Conservation Team Returns to Virginia for Mountain Magnolia Field Work

In October, the botanic garden conservation team–Daun Lee `24, Avery Maltz AC `25 and Landscape Curator John Berryhill–joined Prof. Jesse Bellemare of the Smith Dept. of Biological Science for their second trip to Virginia this season to establish seed plots. 

On their first trip in August, the team collected hundreds of mountain magnolia seeds to use in germination plots aimed at further understanding how this species is reacting to changing environmental conditions. The goal of the trip in October was to sow seeds in trial plots near a network of climate data loggers spanning roughly 3,500 feet in elevation. The climate data loggers were installed by last year's conservation team, Katie Rahaim TK  and Krystal Bagnaschi TK, to track how germination outcomes correspond to specific climate conditions. The team also established plots upslope from the highest reproductive populations; if the seeds in these plots do germinate and the seedlings thrive, it would indicate that the range of this species is limited by its ability to distribute seeds far from mature trees, but that with some help new populations could be established further upslope. On the other hand, it would be alarming to learn that the seeds are not able germinate at these unnaturally high elevations, because it would indicate that this species is unlikely to migrate further upslope as the climate continues to warm.  In total, they planted 40 plots–10 plots of seeds at four separate elevations.

While in VA the conservation team also replaced batteries in the climate data loggers– a tricky task as it is easy to lose small screws and parts on the forest floor. The foggy red spruce forest they encountered near their highest data logger was another example of threatened habitat in this incredibly biodiverse region and offered them a moment of quiet beauty to reflect on the importance of the work.