Title: The ecology of marsh migration: plant community response to sea level rise
Presenter: Keryn Gedan (Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University)
Description: Sea level rise and saltwater intrusion are pushing tidal marsh ecosystems inland. At the upland boundary of migrating marshes, wetland plants encounter upslope habitats and land uses with abiotic and biotic conditions that will affect the trajectory of the transitional wetland plant communities taking shape. My talk will answer the questions: Will plants be able to disperse fast enough to keep up with coastal change? Will they be able to germinate in new environments? Will plant community composition shift as whole ecosystems move across the coastal landscape? Data from experiments in the field and greenhouse and observations of changing plant communities in the Delmarva peninsula provide the answers.
Location: Smith Hall, room 359
Time: 3:30pm
Date: April 10th, 2018
