Ecology
Scenes from my research on oak woodland restoration, soil seed banks, and earthworms, as well as a seed collecting expedition to the Siskiyous in Oregon. Seed collection, done ethically and with appropriate permission, can add new plants and genetic material to gardens, increasing resilience in the face of a changing climate.
Trillium grandiflorum blooming in front of a charred stump in an oak savanna opening; occasional prescribed burning keeps the understories open, and allows herbaceous plants to thrive
soil seed bank samples germinating at the Chicago Botanic Garden Nursery; our work suggested that supplemental seeding was crucial for the restoration of oak woodlands
oak savannas are characterized by widely-spaced, fire-tolerant trees, like these burr oaks, and a diverse herbaceous understory, and were carefully maintained for hunting and food production by the Potawatomi people in the Midwest
an uncommon find: fringed gentian thriving in the openings of an oak savanna in the northern suburbs of Chicago
identification of seedlings (here, Glyceria striata) was necessary to list the components of soil seed banks
mature burr oaks can resist occasional burning, which makes fire a crucial tool for the restoration of oak woodlands and savannas
a relatively new field to western science, management of these ecosystems was refined by indigenous people in the Americas for millennia, favoring widely-spaced trees to allow light to reach the understory and support a diverse groundlayer of perennials and grasses
seeds and seed heads of Penstemon digitalis, a resilient plant for woodland edges and clearings
white trout lily is a welcome spring-bloomer after long winters
mayapples forming a dense clonal patch in a wetter edge of an oak woodland
vegetation survey plots, and initial soil seed bank sample collection
prairie trillium is a common understory component of oak woodlands and savannas, thriving in sunny clearings
restored oak woodlands are characterized by widely spaced trees, plenty of light, and an open, park-like feel
Dodecatheon meadia blooming in a restored oak woodland understory in the suburbs of Chicago
a path through wild patch of Zizia aurea in a restored oak woodland in the northern suburbs of Chicago
wild rye grasses (Elymus) are a key component of woodland understory plant communities
sundrops in the understory of an oak woodland
researchers Jalen Holloway and Ra'ell Moore-Wilson spearheaded a survey of earthworms in suburban oak woodlands, contributing to our understanding of their possible impacts on woodland ecosystems
botanizing along the Illinois River, a tributary of the Rogue in the Siskiyous, 2019
Ross Bayton of Heronswood, and Joanna Long and Ray Larson of the University of Washington, making field notes and collecting seeds of various evergreen oak relatives in the Siskiyous
Joe Abken, director of the Kruckeberg Garden searching for western azalea seed along the banks of an alpine lake in the Siskiyous
western azalea blooming in a seep bog in the Siskiyous
Darlingtonia californica, a strange and wonderful carnivorous plant in the Siskiyous
wild-sourced seeds, collected in the Siskiyous under a USFS permit