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Heather Schneider, Ph.D.

Heather oversees the Rare Plant Conservation Program. She spends a lot of time searching for rare plants on the Channel Islands and throughout California.

Senior Rare Plant Conservation Scientist Heather Schneider, Ph.D., oversees the Rare Plant Conservation Program, which includes conducting research, implementing conservation and recovery actions, managing the Conservation Seed Bank, and providing outreach and education opportunities focused on California’s rare plants. Heather’s research interests and experience are in plant ecology, seed banks, conservation, invasive plants, and evolutionary biology. She earned a doctorate in botany and plant sciences from the University of California, Riverside, worked as an ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, and was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara, before joining Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Heather has been working to understand and protect the California flora since 2005. 

Research interests: seed banking, rare plant conservation, germination, rare plant reintroduction, plant ecology, science communication 

Publications

2022

Journal Articles (peer reviewed):

Kofron, C.P., S.E. Termondt, L.H. Lum, H.E. Schneider, K.E. Hasenstab-Lehman, and C.M. Guilliams. 2022. Status of Lompoc yerba santa Eriodictyon capitatum (Namaceae): an endangered plant in Santa Barbara County, Southern California. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 121: 139-159. https://doi.org/10.3160/0038-3872-121.3.139

Technical Reports and non-peer reviewed articles:

Schneider, H.E. and S.A. Carson. 2022. A comprehensive collaborative project Recover 14 listed plant species on the Channel Islands – Final Report. Unpublished report prepared for California Department of Fish and Wildlife by Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA. 196 pp.

Schneider, H.E. and S.A. Carson. 2022. Saving for the future: conservation seed banking in the BLM Central California District. Final Report. Unpublished report from Santa Barbara Botanic Garden to Bureau of Land Management. 53 pages.

Namoff, S.M., K.E. Hasenstab-Lehman, C.M. Guilliams, and H.E. Schneider. 2022. Conservation genomics of island rush-rose (Crocanthemum greenei (B.L.Rob.) (Sorrie, Cistaceae): Effects of historical land management practices On the genetic structure and diversity of a Channel Islands endemic plant. Final draft report prepared for California Department of Fish and Wildlife by Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, California. 42 pp.

Guilliams, C.M., K.E. Hasenstab-Lehman, H. Schneider. 2022. Census and conservation seed banking of norther island mallow (Malva assurgentiflora (Kell.) M.F. Ray subsp. assurgentiflora; Malvaceae) on San Miguel and Anacapa Islands, Chanel Islands National Park. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, California. 20 pp.

2021

Journal Articles (peer reviewed):

Schneider, H.E., S.A. Carson, & S.E. Termondt. 2021. Smoke-induced germination in the endangered Eriodictyon capitatum (Namaceae). Madrono 68:87–98.

Technical Reports and non-peer reviewed articles:

Schneider, H.E., K.M. Mason & S.A. Carson. 2021. A comprehensive collaborative project to recover 14 listed plant species on the Channel Islands – 2021 annual report. Unpublished report to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA. 60 pp.

2020

Technical Reports and non-peer reviewed articles:

Schneider, H.E. & S.A. Carson. 2020. A comprehensive collaborative project to recover 14 listed plant species on the Channel Islands – 2020 annual report. Unpublished report to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, California. 54 pages.

2019

Journal Articles (peer reviewed):

Kofron, C.P., C. Rutherford, L.E. Andreano, M.J. Walgren & H.E. Schneider. 2019. Status of the endangered Indian Knob mountainbalm Eriodictyon altissimum (Namaceae) in central coastal California. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 118: 21-41.

Technical Reports and non-peer reviewed articles:

Schneider, H.E. & S.A. Carson. 2019. Lompoc yerba santa (Eriodictyon capitatum) germination study – Final Project Report 2019. Unpublished Report, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA. 13 pp.

Schneider, H.E. & S.A. Carson. 2019. Santa Cruz Island Dudleya (Dudleya nesiotica) Survey – Final Project Report 2019. Unpublished Report, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA. 16 pp.

Schneider, H.E. & S.A. Carson. 2019. A comprehensive collaborative project to recover 14 listed plant species on the Channel Islands – 2019 annual report. Unpublished report to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, California. 68 pages.

Schneider, H.E. 2019. Rare plant survey and data management – project final report. Unpublished Report, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA. 17 pp.

2018

Journal Articles (peer reviewed):

Mack, J.S., H.E. Schneider, & K.H. Berry. 2018. Crowding affects health, growth, and behavior in headstart pens for Agassiz’s desert tortoise. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 17: 14-26.

Technical Reports and non-peer reviewed articles:

Schneider, H.E., S.E. Termondt, & C.M. Guilliams. 2018. Rare plant surveys and conservation seed collections in the California Floristic Province in Baja California, Mexico final report. Unpublished report, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. 13 pp.

Schneider, H.E., S.E. Termondt, & H. Federlein. 2018. Sanicula maritima (adobe sanicle) root propagation study. Unpublished report, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA. 23 pp.

Books and Book Chapters:

Maschinski, J., C. Walters, E. Guerrant, S. Murray, M. Kunz, H. Schneider, J. Affolter, T Gurnoe, N. Fraga, K. Havens, P. Vitt, K.D. Heineman & C. Horn. 2018. Collecting seeds from wild plant populations. Pages 1-10 – 1-23 In CPC Best plant conservation practices to support species survival in the wild. Center for Plant Conservation, San Diego, CA.

2017

Technical Reports and non-peer reviewed articles:

Knapp, D. & H. Schneider. 2017. Conservation of salt marsh bird’s beak (Chloropyron maritimum subsp. maritimum). Unpublished final report prepared for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ventura, by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Santa Barbara, California.

McEachern, K., P. Dixon, E. Havstad, W. Hoyer, D. Knapp, J. Knapp, L. Luna-Mendoza, B. Munson, & H. Schneider. 2017. The struggle for recovery. Fremontia 45: 32-36.

Schneider, H.E. & S.M. Calloway. 2017. Habitat management and post-fire rehab for Vandenberg AFB, California: Eriogonum parvifolium surveys – Final Report 2017. Unpublished report, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA. 20 pp.

Schneider, H.E. & S.M. Calloway. 2017. Habitat Management for Vandenberg AFB, California: Layia carnosa surveys – Final Report 2017. Unpublished report, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA. 17 pp.

Schneider, H.E. 2017. Final Report – Sanicula maritima (adobe sanicle) seed germination study. Unpublished report, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA. 7 pp.

2016

Journal Articles (peer reviewed):

Schneider, H.E. and S.J. Mazer. 2016. Geographic variation in climate as a proxy for climate change: Forecasting evolutionary trajectories from species differentiation and genetic correlations. American Journal of Botany 103: 140-152. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1500108

Etterson, J.R., H.E. Schneider, N.L. Soper Gorden, and J.J. Weber. 2016. Evolutionary insights from studies of geographic variation: Contemporary variation and looking to the future. American Journal of Botany 103: 5-9. doi:10.3732/ajb.1500515

Etterson, J.R., Franks, S.J., Mazer, R.G. Shaw, N.L.S. Gorden, H.E. Schneider, J.J. Weber, and K.J. Winkler. 2016. Project Baseline: An unprecedented resource to study plant evolution across space and time. American Journal of Botany 103: 164-173. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1500313

Books and Book Chapters:

Schneider, H.E. and L.C. Sweet. 2016. Gaining the upper hand: How do natural and anthropogenic disturbances affect native and invasive plant species? Learner-centered teaching activities for environmental and sustainability studies. Ed. Loren Byrne. Bristol, RI: Springer.  doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-28543-6

2012

Journal Articles (peer reviewed):

Schneider, H.E. and E.B. Allen. 2012. Effects of elevated nitrogen and exotic plant invasion on soil seed bank composition in Joshua Tree National Park. Plant Ecology 213: 1277-1287. DOI 10.1007/x11258-012-0085-6.

Technical Reports and non-peer reviewed articles:

Berry, K.H., H.E. Schneider, A.A. Emerson, T. Gowan, and J. Mack. 2012. The Health Status of Translocated Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizzii) in the Fort Irwin Translocation Area and Surrounding Release Plots, San Bernardino County, California: Year 5. Prepared for the Fort Irwin National Training Center. Prepared for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Fort Irwin National Training Center.

Berry, K.H., H.E. Schneider, AA Emerson, and N Newman. Development of an Epidemiological Model of Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (Mycoplasmosis) in Desert Tortoises Using the Daggett Study Area: Year 6, 2012. Prepared for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Fort Irwin National Training Center.

Schneider, H.E. and K.H. Berry. 2012. Summary of the Edwards Air Force Base juvenile desert tortoise head start program, 2003-2011. Contract number FISEAE1210G001.

2011

Technical Reports and non-peer reviewed articles:

Schneider, H.E. and E.B. Allen. 2011. An analysis of the seed bank at Joshua Tree National Park at sites invaded by exotic annual grasses. pp. 313-319. J. W. Willoughby, B. K. Orr, K.A. Schierenbeck, and N. J. Jensen [eds.], Proceedings of the CNPS Conservation Conference: Strategies and Solutions, 17–19 Jan 2009, California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA.

2010

Technical Reports and non-peer reviewed articles:

Bell, M.D., S.J. Dickens, H.E. Schneider, K. Palenscar and L.C. Sweet. 2010. Herbicide treatment of an invaded grassland following a prescribed fire. Proceedings of the California Invasive Plant Council Symposium. 14: pp. 10-12. Cal-IPC, Berkeley, CA.

2009

Technical Reports and non-peer reviewed articles:

Schneider, H.E. and E.B. Allen. 2009. Evening the odds: evaluating the combined effects of nitrogen fertilization and exotic annual removal on native annual forbs in the Colorado Desert. Proceedings of the California Invasive Plant Council Symposium. 13: pp. 57-60. Cal-IPC Berkeley, CA.

Books and Book Chapters:

Robison, R. 2009. Research needs for invasive plants in California. Cal-IPC Publication 2009-01. California Invasive Plant Council: Berkeley, CA.

Available: www.cal-ipc.org. (written content contributor listed in acknowledgements)

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Senior Rare Plant Conservation Scientist