Student Project Profile

Several graduate students and faculty are currently working on a collaborative research project at Elkhorn Slough seeding annual and perennial native plants. They are studying the effectiveness of native plant buffer strips on movement of non-point-source pollutants (nitrogen and sediment) from cropland to wetland. The students hold undergraduate degrees in environmental science/biology/English and environmental studies/biochemistry. The interdisciplinary nature of the Elkhorn Slough project incorporates three major components: • Applying biogeochemistry to agricultural pollution problems. • Addressing ecology, economics, and social concerns with an agroecological approach. Elkhorn Slough has a high percentage of small farmers - many are Mexican American - who are bound by hard economic constraints and occupy highly erodable lands. As part of this project, the problem is defined around people who do not have easy access to resources and have limited financial options. • Looking at environmental management alternatives that rely on local knowledge and management techniques.

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