National Park Service Mojave National Preserve U.S. Department of the Interior Science Newsletter Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center: an Interview with Director Dr. Jim André James M. André1 and Debra L. Hughson2 A significant factor in the amount of high quality research conducted in Mojave National Preserve is the Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center, part of the University of California Natural Reserve System. In this issue we interview its Director, Dr. Jim André. Dr. André is a research botanist who completed the Preserve’s Vascular Plant Inventory for the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program. The Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center (GMDRC) is one of 37 protected research sites operated by the University of California Natural Reserve System (UC NRS). This system of outdoor classrooms and laboratories The Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center is located in Granite Cove at the base of the Granite Mountains. makes relatively undisturbed examples of the state’s diverse ecosystems available with support facilities for long-term Debra – Some of the people who were to researchers, teachers, and students research projects and multi-week field instrumental in the formation of the UC In this Issue: courses. Established in 1978, the Natural Reserve System, such as Ken Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Norris and Wilbur Mayhew, were very • Page 1. Sweeney Granite Mountains active in this area of the Mojave Desert. Desert Research Center: an Interview with Research Center encompasses 3,496 Director Dr. Jim André hectares (8,639 acres) of the pristine and In fact one of the student camps is called rugged Granite Mountains in the East Norris Camp. How did the Sweeney • Page 7. Reptile Diversity Following the Mojave Desert ranging from piñon-juniper Granite Mountains Desert Research Hackberry Fire woodlands to creosote scrub bajadas. Center come to be and why did they • Page 12. Physiological Responses of Housing, laboratories, and a conference choose this site? Mojave Desert Shrubs to a Simulated room at the reserve can accommodate Summer Wash Flow: Preliminary Results up to 12 researchers for long-term Jim – Before we get started, I wish to • Page 17. Resource Management Issue: projects and field classes of up to 35 thank Debra Hughson for inviting me to Managing the Effects of Climate Change people. In 1994 with the passage of the this interview and for her continuing 1Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research California Desert Protection Act, the leadership in facilitating research and Center, P.O. Box 101, Kelso, CA 92351. 2Mojave reserve was enclosed inside the science education throughout the National Preserve, 2701 Barstow Road, Barstow, boundary of the newly created Mojave California Deserts. And to the Mojave CA 92365. National Preserve. National Preserve for the initiation of the Mojave National Preserve Science Newsletter November 2009, Number 2 This Science Newsletter: Science Newsletter, an effort that is plants, population ecology of large strongly supported by the staff at the mammals such as the desert bighorn The Mojave Desert is internationally GMDRC, as well as many of our sheep, and studies of landscape-level known as a place to conduct scientific colleagues at the University of California. processes, such as erosion dynamics of research on desert ecosystems. In fact Mojave National Preserve was The Granite Mountains played a alluvial surfaces. A number of projects at designated in part to "retain and significant historical role in the the GMDRC focus on long-term enhance opportunities for scientific development of the UC Natural Reserve processes, such as global climate research in undisturbed ecosystems" System (NRS). Use of the Granite change, soil disturbance recovery as stated in the California Desert Mountains in the 1960s by UC professors monitoring, or the survivorship of long- Protection Act of 1994. Significant research is conducted through the Dr. Ken Norris (UCLA/UCSC) and Dr. lived shrub species. By design, such Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Wilbur Mayhew (UCR) as a favorite studies may span decades, if not Research Center, part of the destination for their natural history field centuries. University of California Natural courses helped spur the idea for the Reserve System, and the Desert creation of the entire UC Natural Reserve As a hub of research activity in the Studies Center, operated by the System in 1965, which now includes 37 Mojave Desert, the question of why California Desert Studies Consortium of California State Universities. Both reserves located throughout California. researchers seek the GMDRC and the are located in the Preserve. Joined by Ken’s brother, Dr. Bob Norris eastern Mojave Desert in general is one (UCSB), and Dr. Mildred Mathias (UCLA), that has drawn our interest, and probably The purpose of this newsletter is it was the enthusiasm of this prominent requires a more lengthy discussion than threefold. First, we would like to group of four professors that led to the we have room for here. But every reserve highlight some of the research being done by university scientists in the University of California’s purchase of is unique in its capabilities and what it Preserve and to distribute this several sections of railroad lands and emphasizes in its mission. What the information to park staff and parcels of private lands in the eastern GMDRC offers to visiting researchers and management. Second, this periodical Granite Mountains. After several years of classes, as much perhaps as any field will allow us to inform the public and dogged persistence and diplomacy with station in the western U.S., is access to a research community about science land owners and a very supportive tremendous natural area—pristine, wild, being done by Preserve staff or funded through the National Park Bureau of Land Management, their efforts and expansive. The 9,000-acre GMDRC Service. And most importantly, we culminated in the establishment of the is located within a region of unparalleled would like to build collaboration Granite Mountains Desert Research biological and geological diversity in between scientists and resource Center in 1978. California. And while the facilities and managers so that scientists are made staff here are vital to its operation, it really aware of the needs of managers and top quality science is brought to bear Debra – The UC Natural Reserve System is the quality of this natural area that on the problems facing resource is available for use by institutions outside represents the single greatest asset of managers. of the University of California. What the field station. Embedded within proportion of researchers and students millions of acres of federal wilderness, Our intention is to publish this come from out of the state and what do including the Mojave National Preserve, newsletter twice per year, once in the you think brings them here to Granite ecological processes are still functioning spring and again in the fall; distributed in print at our Visitor Mountains and the Mojave Desert? here. The GMDRC provides not only a Centers and electronically on the quality setting to researchers, but a site web. Articles will range from non- Jim – Perhaps more than any NRS that will be protected over the long term. technical news stories to highly reserve, the GMDRC sustains a very For visiting students, the Granite technical research reports. All diverse array of research from scientists Mountains and surrounding region material in this newsletter has been peer-reviewed by subject-matter who come from all parts of the world. Of represents not only an outdoor experts. In each issue we will discuss the more than 350 research projects that classroom, but an adventure into a a resource management issue or have been conducted at the GMDRC in frontier. Here visiting students can make research need along with possible the past 30 years, about 40% were by UC observations that contribute significantly means of obtaining funding. The scientists, while roughly one-third were by to our knowledge base, inspiring resource management concern scientists from outside of California. discovery and appreciation for the highlighted in this issue is managing the effects of climate change. Presently, we support more than 155 complexity of our natural world. active research projects, including studies Debra Hughson, Science Advisor in microbiotic soil crust development, Debra – Research projects tend to build taxonomy and evolution of insects and on each other. The reserve makes this 2 Mojave National Preserve Science Newsletter 2009, Number 2 possible and also enables projects to be website (http://nrs.ucop.edu) that includes are few remaining taxonomic discoveries designed to go on for decades. How can a Research Database, where research left for science. Nothing could be farther researchers new to the area tap into this applications, metadata, and from the truth. The California deserts body of work? Is it primarily through the bibliographies are accessible to the collectively make up 28% of California’s published literature, or are there public. In addition, OBFS landmass, yet contain 37% of its native mechanisms for sharing data internally (http://www.obfs.org) offers a Data plant taxa. Some of the mid-elevation within the reserve system? Registry, where a variety of datasets and zones of the eastern Mojave support 60 protocols are made available. Finally, we to 70 species of shrubs per hectare— Jim – Over the past 30 years the do house a small collection of some of the highest shrub diversity found GMDRC has supported more than 350 dissertations, reports, and datasets from in North America! New species are being academic research projects that have projects completed here at the GMDRC; discovered every year. I estimate that 6 generated over 450 publications. But one you can also see a list of current research to 9% of the California deserts flora is of the great surprises for me in my tenure and publications on our website presently undescribed.