MNPS Program: Non-Native Earthworms and Their Effects on Temperate Forest Soils

YOU MUST REGISTER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK

We can accommodate 500 viewers on Zoom. First come first served. A recording will be available about 3 weeks after the program.

Speaker: Dr. Katalin Szlavecz, Research Professor, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University 

Earthworms are ecosystem engineers influencing essentially all physical, chemical and biological soil properties. In the mid-Atlantic Region, non-native earthworms of European origin colonized the secondary forests hundreds of years ago. Currently a ‘second wave’ of earthworm invasion is taking place by another group of earthworms, commonly known as ‘jumping worms’.  This presentation will provide an overview of the history of earthworm invasion, the natural history of native and non-natïve earthworms, and the profound ecological impact of invasive earthworms on the soil ecosystem.

Our speaker,  Dr. Katalin Szlavecz, is a Research Professor at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences,  Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD. Her research interest is the soil ecosystem, particularly soil biodiversity, and the role of biota in soil carbon and nitrogen cycling. Her research focuses on human modified landscapes, such as secondary forests, crop fields, and the urban environment. She is a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and co-founder of GLUSEEN (Global Urban Soil Ecology and Education Network). At JHU she teaches courses on global environmental change, general ecology, and soil ecology. 

The program will be presented online through Zoom, in webinar format. You will not be able to share your own audio or video with other participants, but you will be able to submit questions in writing during the program.

Registration is required. After you register, you will receive a registration confirmation email with a link to the Zoom program. 

The program is free and open to the public.

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