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Ecological specialization of cryptic species on a serpentine outcrop
For plants, the soil environment is a major habitat factor and can be extremely important in plant speciation. Jasper Ridge is home to an extensive serpentine outcrop occupied by two superficially indistinguishable species of Lasthenia (Asteraceae), L. californica and L. gracilis. We are interested in how these two "cryptic" species have co-occurred for the last 30 years without apparent hybridization along a 60-meter serpentine outcrop.
We conducted a reciprocal transplant across the abrupt boundary of L. californica and L. gracilis to determine if selection maintains their distributions. We have found evidence for local adaptation in both species. When moved out of their native region of the outcrop, each species has lower survival and those that survive set fewer viable seeds. We collected soil every two weeks to determine if the dynamic nature of soil chemistry explains the timing of death in the transplanted individuals. Our work ... Read More
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve Celebrates 40 Years
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. Since 1973, research conducted at the preserve has transformed fundamental ecology science.
Now, interdisciplinary studies are providing more guidance than ever on how to apply that work to help conserve the planet.
Read full article at Stanford News
Tad Fukami & Bio44Y class win Science Prize for Inquiry-Based Instruction
Stanford's Biology 44Y – an innovative undergraduate class that meets at Jasper Ridge – helps students do science by practice, with a focus on plant-pollinator-microbe interactions as a model system.
AAAS Video and News Release
Read Fukami's essay Integrating Inquiry-Based Teaching with Faculty Research at Science.
Learn more about Fukami's research
JRBP ant survey – keeping an eye on ants for 20 years
Long-running research project at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve now uses volunteers to track the spread of invasive Argentine ants and
monitor their impact on populations of native ant species.
Full story at San Jose Mercury News
| Learn about the project
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JRBP Annual Report
The 2011 - 2012 Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve Annual Report is now available online in PDF format.
Download the Annual Report.
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Chris Field speaks at U.S. Senate hearing on climate change
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve faculty director Chris Field spoke August 1 at a U.S. Senate hearing where
he warned of the increased risk of heat waves, droughts and heavy precipitation due to climate change.
"It is critical to understand that the link between climate change and the kinds of extremes that lead to disasters is clear," said Field in his testimony before the Senate.
Field is a Senior Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment fellow, Stanford professor of biology and environmental Earth system science, and director of the Department of Global Ecology at the Carnegie Institution for Science.
He is also co-chair of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working group.
Read full article at Stanford News |
Climate research at Jasper Ridge
JRBP wildlife cameras and wireless network featured on KGO-TV
"Life after dark in a Bay Area forest," produced by ABC7 News/KGO-TV, takes a look at camera trapping and the outdoor wireless network at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve.
Watch video
Performance artist Ann Carlson offers unique view of Jasper Ridge
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve recently hosted Picture Jasper Ridge: A Performance Hike –
a 70-minute "tableau vivante" experience combining a walk in the preserve with actors recreating historic photos near the actual locations where the photos were taken.
Picture Jasper Ridge is the work of Ann Carlson, an American dancer, choreographer, and performance artist. Carlson is currently in residence with
the Stanford University Drama Department for the
2011-12 academic year and is the inaugural visiting artist at the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve during the Winter Quarter.
Read more at Stanford News
Successful prescribed burn at JRBP
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), in collaboration with Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve,
conducted a small, prescribed burn inside the preserve's main entrance on Sand Hill Road on Monday, July 18, 2011.
The prescribed burn was confined to just 1.2 acres of grassland and provided a range of benefits for management and research.
More information, including videos and photos, is available at jrbp.stanford.edu/fire.php.
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JRBP Mission Statement
The mission of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve is to contribute to the understanding
of the Earth's natural systems through research, education, and protection of the
Preserve's resources. More |
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