Summer Environmental StudyMary Devlin
2018 The Clara Carter Higgins Summer Environmental Studies Scholarship
Mary Devlin is a senior in the Environmental Earth and Soil Sciences program at California Polytechnic State University, San
Luis Obispo. Her project is titled “Implications for Better Management of a reatened Habitat—California’s Serpentine Grasslands.” is summer she will investigate how nutrient enrichment in serpentine soils a ects the ability of non-native invasive grasses to become established in them. Serpentine soils, typically heavy-mineral-rich and nutrient-poor, are a refuge for rare and endemic plants in California, but nutrient deposition from human activity, such as fossil fuel combustion and use of fertilizers, could change their nutrient balance. Understanding how nutrient enrichment in uences competition between non-native and native grasses will inform future management of California’s serpentine grasslands.
The Clara Carter Higgins Summer Environmental Studies Scholarship
To encourage studies and careers in the environmental field, providing the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience beyond the regular course of study.
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