Mission
The Center for the Study of Biodiversity (CSB) serves as the unifying intellectual entity for all CSUN faculty, staff and students engaged in research that furthers our understanding of the causes, importance and protection of biological diversity in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The CSB's mission is to promote the protection of biological diversity through education, training, expertise, and research in ecology, evolution and systematics. Find recent news about people in the CSB here.
Goals of the CSB
- Promote undergraduate and graduate research and training in ecology, evolution, conservation, and systematics.
- Establish links and partnerships with colleagues, institutions, government agencies, and field stations to enhance scientific exchange for the preservation of biodiversity.
- Serve as a regional resource of scientific expertise for issues on biodiversity in southern California.
- Promote awareness within the Southern California region of the importance of biodiversity and sustainable use of biological resources for the long-term health and well-being of human societies.
Student Research Spotlight
Chris Bowman-Prideaux is studying the population ecology of the federally endangered plant, Braunton’s milkvetch (Astragalus brauntonii). The greatest threat to this plant is habitat fragmentation and loss due to land-use changes. This plant is found in isolated populations that vary in distance with some populations isolated by more than 31 miles to the nearest known population. Bowman-Prideaux has conducted a demography study examining both vegetative and reproductive characteristics of six populations and found evidence of phenotypic differences between populations. He is currently conducting common-garden and reciprocal-transplant experiments to see if these differences are the result of plasticity or genetic divergence among the populations. This research will help to better understand this species and how to effectively manage those populations. (Advisor: Dr. Paula Schiffman)