This project aims to observe phylogenetic, taxonomic, and functional biodiversity across ecoregions connected along the Berg and Eerste Rivers, freshwater to marine watersheds in South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region. Their goal is to improve mapping of biodiversity by improving understanding of how functional diversity relates to phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity. Specifically, this project will leverage lessons learned about the spatiotemporal signal in eDNA in Californian Mediterranean-climate watersheds to address the question: how do eDNA, traditional field, and remote sensing observations of biodiversity relate across space and time? They will investigate the relationships of phylogenetic, taxonomic, and functional diversity along the Berg and Eerste Rivers, two naturally (fire and drought) and anthropogenically (dams and development) disturbed watersheds in the GCFR, a biodiversity hotspot susceptible to environmental change (climate, urbanization, etc.). 

BioSCape Biodiversity Across Scales [FULL DATASET]

Impossible Pond

Metabarcoding for the California Institute For Biodiversity (Plate 10)

Metabarcoding for California Institute for Biodiversity (Plate 11)

Metabarcoding for California Institute for Biodiversity (Plate 9)

Redwoods Rising is an ambitious watershed-scale project hoping to restore more than 70,000 acres of historically logged forest. The aftermath of logging not only removed the old-growth Redwood trees but also left the land scarred with industrial remnants, including hundreds of miles of failing roads and stream crossings. In extreme cases, roads were constructed directly into streambeds, burying entire catchments under 15+ feet of road fill and debris. California State Parks, the National Park Service, and Save the Redwoods League have partnered together to systematically remove old roads, daylight stream channels, and thin the dense second-growth forest.

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Impossible Pond

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