In the name of science

It has been raining for days in western Montana.  It whooped my ass in the field and it's putting the breaks on the receding rivers.



The graph of the Clark Fork below Missoula is a good place to look for the general trend because all of the  westside rivers drain into it.

The Blackfoot tributaries are a pretty cool wade fishing option this time of year.  They are clear and manageable.  There's still a lot of water in all of our streams so be careful.

And now, science!

University of Montana greenhouse

Corn growing in soil samples taken from Mt. Sentinel (big M) and Mt. Jumbo (big L) and MPG Ranch.  This study is comparing soil biodiversity and chemistry between the soil in grasslands dominated by native plants and those heavily invaded by leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula).

And on a larger scale, I've also been involved in a very large project assisting the United States Forest Service.

Reading cover and plant species richness in the Helena National Forest

The US Forest Service sprays herbicides aerially from aircraft on a large scale.  They are mandated to control invasive species and this is the cheapest and most effective way to cover a lot of ground with chemicals.  But does it even work to control the invasive plant invasions?  Is it harming the native plant communities?  Is it an unnecessary waste of money that is doing more harm than good?  These are the questions our research is trying to answer.  As you can imagine, this heavy management of plant communities by use of chemicals in headwater drainages has indirect effects on fish and invertebrate communities.

A day at the office, guest photographer: T. Willis

Castilleja miniata - greater red Indian paintbrush, guest photographer: T. Willis  

Weekend full of fishing ahead.  More trout - less plants next post!