Desert tortoise conservation
At the La Kretz Center, scientists are working toward a win-win between green energy and endangered species conservation in the Mojave Desert.
Projects
Dja Reserve
For the past 20 years, we have been conducting research in the Dja Biosphere Reserve and adjacent areas. The Dja Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in…
Drought Influence on Chlorophyll Fluorescence in Evergreen and Deciduous Plant Species of Southern California
Awardee: Ariel Pezner. Ariel's research focuses on the effects of drought on the chlorophyll fluorescence of four drought deciduous and evergreen plant species native to Southern California.
Eco-Evolutionary Consequences of Global Change on Invasive Plant Species
La Kretz postdoc Dr. Justin Valliere is currently exploring potential adaptation to nitrogen pollution and climate in common invasive plant species of California. This study will have important implications for invasive plant management under predicted global change.
Eco-labels and Quality in Wine
Eco-labels are part of a new wave of environmental policy that emphasizes information disclosure as a tool to induce environmentally friendly behavior by both firms and consumers. Little consensus exists…
Ecological Impacts of Nitrogen Deposition on Coastal Sage Scrub of the Santa Monica Mountains
This project, led by La Kretz postdoc Dr. Justin Valliere, extends an ongoing collaboration between the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the UCLA, with the goal of understanding the ecological impacts of nitrogen pollution on the severely threatened coastal sage scrub plant community of the Santa Monica Mountains.
eDNA: Experimental Restoration of Native Grassland at Stunt Ranch
UCLA researchers are actively restoring this site with native California grassland plants
Environmental Bonds Should Equitably Benefit All Communities: Looking Forward Based on an Analysis of Prop 84
In 2006, California voters approved Proposition 84, a bond measure authorizing $5.4 billion in spending on projects to improve parks, natural resource protection, and water quality, safety, and supply. Most…
Imagining Extinction: The Cultural Meanings of Endangered Species
Current rates of species extinction exceed the evolutionary background rate, and some biologists claim we are witnessing the sixth mass extinction in the history of life on Earth. Imagining Extinction…
La Kretz postdocs partner with National Park Service on mountain lion study
La Kretz Postdoc Dr. John Benson's work suggests that a new immigrant lion every two to four years is necessary for the Santa Monica Mountains population to remain viable
LA Water Hub
The Water Hub is a dynamic visualization and mapping platform (http://waterhub.ucla.edu); an online data repository for viewing and finding water-related information in Los Angeles County.
Landscape Conservation Partnership
The Center for Tropical Research has recently developed new models in California to determine the amount of intraspecific genetic variation present in an area. Recently, we tested this new approach in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area (SMNRA), part of the southern subunit (2) of the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative.