Baccharis pilularis as a Nursery Species in the Fire-Prone Santa Monica Mountains

Awardee: Max Reines

Bio:
Max Reines is a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in Environmental Science and minoring in Conservation Biology and GIS. Growing up in and around the Santa Monica Mountains, he has always been interested in the wildlife and ecology of the region. He has volunteered extensively with native plant restoration programs and hopes to pursue a career in conservation after going to graduate school. Max likes dinosaurs and hiking, and dislikes invasive grasses.

Project:
Baccharis pilularis, also known as coyote brush, is an important species in California’s coastal mountains. It is one of the few native shrubs capable of outcompeting exotic annual grasses, and, once established, acts as a nursery species for other coastal sage scrub vegetation. This project will investigate the effects of wildfire on this natural process of restoration. Can Baccharis pilularis survive repeated fires, and can the coastal sage scrub associated with it recover? The answers to these questions may be very important for plant conservation efforts in the Santa Monica Mountains and beyond.