Orange County Society for Conservation Biology is hosting a presentation by Dr. Jennifer Funk, an Assoicate Professor at Chapman University. Her research focuses on identifying characteristics of invasive plant species and using that information to restore native plant communities. She is particularly interested in how invasive species out-compete native species for resources in arid and nutrient-poor habitats. She has worked extensively in Hawaii and Mediterra- nean-climate ecosystems.

Topics to discuss include the following:
• What are plant functional traits and how do we study them?
• How does understanding plant functional traits help us improve restoration?
• What are the important characteristics to know about the plants we use in restoration?
• How do collaborations between academic researchers and land managers benefit both research and land management decisions?