Jolene Saldivar: Coastal Sage Scrub Disturbance and Migratory Butterflies

Jolene Saldivar, a UC Davis Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow in the lab of Professor Louie Yang, will speak on "Disturbance in Coastal Sage Scrub and the Implications for Migratory Butterflies" at the next UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology seminar.

The seminar is set for 4:10 p.m., Monday, Oct. 28 in 122 Briggs. The Zoom link:
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/95882849672.  The recorded seminar will be archived at
https://entomology.ucdavis.edu/seminars.

Saldivar completed her doctorate in plant biology at UC Riverside in June and then joined UC Davis as a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Yang lab. She is the recipient of a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology. 

"Jolene is interested in documenting plant-butterfly interaction networks across a management gradient, using isotopes to learn about the migratory ecology of painted lady butterflies, and developing species distribution models for butterflies and their host plants," relates Yang on his website.

Saldivar's abstract: "Disturbance plays a role in both maintaining and disrupting biodiversity and ecosystem productivity. With human activities drastically altering natural disturbance regimes for many ecosystems, understanding the factors that most impact recovery is vital for restoration and conservation efforts. California coastal sage scrub (CSS) is a fire-prone system with many endemic plant species, including fire-following forbs and shrubs. However, increased fire and plant invasions have impacted native recovery, which may have implications for plant-pollinator interactions."

"For my doctoral research, I investigated how a wildfire influenced CSS plant composition at four- to six years post-fire," Saldivar continues in her abstract. "I also assessed host plant suitability of CSS plant species by quantifying larval development and survival for commercially sourced painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui). Lastly, I leveraged community science observations of V. cardui throughout California shrub/scrub ecosystems during and outside of irruptive migrations. My dissertation proved valuable insights into the complex interactions between disturbance, plant communities and butterfly ecology in CSS, a largely threatened and degraded ecosystem. These findings have inspired my postdoctoral research which includes further investigation of post-disturbance recovery to help predict outcomes of climate-change and altered disturbance regimes across trophic levels."

Saldivar writes on her website: "My research interests include plant–pollinator interactions and disturbance. Specifically, I am interested in how invasive plant species and fire impact migratory pollinators and native annual forbs in coastal sage scrub habitats. For my research, I employ techniques in field work, lab work, and statistical analysis."

"As a first-generation college graduate and granddaughter of migrant farm workers, I am passionate about the recruitment and retainment of members of groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Through my mentorship and community engagement, I communicate my research, teach various technical skills, and provide resources to those seeking opportunities in higher education. I aim to show others that science is for everyone!"

Saldivar is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, serving from 2008 to 2014. Her overseas assignments included Stuttgart, Germany; Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan; Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar; and various countries throughout Africa. (See more)

Among her publications: "Community Science Reveals High Diversity of Nectaring Plants Visited by Painted Lady Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in California Sage Scrub," published Sept. 30, 2022 in Environmental Entomology.

Nematologist Amanda Hodson, assistant professor, is coordinating the ENT seminars. The full list is here. For more information or for technical issues, contact Hodson at akhodson@ucdavis.edu.