Fieldwork always sounds romantic and serene from the
outside: wide open skies, fresh air and soft breezes, fragrant sagebrush, and a
mischievous choir of tiny creatures. But when your main task is clipping
grasses and forbs for biomass, the reality is often more like an endurance
activity, especially when you’re up against certain “special” plants that seem
designed to test your patience and strength.
Elymus cinereus
(ELCI): The Grass Tower
If there’s a plant equivalent of a skyscraper on most wellpads in the Jonah Field, it’s Elymus cinereus. Compared to most tiny, hobbit-sized grasses surrounding it, ELCI grows so tall that I can hide myself behind it completely. The stems are so hard and woody, so much so that regular clippers are insufficient. I need to use my entire body to assist the clipping process. There have been times I felt like I was sawing through a broomstick instead of a grass stem. Every time I see a clump of ELCI towering above the rest, I know it is another round of strength training.
Figure 1: Elymus cinerus in one of the disturbed sites (Photographed on July 2nd, 2025, by Jianing Tian)
Halogeton glomeratus
(HAGL): The Aggressive Invader
With its reddish to purplish stem and plump little leaves, Halogeton glomeratus looks like an eye-catching and cute succulent-like forb at first glance. However, it is an aggressive and notorious invasive species, thriving on the disturbed wellpads. In many cases, it tends to take over the native species at an alarming speed and to take up most of my time in clipping.
Figure 2: Halogeton glomeratus in one of the disturbed sites. (Photographed on June 10th, 2025, by Jianing Tian)
Poa secunda
(POSE): The Flight Risk
Dried Poa secunda is another challenge. These plants are so light and small that they could be blown away with the slightest gust of wind. Besides, POSE also has a peculiar habit of growing at an angle along soil mounds, making it even harder to collect without breaking it apart. Since biomass is exponentially related to plant length, I need to tilt my clippers and be extremely careful. Therefore, I’ve been seen hunched in an awkward pose, holding a clipped POSE in one hand and the paper bag tightly in the other, trying not to lose any bits.
Figure 3: Poa secunda in one of the undisturbed sites. (Photographed on June 10th, 2025, by Jianing Tian)
Alyssum desertorum
(ALDE): The Random Drop
Alyssum desertorum dries out and tends to drop everywhere. It’s also usually present in overwhelming numbers. When our quadrat, which marks the area for clipping biomass, is full of ALDE, I sometimes sample only part of the patch to save time. Like POSE, it’s delicate. One wrong move could cause the entire plant to crumble like a dried cookie.
Figure 4: Alyssum desertorum in one of the disturbed sites. (Photographed on August 2nd, 2025, by Jianing Tian)
What I’ve learned from weeks of clipping is that plants have personalities. Each species can change the pace of my work. However, nothing is more satisfying than the moment I stand up after overcoming these tiny, leafy challengers, stretch my aching back, and look out at the endless Wyoming horizon. The view and the knowledge that every clipped stem helps me understand these drylands a little better makes all the effort worth it.
Jianing Tian – Western Resource Fellow | Jianing is a Master of Environmental Science candidate at the Yale School of the Environment (YSE), where she specializes in dryland ecology and ecosystem recovery. She is particularly interested in the carbon cycle, including carbon emissions, soil carbon sequestration, and overall ecosystem carbon balance. Before YSE, Jianing earned a dual B.S. degree in Environmental Science from Duke Kunshan University and Duke University. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research on agricultural carbon emissions, and she now aims to apply geospatial analysis and remote sensing to study vegetation recovery and carbon dynamics in semi-arid landscapes. In her free time, Jianing enjoys jogging, hiking, and playing musical instruments. See what Jianing has been up to.
