Working in collaboration with the USFS, on October 5th, 2020, IAE staff collected seed from Erigeron subglaber (Pecos fleabane) at the top of Elk Mountain, NM on USFS land in the Pecos Wilderness. They found enough plants with viable seed and proceeded to collect from 74 maternal lines and 15 tissue samples. During processing, Maria and Yvonne estimated that 40% of the seed was viable likely due to drought stress.  The seed was so small and light that they had to count exact seed numbers for all of the maternal lines because their scale did not register the weights.  Seed was divided and banked at IAE and the National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, CO. 

Working in collaboration with the USFS, on October 5th, 2020, IAE staff collected seed from Erigeron subglaber (Pecos fleabane) at the top of Elk Mountain, NM on USFS land in the Pecos Wilderness. They found enough plants with viable seed and proceeded to collect from 74 maternal lines and 15 tissue samples. During processing, Maria and Yvonne estimated that 40% of the seed was viable likely due to drought stress.  The seed was so small and light that they had to count exact seed numbers for all of the maternal lines because their scale did not register the weights.  Seed was divided and banked at IAE and the National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, CO. 

Working in collaboration with the USFS, on October 5th, 2020, IAE staff collected seed from Erigeron subglaber (Pecos fleabane) at the top of Elk Mountain, NM on USFS land in the Pecos Wilderness.  In spring 2020, Maria Mullins (Southwest Seed Partnership Coordinator) and Melanie Gisler (SW Director) met with Kathryn Kennedy (USFS Region 3 Botanist) to prioritize rare plant species for seed banking.  Next, IAE staff coordinated with Bob Sivinski (RCS Consulting & former state botanist for New Mexico), who supplied information regarding species phenology, seed maturation timeframes, and locations of populations with potential to yield CPC quantities needed. In late summer, Bob and Maria traveled 3 hours (in separate vehicles due to COVID) on rugged roads to scout the Pecos fleabane population and check phenology.  A few weeks later, Maria returned to the site to check phenology, but the seed was not mature yet.  Because this is a drought year in the Southwest, many plants were not producing seed, and staff were concerned that many plants would abort their seed set without additional late season moisture.  On October 5th, Maria returned to the site with IAE Ecologist, Yvonne Hickerson to make the seed collection. They found enough plants with viable seed and proceeded to collect from 74 maternal lines and 15 tissue samples. During processing, Maria and Yvonne estimated that 40% of the seed was viable likely due to drought stress.  The seed was so small and light that they had to count exact seed numbers for all of the maternal lines because their scale did not register the weights.