Few studies have attempted to evaluate the harvesting practices of Native Americans from a scientific standpoint. Michelle Stevens, an ecology graduate student at UC Davis, thinks that ethno-ecology -- how native people tend the land -- has great value to modern harvesting practices, particularly in the area of native-plant restoration. Stevens has looked in particular at white root, a grass-like plant used by California Indians as a crucial component for weaving baskets. Stevens grew white root along the Cosumnes River -- the only free-flowing river remaining in California's Central Valley -- and simulated the cultural techniques the local Indians use, such as weeding, selective harvesting and digging methods. She looked at soil types, plant density, intensity of harvest and fertilization effects and found that native management practices can be used without being detrimental to the natural environment. She presented her findings at the American Ecological Society meeting in August, emphasizing that traditional resource management techniques used for hundreds of years should be taken into account in native-plant restoration plans.