About us
The Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT) is a non-profit land trust dedicated to the conservation, restoration, and appreciation of native prairies, savannas, and other grasslands in Texas. Please join the Houston Chapter! Become a fan of Texas prairies!
Upcoming events
24
Houston Native Prairie Association Monthly Meeting
American Red Cross, 2700 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX, US"Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, a New Potential Tool in Grassland Restoration"
By Collin DiceArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are fungi that form underground networks across most terrestrial ecosystems and form partnerships with ~80% of known plant species. AMF are important for enhancing native plant growth and diversity in grasslands especially, but there is strong reason to believe that are largely absent in restored prairie sites. Contemporary research has shown that AMF can be cultured and re-introduced to North American prairies with great benefits for plant restoration. In this talk, I will discuss the challenges, unknowns, and benefits of working with AMF in restoration and it as an intersection between academic research and field restoration.
Collin is a PhD Candidate from the University of Houston working under Dr. Kerri Crawford. He received a Master's in Integrative Biology from the Kennesaw State University in 2023 and has worked in Houston since Fall 2023. The focus of his dissertation is plant-microbe interactions in the context of prairie restoration and includes topics on how fire modifies prairie plant diversity, how mycorrhizal fungi can help restore prairies, and how legume-dependent rhizobia are distributed in fragmented prairies.
Collin (cgdice@cougarnet.uh.edu) is also open to receiving questions before the talk via email if people are interested.
The paper, "Why, when, and how microbes can benefit ecological restorations: current approaches and future directions"(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41664892/). is also recommended. Many of the concepts will be familiar to restorationists, but Collin warns that it is very jargony in some sections.
We ask that you register for this meeting and for meetings going forward, particularly if you are coming in person. This will help us greatly to keep track of attendance.
REGISTER HERE! https://texasprairie.org/event/hnpat-monthly-meeting-april2026/
If you want to attend online, the Zoom registration link will immediately be sent to you when you register with the above registration link.
If you are coming in person, you can arrive as early as 6:30 PM to socialize and connect. There will be refreshments. And you are welcome to bring something.
The program starts at 7:00 PM.1 attendee
Past events
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