Blue Oak Xeric Edge Planting Experiment
Due to ongoing climate change, many species are already experiencing population declines at the xeric (hot/dry) edges of their natural ranges. Because these edge populations frequently have adaptations to relatively extreme climates, losing them means losing critical genetic diversity that could help a species evolve and adapt to change. This is particularly true for oak species that cannot tolerate the freezing and drying of traditional seed bank preservation and more information is needed on assisted gene flow for oaks in the field.?
Using California's endemic blue oak, scientists are evaluating the potential for translocating seeds from xeric edge populations to locations that are currently wetter. HREC is host to a garden of blue oak seedlings from a range of climates across California. These trees are being monitored for growth, water use, disease, herbivory resistance, and other factors that could help prevent species extinction.
Researcher Spotlight: Dr. Blair McLaughlin and Dr. Erika Zavaleta
Blair and Erika are ecologists and conservationists working together to study climate change adaptation in keystone oak species that occur in California and nowhere else in the world. As an associate professor of ecology at Hampshire College, Blair's research program connects undergraduates from New England with California's unique rangeland ecosystems. Erika is a professor at UC Santa Cruz, the Director of the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program, and a member of the California Fish and Game Commission. You can learn more about Erika’s work on biological and cultural diversity on the Conservation Science & Solutions Lab page
Learn More!
Check out Blair's recent publication which highlights how participatory field gene banking may offer an effective means of preserving genetic diversity for oaks, thereby maintaining critical resources for future climate change-adaptive restoration.
