Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · 5d

Cool talk by Emma King looking at how Irish wind energy installation affects biodiversity!!

Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · 6d

Thank you Holly!

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Reposted by Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾

Dr. Holly P Jones @dochpjones.bsky.social · 6d

🧪 #SER2025

@justinluong.com just gave a really cool and quick talk on the work he and many others are doing to build a network of support for grassland restoration practitioners in California. Check it out!

justinluong.com/menu/grassne...

California Grassland Restoration, Action, Science and Stewardship Network (GRASS-NET)

University of California, Berkeley - Environmental Science, Policy and Management

justinluong.com

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · 6d

A great presentation by Julia Briand at #Ser2025 about how we can improve integration of functional traits for ecological restoration across scales and trophic levels!

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · 12d

NSF GRFP Solicitation now live (www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...) Deadlines - Life Sciences: Nov 10, Geosciences: Nov 14, Social Sciences: Nov 12

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

www.nsf.gov

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · 15d

I've reached my first 100 cited paper! 🥳
www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

Overcoming biotic homogenization in ecological restoration

Extensive evidence shows that regional (gamma) diversity is often lower across restored landscapes than in reference landscapes, in part due to common restoration practices that favor widespread speci...

www.cell.com

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · 22d

Join us tonight for a double feature presentation by Andrea Nebhut (Stanford) and Deborah Ayala (Texas AM)!!! Cnga.org/events at 6 PM pst

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · 23d

Apparently Sept 15 is prospective graduate student inquiry day!

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Reposted by Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾

Jason Stajich @hyphaltip.bsky.social · 27d

Dept of Plant Biology at UIUC hiring in any subdiscipline of Mycology and/or Plant-Fungal Interactions tenure-track faculty position at the assistant professor level.
Apply by Oct 31, 2025. For complete details including salary and benefit information, visit go.illinois.edu/PlantBiolfac...

Assistant Professor- Department of Plant Biology

Duties & Responsibilities

go.illinois.edu

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · 29d

Join us for the kick off of the 2025 GRASS Student Seminar Series!! Free for students or members tonight at 6 PM PST - register at cnga.org/event-6289388 for $10/talk or become members and see the rest of the series free while supporting California Native Grasslands!

Title: Seed traits may predict species success in habitats dominated by thatch-producing annual grasses

Speaker: Katherine Brafford, PhD Candidate, UC Davis

September 9, 2025 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Abstract: Community assembly frameworks propose that the species at a site are filtered by their traits from the regional species pool. Thatch producing non-native annual grasses, such as medusahead (Elymus caput-medusae), are common in the western United States. They alter environmental conditions and impose filters that have a mixed, but usually negative, effect on native plant, animal, and insect populations. In this study, we explore the abiotic effects of living medusahead, medusahead thatch, native vegetation, and bare ground cover types. We also examine if traits commonly thought to lead to plant success in medusahead-dominated habitats correlate with plant emergence and growth in living medusahead, medusahead thatch, native vegetation, and bare ground cover types. We selected a grassland site with high medusahead cover and created plots of each cover type in a randomized incomplete block design. We installed sensors to measure soil moisture and temperature, relative humidity, light, and air temperature. We selected 27 species native to and/or growing at the site that varied in seed mass, seed shape, native status, growth form, and bloom time. We planted seeds of each species into miniplots within each plot. We measured seed emergence, growth stage, and above-ground biomass. In this talk, I will present our results on seed traits. As hypothesized, greater seed mass, narrower seeds, and longer awns were correlated with a greater number of plants in both living medusahead and thatch cover. This study will shed light on how traits relate to community assembly; clarify mechanisms underlying annual grass invasion and grassland restoration outcomes; and inform future restoration efforts.

Contact Justin Luong (jluong4@ucsc.edu) with any questions.

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Sep 8

sun sets at 240am in california tonight - dont miss it!
✨️ ai ✨️

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Reposted by Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · Sep 7

After several years studying grasses and forbs in Yellowstone National Park in the US, researchers have formally documented the power of bison as nature’s own fertilizing agents. cen.acs.org/environment/... #chemsky 🧪

How bison boost the nitrogen cycle—and create healthier plants

The large herbivores stimulate plant growth by cycling carbon and nitrogen in the soils of Yellowstone National Park, showing benefits of free-roaming wildlife

cen.acs.org

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Reposted by Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾

Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · Sep 5

Applications for the 2026 Pivot to Plants Fellows Program at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center are now open.

Location: St. Louis, MO
Application Deadline: October 15, 2025
Dates: Jan. 5, 2026 – Dec. 23, 2026
Estimated Stipend: $37,275

Learn more: www.danforthcenter.org/our-work/edu...

Pivot to Plants: Training Program for Plant and Data Science | Danforth Plant Science Center

The Pivot2Plants Fellows Program is a 1-year training program for people interested in pivoting to a career in plant science or data science but have limited research experience.

www.danforthcenter.org

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Sep 5

Too busy to read! No worries we've all been there. I've also recorded a supplemental file where I do a complete read through of the paper, so you can listen on your next walk or drive! All open access 🤗 Audio download below and available at the paper DOI

ars.els-cdn.com/content/imag...

ars.els-cdn.com

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Sep 5

Is ecological restoration of grasslands successful? You'll have to read to find out more ;) but a quick preview says yes!! Interviews with managers show there are limitations both creative ways forward! Check out an amazing illustrated summary by LesleyGoren.com

doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.109956

Illustrated summaries of "Lessons learned from an interdisciplinary evaluation of long-term restoration outcomes on 37 restored coastal grasslands in California" by Lesley Goren (lesleygoren.com). Page 1 of 2

https://justinluong.com/menu/artandscience.html

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Reposted by Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾

Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Aug 27

We know diversity = more ideas, novelty, advancement and desirable outcomes but how do we recruit and retain diversity? In our paper, me and other LGBTQ+ restoration ecologists outline issues and solutions to retaining and supporting queer ecologists
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Inclusive restoration: ten recommendations to support LGBTQ+ researchers in restoration science

Scientists who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or members of other marginalized sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+) face serious disparities compared to their n...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾

Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Aug 29

We need PEOPLE! in the ecosystems, being in the grassland makes you appreciate it more, but it could be informed by how trails affect plants. We found native and invasive bunchgrasses have different responses to trail disturbance on California coastal prairies!

doi.org/10.1007/s11258-022-01284-z

Native and invasive bunchgrasses have different responses to trail disturbance on California coastal prairies - Plant Ecology

Ecosystems often experience small-scale disturbances through recreational foot and bike traffic. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis predicts that frequent disturbances in grasslands can negativel...

link.springer.com

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Reposted by Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾

Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Sep 2

Join us for California Native Grassland Association's 4th Annual Virtual Speaker Series for Student Grant Winners! Register at CNGA.org/events for $10/talk (unlimited access after), or become a member and come to all talks free with membership, and access all previous talks. Hope to see you soon!

A flyer for "California Native Grassland Association 2025 GRASS Award Speaker Series"

Reads: Join us for the CNGA’s 4th annual virtual speaker series that will showcase the amazing work undertaken in California Grasslands by GRASS Award winners from 2022-2024. You can contact Justin Luong (jluong4@ucsc.edu) with any questions. Register at CNGA.org/events

With a schedule of speakers below
9/9 - Katherine Brafford
9/16 - Andrea Nebhut, Deborah Ayala
9/23 - Ernesto Chavez Velasco
10/14 - Jessica Solis
10/21- Sophie Noda
10/28 - Lauren Glevanik

#CaliforniaNativePlants

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Reposted by Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾

Rashmi Sasidharan @rsasidharan.bsky.social · Sep 3

🚨Job Alert!! Assistant professor vacancy ‘plant abiotic stress resilience’ in our group @uuplants.bsky.social Come for the science, stay for the amazing colleagues 😀More details here www.uu.nl/en/organisat... Please share!!

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Reposted by Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾

Ginger Allington @gigirose.bsky.social · Sep 2

AMAZING opportunity to lead the future of the Macaulay Lab (home of the beloved Merlin App) at the Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University. Search is on for a new Director. Please forward along!

academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30293

Cornell University, Lab of Ornithology

Job #AJO30293, WDR-00054259 Associate/Full Professor, Tenure-track. Faculty Director, Macaulay Library Endowed Chair, Robert Engel Professorship, Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New Y...

academicjobsonline.org

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Sep 2

Students can attend FREE, just send me a DM with your student ID and I'll get you a free registration code 🧚‍♂️

Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Sep 2

Join us for California Native Grassland Association's 4th Annual Virtual Speaker Series for Student Grant Winners! Register at CNGA.org/events for $10/talk (unlimited access after), or become a member and come to all talks free with membership, and access all previous talks. Hope to see you soon!

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Sep 2

New paper out!! We found compost increased bulk carbon in some contexts but with trade-offs that resulted in higher invasive species cover but there was more available forage. Native seeding at recommended rates had no effect and may need to be higher for degraded rangelands

doi.org/10.1016/j.ra...

Redirecting

doi.org

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Aug 30

Light peeks through

Sun in green conifer canopy with blue skies, Humboldt Co California

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Justin Luong, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🌾 @justinluong.com · Aug 30

Caturday onLEASHED

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