BLM UT Study of the Dwarf Bear Claw Poppy in Washington County, Utah | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the title of this BLM grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "BLM UT Study of the Dwarf Bear Claw Poppy in Washington County, Utah."

2) Which agency is offering this funding?

The funding opportunity is offered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

3) What is the focus of the project?

The project supports field research on the dwarf bear claw poppy, an endangered plant protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, with the goal of understanding why reproductive performance differs across the species seven known populations and what that means for long-term survival and recovery.

4) Where does the dwarf bear claw poppy occur?

This species has a very limited range and occurs only in western Washington County, Utah.

5) Why is BLM funding research on reproductive differences among populations?

Prior research showed notable differences among the seven known populations in key reproductive measures, including fruits per flower, seeds per fruit, and seed weight. This opportunity aims to build on those findings using a coordinated set of studies at each population to identify what is driving those differences.

6) How many populations are included in the study?

The project description references seven known populations, and the work is designed to run coordinated studies at each population.

7) What are the main research components described in the opportunity?

The opportunity describes several connected components: pollination biology (insect visitor observations and collections), pollen dynamics and potential reproductive limitations (pollen grain sampling and tracking fruit set), controlled hand-pollination experiments (testing compatibility/genetic or mating limitations, especially in small populations), and labeled pollen studies (measuring pollen movement within and potentially between populations).

8) What does the pollination biology work involve?

Researchers would observe and collect insects visiting poppy flowers during set observation periods. The insects would then be identified and counted to characterize pollinator communities and visitation rates at each site.

9) What is meant by "pollinator communities and visitation rates" in this project?

Based on the description, this refers to identifying which insects visit the flowers at each population (the community) and how frequently those visits occur during observation periods (the visitation rate).

10) How does the project connect insect visitation to actual reproductive success?

In addition to documenting insect visitors, the project includes sampling selected flowers to quantify pollen grains and tagging those same flowers to track outcomes like fruit set. This links insect activity and pollen availability to whether flowers successfully produce fruits.

11) What is being measured when the project "quantifies pollen grains"?

The opportunity indicates that selected flowers would be sampled to quantify pollen grains, as part of examining pollen dynamics and potential reproductive limitations.

12) What is "fruit set" and why does it matter here?

The opportunity uses fruit set as an outcome measure for tagged flowers, meaning whether a flower successfully produces a fruit. It is central to diagnosing where reproduction may be failing and why, especially when evaluated alongside insect visitation and pollen availability.

13) What are the controlled hand-pollination experiments intended to test?

They are designed to test whether small, isolated populations experience greater genetic or mating limitations than larger populations. The description frames this as evaluating whether smaller populations may be more "genetically challenged," such as having fewer compatible mates or reduced genetic diversity that lowers reproductive success.

14) How is the hand-pollination work described in the announcement designed?

The described design involves cross-pollinating at least three flowers on each of roughly 15 to 25 plants. Donor pollen would come from three different flowers located at varying distances from each recipient flower.

15) Why does the design use donor pollen from varying distances?

The description indicates that using donor pollen at varying distances helps estimate the number of successful mating types and assess how compatibility and reproductive performance change with distance and population structure.

16) What kinds of reproductive metrics will be compared among the seven populations?

The opportunity states that results would be compared among all seven populations using the same reproductive metrics highlighted in earlier work, including fruits per flower, seeds per fruit, and fruit weight.

17) What are "labeled pollen studies" and what are they used for in this project?

The opportunity calls for labeled pollen studies at each population to measure how pollen moves within and potentially between populations. This is intended to inform understanding of connectivity, gene flow, and whether populations act as isolated units or remain linked through pollinator-driven pollen transfer.

18) What conservation or management value is expected from this work?

The methods are intended to produce a clearer picture of pollination, mating compatibility, and population-level reproductive health across the species range, with information that can inform conservation management decisions for this narrowly distributed endangered plant.

19) What type of funding instrument is this opportunity?

Administratively, the opportunity is described as a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement.

20) What is the CFDA number and program name listed for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.231, "Fish, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Resource Management."

21) When was the opportunity posted, and what were the key dates?

The posting date was September 3, 2013. The application closing date was September 15, 2013. The archive date was November 30, 2013.

22) How many awards were expected?

The expected number of awards was one.

23) How much total funding was estimated to be available?

The estimated total funding available was $50,000.

24) What were the award floor and ceiling, and what do they suggest about the intended award size?

The listed award ceiling and floor were both $12,000. Based on what is stated, that indicates an anticipated award amount of $12,000 for the selected project.

25) Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states that cost sharing or matching was not required.

26) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was open to a broad range of applicant types, subject to any additional eligibility details contained in the full announcement on Grants.gov.

27) Who is the BLM contact for access issues, and how can they be reached?

The listed BLM contact for access issues was Maria Gochis, Grants Management Officer. Phone: 801-539-4178. Email: mariagochis@blm.gov (also listed as mgochis@blm.gov).

28) Where would an applicant look for additional details not included in this summary?

The opportunity notes that additional eligibility details may be contained in the full announcement on Grants.gov.