Over the years, Stengl Biological Lost Pines Research Station's diverse range of habitats and unusual plant community has accommodated a broad spectrum of research interests. The fragile pine forest community of the Lost Pines region has provided a setting for long-term studies examining the consequences of climate change, while the grassland and pine meadow habitats have been used in short-term, focused studies to determine pollinator-host plant relationships. Changes to fire ecology of the region due to the development of the surrounding land for housing and farming have also provided opportunities to explore management techniques focused in fire mitigation and habitat preservation. Much of the research conducted at SLP is done by undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate students in particular have contributed to records of succession in the property’s tree community and surveys of the soil and habitat types. All records are captured on a GIS georeferenced database available to other users. This documentation of SLP’s unique plant community have made the field station a valuable indicator of how sensitive ecosystems might be affected by climate change, exotic species invasion, and other challenges faced by wild spaces in the modern world.
Stengl-Wyer Post-doctoral Scholars Program
Funded by the Stengl-Wyer Endowment, the Stengl-Wyer Postdoctoral Scholars Program provides up to three years of independent support for talented postdoctoral researchers in the broad area of the diversity of life and/or organisms in their natural environments. Scholars can study any groups of organisms, at levels from genes to populations to communities to ecosystems, and can use any combination of approaches. The award competition is conducted annually. The form and timing of competitions may change in subsequent years.
We strongly urge projects to apply that will use both field stations: Brackenridge Field Lab and Stengl Lost Pines. Applicants should consult with us for project suitability, access to facilities and letters of support before submission.
To learn more about the program and to check on application deadlines, please visit this page.
Stengl-Wyer Graduate Fellowships
The endowment supports year-long fellowships for doctoral candidates pursuing dissertation research in the area of Diversity of life and organisms in their natural environments. Funded by the Stengl-Wyer Endowment, fellowship recipients will receive a 12-month stipend of $34,000, full tuition and fees, staff health insurance, and an allowance of $2,000 to cover research and travel expenses.
We strongly urge projects to apply that will use both field stations: Brackenridge Field Lab and Stengl Lost Pines. Applicants should consult with us for project suitability, access to facilities and letters of support before submission.
To learn more about the fellowship and to check on deadlines, please visit this page.