Denver Botanic Gardens research field trip to Piceance Basin

Denver Botanic Gardens is studying two Federally Listed species. Before we return to our new Conservation Genetics lab we get the pleasure of finding the plants in the wild.

The Dudley Bluffs twinpod and bladderpod (Lesquerella congesta and L. obcordata) are both listed Threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Both are found only in the Piceanace Basin in Colorado. This area contains large reserves of oil and gas. Drilling for oil and gas threatens the habitat for these species. To direct conservation efforts, Denver Botanic Gardens' Research department is studying how genetic diversity is distributed in and among populations of these rare species.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ESA
• threatened
• research
• population genetics
• tissue collection
• oil and gas
• Lesquerella congesta
• Lesquerella obcordata
• Denver Botanic Gardens
• Piceance Basin
• Colorado
• native
• plants