Sara Sciulla
Sara Sciulla is an ecologist at the Western Ecological Research Center.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Desert community ecology
- Ecological monitoring
- Anthropogenic disturbance
- Evaluation of management
- Fire ecology
- Global climate change
- Invasive species ecology
- Plant ecology
- Species interactions
- Threatened and endangered species
EDUCATION
- B.S., Honors Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 1999
PROFESSIONAL AND HONORARY SOCIETIES
- Society for Ecological Restoration
- Ecological Society of America
- Nevada Native Plant Society
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Ecologist, USGS, Western Ecological Research Center, Las Vegas Field Station, NV, Apr 2004 - present
- Biologist, USGS, Western Ecological Research Center, Las Vegas Field Station, NV, Jun 2002 - Apr 2004
- Biological Science Technician, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, Mar 2001 - Jun 2002
- Biological Science Technician, BLM, St. George Field Station, UT, Jul - Aug 2000
- Ecological Research Intern, USGS, Western Ecological Research Center, St. George Field Station, UT, May - Oct 1999
- Field Assistant (Ornithology), Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL, May - Aug 1998
- Biology Department Field Assistant, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora, IL, Aug 1994 - Jun 1995
Science and Products
Soil medium and watering frequency alter growth and allocation for Blue Diamond cholla (Cylindropuntia multigeniculata), a rare cactus of the northeast Mojave Desert, USA
Blue Diamond cholla (Cylindropuntia multigeniculata (Clokey) Blackb. [Cactaceae]) is a rare cactus of the Mojave Desert. We explored whether cultivation from joint cuttings is a viable method for supporting threatened populations. Terminal joints were collected from adult plants at the type locality and grown in a shade house: We tested whether 2 soil mixes that varied in the ratio of inorganic an
Authors
Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Alexander Stosich, Lesley A. DeFalco
A review of Arctomecon californica (Papaveraceae) with a focus on the species’ potential for propagation and reintroduction and conservation needs
Las Vegas bearpoppy (Arctomecon californica) occurrences have fluctuated during the past several decades, in part due to interannual variability in rainfall that influences recruitment and mortality events; yet, development in the Las Vegas Valley continues to threaten habitat supporting this species. Arctomecon californica was petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2019 and is
Authors
Alexander Stosich, Lesley A. DeFalco, Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla
Protocol for route restoration in California’s desert renewable energy conservation plan area
In the deserts of the Southwestern United States, increased off-highway vehicle use can lead to widespread vehicular damage to desert ecosystems. As the popularity and intensity of vehicle use on public lands continues, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is challenged to manage the routes used by recreationists while minimizing activity beyond designated routes and mitigating environmental impact
Authors
Todd C. Esque, Ka-Voka R. Jackson, Alexandrea M. Rice, Jeffery K. Childers, Caroline S. Woods, Amy Fesnock-Parker, Andrew C. Johnson, Lauren J. Price, Kristin E. Forgrave, Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Lesley A. DeFalco
The role of salinity tolerance and competition in the distribution of an endangered desert salt marsh endemic
Rare plants are often associated with distinctive soil types, and understanding why endemic species occur in unique environments is fundamental for their management. At Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in southern Nevada, USA, we evaluated whether the limited distribution of endangered Amargosa niterwort (Nitrophila mohavensis) is explained by this species’ tolerance of saline soils on salt-en
Authors
Lesley A. DeFalco, Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Emily R. Beamguard
Desert tortoise use of burned habitat in the Eastern Mojave desert
Wildfires burned 24,254 ha of critical habitat designated for the recovery of the threatened Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in southern Nevada during 2005. The proliferation of non-native annual grasses has increased wildfire frequency and extent in recent decades and continues to accelerate the conversion of tortoise habitat across the Mojave Desert. Immediate changes to vegetation a
Authors
K. Kristina Drake, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Lesley DeFalco, Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Andrew T. Modlin, Philip A. Medica
Contrasting long-term survival of two outplanted Mojave Desert perennials for post-fire revegetation
Post-fire recovery of arid shrublands is typically slow, and planting greenhouse-raised seedlings may be a means of jump-starting this process. Recovery can be further accelerated by understanding the factors controlling post-planting survival. In fall 2007 and 2009, we outplanted seedlings of two contrasting native evergreen shrubs—fast-growing Nevada jointfir and slow-growing blackbrush—across f
Authors
Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Lesley A. Defalco, Todd C. Esque
Desert wildfire and severe drought diminish survivorship of the long-lived Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia; Agavaceae)
Extreme climate events are transforming plant communities in the desert Southwest of the United States. Abundant precipitation in 1998 associated with El Ni??o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) stimulated exceptional alien annual plant production in the Mojave Desert that fueled wildfires in 1999. Exacerbated by protracted drought, 80% of the burned Yucca brevifolia, a long-lived arborescent monocot, an
Authors
L.A. DeFalco, T. C. Esque, S. J. Scoles-Sciulla, J. Rodgers
Effectiveness of post-fire seeding in desert tortoise Critical Habitat following the 2005 Southern Nevada Fire Complex
In June 2005, lightning strikes ignited multiple wildfires in southern Nevada. The Southern Nevada Fire Complex burned more than 32,000 acres of designated desert tortoise Critical Habitat and an additional 403,000 acres of Mojave Desert habitat characterized as potentially suitable for the tortoise. Mortalities of desert tortoises were observed after the fires, but altered habitat is likely to pr
Authors
Lesley DeFalco, K. Kristina Drake, S. J. Scoles-Sciulla, Kyla L. Bauer
Seed reserves diluted during surface soil reclamation in eastern Mojave Desert
Surface soil reclamation is used to increase the re-establishment of native vegetation following disturbance through preservation and eventual replacement of the indigenous seed reserves. Employed widely in the mining industry, soil reclamation has had variable success in re-establishing native vegetation in arid and semi-arid regions. We tested whether variable success could be due in part to a d
Authors
S. J. Scoles-Sciulla, L.A. DeFalco
Mortality of adult Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) due to small mammal herbivory at Joshua Tree National Park, California
No abstract available at this time
Authors
T. C. Esque, D.F. Haines, L.A. DeFalco, J.E. Rodgers, K.A. Goodwin, S.J. Scoles
Evaluating options for revegetation following a catastrophic fire in a pinyon-juniper community at Grand Canyon/Parashant National Monument, Arizona
No abstract available at this time
Authors
S.J. Scoles, T. C. Esque, L.A. DeFalco, S.E. Eckert, D.F. Haines
Perennial vegetation data from permanent plots on the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada
Perennial vegetation data from 68 permanent plots on the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, are given for the period of 1963 through 2002. Dr. Janice C. Beatley established the plots in 1962 and then remeasured them periodically from 1963 through 1975. We remeasured 67 of these plots between 2000 and 2003; the remaining plot was destroyed at some time between 1975 and 1993. The plots ranged fro
Authors
Robert H. Webb, Marilyn B. Murov, Todd C. Esque, Diane E. Boyer, Lesley A. DeFalco, Dustin F. Haines, Dominic Oldershaw, Sara J. Scoles, Kathryn A. Thomas, Joan B. Blainey, Philip A. Medica
Science and Products
Soil medium and watering frequency alter growth and allocation for Blue Diamond cholla (Cylindropuntia multigeniculata), a rare cactus of the northeast Mojave Desert, USA
Blue Diamond cholla (Cylindropuntia multigeniculata (Clokey) Blackb. [Cactaceae]) is a rare cactus of the Mojave Desert. We explored whether cultivation from joint cuttings is a viable method for supporting threatened populations. Terminal joints were collected from adult plants at the type locality and grown in a shade house: We tested whether 2 soil mixes that varied in the ratio of inorganic an
Authors
Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Alexander Stosich, Lesley A. DeFalco
A review of Arctomecon californica (Papaveraceae) with a focus on the species’ potential for propagation and reintroduction and conservation needs
Las Vegas bearpoppy (Arctomecon californica) occurrences have fluctuated during the past several decades, in part due to interannual variability in rainfall that influences recruitment and mortality events; yet, development in the Las Vegas Valley continues to threaten habitat supporting this species. Arctomecon californica was petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2019 and is
Authors
Alexander Stosich, Lesley A. DeFalco, Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla
Protocol for route restoration in California’s desert renewable energy conservation plan area
In the deserts of the Southwestern United States, increased off-highway vehicle use can lead to widespread vehicular damage to desert ecosystems. As the popularity and intensity of vehicle use on public lands continues, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is challenged to manage the routes used by recreationists while minimizing activity beyond designated routes and mitigating environmental impact
Authors
Todd C. Esque, Ka-Voka R. Jackson, Alexandrea M. Rice, Jeffery K. Childers, Caroline S. Woods, Amy Fesnock-Parker, Andrew C. Johnson, Lauren J. Price, Kristin E. Forgrave, Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Lesley A. DeFalco
The role of salinity tolerance and competition in the distribution of an endangered desert salt marsh endemic
Rare plants are often associated with distinctive soil types, and understanding why endemic species occur in unique environments is fundamental for their management. At Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in southern Nevada, USA, we evaluated whether the limited distribution of endangered Amargosa niterwort (Nitrophila mohavensis) is explained by this species’ tolerance of saline soils on salt-en
Authors
Lesley A. DeFalco, Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Emily R. Beamguard
Desert tortoise use of burned habitat in the Eastern Mojave desert
Wildfires burned 24,254 ha of critical habitat designated for the recovery of the threatened Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in southern Nevada during 2005. The proliferation of non-native annual grasses has increased wildfire frequency and extent in recent decades and continues to accelerate the conversion of tortoise habitat across the Mojave Desert. Immediate changes to vegetation a
Authors
K. Kristina Drake, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Lesley DeFalco, Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Andrew T. Modlin, Philip A. Medica
Contrasting long-term survival of two outplanted Mojave Desert perennials for post-fire revegetation
Post-fire recovery of arid shrublands is typically slow, and planting greenhouse-raised seedlings may be a means of jump-starting this process. Recovery can be further accelerated by understanding the factors controlling post-planting survival. In fall 2007 and 2009, we outplanted seedlings of two contrasting native evergreen shrubs—fast-growing Nevada jointfir and slow-growing blackbrush—across f
Authors
Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Lesley A. Defalco, Todd C. Esque
Desert wildfire and severe drought diminish survivorship of the long-lived Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia; Agavaceae)
Extreme climate events are transforming plant communities in the desert Southwest of the United States. Abundant precipitation in 1998 associated with El Ni??o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) stimulated exceptional alien annual plant production in the Mojave Desert that fueled wildfires in 1999. Exacerbated by protracted drought, 80% of the burned Yucca brevifolia, a long-lived arborescent monocot, an
Authors
L.A. DeFalco, T. C. Esque, S. J. Scoles-Sciulla, J. Rodgers
Effectiveness of post-fire seeding in desert tortoise Critical Habitat following the 2005 Southern Nevada Fire Complex
In June 2005, lightning strikes ignited multiple wildfires in southern Nevada. The Southern Nevada Fire Complex burned more than 32,000 acres of designated desert tortoise Critical Habitat and an additional 403,000 acres of Mojave Desert habitat characterized as potentially suitable for the tortoise. Mortalities of desert tortoises were observed after the fires, but altered habitat is likely to pr
Authors
Lesley DeFalco, K. Kristina Drake, S. J. Scoles-Sciulla, Kyla L. Bauer
Seed reserves diluted during surface soil reclamation in eastern Mojave Desert
Surface soil reclamation is used to increase the re-establishment of native vegetation following disturbance through preservation and eventual replacement of the indigenous seed reserves. Employed widely in the mining industry, soil reclamation has had variable success in re-establishing native vegetation in arid and semi-arid regions. We tested whether variable success could be due in part to a d
Authors
S. J. Scoles-Sciulla, L.A. DeFalco
Mortality of adult Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) due to small mammal herbivory at Joshua Tree National Park, California
No abstract available at this time
Authors
T. C. Esque, D.F. Haines, L.A. DeFalco, J.E. Rodgers, K.A. Goodwin, S.J. Scoles
Evaluating options for revegetation following a catastrophic fire in a pinyon-juniper community at Grand Canyon/Parashant National Monument, Arizona
No abstract available at this time
Authors
S.J. Scoles, T. C. Esque, L.A. DeFalco, S.E. Eckert, D.F. Haines
Perennial vegetation data from permanent plots on the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada
Perennial vegetation data from 68 permanent plots on the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, are given for the period of 1963 through 2002. Dr. Janice C. Beatley established the plots in 1962 and then remeasured them periodically from 1963 through 1975. We remeasured 67 of these plots between 2000 and 2003; the remaining plot was destroyed at some time between 1975 and 1993. The plots ranged fro
Authors
Robert H. Webb, Marilyn B. Murov, Todd C. Esque, Diane E. Boyer, Lesley A. DeFalco, Dustin F. Haines, Dominic Oldershaw, Sara J. Scoles, Kathryn A. Thomas, Joan B. Blainey, Philip A. Medica