Update on Wavyleaf Basketgrass: Habitat, Dispersal, Competition and Control (Tuesday)

Speaker: Dr. Vanessa Beauchamp

Dr. Vanessa Beauchamp is a plant ecologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Towson University. Her research focuses on disturbance ecology, forest succession, ecosystem restoration, and the ecology and impacts of invasive plant species.

Wavyleaf basketgrass (Oplismenus undulatifolius) was first discovered in the United States in 1996 in a state park outside of Baltimore, MD. The grass has since spread to thousands of acres throughout Maryland and Virginia. Recent research by faculty and students at Towson University and Hood College has looked at seed production, dispersal and germination rates, competition with other native and exotic grass species, effects on forest food webs, and ways to control its spread.

Location: Kensington Library.

Directions: From the Washington Beltway (I-495)

Take Exit 33, Connecticut Avenue, north to the third signal after the Beltway. Turn left onto Knowles and go 2 1/2 blocks to the library on the right.

The meeting is open to non-members.

Registration is not required.