About This Project
San Bruno Mountain in the San Francisco Bay Area has sharp microclimate contrasts from summer fog. These conditions support epiphytic cryptogams—lichens and mosses relying on atmospheric moisture—but they remain poorly studied in California. We will test the hypothesis that microclimate variation across the mountain drives differences in cryptogam diversity and microbiome composition using epiphyte communities on the dominant coyote brush shrubs and a Nanopore sequencing approach.
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
San Bruno Mountain is a rare, open ridge just south of San Francisco, where cool, foggy air from the Pacific regularly meets the hot, dry inland climate to create sharp moisture contrasts across short distances [1,2]. These microclimates may be vital for cryptogams—lichens and mosses that grow on plant surfaces and absorb water from fog or humidity rather than soil. Because they depend on atmospheric moisture, cryptogams respond sensitively to microclimate [3,4]. Yet their diversity and microbiomes remain poorly studied in California’s fog-dependent systems: many cryptogams are omitted in major biodiversity surveys [5], and their microbial associations remain largely unexplored [6,7,8]. We hypothesize that fine-scale variation in fog and humidity across San Bruno Mountain drives differences in cryptogam and microbial community composition on coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), linking microclimate gradients to patterns of biodiversity.
What is the significance of this project?
Cryptogams play foundational ecological roles by recycling nutrients, providing microhabitats, and stabilizing soils and surfaces [1,2,3]. They are also sensitive to microclimate and pollutants, making them strong indicators of environmental change [4,5]. Yet they remain poorly documented in California, even where fog likely sustains them: many cryptogams are under-represented in biodiversity datasets [6], and their microbial partners are largely unexplored [7,8]. As coastal fog regimes shift with climate change, understanding cryptogam responses is urgent [9]. By testing how microclimate variation shapes cryptogam and microbiome composition, this project will show how fine-scale fog and humidity gradients drive biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Specimens will be archived at the Harry D. Thiers Herbarium (SFSU), and sequencing data shared openly. The result provides both a baseline for detecting change and hands-on training in integrated biodiversity science.
What are the goals of the project?
The goal of this project is to document the cryptogam communities growing on coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) along foggy and drier slopes of San Bruno Mountain. We will collect specimens, prepare herbarium vouchers, and record fine-scale temperature and humidity data with dataloggers. Each voucher will be linked to DNA barcoding and sequencing, allowing us to identify not only the visible mosses and lichens but also hidden and cryptic fungal, algal, and microbial partners. Because cryptogams rely on atmospheric moisture, we expect fog frequency and duration to be reflected in their growth, reproduction, and diversity. By comparing coastal and inland slopes, we can test how community patterns vary with microclimate differences. The broader goal is to create a rigorously documented, open dataset that supports the California All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (CalATBI), while providing hands-on training for students and new resources for conservation and environmental monitoring.
Budget
Travel funds ($270) support repeated trips to San Bruno Mountain for cryptogam collection and microclimate monitoring. Field tools and safety equipment ($150) ensure specimens are collected responsibly and preserved as herbarium vouchers. PCR primers ($150) and Direct PCR reagents ($150) enable amplification of fungal, algal, and moss markers. A PCR cleanup kit ($290) purifies successful reactions, while Qubit reagents ($120) provide accurate DNA quantification before library prep. Because we already own an ONT Rapid Barcoding Kit, a Flongle flow cell, and iButton hygrochrons, no grant funds are needed for sequencing or data logging. Instead, funds cover the essential preparation steps that make sequencing and analysis possible. Together, these items link field collections with molecular data, enabling us to document cryptogam species, reproduction, and microbiomes while training students and contributing voucher-backed biodiversity data to CalATBI and public repositories.
Endorsed by
Project Timeline
Field collections are underway, with herbarium voucher prep continuing through the fall. Remaining lab work (PCR and sequencing) will follow in late fall and winter. Data analysis and results will be shared in spring, with final herbarium accession numbers, open DNA datasets, and a project summary delivered to backers by early summer 2026.
Oct 28, 2025
Project Launched
Oct 31, 2025
Complete San Bruno Mountain field collections
Dec 13, 2025
Identification, quantification, and voucher prep
Feb 28, 2026
PCR, library prep, and sequencing
Mar 31, 2026
Analyze data
Meet the Team
Affiliates
Team Bio
The Moss Eco-Evo-Physio (MEEP) Lab at San Francisco State University studies how cryptogams interact with their environments, from microclimate to physiology. Our team brings experience in field botany, herbarium curation, molecular tools like PCR and DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics. We share a passion for the small overlooked organisms and for engaging students in biodiversity research, making us well-suited to carry out this project.
Jenna Ekwealor, Ph.D.
I am an Assistant Professor of Biology at San Francisco State University, where I lead the Moss Eco-Evo-Physio (MEEP) Lab. My group integrates plant physiology, ecology, and genomics to investigate how plants adapt to terrestrial challenges. We focus on three themes: mechanisms of stress tolerance, the processes that generate and maintain reproductive and life history diversity, and the evolutionary history of adaptation to extreme environments. To address these questions, we combine field and laboratory approaches—eco-physiological assays, reproductive studies, and molecular tools such as DNA sequencing and bioinformatics.
Much of my work centers on mosses and lichens: poikilohydric organisms that equilibrate with environmental moisture, suspending metabolism during dry periods and reactivating when hydrated. Their ability to survive extreme desiccation, solar radiation, and temperature variation makes them both resilient pioneers and sensitive indicators of environmental change. My research explores how these stressors shape their life history, reproduction, and evolutionary trajectories, with a focus on water availability and microclimate.
I am committed to mentoring students and creating opportunities for hands-on research training. This project reflects that commitment by combining traditional collecting, herbarium curation, and modern sequencing in ways that are accessible to students and community members. Through this work, I aim to advance scientific understanding of cryptogams and inspire the next generation of scientists to appreciate the resilience and ecological importance of these overlooked organisms.
Additional Information
If we reach this stretch goal, we will purchase two HOBO Micro Station Data Loggers (H21-USB) for longer-term microclimate monitoring on San Bruno Mountain. These durable, weatherproof stations can run for many months in the field and record high-resolution microclimate data (temperature, humidity, fog indicators, and more depending on future sensor additions). Deploying two stations in contrasting microhabitats (one in the coastal fog belt and one in drier interior slopes) will greatly improve our ability to quantify fine-scale environmental gradients driving cryptogam and microbiome community patterns.
Project Backers
- 3Backers
- 101%Funded
- $1,150Total Donations
- $383.33Average Donation