Science Moab

As both the fire season and the amount of fire continue to increase in the Southwest, researchers and managers are working to figure out the best ways to reduce the sometimes incredible amounts of erosion that happen after wildfire. We speak with Henry Grover who studies the native mosses that can colonize hill slopes after severe fires. His work explores both the ecology and application of these mosses as a way to restore burned areas.

The desert both breathes out and pulls in carbon to and from the atmosphere. Here we talk with Dr. Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi about that process by exploring a field called biogeochemistry. We hear about the different kinds of carbon that exists in ecosystems, and how it is transformed and moved through the fascinating and dynamic carbon cycle.

Understanding physical features of rivers and streams can give information about what is happening upstream and down. Here we talk about geomorphology with Christopher Ely. We explore Amazonian headwater streams in the Andes Mountains of southern Ecuador, and how the tools used to studying these high elevation streams can be applied to studying rivers and streams around the world and here on the Colorado Plateau.

What were mammals like when dinosaurs roamed the earth? We explore the fascinating world of mammals living at the time of dinosaurs with Dr. Brian Davis. We learn about what they ate, who ate them, and how these small creatures evolved to become the mammals we see today.

The Colorado Plateau holds an incredible amount of native plant diversity, however past and current land use practices and future climate change threaten the diversity and abundance of our native plant species. Here, with Dr. Daniel Winkler, we explore how land management programs and non-profit partners are using programs like Seeds of Success and the Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program to collect native seeds and make them available for research and restoration.

Southeast Utah and the Colorado Plateau is home to a diverse number of pollinators. Here we get a fascinating look at the relationships between pollinators and plants. We explore how they evolved together, pollinator types on the Colorado Plateau, and what the future holds for pollinators with Molly McCormick.

There are many efforts going on within national park to restore degraded ecosystems. From using biological controls, to weeding and seeding, to anticipating the effects of climate change, the national parks of southeastern Utah are actively being managed to return or maintain ecological function. Here, we speak with NPS ecologist Liz Ballenger about what ecological restoration means for national parks within the Colorado Plateau.

Climate change will result in lasting changes for the ecosystems of the Colorado Plateau. Here, we talk with Dr. Scott Ferrenberg about what the ecosystems of this region may look like in the future. We learn how scientists study climate change and how our ecological communities are expected to change as the planet warms.

Bark beetles evolved to live in western forests. But in recent decades the number of beetles has grown so large that they are killing millions of acres of forests. Here, we talk to Dr. Richard Hofstetter about these now infamous beetles. We learn about what these beetles do for forests, what happens when their numbers swell out of control, and the acoustic research that might help keep them in check.

Water can be a formidable force in the desert. From carving canyons to cutting arroyos, water has the power to form the landscapes around us. Today on Science Moab, we learn how water shapes the earth with Dr. Taylor Joyal, a fluvial-geo-morphologist studying earth shaping processes.