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Investigating Regrowth in a Coastal Sage Scrub Habitat

CSEF · 2026 Earth & Environmental Sciences (Track 2) (Junior Division)

Shanmei Lee, Maya Goel

Overview

On June 13, 2025 a fire swept through an open space area near our homes. This caught our interest, and we decided to investigate. We hypothesized the plants which repopulated the burned region would display more species diversity than the control plots. Using a laser rangefinder, we marked and measured 30 plots, 10 meters in length each, in the control (unburned), region, and in the burned area along a trail. We returned to the site multiple times. We calculated the percentage of  native species versus invasive species in the regions. We also compared the species diversity. Research states fire contributes nutrients to the soil and helps stimulate germination in the seed bank. Based on our findings, it appears the burned area may reintroduce diverse species, and these plants may one day spread their seeds to the unburned region.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2026 Earth & Environmental Sciences (Track 2) (Junior Division) · Entry J-09-15

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