Current Events
May 2nd Speakers: PhD candidates & 2023 recipients of NEBS' Graduate Student Research Award
Meredith Elizabeth Theus
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
"The Role of Plant Diversity in Wetland Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
Abstract: Wetlands are large sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and plants influence GHG production, degradation, and transport pathways. However, it is unclear how plant diversity and the composition of species and traits influence GHG dynamics, despite the high levels of biodiversity supported by wetlands. In this study, I conducted a 5-month field experiment investigating the effects of different combinations of wetland plant species richness (1, 2, or 4 species) and functional diversity (1, 2, or 3 functional types) on GHG emissions. Preliminary data suggests that plant community diversity may influence the magnitude of GHG emissions as well as the soil nutrient and GHG profiles. Understanding how plant communities drive GHG emissions from wetlands may strategically be used to conserve, restore, and potentially, construct wetlands with lower emissions and allow for more accurate estimations of GHG fluxes.
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Andrea J. Tirrell
School of Biology & Ecology, Climate Change Institute
University of Maine, Orono, ME
"Alpine Plant Communities of Katahdin: A Resurvey After 33 Years"
Abstract: Katahdin, located in Baxter State Park, is home to the largest alpine zone in the state of Maine and harbors many uncommon, rare, or threatened arctic and alpine plant species. In 1989, Baxter State Park enlisted researchers Cogbill & Hudson to do a baseline vegetation survey in the alpine zone of Katahdin, in order to establish a record of Katahdin's various high elevation natural communities. Cogbill & Hudson established 16 transects across Katahdin's alpine zone. These transects were then relocated and resurveyed during the summers of 2021 and 2022, with the help of Baxter State Park and our original surveyors. By resurveying these transect sites, we can now make direct comparisons of plant presence and coverage after 33 years of climate change and increased hiker visitation.
Mark your calendar for the next NEBS Meeting on Friday, May 2, 2025 at 6:30pm (NOT 7pm) ET.
LOCATION OF MAY MEETING IS AT GARDEN IN THE WOODS (GITW), FRAMINGHAM, MA: GITW is a 45-acre naturalistic garden with a one-mile loop owned by Native Plant Trust, which is celebrating its 125th year with a 125th Anniversary Symposium on Saturday. The garden is located at 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, and more information and a garden and parking map may be found at Visit GITW website.
- Admission: Admission on Friday May 2 will be free for NEBS members and guests starting at the 10 AM opening. If arriving before 5 PM, please check in at the Visitors Center/Garden Shop. If arriving after 5 PM, the garden gate will be closed, but there is a call button.
- Parking: Parking is available on site. If the lot is full, you can exit the Garden and park on the odd-numbered side of any of the side streets. Please be considerate of the neighbors and don't park on anyone's lawn or property.
- Education Building facilities: The presentations will begin here at 6:30 PM (not 7 PM), so please finish your garden tour and picnic supper before then. Members and guests may use the outdoor picnic tables on the patio before 5 PM and the indoor space after 5 PM. Restrooms are in this building and the Visitor Center.
GITW GARDEN SHOP OPEN UNTIL 6 PM FOR NEBS MEMBERS: NEBS members and guests may purchase native plants, books, and other botanical items at Garden in the Woods in Framingham until 6 PM. On Buy Native Plants you will find the 2025 plant availability and price lists (in PDF and Excel). Native Plant Trust books written by authors who are also NEBS members include The Northeast Native Plant Primer:235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden, Native Plants for New England Gardens, Wildflowers of New England, Grasses, Sedges, Rushes: An Identification Guide, and Flora Novae Angliae.
