis and aboveground biomass for net primary productivity. These data will be analyzed and submitted for publication in Summer-Fall 2024. In November 2023, we collected soil from one-half of the plots (~100) to examine species composition in the seedbank. We were interested to know if the initial diversity planted in December 2019 was still present in the seedbank. This "grow out" seedbank experiment was completed in May 2024 and the data will be analyzed and submitted for publication in Summer-Fall 2024. Magda Garbowski, a postdoc based at the University of Wyoming, is completing part of her USDA NIFA postdoctoral work (Postdoctoral Fellowship#: 2020-10591) at the California field site. The project aims to assess whether competitive outcomes among species can be predicted by differences in traits among focal plants and their surrounding communities. Magda finished data collection during the 2022-23 season and her manuscript will be submitted for publication in Summer 2024. Wyoming site In Wyoming, we deployed 32 rainout shelters on May 7, 2023 on half of the 64 experimental blocks, and took them down in September 1, 2023. 50 soil moisture probes are continually measuring soil moisture every hour across 5 control and 5 rainout shelter blocks. During the growing season we monitored soil moisture and soil nutrients several times and detected significant reductions in soil water. We continued to measure demographic data on 1500 individuals across 15 species representing 3 full demographic transitions to monitor species-level responses to treatments. We measured plant cover by species on all 512 quadrats (2 subplots x 4 communities x 64 blocks). This year we were able to get some cheatgrass established to test our hypotheses about invasion. We will deploy the rainout shelters again on May 10, 2024. We sampled soil microbial communities across the treatments to determine if native species condition the microbiome and have effects on cheatgrass establishment. We also measured soil nutrient probes to quantify soil nutrient exchange rates. Finally, we sampled vegetation to quantify forage quality on all species in the experiment. Synthesis across sites Hailey Mount, PhD student at University of Wyoming, has started synthesizing the data for all years at both California and Wyoming sites. Analysis commenced with a 3-day workshop at UC Davis attended by Hailey Mount, Daniel Laughlin, Dana Blumenthal (virtual), and Jennifer Funk. Hailey will continue to work on the manuscript with plans to submit for publication in Fall 2024 or Winter 2025.

Publications


    Progress 05/15/22 to 05/14/23

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Thus far, this project has contributed to scientific literacy in society by providing educational opportunities for multiple graduate students, high school students, and undergraduate students, who benefited from hands-on research training provided by this project. These student groups are mostly female and underrepresented minorities in science. By providing minority students with opportunities to work closely with a professor in a research lab at a university, this research experience may contribute to their success in STEM courses and careers. Changes/Problems:Hailey Mount finished her MS Botany degree and is enrolled at UW as a PhD student in the Program in Ecology and Evolution, where she will continue to focus her work on trait-based mixed-grass prairie restoration. Given that Hailey has started her PhD work on the project, we anticipate being able to extend the experiment for another two or three years. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Monica Nguyen serves as the lead technician for the California project and has gained valuable leadership and mentoring experience. Alyssa Boutelle and Slade Laszewski (undergraduate students at Chapman University) learned about the science behind the experiment and gained valuable hands-on experience in the field collecting soil samples and assisting with species composition measures. Laurel Sebastian (a graduate student at UC Davis) will focus her MS thesis on how drought and seed mix interact to influence soil carbon in the California experiment. Ten students from Davis High School assisted with soil analysis as participants in the Davis Ecological Research Experience program directed by PI Funk. Daniel Laughlin is providing training and professional development by mentoring the PhD student Hailey Mount, and the postdoctoral associate Magda Garbowski. Hailey is learning how to conduct demographic measurements on plants and management large community-level experimental datasets. Both Hailey and Magda also worked with Rachel Standish, the Fulbright scholar from Australia. Dana Blumenthal's field crew, including technicians at the undergraduate and graduate levels, have been receiving training on the design and construction of large field experiments, as well as the use of trait data to understand semiarid grassland ecosystems. Julie Kray has continually been monitoring the soil moisture probes. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?PI Jennifer Funk discussed the project and results from the California experiment in a seminar to the Davis Botanical Society. Magda Garbowski has given several public talks about her grassland restoration work, including at the University of Wyoming, the University of Life Sciences in Poland, the Ecological Society of America meeting in Montreal, and the Botanical Society of America meeting in Anchorage. Hailey Mount presented her thesis work during several presentations, including at the Guild of Rocky Mountain Ecologists and Evolutionary Biologists, the Botanical Society of America, the Annual Program in Ecology Graduate Symposium, and the Front Range Student Ecology Symposium. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In California, we will continue analyzing samples from the fourth and final growing season. This summer-fall, we will be working on four publications arising from the California site and results will be presented at the Ecological Society of America. In Wyoming, we will do the following this summer: maintain rainout shelters and fix equipment as needed, remeasure the 1500 individual plants for demographic monitoring, monitor rain out gauges to ensure treatment effectiveness, measure soil moisture in all 512 quadrats 3 times throughout the field season using a Theta Probe, measure soil moisture continuously on 50 plots, measure total anion and cation accumulation on resin sticks in 50 plots, measure tissue quality for digestibility measurements on all 25 species in the experiment, remeasure cover of all species on all 512 quadrats. Magda Garbowski (NIFA postdoc) will be conducting additional measurements to explore competitive interactions between the cheatgrass and native species.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? California site The vegetation results from the third growing season (2021-22) at the California site mirror the second season patterns. We found a strong effect of water treatment on plant cover (higher cover in high water treatment), but no effect of seed mix treatment (drought tolerance, invasion resistance, functional diversity) on plant cover. Last year we analyzed several soil carbon fractions (water extractible carbon, microbial carbon, total carbon, and carbon in particulate organic matter and minerally associated organic matter) and our preliminary analysis suggests higher microbial carbon in the control plots compared to the drought plots. While seed mix treatment generally did not alter soil carbon, we found effects of individual plant species on soil carbon fractions. For example, Stipa pulchra (a common perennial grass used in native plant restoration) increased total soil carbon. Our preliminary analysis also suggests that community traits can alter soil carbon fractions. Plots containing species with more robust leaves (high leaf mass per area) and roots (high root tissue density) generally displayed lower carbon in soil particulate organic matter and minerally associated organic matter. In March-April 2023, we measured species composition associated with the fourth and final growing season. We observed dramatically different species composition in the control versus drought treatments this year and we expect this will lead to differences in productivity and forage quality, which will be measured/analyzed this summer. We also collected soil samples in all plots for soil fertility and soil carbon analysis; analysis will be completed this summer and fall. Magda Garbowki, a postdoc based at the University of Wyoming, is completing part of her USDA NIFA postdoctoral work (Postdoctoral Fellowship#: 2020-10591) at the California field site. The project aims to assess whether competitive outcomes among species can be predicted by differences in traits among focal plants and their surrounding communities. Magda collected performance data (i.e., height, aboveground biomass, belowground biomass) on 12 focal species at the site along with data on the surrounding plant communities during the 2022 and 2023 field seasons. She will integrate trait data for all species to answer her core research question and plans to prepare a peer-reviewed publication of the work this upcoming summer. Wyoming site In Wyoming, the experiment experienced a severe growing season drought in 2022. This drought had major negative impacts on productivity in both the experimental drought treatment as well as the ambient treatments. We deployed 32 rainout shelters on May 7, 2022 on half of the 64 experimental blocks, and took them down in September 1, 2022. 50 soil moisture probes are continually measuring soil moisture every hour across 5 control and 5 rainout shelter blocks. During the growing season we monitored soil moisture and soil nutrients several times and detected significant reductions in soil water. We continued to measure demographic data on 1500 individuals across 15 species representing two full demographic transitions to monitor species-level responses to treatments. We measured plant cover by species on all 512 quadrats (2 subplots x 4 communities x 64 blocks). Very few cheatgrass plants grew in the experiment, likely because of the extreme drought. Therefore, in August 2022, we re-seeded cheatgrass into bare monocultures and into the sub-plots where they will compete with native vegetation in 2023. We will deploy the rainout shelters again on May 10, 2023. Rachel Standish (visiting Fulbright scholar from Western Australia) and Linda van Diepen (University of Wyoming) sampled soil microbial communities across the treatments to determine if native species condition the microbiome and have effects on cheatgrass establishment.

    Publications

    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Funk JL. Staying alive: the drought-defying flora of California grasslands. Davis Botanical Society
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Garbowski, M. Restoration in the context of global change, University of Wyoming, Botany Department Seminar
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Garbowski, M, Sender J. Testing the effects of disturbance and nutrient enrichment on old-fields in Poland - a contribution to the Disturbances and Resources in Global Grasslands Network (DRAGNet), University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Garbowski, M. Do traits and trait relationships change throughout plant development? Ecological Society of America Conference, Montreal, Canada
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mount, Hailey E. Evidence for a consistent trade-off between responses to drought and neighbors in grasslands along a precipitation gradient. Guild of Rocky Mountain Ecologists and Evolutionary Biologists, CU Boulder Mountain Research Station, September 24. Poster presentation
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mount, Hailey E. Evidence for a consistent trade-off between responses to drought and neighbors in grasslands along a precipitation gradient. Botanical Society of America conference, Anchorage, Alaska. July 25. Poster presentation.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mount, Hailey E. Evidence for a consistent trade-off between responses to drought and neighbors in grasslands along a precipitation gradient. MS Thesis Defense, Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, April 8. Oral presentation.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mount, Hailey E. Trade-off between responses to drought and neighbors in grassland communities. Front Range Student Ecology Symposium, Colorado State University, February 24. Poster presentation
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mount, Hailey E. Trade-off between responses to drought and neighbors in grassland communities. Annual Program in Ecology Graduate Symposium, University of Wyoming, February 25. Oral presentation.


    Progress 05/15/21 to 05/14/22

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Thus far, this project has contributed to scientific literacy in society by providing educational opportunities for multiple graduate students, high school students, and undergraduate students, who benefited from hands-on research training provided by this project. These student groups are mostly female and underrepresented minorities in science. By providing minority students with opportunities to work closely with a professor in a research lab at a university, this research experience may contribute to their success in STEM courses and careers. Changes/Problems:Two personnel changes at the Wyoming site. Jesse Fleri decided to take a job in the tech industry rather than finish his PhD. Hailey Mount finished her MS Botany degree and plans to continue her PhD on this project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Monica Nguyen serves as the lead technician for the California project and has gained valuable leadership and mentoring experience. Odalys Hernandez Aguilar (an undergraduate student at Chapman University) and Rowan Peterson (a graduate student at UC Davis) learned about the science behind the experiment and gained valuable hands-on experience in the field collecting soil samples and assisting with species composition measures. Laurel Sebastian (a graduate student at UC Davis) will focus her MS thesis on how drought and seed mix interact to influence soil carbon in the California experiment. Daniel Laughlin is providing training and professional development by mentoring the PhD student Jesse Fleri, the MS student Hailey Mount, and the undergraduate student Molly Murnane that have worked on the project. Jesse is learning how to manage large complex field experiments and be a team leader during the field season. Hailey is learning how to conduct demographic measurements on plants. Molly Murnane is learning about soil moisture and nutrient measurements. Dana Blumenthal's field crew, including technicians at the undergraduate and graduate levels, have been receiving training on the design and construction of large field experiments, as well as the use of trait data to understand semiarid grassland ecosystems. Julie Kray has been monitoring the soil moisture probes. Seth Romero has been leading an associated observational study on associations between traits on native communities and invasion by Bromus tectorum. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?PI Jennifer Funk has discussed the project and results from the California experiment inseveral research seminars at academic institutions (see list of presentations). Theory from this project was included in Funk (2021) Journal of Ecology. Co-PI Daniel Laughlin gave a public seminar to the Jackson Hole community during the Harlow Seminar Series at the UW-NPS Research Station in July 2021. He briefly described the experiment in the public forum but did not have any results to share at the time. Haley Mount presented her thesis work during several presentations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In California, the fourth growing season (November 2022-May 2023) will be our last. We will measure species composition followed by a destructive harvest to determine plant function (leaf physiology), forage quality, and productivity (aboveground biomass). We will also collect soil samples and analyze them for N, P, and C. In Wyoming, we will do the following this summer: maintain rainout shelters and fix equipment as needed, remeasure the 1500 individual plants for demographic monitoring, monitor rain out gauges to ensure treatment effectiveness, measure soil moisture in all 512 quadrats 3 times throughout the field season using a Theta Probe, measure soil moisture continuously on 50 plots, measure total anion and cation accumulation on resin sticks in 40 plots, explore tissue quality sampling for digestibility measurements, remeasure cover of all species on all 512 quadrats. Magda Garbowski (NIFA postdoc) will be conducting additional measurements to explore competitive interactions between the cheatgrass and native species. Rachel Standish (visiting scholar from Western Australia) and Linda van Diepen (University of Wyoming) will be analysing soil microbial communities across the treatments to determine if native species condition the microbiome and have effects on cheatgrass establishment. We are hiring two undergraduate research assistants to collect new data and conduct research in the field this summer.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? We analyzed results from the second growing season (2020-21) at the California site. Preliminary data show a strong effect of water treatment on plant cover (higher cover in high water treatment), but no effect of seed mix treatment (drought tolerance, invasion resistance, functional diversity) on plant cover. Establishment of the seeded invasive species (Festuca perennis) was poor during the second year; thus, we did not remove two non-native annual grasses from the invaded plots (Bromus diandrus, Bromus madritensis) during the third growing season (2021-22) to better test the ability of our treatments to resist invasion by non-native annual grasses. Soil nitrogen and phosphorus content did not vary across water or seed mix treatments in the second growing season (2020-21). In March-May 2022, we measured species composition associated with the third growing season and data will be analyzed this summer. We also collected soil samples in all plots for soil fertility and soil carbon analysis. Soil carbon analysis will be completed this summer and fall and will focus on water extractible carbon, microbial carbon, total carbon, and carbon in particulate organic matter and minerally associated organic matter fractions. In Wyoming, the 2021 field season was a resounding success. We deployed 32 rainout shelters on May 7, 2022 on half of the 64 experimental blocks, and took them down in September 1, 2022. We installed 50 soil moisture probes that are measuring soil moisture every hour across 5 control and 5 rainout shelter blocks. During the growing season we monitored soil moisture and soil nutrients and detected significant reductions in soil water and changes in nutrient availabilities between the drought treatments. We measured demographic data on 1500 individuals across 15 species representing one full demographic transition to monitor species-level responses to treatments. We measured plant cover by species on all 512 quadrats (2 subplots x 4 communities x 64 blocks). In August, we seeded cheatgrass into bare monocultures and into the sub-plots where they will compete with native vegetation, and we have already begun to see emergence this spring. We will deploy the rainout shelters again on April 29, 2022.

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Funk JL (2021) Revising the trait-based filtering framework to include interacting filters: lessons from grassland restoration. Journal of Ecology 109:3466-3472
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Blumenthal, DM, Mueller, KE, Kray, JA, Ocheltree, TW, Augustine, DJ, and Wilcox, KR. 2020. Traits link drought resistance with herbivore defence and plant economics in semi-arid grasslands: The central roles of phenology and leaf dry matter content. Journal of Ecology, 108, 2336-2351.


    Progress 05/15/20 to 05/14/21

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Thus far, this project has contributed to scientific literacy in society by providing educational opportunities for two graduate students, ten high school students, and three undergraduate students, who benefited from hands-on research training provided by this project. These student groups are mostly female and underrepresented minorities in science. By providing minority students with opportunities to work closely with a professor in a research lab at a university, this research experience may contribute to their success in STEM courses and careers. Changes/Problems:In Wyoming, Covid-19 protocols required us to rent three additional vehicles in summer 2020 so that crew members could drive separately to the field site. This means that our travel budget was 3 times higher than anticipated. Now that all crew members are fully vaccinated, we can drive to the field in the same vehicle. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Monica Nguyen serves as the lead technician for the California project and has gained valuable leadership and mentoring experience. Annie Ng and Nikki Gelb, undergraduate students, and 10 high school students from Orange County, CA learned about the science behind the experiment as they helped prepare seeds for planting in the California project. Co-PI Daniel Laughlin is providing training and professional development by mentoring the PhD student Jesse Fleri, the MS student Hailey Mount, and the three undergraduate students that have worked on the project. Jesse is learning how to manage large complex field experiments and be a team leader during the field season. Hailey is learning how to conduct demographic measurements on plants. Molly Murnane is learning about soil moisture and nutrient measurements. Mason Parcus and Carl LaNore learned how to build experimental rainout shelters, measure plant traits in the field and lab, and measure community composition on plots. Dana Blumenthal's field crew, including technicians at the undergraduate and graduate levels, have been receiving training on the design and construction of large field experiments, as well as the use of trait data to understand semiarid grassland ecosystems. Seth Romero has been leading an associated observational study on associations between traits on native communities and invasion by Bromus tectorum. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?PI Jennifer Funk has discussed the project (no results yet) in a Plant Sciences department seminar at UC Davis. Co-PI Daniel Laughlin plans to give a public seminar to the Jackson Hole community during the Harlow Seminar Series at the UW-NPS Research Station this summer. He will describe the experiment in the public forum but will not have any results to share at the time. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In California, we will continue to monitor species composition during the third growing season (November 2021-May 2022). Due to poor germination of our focal invader in many monoculture and treatment plots, we will re-seed many plots next year. Next year, we will sample soils from every plot and analyze them for soil carbon. In Wyoming, we will accomplish the following activities during summer 2021: maintain rainout shelters and fix equipment as needed, remeasure the 1500 individual plants for demographic monitoring, monitor rain out gauges to ensure treatment effectiveness, measure soil moisture in all 512 quadrats 8 times throughout the field season using a Theta Probe, measure soil moisture continuously on 50 plots, measure total anion and cation accumulation on resin sticks in 40 plots, conduct baseline soil sampling on 40 plots to measure texture and nitrate availability, explore tissue quality sampling for digestibility measurements, and collect local cheatgrass seeds for invasion experiment that we will start in August 2021.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? In California, we completed the second of four field seasons. At the beginning of the season (November 2020) we added seeds of the invasive species (Festuca perennis) to the treatment plots and to monoculture plots. In March-May 2021, we conducted our first complete species composition survey. Data will be analyzed this summer. We also collected soil samples in a subset of plants for soil fertility analysis. In Wyoming, we finished all preparations during the 2020 field season to begin the drought experiment in Spring 2021. We established four experimental communities in each of 64 randomized experimental blocks through seeding, watering, and weeding. We measured the baseline community compositions in quadrats within two subplots per community (2 subplots x 4 communities x 64 blocks = 512 quadrats) in July and August 2020. We measured 100 individuals across 15 species for demographic monitoring of growth and survival over the next few years. We built 32 rainout shelters on half of the blocks. We deployed the shelters on May 7, 2021. The shelters are currently reducing precipitation by 66% and are reducing soil moisture. We installed 50 soil moisture probes that are measuring soil moisture every hour across 5 control and 5 rainout shelter blocks.

    Publications

    • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Funk, J.L. 2021. Trait-based approaches to understanding ecological processes and ecosystem management. Invited seminar presented to the Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis, CA.


    Progress 05/15/19 to 05/14/20

    Outputs
    Target Audience:During the first year, this project has contributed to scientific literacy in society by providing educational opportunities for one graduate student, ten high school students, and one undergraduate student, who benefited from hands-on research training provided by this project. These student groups are mostly female and underrepresented minorities in science. By providing minority students with opportunities to work closely with a professor in a research lab at a university, this research experience may contribute to their success in STEM courses and careers. Changes/Problems:Covid-19 has changed our ability to work in teams. We will work alone or in pairs at the plots while maintaining social distance. This will likely slow our progress this summer in Wyoming, but we hope to still be on schedule. Due to Covid-19 related closures, we were unable to access sites to collect Bromus diandrus seeds for the California project, so we will use commercially available Festuca perennis instead. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Monica Nguyen was hired as the lead technician for the California project and has gained valuable leadership and mentoring experience. Trevor Carter, technician, gained valuable field experience working on the Wyoming project in summer 2019. Sienna Wessel, graduate student, learned about seedling identification and developed her organizational skills for leading Wyoming field work tasks related to the project. Annie Ng, undergraduate student, and 10 high school students from Orange County, CA learned about the science behind the experiment as they helped prepare seeds for planting in the California project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?No results have been obtained yet, but several conference and seminar presentations have been given to spread the word about the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In California, we will continue to monitor species composition during the second growing season (November 2020-May 2021). Due to poor germination of several perennial species, we are growing individuals in pots, which will be transplanted into the field in November. Annual species established and seeded this past year; thus, these species do not need to be re-seeded in year two. Seeds of the non-native species Festuca perennis will be added in November 2020 at the start of the second growing season. In Wyoming, we plan to build the rainout shelters, continue to weed and establish the native plant communities over the summer 2020, collect seed and seed the non-native species Bromus tectorum into the plots in the Fall 2020, and collect plant community composition data on all the plots in July/August 2020.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? In California, the plots, structures, and fences were already established following the termination of a previous experiment. Seeds were collected and planted in the plots in December 2019. Plots were monitored weekly December through March and plant were weeded or seeds added to obtain target densities. In Wyoming, activities primarily included establishing the field site. We sprayed the plots with glyphosate (May 2018), built a 9-ft game fence around the experiment in May 2019, dug an irrigation line to establish a water hydrant inside the fence in June 2019, tilled the plots in June 2019, seeded and raked the plots in June 2019, watered the plots June-Sept 2019, established irrigation ditches and sprinkler system in July 2019, weeded the plots June-Sept 2019, measured plant species composition in August 2019, and re-seeded the plots in November 2019.

    Publications

    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Wessel, S. 2019. Applying trait-based models to restore resilient plant communities and ecosystem services. Oral presentation at the annual meeting of the Guild of Rocky Mountain Ecologists and Evolutionary Biologists, Gothic, CO.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Wessel, S. 2019. Applying trait-based models to restore resilient plant communities and ecosystem services. Lightning talk presentation at University of Wyoming Botany Seminar Series, Laramie, WY.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Laughlin, D.C. 2019. Optimizing traits to achieve functional restoration objectives. Invited talk for a Symposium on Restoration Science Relevant for Action. Royal Society at Chicheley Hall.
    • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Laughlin, D.C. 2019. Community assembly models for functional ecological restoration. Invited seminar presented to the Zoology Department at Oxford University.
    • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Funk, J.L. 2019. Trait-based approaches to understanding ecological processes and ecosystem management. Invited seminar presented to the Department of Biological Science, CSU Fullerton, CA.
    • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Funk, J.L. 2019. Trait-based approaches to understanding ecological processes and ecosystem management. Invited seminar presented to the Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis, CA.
    • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Funk, J.L. 2019. Trait-based approaches to ecological restoration in invaded plant communities. Invited seminar presented to the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno.
    • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Funk, J.L. 2019. Trait-based approaches to ecological restoration in invaded plant communities. Invited seminar presented to the School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona.