by Laura Ladwig (SEV)
My first summer conducting dissertation
research at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge I was determined to figure
out the germination patterns of the dominant shrub, Larrea tridentata (creosote bush). It currently invades some
grasslands at the Sevilleta, while it remains completely absent from others and
I wanted to know why. Part of the investigation involved planting L. tridentata seeds in a variety of
grass- and shrubland sites, then watering and monitoring them throughout the
season to understand where L. tridentata
could germinate.
Going into the project, I
knew my freshly planted seeds would have a formidable opponent. Rodents. Abundant
and diverse throughout my sites, rodents are known to eat both seeds and seedlings
of L. tridentata. Always keeping
these furry little critters in mind, I designed specialized seed collars to
keep the rodents away from my seeds and hopeful seedlings.
