Lynn M. Breithaupt

I began my higher education at San Joaquin Delta Community College in Stockton, CA. Years after receiving my Associates of Science in horticulture I was able to re-enter college, and transfer to California State University, Stanislaus, in Turlock, CA where I received my Bachelors of Science in organismal ecology and evolution. I am currently a PhD. candidate at the University of California, Merced, advised by Dr. Jason Sexton.

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I study the ecology and evolution of California's most threatened ecosystems: vernal pools, grasslands, and seeps. These systems are biodiversity hotspots facing intense pressure from climate change and habitat loss.

 

Current research projects focus on documenting the phenology of vernal pool plants and pollinators, testing the plant fitness consequences of phenological mismatch in plant-pollinator interactions, and examining the physiological and morphological strategies plants employ to persist through multi-year droughts. I use a combination of resurrection common garden experiments, field surveys, and emerging technologies to understand how these systems function and how we can effectively conserve them.

 

I'm equally committed to training the next generation of ecologists. I mentor undergraduate students, with particular focus on providing opportunities to first-generation and underrepresented students in both fieldwork and lab techniques, helping them develop independent research skills and build connections to California's ecological communities.

 

Beyond research and teaching, I contribute to conservation practice as Chair of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Vernal Pool Recovery Implementation Team and as Outreach Coordinator for the San Joaquin Valley California Native Plant Society chapter. These roles allow me to translate science into actionable conservation while building collaborative networks across academic, agency, and nonprofit sectors.