Which floor? taking a trip in a moss elevator

Graduate student Michael Collins is studying survival strategies of high-elevation moss. Not that we need an excuse to go on an all-day moss hike, but the project demanded a trip to Stanislaus National Forest to look for a particular moss that thrives in high elevation.

Jenna, Michael, Nio and Brent Mishler took a day trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to scope out potential research sites for Michael’s project: “cold tolerance in high-elevation mosses”. The target species of the day was Syntrichia norvegica, though the crew had fun running into all kinds of moss, lichen, and fungi!

The first stop was a potential location for SO BE FREE, which is an annual series of West Coast bryophyte forays. SO BE FREE welcomes all to this four-day outing to enjoy hikes, talks, and keying sessions with microscopes for an enriching bryophyte learning experience. Keep your eye out for the SO BE FREE 31 announcement on their website!

The crew spent the rest of the day making stops up the mountain to witness the change in kinds of bryophytes elevation increased.

Thanks for tuning in to the MEEP blog!