Integrative Graduate
Education and
Research Traineeship

Highlight

Yellow Starthistle on Ranglands

Yellow star thistle in bloom

Link:

Yellow star thistle policy brief

Projects:

IGERT: REsponding to RApid Environmental CHange (REACH):..., Biological Invasions: From Genes to Ecosystems, From...

Institution:

University of California at Davis, University of California at Davis

Achievement/Results

Yellow star thistle, an invasive weed, impacts California’s economy and environment by crowding out more desirable plants in rangelands and wild lands across California. A group of students from the Biological Invasions IGERT at UC Davis studied practical impediments to yellow starthistle control on rangelands in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Their work led to two peer-reviewed publications, a workshop with participation from a broad array of stakeholder groups, and a briefing statement sent to policymakers who represent the study region.

Address Goals

The briefing statement uses the best available science to inform agencies of recommended practices, and legislators of potential policies that might help to control yellow starthistle.