M.Sc. 2012

Contact

Email: gurney@wra-ca.com

Research Interests

My master’s research focused on plant community ecology in altered ecosystems. Specifically, I investigated how plant-herbivore interactions affect the assembly of native bunchgrasses compared to invasive annual grasses at Carrizo Plains National Monument. My study considered both the effects of native animals (Giant Kangaroo Rats) and introduced livestock (cattle)-including the effects of herbivory, seed predation, and biotic soil disturbance. The goal of the work has been to contribute to recommendations for the restoration of California native grasslands. I am also interested in the social, political, and economic factors that affect conservation planning across land ownership boundaries and hope to eventually work for a land conservancy.