Media Category: Sites

From left to right, Dr. Fernandes, Mariah Patton, and Cassandra Maria Luz Miller testing soil samples for aggregate stability.

Dr. Fernandes holding a soil sample showing a dark cyanobacterial crust. The immobile nitrogen-fixing organisms found in these crusts, typically Scytonema spp. or Nostoc spp., produce the pigment Scytonemin for protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, giving them their characteristic black appearance.

Tiny Black grama seeds (circled in red) glued to toothpicks for Taeya Boi-Doku’s REU project. Planting the seeds in this manner allows for easy tracking of individuals once they germinate in the field.

Example plots with overarching structures to intercept and redistribute precipitation. Panels (not shown) are placed over the structure to intercept rainfall that is excluded from the plots for the drought treatment, or temporarily stored in water storage tanks (black structure, center) to be redistributed later to simulate delayed monsoon precipitation.

Setting up for the day at the experimental site at the Sevilleta LTER.