Researchers aim to test multiple invasive species removal strategies. They will evaluate how seed harvesting, removing thatch by raking, or the combination of both treatments affect the abundance of invasive grasses, and they will monitor how native plant abundance and diversity responds.

To guide management of invasive plant species, this project aims to answer: 

• Is seed harvesting and/or brush removal an effective and sustainable restoration strategy?
• What are the legacy effects of invasion for endemic plant communities?
• How will plant-soil feedbacks effect the reestablishment of native plant communities or reinvasion of grasses?
• Is the removal of Bromus hordeaceus and Lolium multiflorum an effective restoration strategy for JRBP('O'O)’s serpentine grasslands?

Ethan has received funding to support this research project from: 

• 2026 TNC Oren Pollak Memorial Student Research Grant for Grassland Science
• 2026 CNPS Student Research Grants, Helen Sharsmith Award
• 2026 CNGA California Grassland Research Awards for Student Scholarship (GRASS)
• 2026 CNGA John Anderson Memorial Scholarship