WINDOW

Photos courtesy Eric DeChaine
Small flowers, big questions: The tiny flowers and other plants that have Western Washington University Assistant
Professor Eric DeChaine on his hands and knees, above, can provide clues to the vast impact of climate change. With the help of a
$419,000 National Science Foundation grant, DeChaine and undergraduate research assistant Jenna McAleer flew and paddled to the
research area along the remote Noatak River in northern Alaska this summer to collect and study vegetation. By learning how plants
have adapted to historic climate change, the researchers hope to help scientists better predict how plant species will adapt to changes
in today’s climate. See more stunning photos and video clips of DeChaine’s research trip – and hear him talk about the group’s work – in
a multimedia presentation found at www.wwumultimedia.org/dechaine.
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