California’s Native Plants Biodiversity

California hosts an amazing diversity of species, but many are in danger of extinction in coming decades. This talk will focus on the sources of California's biodiversity, especially the plant species, and why we are losing many species in our state. There is much we can do to limit the loss of species through our own actions and through large-scale efforts to preserve our local biodiversity.

We share the Earth with millions of other species. But, our planet is experiencing a biodiversity crisis in which a significant portion of these species are in danger of extinction in coming decades. While the Earth has undergone mass extinctions in the past—such as when a meteor strike doomed the dinosaurs—the current mass extinction event is caused by humans. This loss of species is a tragedy for the Earth’s ecology and non-human inhabitants, but will also have significant impacts on human societies. In this talk, we will discuss the causes of the current biodiversity crisis, with a focus on California biodiversity. We will discuss what species are most endangered, what we can do to try to limit the loss of species, and efforts in our region to preserve our local biodiversity, especially endangered plants, invertebrates and animal species.

Presenter: Lynne Trulio.

Lynne Trulio is a professor and former chair of the Department of Environmental Studies at San José State University. Her research investigates human impacts to species and habitats, especially in urban settings. Key research programs are public access impacts to wildlife and the ecology and preservation of the western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) in California. She has studied burrowing owls for more than 30 years, focusing on efforts to preserve urban owl populations.

In addition to her professorship, she was chair of Environmental Studies for 15 years and the Associate Dean of the College of Social Sciences for 2 years. Dr. Trulio has been the Lead Scientist for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project from 2003-2008 and 2016-2018, directing the Project's science program. From 1999-2001, she was an American Association for the Advancement of Science Environmental and Engineering Fellow, conducting work as a visiting scientist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC. She received her Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis and her undergraduate degree in Biology from Goucher College in Towson, MD.