A Floristic Study of the South Fork Tule River Watershed, southern Sierra Nevada, Tulare County, California

Due to the historical exploitation of tribes from scientists and anthropologists, access to tribal trust lands in California for the purposes of field research has been limited. For my master’s thesis, I am conducting a floristic study of the South Fork Tule River (SFTR) watershed, located in southern Sierra Nevada in Tulare County, California. The SFTR originates near Slate Mountain, in Sequoia National Forest, and drains westward through the Tule River Indian Reservation (TRIR) into Lake Success. The watershed is ca. 118 sq. mi. and has diverse vegetation including giant sequoia groves. The objectives of my study are: 1) Document all plant species within the watershed. 2) Create a checklist of the flora. 3) Create a reference herbarium for the TRIR. Both botanists and tribal community members can benefit from the information generated from this study as we work together towards an improved understanding of the California flora.