I chose to major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology because I’ve always had a passion for learning about the environment. I especially love learning about the ecology of arid and semi-arid lands. I’ve always been fond of warmer weather and hold a particular fascination with the diversity of desert life, despite such harsh conditions. This passion led me in the direction of writing an honors thesis on aridland ecology in Dr. Nichole Barger’s lab. With funding from both the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and the Western Public Lands Fellowship, I was able to finance research on the effects of tree-removal treatments on pinyon/juniper woodlands in southeast Utah. Specifically, I focus on the consequences of these different treatments on biological soil crusts. Over the past 150 years, pinyon/juniper woodlands have been rapidly expanding due to human induced climate change and grazing practices. Because of this, it is important to intervene with mass reduction treatments in order to restore woodland ecosystems and natural fire cycles. I plan to finalize my research in an Honors Thesis this semester and graduate in May 2016.
