Cirsium scopulorum, or mountain thistle, was long thought to be the only species of thistle occurring in the alpine tundra. Molecular, morphological, and geographical evidence now support the recognition of many species of thistles in the alpine tundra of the southern Rocky Mountains.  We talk with Jennifer Ackerfield, the head curator of natural history collections, and the associate director of biodiversity research at Denver Botanic Gardens about her quest to delineate the many varieties of thistles across the alpine of the intermountain west, including a unique species right here in the La Sal Mountains of SE Utah.

Unique Alpine Giants

The Little Colorado River (LCR) is a culturally and spiritually significant drainage for many people in the southwest.  The LCR also provides sediment load to the main stem of the Colorado River for the production of sandbars downstream AND it is an important spawning ground for and home to the largest population of Humpback Chub.  We talk with Phoebe Brown, river guide and researcher, about her studies that involve understanding the interactions of phosphorus and the growth rates of the Humpback Chub.

Studying Growth Rates of the Humpback Chub

Sagebrush once stretched across almost 500,000 square miles from the Dakotas to California. Each year, a million acres is lost to invasive species, catastrophic wildfire, development, improper grazing and climate change.  Matt Cahill is the director of the Sagebrush Sea program for The Nature Conservancy.  Matt advocates that scientific solutions and large-scale collaboration are needed to reverse the trend in sagebrush. We talk with Matt about what is being done to save this vital landscape.

The Space between the Mountains

Science Friday

Sacre Bleu! Some French Cheeses At Risk Of Extinction

A Year After Chemical Spill, Ohio Community Is Still Recovering

Climate Scientist Michael Mann Wins Defamation Case

Odysseus Lander Is On Its Way To The Moon

It is well known at this point that humans are using more water out of the Colorado River, then the river can support…for humans as well as other life forms that live along and within the river. Agriculture is using approximately 80% of that water.   We talk with Aaron Derwingson, Water Projects Director of the Colorado River Program for the Nature Conservancy.  Aaron and his team do freshwater conservation restoration projects across the whole Colorado River Basin, involving a combination of work from science and policy to direct project work on the grounds. By working to build relationships with the agricultural community, the team hopes to help ensure that there are sufficient water supplies for both people and nature.

Working Together for River Conservation

Rangelands are vast, natural grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that support grazing and browsing mammals and they are primarily natural ecosystems with native vegetation.These rangelands can become degraded by fire or improper grazing. We talk with Kari Veblen, professor of Rangeland Ecology at Utah State University about her research that focuses on the ecology and management of rangelands.  Her research emphasizes multi-use landscapes, public and private, that are managed simultaneously for wildlife conservation and sustainable livestock production.  The ultimate goal of her work is to inform sustainable management of rangeland ecosystems.

Restoration on the Range

From the perspective of an archaeologist, the physical body of an ancient person is a gift because a body is a time capsule of the past.  They lived in that space and that time, and their bodies are manifestations of what was there.  We talk with archaeologist Erin Baxter, teacher and Curator of Anthropology at Denver Museum of Nature and Science, about her work unraveling the ancient southwest culture and her fascination with the archaeology of death.

Finding Collaboration and Trust Uncovering the Past

As photosynthesis happens, trees take in carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the form of sugars or carbohydrates.  These sugars can be stored for many years in trees as a sort of “memory” and used to support their growth and metabolism during times of stress, like a drought.  We talk with Drew Peltier, ecophysiologist and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Drew’s interests and research center on understanding how climate influences tree growth in our changing environment.

Memory In Trees

A podcast exploring the science and learning about the scientists from southeast Utah and the Colorado Plateau. Produced by Science Moab, KZMU, and USU Extension

Unique Alpine Giants

Science Moab

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