Tuesday, March 19, 7:00 PM: Catherine Young. The Efficacy of Using Terminal and Axillary Bud Cuttings as a Means of Propagation for the Endemic Alpine Species Packera franciscana
Hybrid meeting: In-person and via Zoom
Catherine Young, a sophomore undergraduate researcher from the NAU School of Forestry, will be presenting her study resulting in the first vegetative propagation protocol for the dwarf alpine sunflower Packera franciscana. This plant is listed as “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act and is endemic to the alpine tundra of the San Francisco Peaks. She designed a protocol that navigates the challenges of propagating such a small plant, protecting the mother plant from excessive foliage loss, and creating a cost effective method that can be completed quickly. This is the first study in a 3-part series with the goal of producing evidence to help predict the fate of P. franciscana in the face of climate change. The success she has achieved would not be possible without Dr. Margaret M. Moore, Shaula J. Hedwall, and funding from the NAU Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity
