UROP Project
Plant Propagation and Plant Reproduction in Longleaf Pine Savannas Ecosystems.
Conservation, Botany, Horticulture, Greenhouse, Biology
Research Mentor: Dr. Leynar Leyton, He/Him
Department, College, Affiliation: University of Florida, N/A
Contact Email: L.LeytonNaranjo@ufl.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Dr. Carolina Baruzzi She/her
Faculty Collaborators Email: Carolina.Baruzzi@ufl.edu
Department, College, Affiliation: University of Florida, N/A
Contact Email: L.LeytonNaranjo@ufl.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Dr. Carolina Baruzzi She/her
Faculty Collaborators Email: Carolina.Baruzzi@ufl.edu
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 5
Relevant Majors: Ecology, evolution, botany, environmental science, or conservation majors.
Project Location: 155 Research Rd. UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center. Quincy, FL 32351
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 5
Relevant Majors: Ecology, evolution, botany, environmental science, or conservation majors.
Project Location: 155 Research Rd. UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center. Quincy, FL 32351
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Monday, August 31
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 1:30
Zoom Link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/99797438317?pwd=3uBg2SFvAl7ERQqaQGDvSQgDc9qXSV.1
Project Description
Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savannas once extended throughout the southeastern coastal plain but now occupy less than 3% of their initial range. This ecosystem supports high plant and wildlife diversity, including many endemic species. To conserve longleaf pine savannas and the species they support, it is essential not only to understand the ecological processes that maintain their vegetation, such as prescribed fire, but also to improve methods for restoring these systems.Our project focuses on plant propagation and reproduction in longleaf pine savannas ecosystems. Between fall 2026 and spring 2027, we will conduct field vegetation surveys to monitor plant flowering and seed production in longleaf pine savannas across restored and old-growth sites maintained with varying fire regimes. We will also conduct laboratory and greenhouse experiments to evaluate seed germination and test treatments that can improve the germination and propagation of native plants for restoration.
Research Tasks: -Laboratory assessments of seed viability and germination.
-Laboratory tests to improve seed germination (plant growth regulator treatments, physical treatments, temperature treatments)
-Greenhouse clonal propagation studies (use of different potting media, plant growth regulators, and explants)
-Flowering and seed production evaluation in Greenhouse settings
-Flowering and sees production evaluation in Longleaf pine Savannas Ecosystems (Field evaluation)
-Tentative hybridization studies in greenhouse settings.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Attention to detail, good communicator, growth-oriented, strategic planner, adaptive learner.
Recommended: basic botany/horticulture and/or plant knowledge, scientific literacy, fieldwork experience (beginner)
Mentoring Philosophy
Our philosophy is more than just showing and transmitting horticultural and conservation knowledge. We aim to be true mentors, inside and outside the lab, greenhouse, and field. As first-generation college graduates, and first-generation in obtained a graduate degree, we have experienced firsthand how education opens doors, transforms, and empowers people. We are here to help students discover their interests in the many areas that horticulture and conservation have to offer; helping them to find their passion.Students have different identities, backgrounds, and interests (talents) that must be acknowledged. We are committed to developing safe learning environments where students feel comfortable, welcome, and they can explore their full potential, while providing constructive feedback to improve their skills.
Finally, thanks to the multiple mentoring and teaching experiences in our careers with undergraduate and graduate education in Chile, Italy, and The United States, we have become skillful at interacting with students with a variety of perspectives, values, and cultural backgrounds. We do not only aspire to be good mentors and provide up to date horticultural and conservation knowledge. We want to instill passion for horticulture, conservation, native plants, wildlife, restoration and research in our students. We want to show them how a significant impact our knowledge can have in the world.
Additional Information
Out team includes collaboration with UROP Project Submission #1600https://cre.fsu.edu/webform/urop_project_proposal_portal/submissions/22573