We plan to use environmental DNA to determine presence of selected species of management interest in streams affected by the Zaca, Piru and Jesusita fires. To achieve this, water samples will be taken from intermittent and perennial streams within these wildfire scar areas as well as from nearby reference streams. DNA will be obtained using vacuum filtration and phenol-choroform extraction. The presence of target species' DNA will be evaluated using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction with species-specific primers. Results will be used to map the distribution of target species and will be compared to data on the history, intensity and areal extent of wildfire in surrounding areas.
NFWF Grant Profile
Conservation Program(s):
Southern California Forests and Watersheds
Project Title: Using environmental DNA to map the distributions of aquatic species in areas within and near the Zaca, Piru, and Jesusita fire scars
Organization:
University of California - Santa Barbara
Project ID:
0806.17.055495
Description:
Award Amount:
$137617.56
Location:
This project focuses on perennial waters within the fire perimeters of the Zaca, Piru and and Jesusita fires, along with adjacent unburned reference streams and other streams previously burned (from earlier fire impact studies by our UCSB lab) to provide a time-series of fire histories.