Overview

My dissertation is focused on testing the restoration applications of biocrusts (the community of lichens, mosses, cyanobacteria and more which cover the soil surface in arid landscapes). I am looking at biocrust restoration in several contexts: 1. On Mojave gypsum soils 2. In an active solar facility and 3. In the sagebrush steppe of central Washington.

Gypsum Soils

Gypsum has unique physical properties which foster endemic plant communities and make restoration challenging. I am applying biocrust material in experimental combinations with out-planting of shrubs, direct seeding of gypsophillic plants, and psyllium husk soil binders to identify the most effective restoration treatment. I am working at multiple scales, treating both small areas damaged by OHV recreation and a large mine reclamation site.

Solar Facilities

Solar fields are blooming across the Mojave Desert, providing sustainable energy but denuding vegetation from large swaths of land. The bare ground beneath the panels is highly vulnerable to erosion, which threatens the facility’s infrastructure. I am testing the reintroduction of biocrust organisms as a soil stabilizer beneath solar panels, which may both benefit the facility and rebuild healthy, biologically diverse soils. To ensure biocrusts are compatible with facility operations, I am also investigating biocrust vulnerability to herbicide application.

The Las Vegas Bearpoppy is an endangered plant growing only in gypsum soils of southern Nevada. I am experimenting with the use of biocrust restoration techniques in concert with greenhouse cultivation, direct field seeding, and salvage of the Bearpoppy to support its declining populations.

Sagebrush Steppe

Biocrust may be a useful tool to support restoration of sagebrush steppe ecosystems. To develop these restoration techniques, I am 1) refining methods of biocrust cultivation and 2) working to identify the most efficient inoculation rate for field application.