Starting off any conversation with a question feels natural to me. My research and work-ethic are mostly driven by questions. I am motivated by curiosity and I like to investigate questions that have ramifications for large-scale problems in the natural world. My research explores how the management of forests impacts the interactions between understory plant communities and their animal seed dispersers. I study the dynamic factors (e.g., mutualisms, herbivory, structural variability) that can increase the health of an entire forest ecosystem. Science offers answers that can inform our actions, although asking questions, often leads to more questions. Two questions that spark a lot of thought in me is, what truly deems a forest “healthy,” and why are healthy forest important for the planet?
While thinking about the impacts of my research on a global scale, I consider the value of forests around the world. First thought that came to mind was, how northern boreal forests (the world’s largest land biome) takes in a third of the carbon dioxide emissions let off by humans each year. The more I learn about nature, the more impressive it becomes in its potential to care for itself. The degradation of land and water bodies, often caused from human disturbances like CO2 emissions and pollution, challenge the way natural systems function. For instance, it is hard for a forest to seize lots of carbon from the atmosphere if it does not have the right infrastructure to do so. Just like other systems such as a car or computer, a forest requires many parts to function. A high-functioning forest requires a diversity of animal and plant species, as well as, structural complexity composed of dead and living woody material and a range of trees at different growth stages. I am not the only one trying to help the planet using data-driven solutions. Since the 1960s, there is increasing interest to learn how to be more sustainable for our planet from individuals to private and public organizations. Big companies (like the one with the robot that was probably named after me:)) are pledging their commitment to climate action in order to increase their public image on sustainability. There are many ways that companies can act against climate change. For instance, companies and land-owners can now monetize their regard for nature by purchasing carbon offsets. A carbon offset is a credit that is bought to invest in reducing the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere. Typically, organizations will calculate the total amount of carbon (mostly in the form of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane) that their business is accountable for entering the environment. Then, organizations or individuals (e.g., farmers) will purchase enough carbon offset credits - by investing in projects that reduces carbon emissions (e.g., renewable energy, forest conservation etc.) - so that it equals the amount that they are responsible for creating. This way, they can sing a carbon-neutral message to consumers and stake-holders. Not producing more carbon than you are investing in getting rid of can be a tangible way to quantify your impact on the environment. Some hold reservations about the regulation of markets in which companies report their carbon offsets to, therefore; data and science-driven standards are key to determining whether purchased carbon offsets are truly balancing a company’s emissions. Besides the basics like water, food, shelter that natural resources provide for us, we rely on healthy ecosystems to function properly on large-scales to create an inhabitable planet. Natural systems (e.g., forests, grasslands, lakes, rivers, wetlands and more), provide what are known as ecosystem services. For instance, wetlands retain run-off /rainwater and slowly release it back into the environment at a rate that decreases the amount of flooding in areas where people are living. Wetlands can also filter harmful pollutants (e.g., Nitrogen and Phosphorus) out of the water that passes through them before redistributing water across the landscape. This mitigates flooding in areas with infrastructure and crops and improves water quality. Global change poses many threats (e.g., nonnative species invasion, increases in environmental pathogens, rising temperature, loss of diversity and many more) to the health of these systems, which make them vulnerable to degradation and affect ecosystem services. What can we do to prevent or remedy the impacts of global change? By being curious and asking questions about how human activity affects the planet, we aim to create a stronger plan to fight global change. I will end with a question that will hopefully spark a thought in you: “What services does nature provide for your personal well-being?”
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I joined a local farm share for the summer, which provides me with a new batch of fresh veggies each week that I must cook quickly to avoid them from decaying on my counter. This influx of needy produce, challenges me to cook more often than I normally would, and also requires me to have basic cooking ingredients like garlic and onions on file at all times. One day, I was about to make a zucchini gratin (recipe), when I realized I ran out of garlic - a key ingredient! Shredded zucchini was sitting on the counter and cooked rice on the stove-top, so I needed garlic right away before the rest of my ingredients started to spoil. I walked outside to hop in the car to rush to the store, and just as I was about to close my car door, my neighbor yelled “hello!”. I returned a hello, and said that I was running to the store for some last-minute garlic. He kindly replied, “no need, I have some growing in my yard!” He offered me some garlic from his garden, which brighten my day and saved me some gas. His home-grown garlic was so flavorful and sweet, nothing compared to what I was used to at the store. This made me curious as to why this garlic tasted SO good? Are there different types of garlic that taste better than others? Was it the time in which it was harvested that made it yummy? When are you supposed to harvest garlic for peak sweetness? These were questions I needed answered, so I went to mother google and asked her for more information. After a quick search, I learned that garlic is best harvested during late spring or mid-summer when the lower leaves are brown. I also learned that there are two main types of garlic, hard-necked and soft-necked. Hard-necked garlic has a stiff stem in the center of all the bulbs and soft-neck does not. Just some food for thought! The following week, I was taking a walk with some friends when we stumbled across garlic growing next to the street! I was excited to share my recent garlic findings with them, and with garlic still on the brain, I fell into another google rabbit-hole. This time, I was asking deeper questions like where garlic originated from, and why it has become a successful garden plant. After more research, I learned that the native range of garlic is still up for debate. It likely came somewhere from central Asia, from West China, around Tien Shan Mountains to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. One of the reasons it’s difficult to pin down the native range of garlic is that its genome is a very, very large. Garlic’s genome (the complete set of genes or genetic material present in an organism’s cell) is so large it takes a long time to sequence (determine the atomic-level structure and unique patterns) the whole thing! For some perspective, garlic’s genome is approximately 16.24 Gbp, compared to the average human female nuclear diploid genome which only extends to 6.37 Gbp. Typically, we can locate a species origin by observing how its genetic material compares to other species in which already we know the historical range of – is it genetically similar to other plants in certain areas of the world? Another reason garlic is an impressive organism, is that it mostly reproduces clonally which means its offspring have the same genetic material as the parent. This is surprising, since generically diverse offspring are typically important for successful evolution and persistence of species over time. Genetic diversity can help organisms adapt and respond to stress like disease or pathogens. Garlic has been able to subsist for thousands of years, with its culinary uses dating back to Egyptian and Indian cultures 5000 years ago. Although it is not producing via sexual reproduction, garlic has such a large and complex genetic makeup and this alone can help it respond to environmental changes. This might be how it compensates for its lack of sexual reproduction. Science is making strides to figure out more information on genetic structure of garlic. Here (link, link, link) are references if you want to read more. Along with garlic’s ability to persist in nature, it somehow managed to show up in my life enough times to inspire this blog post. Above is a picture of 5th grade girls (joyfully) removing invasive common buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) from a northeast Ohio forest. I recently had the pleasure of working with a 5th grade class at Laurel Elementary school to set-up an experiment where we test the success of restoration efforts aimed at improving the health of a small forest that is heavily invaded by glossy buckthorn. Glossy buckthorn (pictured below) is a lanky shrub or small tree that can grow up to 20 feet tall. It is native to Europe, northern Africa, and central Asia, although it has since taken over the understories of many north American forests. This shrub is not fussy and can easily establish itself almost anywhere that has scarce light and enough moisture. In addition to an effective use of little nutrients, they produce a fleshy-fruit preferred by many animal dispersers which helps their seeds travel far-distances. Buckthorn grows very quickly and outcompetes low-growing plants, creating dense patches. These dense monocultures consisting of mostly one species decrease the diversity – especially of native species – found in many forest understories. Low diversity is a sign of an unhealthy forest, since disturbances (e.g., climate change or disease) can easily wipe out an entire area with one species susceptible to a given threat. More diverse areas contain many species which increase the likelihood of some surviving. In a forest located at Laurel school, students set-up six 5x5 m plots where buckthorn was removed by students across all plots. In half of these plots, students planted a variety of native plants including: bladder nut, red oak, black walnut, pin oak, black cherry, elder berry, wild ginger, lobelia, and spicebush! Students will monitor the new plants that establish in these plots each year. Overtime, we will see if plots that had native plants planted in them, have more or less diversity compared to plots with no plants. They will also see if more invasive or native plants begin to grow after the buckthorn is removed. Below are plot examples and predicted recruitment of native/non-native species (i.e., less invasive and more natives may occur in planted plots compared to unplanted plots.) Stay tuned for future results from these student-led experiments! Sanguinaria canadensis, or bloodroot is a spring ephemeral wildflower that displays a white bloom between March and April and then quickly disappears once summer strikes and the tree canopy fills in. They take advantage of the copious amount of light hitting the understory since the towering trees above have yet to set their leaves in early spring. They are one of many species (e.g., cutleaf toothwort, dutchman breeches, trout-lily…many more) to do so. Bloodroot also hold a special mutualistic relationship with ants. After successful pollination, the flower will produce a tiny seed that contains a sweet, fatty layer called an, “elaisome.” Ants will transport bloodroot seeds back to their nest to feast on the elaisome layer, although they do not consume the important seed part (Sort of similar to a toddler with peanut M&Ms). While being rewarded with a tasty snack, the ants inadvertently move the seed around for the plant, allowing it to potentially establish new populations away from the parent plant! As pictured above, the flower will tuck itself in on rainy or cloudy since there is not much photosynthesizing to be done. With the on-going tribulations of COVID-19 in addition to the variable spring weather, I’m sure others can relate to the desire to conserve our energy and tuck ourselves into bed to wait for the next bout of warm weather to emerge.
I photographed this plant on the first day of my last field season as a graduate student. I am in the final year of my PhD, and I am taking a moment to stop and smell the roses so to speak. Since beginning my grad school journey, I have admittedly been in high state of anxiety (COVID made this so much better). So, I intend to take a break for a few minutes in the field each day to take lots of pictures to document the final homestretch - more posts to come. This will hopefully help me practice being present in the moment and focus on what’s in front of me rather than the uncertainties of the future. I am excited for my final year of school and hopefully, I emerge as a fully formed flower at the end of it. I was recently interviewed by Emma-Dawson-Glass, Research Specialist at Holden Arboretum. I answer questions about myself that help the public get to know me! If curious, read on!
By Emma Dawson-Glass, Research Specialist Scientists as a demographic are often viewed as a mythic group—the keepers of knowledge, uniquely capable of understanding complex systems, destined to their career choice from birth. However, this line of reasoning often makes the idea of becoming a scientist seem unattainable. Here in Holden’s Research Department, my fellow scientists and I often marvel at this perception. Usually, rather than talking about new groundbreaking scientific discoveries, most of our conversations revolve around the things we don’t know, all the facts we’ve forgotten, and the things we’ve messed up. These challenges do not make us feel like less capable scientists—rather, we view them as essential parts of the process. Still, to the outside viewer, science and scientists can often feel alienating, particularly if you don’t know a scientist personally. In hopes of combatting this perception, over the next few months, we will be profiling some of the scientists that work in the Research Department at Holden. Our goal with these interviews is to highlight the diversity of backgrounds, interests, and trajectories within the field. To begin, I interviewed PhD student Alexa Wagner on how she got her start in science and what it means to her. What is your role? What do you study? I am a PhD student at Case Western Reserve University, in Dr. Katie Stuble’s lab. I’m studying the ecology of Northeastern forests during forest management and restoration. Management and restoration heavily rely on collaboration with scientists, land managers, students, and the public. Most of my research is done within a forest at the Arboretum called the Working Woods Learning Forest. This space is used as a demonstration site of sustainable forestry practices, which include thinning mature trees, invasive species removal, and native species plantings. I spend a majority of my time in Working Woods, where we monitor the community of different plant species and their responses to management. My busiest time of the year is summer, which involves me and a team of students, volunteers, and technicians setting up experiments and surveying monitoring plots in the field. These surveys and experiments cast a wide net to better understand the health and productivity of forests. We specifically ask questions like: which tree species are growing and producing more offspring? Our efforts now will help us determine how things might look in a future altered by factors like climate change, environmental disturbances (including invasive species and land use change), and new environmental threats. What drew you to science? Nature was always a safe space for me and was where I was most comfortable. Learning about the plants and animals around me really captured my attention. I took a few classes in this field in college and ended up majoring in zoology. In college, I also worked in a diversity of science and environmental jobs, such as greenhouses, herbariums, and nature centers. Eventually I took an internship in the Holden Arboretum’s Research Department. It was during this internship that I developed the skills to answer questions about nature that I found interesting, which felt powerful. It allowed me to share that information to address other people’s questions, and to feel like I actually knew the answer. It also made me feel like I could have a positive impact on conservation questions. Additionally, another component I loved about my experience at the arboretum was learning in a space that wasn’t school—it felt like everything I was doing had an impact. Above all, having amazing mentors had a huge impact. In sum, being curious about nature, having lots of questions, and having mentors that made me feel comfortable all drew me to science. What is something you wish more people knew about becoming/being a scientist? I feel like science is more about building relationships and learning from each other, rather than being an expert right away. Nobody was born a scientist, and you can learn and build on your skills. It’s a team effort—you stand on the shoulders of the people before you and help the people that come after you. Science should be seen as more about community, rather than individual discovery. What is something you love about science? Tinkering. It’s really difficult when you fail, but if you can embrace the failure and have fun you can learn so much. Science is a lot about problem solving and creative thinking, and it helped me to learn how to persevere. I love asking questions and being able to better understand the world around me, using these skills. What is something in science you think could be better? Diversity in general: diversity of thought, racial and ethnic diversity, diversity of educational background, etc. In general, ecology is a very open community, which allows for open communication, and people are definitely striving to make things more diverse. But things could always be better. Also, science communication. I think at times there’s a disconnect between the general public and science. Science seems like a mystical thing, and we could try harder to hold relationships with our audience by understanding the emotions and background that people come to the table with. What are you most excited about in your field today (e.g. new frontiers, new efforts, new techniques, new people, etc.)? I’m very excited about forest management as a natural climate solution. Of course, we need to preserve existing, intact forests. But managing existing forests to be better able to store carbon, support habitat diversity, and provide clean water might help mitigate global change impacts, like diversity loss, pollution, and a warming climate. Since so much of the eastern US is forested, forests have a huge impact on the climate and could be used to do more. Also, I’m excited about involving people in the restoration process. Restoration is fundamentally a human effort to improve degraded landscapes, and it brings a lot of people into the conversation about the state of the environment. It builds a philosophy that people need to be involved in addressing things like climate change. These natural solutions inherently involve people, which shows that our actions impact our environment. What are 3 songs on your research playlist? Hard Times by Paramore—keeps me going when I’m struggling with research roadblocks. Walking and Running by Modest Mouse—helps me focus; it’s got a driving beat but is still mellow. Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac—gets me motivated. What is your favorite thing to do outside of your job as a scientist? I love birding, working on home improvement projects (I really enjoy learning new improvement techniques and restoring old furniture), and spending time with pets and animals (I have a pet bunny named Willow, and plan to start fostering for the Humane Society soon!).
Having recently moved into a new home, I am constantly finding myself needing to fix things that are breaking. “Welcome to the joys of home ownership!” – says everyone around me.
One of the most important items I’ve ever bought for myself was a screwdriver with interchangeable heads which will fit a range of sizes of screws, bolts, and nuts. This versatile tool allows me to tackle issues like taking apart the dryer, unhinging the front door, and hanging a picture frame in the living room. Having the correct tool allows me to fix issues that crop up, and having a tool that can do many things helps me accomplish more tasks with less effort. Speaking of fixing home problems, what’s going on with global change? With so many challenges facing humans and wildlife, what tools do we have to help this big green floating rock we all call home? Earth is facing many issues that are predominantly driven by humans and the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas). The result is an incredibly rapid shift in temperature and weather patterns over the last few decades as compared to historic rates of change. As a result, extreme drought, flooding, and other natural disasters are directly impacting the stability of ecosystems that harbor wildlife. By impacting the health of Earth’s ecosystems, global climate change is also indirectly effects human health and well-being. I recently visited Hershey Montessori High School, in Huntsburg Ohio, where I was a panelist for student projects on climate solutions. I was asked to ask questions from the viewpoint of a policymaker, interested community member, and scientist to encourage students to think about how they would change their message based off who their audience is. It was so much fun listening to the students propose their ideas for improved climate solutions. Samuel, a student researching hydropower as alternative energy source, began his presentation by taking us back 2,000 years to learn how the Greeks were the first to harness the power of water to process wheat into flour. He then discussed some of the negative and positive impacts of hydropower dams. Pros: Hydropower is a renewable energy with less greenhouse emission compared to fossil fuels. Cons: Hydropower dams can cause unintentional flooding or drought when dam systems fail, which can endanger neighboring towns. Dams can also block critical migration pathways of aquatic wildlife. Here is Samuel sharing his favorite parts of his research:
Mitch, another student at Hershey, researched how the management of old sugarbush forests (sugar maple-dominated forests used to produce maple syrup) can help combat global change. As a close offshoot of my dissertation, I was thrilled to hear this as a presentation topic! He started off with a Native American story about the discovery of maple syrup by Chief Woksis of the Iroquois. Legend has it, he threw a tomahawk into a tree and found a sweet sap that was dried by the sun the next day.
Mitch described how climate change is creating warmer temperatures and shorter winters, ultimately reducing the sugar content in trees, and creating problems for the sugaring industry. Mitch then explained some of the tools we can use to solve these issues, one of which is proper forest management to increase the health and sustainability of sugarbush forests. One of these actions is to increase the amount of light available to small seedlings by selectively thinning the overstory trees. The goal is to increase the productivity and diversity of species surviving within the forest to hedge against future disturbances or threats (e.g. insect pathogens, diseases, extreme weather). Thinning adult trees that are over-abundant in the forest also “releases” neighboring trees, allowing them to take up the newly available resources (e.g., water, sunlight, nutrients) that were once being used by their neighbors. Tools make the jobs easier, whether it’s fixing an overheating furnace or fixing an overheating planet. With a tool in hand, fixes become doable! Here is Mitch sharing his favorite part of his research: When I was younger, I was shy when it came to sharing thoughts and ideas around others. I practiced expressing my imagination and exploration by playing in parks and outdoor areas near my house. Nature was a solace for me, because the plants and animals were too busy searching for food and shelter to care about me. One of my favorite childhood adventures involved collecting toad tadpoles from a desiccating puddle during recess and hiding them from the adults until I was off the school bus. I walked along the storm drains and creeks near my house and found the perfect spot to release them. While visiting my new toad neighbors, I made mud pots from the creek clay and searched for arrowheads. I observed the toad’s development from tiny tadpoles in the water to land dwelling adults.
As an adult, I continue to study nature, although I lack the level of imagination I once had when I was younger. I recently attended a science communication workshop through Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens as a Botany in Action fellow. Six other emerging scientists and I spent four days challenging the way we think and speak about our science. I learned that story telling could be helpful when communicating the importance of my research to all audiences. I deeply value science outreach and public education and I believe science is most useful if we know how to use it. Phipps encouraged us to build better relationships with our audiences by communicating more personally about our research. The activities we did, like concept map building and role-playing, tested our ability to think creatively. We took a break from our analytical science brains to switch to a more imaginative mindset. I particularly benefitted from an activity writing a story from a prompted idea. My task was to create a story from the following plot: What if a poofy French housecat named duchess had an invisible friend that was a six-foot tall rabbit named Harvey? My story was not going to make the New York Times best sellers list, however, it forced me to build a message with a beginning, middle and end. Most good storylines have a conflict and resolution, which is also how some research projects happen. Researchers are often faced with a challenge, like solving issues related to climate change, and then they attempt to find solutions that may help. During the workshop, we had the opportunity to chat with staff members about our science. I began our conversations by describing the conflict (threats facing forest systems), and then described the resolution (process we take to prevent them from happening). These conversations were brief, although I believe I made a stronger connection to the person I was chatting with by doing three things: 1) sharing stories about myself, 2) asking them if they have a story about forests and 3) describing the history of Ohio forests from the early 1900s to current day. The biggest takeaway I gained was to spend more time building a relationship with my audience by sharing stories with one another. After folks were aware of some of the challenges, (e.g., clear cutting, acid rain/pollution and invasive plants establishment) forests have faced in the last 200ish years, I received more questions asking what could be done to protect forest health today. So far, one of the most important lessons I have learned in graduate school is that, science is a way of thinking rather than something that requires a defined set of skills or abilities. This means science is something that anyone can do by following their curiosity and learning how to ask questions. When I was younger and heard the term scientist, I envisioned someone wearing a white lab coat, holding a test tube, with a permanent pensive expression. I thought a scientist had mystical knowledge that allowed them to comprehend the secrets of the universe. Demystifying science as something only a scientist can understand is important for many reasons, besides a few that may come to mind from the COVID-19 pandemic. I am fortunate to have amazing mentors who continuously encourage me to overcome science self-doubt. The support from my mentors helped steer me toward my career in ecology, where I get to ask question about the things I find interesting by following a set of methods that help me hypothesize, predict, test and conclude ideas from those questions. Do you ever find yourself wondering why your grass grows longer in some areas of your yard and shorter in other areas? Or maybe you ponder how your body breaks down the food you eat? To me, a scientist is simply anyone who observes and/or asks questions, not just someone who spends most of their time in a lab coat. As especially curious beings, young students are a great audience to teach about science discovery and show that there are many different types of scientists. I recently created a program aiming to connect elementary students to their biological environment using biocubes. Biocubes are a tool that help students collect scientific data on biodiversity (i.e., the different types of organisms present in an area). A biocube (more info here) is a cubic foot, which means it has 12 edges with 12-inch lengths. They can be made from various at-home materials like: aluminum pipes, rolled magazines, pencils etc. For this school group, I needed quite a few cubes so I made them with wooden dowels. Construction was simple and required two supplies: 1) a saw and 2) hot glue gun. The students randomly placed the cubes across the school courtyard and recorded all of the living and non-living things found inside the boundaries of their cube. In this picture a student demonstrates what should and should not be included in their surveys (head = yes, feet = no). Biocubes teach students how to sample their environment by narrowing their focus to a small area. I also use a similar method, in my own research. Here is a picture of a meter-squared plot, where I measure the growth and survival of individual plants during a forest experiment. Students were given keys with a list of possible plants and insects they might encounter. They worked in small groups to identify all the contents of their cube while also recording observations about organisms’ traits and life history. One exciting find was a house sparrow egg, although students uncovered many discoveries they had probably previously overlooked during their normal recess time they spend in this area! Biocubes can be built with at-home items and used to explore backyards, parks or any nearby natural areas. You can even upload your findings to a national database (here) where others can see! The information collected by community members all around the world is archived which can be used to ask questions about global patterns of biodiversity. These students practiced their scientists skills by observing, documenting and questioning the world around them. At the end of the day, all scientists came together to review our findings and share them with each other. Here is a class drawing of their observations!
One of northeast Ohio’s most charismatic consumer of plants within our forests is the white-tailed deer. Perhaps you’ve even noticed their impacts in your own backyard garden. As yards and people take up more space, there are fewer large tracts of intact forests to support predatory animals (e.g., bear or bobcat) relying on those habitats. This lack of predators combines with an abundant supply of food for deer (possibly the hostas planted in your backyard), to drive high numbers of white-tailed deer in most Ohio forests (and beyond). The effects of overabundant deer on native plants can be complex and depend on the particulars of the habitat the plants are growing in. Deer can directly alter which species are present in a forest by consuming certain preferred species over others. For example, deer are known to favor trees such as cherry, hickory, elm, maple, and oak, over trees such as beech, ash, and tulip. Plants that deer tend to avoid are typically more abundant within forests. At Holden Arboretum, our forests are full of beech, ash and tulip as well as a good number of Ohio’s most charismatic plant consumers. In fact, there are roughly 15-25 deer per square mile across Holden’s property. Not only are native plants challenged to protect themselves against deer consumers, they must also compete with non-native plants that originated in other parts of the world. Non-natives plants are introduced (usually with human help) to areas that they do not naturally grow, and can sometimes come to overtake their environment, taking resources away from native plants. Deer can aid non-native plants by consuming native species, opening up space for non-native plants to establish. People can also unintendedly facilitate non-native plants by radically changing the forest landscape. When parts of a forest are reduced or broken into fragments, the interior of the forest is exposed, creating what ecologists refer to as the forest “edge.” The forest edge contains different resources and physical conditions compared to the interior that deer and non-native plants are both great at taking advantage of. Holden researchers study the how deer and forest edge work together to shape the understory of the forests at the Holden Arboretum. By assessing the challenges that native plant species face, we can inform management decisions aiming to protect native species. To study the effects of deer and edge, large plots with fences restricting deer access were created both near the edge of Holden’s forests as well as near the interior. Picture of a plot where deer are not allowed to forage in Bole Woods. After several years without deer, plots were surveyed and the suite of species growing within them was compared to control plots (without fencing) where deer were free to forage. The results of this work are helping to quantify the impacts that forest edges and deer have on understory plant species.
Sometimes science surprises you! Although overabundant deer often decrease abundances of native plants, our results unexpectedly show that deer are not having a large impact on native plants at the Holden Arboretum. That said, Holden’s forests contain many trees that deer find less palatable (beech, ash, and tulip), which may suggest that deer were overabundant for many years prior to the construction of our fences. The lasting effects of deer, known as “legacy effects,” could be driving our results and more time may be needed for more deer-sensitive species to begin returning to our plots. We found that forest edge promoted the establishment of non-native plants, but not consistently across both forests. With no strong relationship of edge habitat and deer, other forest elements may be playing a larger role in the establishment of certain plant species. Ohio’s forests have changed over the last 200 years. Few old-growth forests remain as much of the land was timbered and cleared for agriculture in the early 19th century. Most forests in the northeastern U.S. sit on land used for agriculture as recently as 40 to 85 years ago. After years of disturbance from farming activities, there are challenges for forests trying to regenerate. These young forests tend to have high numbers of introduced plant species (originating from other parts of the world) that compete with native species. They also tend to be crowded with smaller trees which happens when many trees began growing all at the same time. To restore the historic integrity of these forests, forest managers remove non-native plants while thinning dense tree stands through timbering. These management actions aim to improve the health of the forest and increase their ability to act as ecosystem superheroes – combating climate change by storing carbon, protecting biodiversity by providing habitat for wildlife, and improving water quality by regulating rain water. A key component of forest health is biodiversity that is upheld, in part, by critical interactions between plants and animals. For example, frugivory (fruit consumption) provides food for animals, while simultaneously moving seeds around the forest. While birds and small mammals can rely on these plants for energy, fruit-producing shrubs rely on animals for the dispersal of their seeds. My research investigates how forest management can create healthier forests by studying the relationships between forest plants and animals. My research takes place in the “Working Woods” – an experimental forest at the Holden Arboretum that serves as a living laboratory in which we study of forest management. In the Working Woods, we explore how to “work the woods,” into a more healthy and functioning forest. We’re working with the HF&G Conservation department to do this by thinning canopy trees and removing nonnative shrubs in this young forest on lands previously used for agriculture. This management will alter resources that are both living, such as plants and animals present, and non-living, such as light and temperature within the forest landscape, changing the plants and animals that exist in the forest. This summer, my research has me practicing my science and cooking skills! In order to investigate how management may affect dispersal of native and introduced shrubs across Working Woods, I am making artificial edible fruits made from a mixture of butter, flour, gelatin and food coloring to test which fruits are most likely to be dispersed by birds. These clay-like fruits are similar to Play-Doh – moldable, yet hold their shape. Like many other homemade recipes, the fruit making process starts with a mixture of dry than wet ingredients. Then I melt the clay-like substance over a hot water bath before coloring and molding into these fruit mimicking swindlers! It will take 8 batches and about 1,200 artificial fruits to complete this project. Working Woods has a suite of native and introduced shrubs producing red and blue fruits. (Top to bottom, left to right: glossy buckthorn, common privet, honeysuckle, spicebush, flowering dogwood, and wild grape) These plants rely heavily on birds to disperse their seeds, therefore knowing what fruit will be eaten can guide restoration plans. Across Working Woods forest management treatments, I am offering red and blue edible fruit-mimics hung in branches on metals hooks, and recording which ones have beak marks. I also manipulate the number of fruits that I present at a time – hanging either a small number of fruits, or many fruits together. This will allow me to test if fruit is more attractive in higher numbers. An example of bird beak and peck marks left on fruit-mimics. Brooke Seitz, Field Assistant, counts fruit of Spicebush. Forest management will alter available resources, fruit production, and important bird habitat. This can change patterns of seed dispersal in forests, influencing which plants occur where. Understanding how plants and animals respond to land management while simultaneously interacting with one another can help predict the future of forest communities and inform management plans.
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