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Sienna Wessel - Predictability and stability of sagebrush steppe restoration in a changing climate

Receiving a Biodiversity Enhancement Grant is a huge honor for me. This funding provides me with the resources needed to afford a COVID-safe "lab/home on wheels" in Grand Teton National Park for the survey of sagebrush communities, allows me time in the fall to focus on measuring plant traits, and it connects me with an amazing institute that puts science communication at the top of the priority list. In fact, one of the factors that drew me to the University of Wyoming was the possibility to conduct outreach work in conjunction with the Biodiversity Institute. My drive to improve restoration and conservation practices by incorporating ecological theory and climate driven goals is all about preserving plant biodiversity at the core. I am excited to work with the Biodiversity Institute to develop a photographic exposition that brings my view "through the loupe" to a wider audience and opens up discussion about how studying plant traits, such as leaf area, can help us to improve restoration of plant biodiversity and bolster community stability in the face of climate change.

Sienna Wessel

Biodiversity Graduate Student Research Enhancement Grant Awardee 

Department of Botany
Graduate Advisor: Dr. Laughlin

Project Objectives

82024082_1594512214058738_3044125772609486848_o.jpgGrand Teton National Park (GRTE) began a large scale restoration project in 2009 to replace pasture grasses with diverse and stable sagebrush steppe communities. Observations show that restored communities are characterized by highly different floristic compositions compared to intact reference sites (pers. comm. Laura Jones, National Park Service). However, no comprehensive analysis of the success of these restorations has been conducted and it is uncertain whether current targets are appropriate goals in light of the unknown effects of current and expected climate change in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. My project objectives are 1) to determine what drives restoration trajectories towards desired outcomes, 2) to assess whether trait-based targets can improve restoration predictability, and 3) to test whether or not traits can predict population and community level responses to climatic variation. GRTE staff will use the results of my work to adapt restoration practices and to create climate-resilient restoration designs. This work supports the goals of the Biodiversity Graduate Student Research Enhancement Grant Program by determining what drives generation of sagebrush steppe biodiversity through the lens of restoration and how this diversity impacts ecosystem services including stability of biomass in the face of increasing climatic variation. Additionally, understanding how sagebrush steppe communities respond to climate at the population and community levels is necessary for the development of plans that maintain biodiversity long term.

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