Achievements

Gabriel Abundis, Sage Brislen, Trinity Edwards, Bailey Glashan, Logan Holey, Lee Minicuci

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Gabriel Abundis, Sage Brislen, Trinity Edwards, Bailey Glashan, Logan Holey, Lee Minicuci (graduate student) are all independent student researchers in the Rangeland Resource Science Program that were able to share their research from Cal Poly Humboldt through poster presentations at the Annual Society for Range Management in Monterey, California.

Sean Dillon, Marina Dunlop, Tristan Fritsch, J. J. Madrigal Garcia, Bree Gentil-Guijosa, Logan Holey, Noah-Charlie Regan, Jennifer Salguero, Derek Tremaine. Nicholas Verhey, Kai Zerbo, Todd Golder

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Sean Dillon, Marina Dunlop, Tristan Fritsch, J. J. Madrigal Garcia, Bree Gentil-Guijosa, Logan Holey, Noah-Charlie Regan, Jennifer Salguero, Derek Tremaine, Nicholas Verhey, and Kai Zerbo competed at the Annual Society for Range Management in Monterey, California with their coach, Todd Golder. This year they ranked nationally in the rangeland plant identification competition, with Cal Poly Humboldt ranked 2nd place nationally in the U.S and 5th place globally with other universities from Canada and Mexico.

Jeff Kane and Jackson Carrasco (2024)

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Jeff Kane (Forestry, Fire, and Rangeland Management) and graduate student Jackson Carrasco (2024) published a research paper in the journal Forest Ecology and Management entitled "Tree and stand characteristics moderate wildfire severity and promote resilience in secondary coast redwood forests". The findings of the research indicate that redwoods are highly resilient to wildfire but can result in substantial changes to forest structure and composition. However, the magnitude of forest changes was associated with tree and stand conditions, suggesting that management actions in these forests can be used to limit impacts from wildfire. 

Angelina Garcia, Adam Canter

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Graduate students Angelina Garcia and Adam Canter were selected for a competitive USDA-ARS NextGen Fellowship. Angelina will examine how rangeland invasive species management affects soil properties and plant traits. Adam will study how invasive species management and small-scale control burns can be used to restore species culturally in coastal prairies important to Wiyot people.

Logan Holey

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Logan Holey was awarded a competitive undergraduate research grant from the Northern California Botanists to conduct research on how air temperature and photosynthetically active radiation vary and potential effects on rangeland plant communities across microhabitats at local solar microgrids in Arcata, McKinleyville and Kneeland.

Justin Luong

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Dr. Justin Luong received CSU Agricultural Research Institute funding to assess how solar micro grids affect coastal prairie plant communities and soil properties. The study aims to determine land use strategies that maximize ecosystem services for native plant biodiversity, sheep forage, and solar energy. The project involves mentorship and training for undergraduate (Gabriel Abundis, Claudia Alfaro-Hernandez, Logan Holey) students and a graduate student (Angelina Garcia) to improve retention of diverse natural resource managers and scientists in rangeland sciences. Results of this study will inform California policy related to rangeland management and solar energy, as well as natural resource management. 

Logan Holey, Angelina Garcia

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Angelina Garcia and Logan Holey received competitive research grants from the California Native Grassland Association (CNGA) to conduct research with Dr. Justin Luong. Logan will examine how local solar microgrid energy developments influence physical rangeland characteristics that result in microhabitats for plant communities, and Angelina will explore how targeted invasive species removal on affects rangeland soil health.

Justin Luong

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Led by a previous undergraduate student mentee, Dr. Justin Luong co-published a paper in American Journal of Botany. The paper uses eDNA to explore microbial communities in the rhizosphere of an endangered species, Lupinus nipomensis, and characterizes differences in different field microhabitats. The study also looks at how microbial communities differ in field and greenhouse conditions.

Nguyen PV, Luong JC, Wishingrad V, Stratton LC, Loik ME, Meyer RS. 2024. Soil Biome Variation of Lupinus nipomensis Eastw. in Wet-Cool vs. Dry-Warm Microhabitats and Greenhouse Conditions. American Journal of Botany. e70020. doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70020

Jeff Kane and Pascal Berrill

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Drs. Jeff Kane and Pascal Berrill received a $144,000 grant from the USDA Forest Service to support a study that will examine the effectiveness of variable tree thinning and prescribed burn treatments to promote fire and forest resilience in mixed-conifer forests of California. Research has consistently shown thinned tree stands to be more resilient to drought and wildfires, however, much remains to be learned about tree regeneration and growth in landscapes experiencing frequent low-to-moderate severity fires. This work will help to fill information gaps on interrelationships between prescribed fire dynamics, forest structural diversity, fuels, and vegetation response.

Tommy Dachauer, Derek Tremaine, Carter Daniel, and Nicholas Verhey

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

Four Soil Science students from Cal Poly Humboldt—Tommy Dachauer, Derek Tremaine, Carter Daniel, and Nicholas Verhey—demonstrated their skills at the Region 6 Soil Judging Competition held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Competing against teams from across the region, the Cal Poly Humboldt team achieved an impressive third-place finish in the team category. Individually, Nick Verhey stood out, securing 7th place among 40 competitors. Their success highlights the dedication and expertise of Cal Poly Humboldt's Soil Science program in preparing students for the field.