Impact of Genetics and Nursery Practices on Conifer Seedling Drought Resistance
Faculty mentor/Supervisor: 
Maxwell Wightman
Department Affiliation: 
Forest Engineering Resources & Management
Project Location: 
Corvallis, Oak Creek Greenhouse
Project Description: 
This project will assess the impact of different nursery practices on the drought resistance of conifer seedlings from multiple seed sources. The nursery practices include three different watering regimes and were designed to create varying level of drought stress for conifer seedlings growing in the nursery. In this study, seedlings from varying nursery and genetic treatments will be planted in a complete randomized block design in beds next to the VMRC greenhouse at the Oak Creek Complex. The treatments will include varying level of soil water manipulation ranging from complete rainfall exclusion to irrigated treatments. Assessments of seedling growth, physiology and drought stress will be conducted every two weeks after bud break in order to determine: 1) if the nursery practices impact seedling drought resistance in the field, and 2) if the genotypes display different levels of drought stress under similar field conditions.
Describe the type of work and tasks you anticipate the student will perform: 
- Caring for seedlings in a greenhouse prior to planting - Plot instillation and seedling planting - Plant water potential measurements - Plant photosynthesis and stomatal conductance measurements - Measurements of seedling height and diameter - Data management - Data analysis
Hourly rate of pay: 
$12/hour
Detail your mentorship plan: 
I will work directly with the student to install and measure the study. I will train the student in measuring water potential, photosynthesis, and stomatal conductance, but more importantly I will teach the student what these measurements mean and how they relate to plant physiology, seedling production, and PNW reforestation.