Fall 2023

Fall 2023 [JPG, 520.40 KB]
At Hastings Natural History Reservation, students studied the trade-offs between annual tree growth and acorn germination potential in valley oaks. They collected 585 acorns and both measured and assessed them for insect damage and rot. The study found that as average annual tree growth increased, average acorn weight decreased. No relationship between annual tree growth and insect deterrence and rot was detected. Image credit: Valeria Katona

Valley oaks (Quercus lobata) exhibit trade-offs between growth and acorn germination potential [PDF, 1.31 MB]
Santiago Chang, Andrew Ghali, Valeria Katona, Ruby Raheja

Chaparral resurgence: Assessing the effects of fire intensity on post-fire regrowth [PDF, 1.79 MB]
Nikolai Belikov, Amanda Bueno-Kling, and Madeleine Haddad

Effect of temperature and light on jumping spider feeding behavior [PDF, 516.34 KB]
Tiffany Chao, Kyesung (Matthew) Lee, Alondra Prado, Daphne Smith

Low-severity fire alters a lichen community in a California oak woodland [PDF, 787.76 KB]
Madeleine Crawford, Svenn Eyjolfsson, Natalie Pistole

The role of exfoliating bark in Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii) competition [PDF, 695.38 KB]
Nitzan Bochner Loewenberg, Jillian Curry, Shannon Swan

Effect of habitat complexity on acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) territoriality [PDF, 3.33 MB]
Kaia Diel, Paige Elling, David Frackelton, Deven Sutaria