Biology: Ecology and Evolution
College Park Scholars-Science and Global Change Program
Dash the diamondback terrapin
Email: mkuipers@terpmail.umd.edu
My first excursion with my fellow science and global change scholars was to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, or SERC for short. SERC’s mission is to conduct research on coastal ecosystems to help inform policy and business decisions that promote sustainability. SERC is located off of the Rhode River where they have a 2,650-acre campus full of forests, streams, ponds, wetlands, marshes, and 15 miles of protected shoreline.
One of SERC's research subjects is biodiversity. They use methods such as seining, camera traps, and other sampling strategies to track and record changes in biodiversity over time. Assessments of these samples yield data on the impact and spread of invasive species. SERC also uses this information to keep track of blue crab populations, which are a vital part of our local economy. SERC also uses its research in biodiversity to identify which areas are most vulnerable and create plans to preserve and restore our local ecosystem. A second topic of research SERC focuses on is watersheds and land use. SERC catalogs and predicts the impacts of farming on local ecosystems through forces like erosion, habitat destruction, and nutrient pollution. One project they have been working on is the experimental revival of a location called muddy creek. This creek is on SERC property and has been damaged by erosion. Researching methods for reviving creek habitats is important because it can improve water quality and biodiversity within the watershed. Their goals regarding stream restoration include reducing the impact of stormwater on erosion, restoring floodplain habitats, and removing nutrients and sediment from the water.
While on a guided hike of SERC’s grounds, my fellow scholars and I learned about the human impact on local habitats. One habitat that we visited was a coastal wetland home to multiple species of birds, fish, amphibians, and even river otters. Human impacts on the wetlands include habitat destruction, pollution, and the introduction of invasive species. Developers often drain and destroy coastal wetlands to build coastal neighborhoods. Local farms create runoff that contains nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers and animal manure. When these nutrients enter the wetland ecosystem they cause algae blooms which can lead to the creation of oxygen-depleted dead zones. Lastly, I witnessed the impact of invasive species on the wetland ecosystem firsthand. An invasive grass called phragmite had taken over nearly half of the wetland habitat on SERC’s property creating a permanent monoculture in the infected areas. The phragmite have extensive root systems that make them hard to remove and allows them to outcompete native wetland plants. Another habitat we visited was both a new-growth and old-growth forest. The new-growth forest was less diverse than the old-growth forest. This is because old-growth forests are more structurally complex and provide more niches for the organisms living in them. Both old-growth and new-growth forests are threatened by habitat destruction from humans who want to use the land for development and farming. As forest habitats become smaller and more fragmented they support less biodiversity. Another way humans impact forests is through the introduction of invasive species. During the guided hike I saw many invasive plant species including vines like English ivy that grow on and eventually overtake their tree hosts. Another invasive vine living in our community is wisteria which is a heavy vine that weighs down tree limbs and blocks sunlight. SERC is doing important research into protecting these habitats and it was an honor to be able to tour their grounds and learn about their work.
