High Elevation Plants - Eve Beaury
My passion for plant ecology began in high school when I took a botany course that opened my eyes to the complex and fascinating biology revolving around vegetation. I have carried this interest throughout my time at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, which led me to pursue an honors thesis studying plant ecology in the alpine. As an environment particularly sensitive to the effects of climate change, the alpine presents a unique ecosystem highly dependent on a short growing season and the distribution of winter snowpack. Considering these aspects and with the help of the Niwot Ridge LTER Program, I have continued long-term research looking at the effects of different resource distributions on alpine plant communities. I have also been exploring patterns in functional traits and how they relate to shifts in community assemblages. In doing so, I hope to strengthen predictions of what may happen to alpine vegetation under a changing climate.
Apart from my thesis, I am studying vascular plants in biocrust communities, I have traveled to the Galapagos Islands through the EBIO department, and I participate in other on-campus activities that influence and enhance my passion for science!
