MS, Purdue University (Plant Biology)

Having grown up in Sonoma County, Michelle Halbur greatly values the biodiversity of the region and is honored to work on conservation and land management research at Pepperwood. She has an M.S. from Purdue University where she studied the conservation genetics and ecology of a rare vernal pool plant that occurs in the Santa Rosa Plain, Sebastopol meadowfoam. Since 2011, Michelle has served as Pepperwood’s Preserve Ecologist where she oversees Pepperwood’s Community Science and Visiting Scholars programming. She advises Pepperwood’s land stewardship activities and manages on-site research projects including long-term forest and grassland monitoring, plant phenology, breeding bird surveys, the Stephen J. Barnhart Herbarium, and more. Michelle also helps to translate Pepperwood’s science for a variety of audiences, including professionals, students, and the public. She is on the boards of the California Native Plant Society, Milo Baker Chapter, and the California Native Grassland Association, as a Director-at-large serving for 2021-2022, as well as the Grasslands Journal Chair.

Publications

Cove, M., et al. 2020. SNAPSHOT USA 2019: the first coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States. Ecology.

Halbur, M.M., T.L. Comendant, N. Barden, A.L. Whipple, and E. Micheli. 2020. Annual Point Count Breeding Bird Survey at Pepperwood Preserve in the California Coast Ranges 2007-2019 ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative.

Bartosh, H., B. Peterson, M.M. Halbur, T.L. Comendant, A.L. Whipple, and E. Micheli. 2020. Post-Tubbs Fire Chaparral Floristic Survey at Pepperwood Preserve in the California Coast Ranges 2018-2019 ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative.

Townsend, S., S. Hammerich, and M. Halbur. 2020. Wildlife occupancy and trail use before and after a park opens to the public. California Fish and Wildlife, Recreation Special Issue, 74-94.

Halbur, M., S. Berleman, M. Gillogly, D. Friedfel, and T. Comendant. 2019. Oak woodland regeneration in fuel treatment areas before and after the 2017 Tubbs Fire, Sonoma County, CA. International Oaks, Journal of the International Oak Society’s Conference Proceedings. 30:153-160.

Comendant, T., R. Ferrell, M. Halbur, M. Gray, S. Hammerich, and L. Micheli. 2019. A climate ecosystem sentinel site, Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA. A technical report prepared by the Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA, for the National Science Foundation, Field Stations and Marine Labs Grant #1624447.

Hammerich, S., M. Halbur, L. Micheli, T. Comendant, and S. Townsend. 2018. Benefits and lessons learned by engaging citizen scientists in camera trapping and monitoring. The Wildlife Society’s 25th Annual Conference, Cleveland, OH, October 2018.

Gillogly, M., C. Dodge, M. Halbur, L. Micheli, C. McKay, N. Heller, and B. Benson. 2017. Adaptive Management Plan for Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA. A technical report prepared by the Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA, for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Herniman, W., M. Halbur, and L. Micheli. 2017. Comparison of oak phenology between a drought year (WY 2014-2015) and an El Niño year (WY 2015-2016) at Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA. Northern California Botanists Conference, Chico, CA, January 2017.

Oldfather, M.F., M.N. Britton, P.D. Papper, M.J. Koontz, M.M. Halbur, C. Dodge, A.L. Flint, L.E. Flint, and D.D. Ackerly. 2016. Effects of topoclimatic complexity on the composition of woody plant communities. Annals of Botany, plw049. http://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plw049.

Townsend, S.T., S. Hammerich, M. Halbur, and L. Micheli. 2016. Wildlife abundance and trail use: North Slope Sonoma Mountain Study. Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA, for the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District.

Funke, S., J. Robinson, N. Barden, M. Halbur, and L. Micheli. 2016. Pepperwood’s TeenNat: diverse teens contributing to conservation science. Organization of Biological Field Stations Conference, Sitka, AK, September 2016.

Herniman, W., M. Halbur, and L. Micheli. 2016. Comparison of oak phenology between a drought year (WY 2014-2015) and an El Nino year (WY 2015-2016) at Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA. University of California Naturalist Conference, Running Springs, CA, September 2016.

Townsend, S. E., L. Micheli, and M. Halbur. 2016. Using the Wildlife Picture Index to measure ecosystem health and connectivity. Organization of Biological Field Stations Conference, Sitka, AK, September 2016.

Hoeft, E., Rockwood, P., and M. Halbur. 2016. Influence of soil moisture on phenology and species distribution in Pepperwood Preserve. Santa Rosa Junior College MESA Program Session, Santa Rosa, CA, May 2016.

Halbur, M., E. R. Micheli, and S. Funke. 2015. Combining people, place and science: lessons learned from citizen science at Pepperwood. Poster presentation at Citizen Science Association, San Jose, CA.

Funke, S., M. Halbur, N. Barden, C. Dodge, J. Robinson, and L. Micheli. 2014. Pepperwood’s TeenNat Diverse Youth Contributing to Conservation Science. Poster presentation at Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowship Conference, Washington, DC.

Gillogly, M., M. Halbur, C. Dodge, and L. Micheli. 2014. The Pepperwood Conservation Grazing Pilot Project: Managing for complexity in our coastal California grasslands. Poster presentation at California Invasive Plant Council, Chico, CA.

Halbur, M. M., C. M. Sloop, M. J. Zanis, and N. C. Emery. 2014. The population biology of mitigation: Impacts of habitat creation on an endangered plant species. Conservation Genetics 15:679–695. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Ackerly, D., M. Oldfather, M. Britton, M. Halbur, and L. Micheli. 2013. Establishment of woodland vegetation research plots at Pepperwood Preserve. Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative. Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA.

Halbur, M., M. Kennedy, D. Ackerly, L. Micheli, and J. Thorne. 2013. Creating a detailed vegetation map for Pepperwood Preserve. Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative. Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA.

Townsend, S. E., L. Micheli, and M. Halbur. 2012. Using the Wildlife Picture Index to measure ecosystem health and connectivity. Poster presentation at The Wildlife Society, Reno, NV.

Jensen, M. 2011. Ecological and genetic consequences of habitat mitigation on an endangered California vernal pool plant: Sebastopol meadowfoam (Limnanthes vinculans). M.S. thesis. Purdue University.

Jensen, M., M. Gillogly, M. Kennedy, and L. Micheli. 2011. Monitoring long-term vegetation response to climate change: Setting a baseline. Poster presentation at Organization of Biological Field Stations, Bodega, CA.

Jensen, M., and N. C. Emery. 2010a. Conservation and community among the Santa Rosa Plain vernal pools. Fremontia 38:40–43.

Jensen, M., and N. C. Emery. 2010b. The effect of soil compaction on an endangered California vernal pool plant species Sebastopol meadowfoam (Limnanthes vinculans). Poster presentation at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.

Last updated April 2023.