MNPS Monthly Program: Rare Plants & Ecosystems of Mountain Maryland with Clara Thiel

The variation of Maryland’s landscapes supports a diverse suite of ecosystems from the Chesapeake Bay to the Allegheny Mountains. Many of these ecosystems are maintained by unique topography, geology, and hydrology regimes and support rare or regionally threatened plant species. In this talk we will explore some of the biodiverse and ecologically important habitats that can be found throughout Mountain Maryland, including the calcareous cliffs and coves of Washington Co., the mid-Appalachian shale barrens of Allegany Co., and the high-elevation frost-pocket swamps of Garret Co. We will discuss their natural and biogeographical histories, their significance at the local, state, and regional levels, their roles as habitat refugia, and current threats to these plants and habitats in light of anthropogenic impacts and climate change.

Speaker: Clara Thiel

Clara Thiel is a lecturer of biology and forest ecology, and the coordinator of biology internships at Frostburg State University. In addition, Thiel curates the Frostburg State University Herbarium (FSHU). She is from Clarke County, Virginia and earned her bachelor’s degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. Thiel earned her master’s degree in Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology from Frostburg State University, and currently teaches courses in plant systematics, economics, and field identification. Her current research focuses on insular ecosystems and edaphic plant communities throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

YOU MUST REGISTER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK

We can accommodate the first 300 people who enter the Zoom meeting at the meeting time. After you register, you will receive a registration confirmation email with a link to the Zoom meeting. Registering does not guarantee a space in the Zoom meeting. 

Zoom opens at 7:00PM for pre-program board update and member Q&A. Presentations begin at 7:30PM and generally run until 8:45PM. 

The program is free and open to the public.

This will be recorded and available on our Webinars page.

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