Today was a long but productive day. We started the morning getting trained in on seedling refinds. Although this particular task can be time-consuming, the pay off is great for data. By revisiting seedlings that were first found between four and seven years ago (and have been found every years since), we are able to better understand what the early life of an Echinacea plant is really like! Ruth, who came out to do fieldwork with us today, explained how the data we collect on these seedlings can be used with Aster modeling, and result in some pretty interesting scientific knowledge. This morning, we did all the seedling refinds at East Elk Lake Road. After lunch, and some delicious chocolate provided by Ruth, we headed out to complete a variety of tasks. Tracie and I went to Staffanson to look at the phenology of my Solidago and Liatris plants. After that, went to twenty different Echinacea plants at eight different sites, and completed plant community surveys within 4 square meters of each plant. We worked until about 6:30, then headed back to Andes for a delicious dinner and some much needed relaxation.
Recognize this unusual-looking specimen?
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