Project Grant 2225735

This $200,000 two-year Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Environmental Biology will fund research into the role of native and nonnative trees in structuring urban food webs. The official federal grant program is the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), which supports basic biological research to strengthen the nation's scientific enterprise.

Specifically, the grant will support a field experiment involving the planting of 200 native and nonnative oak trees in Los Angeles to evaluate how tree species influence bird and insect communities. Researchers from California State University, Los Angeles will collect data on plant growth, herbivory, and avian and insect populations across experimental sites. Advanced statistical and laboratory methods including DNA metabarcoding will be used to analyze food web connections. The work will engage undergraduate and graduate students. Outreach activities at the ten project sites are expected to enhance public understanding of urban biodiversity. Findings may inform better management of biodiversity in the Los Angeles region. The sub-awardee, CAL State La University Auxiliary Services Inc., will implement the research under the direction of the primary awardee.