Native grass species in California are facing rapid changes now and over the next 100 years due to probable warmer temperatures and shifts in rainfall patterns. With most California grasslands and prairies heavily invaded by European grasses and forbs, a recent analysis predicts that climate change will favor those exotics over our native species.
In the science of ecosystem restoration, functional strategy models offer promising tools to predict how plants will respond to new and changing environments. Just underway at UC Hopland Research & Extension Center is a study that will test several hypothesis in this field.
The study will primarily be using several ecotypes of Blue Wildrye (Elymus glaucus), a native bunchgrass that is commonly used in restoration.
Here you see HREC Senior Agricultural Technician Troy McWilliams finishing an exclosure plot fence to be used in the study.
