I went back to Northern Great Basin Experimental Range for data collection. There was still patches of snow on the ground! Snow melted by the warmth of sun in the afternoon. These large fluctuations of temperature is common in the Great Basin.

There were very few emerging grass seedlings and abundant recruitment of annual forbs, especially the desert madwort (Alyssum desertorum). Some perennial forbs like Phlox and Lupinus were already flowering. I am curious how this year’s demography data compares to last year’s.

Because native grass germination seems to be sensitive to temperature changes, I am conducting a germination trial on squirreltail (Elymus elymoides) seeds to understand the population variance in germination niche.