Research at Radnor: Lipscomb/Penn State collaborate for a forest's future
Chris Pepple |
Radnor Lake is one of the largest wilderness areas (1,200 acres) in the United States in close proximity to a major city. Its protected ecosystem allows a remarkable diversity of plant life and wildlife to survive. The six miles of trails allow visitors to experience the natural area without leaving the Nashville area. Research is a valuable part of Radnor’s history. The location and the diverse ecosystem provide valuable environmental research opportunities for scientists and universities. Starting in 2007, Dr. Robert Loeb, associate professor of biology and forestry at Penn State DuBois, entered into an academic partnership with Radnor Lake with research focused on his continuing study of how forests within cities change over long periods of time. Lipscomb University students and alumni collaborate with Dr. Loeb on this project.
When Lipscomb seniors Paige Griffin and Jesse Germeraad (’08) signed on to work at Radnor Lake State Natural Area in 2008, they found themselves with much more than just an average summer job. Griffin’s internship as a seasonal interpretative specialist, paid through the state of Tennessee, and Germeraad’s equivalent position through a Lipscomb internship gave them an opportunity to assist Dr. Loeb in continuing the work begun thirty years earlier by researchers examining how vegetation has changed due to human usage. Loeb has been building upon the previous research. Griffin and Germeraad began by locating and marking the 21 previously studied forest sites in Radnor Lake State Natural Area.
“Once I arrived at Radnor, we worked together using identical sampling methods that other scientists had used. We systematically measured the forest again. It was exciting to work with the students and share with them the techniques used in the field of historical ecology. Radnor Lake is a rare gem to study and this work will be part of the science of long-term ecological research. My hope is that my research will give Steve Ward, the park manager at Radnor, an idea of how forests will change in the future in order to maintain a mature forest and make management decisions about the future of the natural area,” said Loeb, whose research is supported by a Faculty Award for Merit and Excellence Grant from the DuBois Educational Foundation.
“This collaboration is a perfect example of the state working with the private sector to mutually benefit all groups. Lipscomb students are getting to do research that most students don’t have access to, and we are getting exceptional interns. We provide a Natural Area site for and assistance with Dr. Loeb’s research. He provides us invaluable data related to our site including data on the effects of invasive non-native plant species to our forest,” said Ward.
Dr. Loeb’s work at Radnor is three-fold: research; information for management; and developing the research capability of undergraduate students. “Compactly stated, the research produces the information necessary to understand the past, present and future of the vegetation in Radnor. The interpretation of the measured and expected changes is the information for science-based decision making for the management of Radnor. The collaboration with Lipscomb University provides the well-educated young scientists who I work with in the field to collect data. We present this data at scientific meetings and publish in scientific journals,” said Loeb.
“My favorite part of the work at Radnor is developing the research skills of eager young scientists and opening their minds to the long-term view of vegetation, that is seeing the trees, shrubs and flowers as part of a continuum spanning decades before and decades into the future. For example, rather than just mourning the loss of a grand old tree and celebrating a doe and her fawns taking up residence in Radnor, my young colleagues learn to see the tree loss as a forest canopy opening which provides an opportunity for the forest to build species diversity and the additional browsing by the deer family as a threat to future species diversity because of the loss of seedlings and saplings.”
In 2009, Germeraad (’08), now employed at Radnor Lake State Natural Area as a seasonal interpretive ranger, continued collaborating with Dr. Loeb on the next project in the research program. They were joined by Lipscomb sophomore Daniel Wakefield and alumnus Travis Treece (’09). The group focused on the study of the effect of bush honeysuckle on tree reproduction.
“Little did I know that I had stepped into the best summer job God could have blessed me with. As an Eagle Scout, I have always loved the outdoors—thus this Research Fellowship fits perfectly. Some researchers are confined by four walls, and lucky to have a window—I am blessed to go to work every day at a place that others come to enjoy on their day off,” said Wakefield, a pre-med undergraduate seeking a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry.
“The research is one facet of the job description—I have taken part in a park-wide survey of hardwoods and invasive exotic species to determine how exotics are affecting Radnor’s forests. We count all hardwood species and their diameters at breast height and number all hardwood saplings and seedlings, honeysuckle, Tree of Heaven, and other exotics in plots across the park. It has been a massive undertaking—but a rewarding one. All of our work has been in the field, off the trails, and in the forest—deep enough that snake chaps (leg coverings that snakes’ fangs cannot penetrate) are a constant part of our wardrobe.
“The research we are working on is a classic plant ecology study. It is vital to see how a natural landscape is changed by exotic species—without studies like this and exotic removal, Radnor and other parks could be a honeysuckle thicket instead of a hardwood forest. It is important to see how foreign plants—such as Lonicera maackii, the main honeysuckle we have in Tennessee—choke out native species. If we don’t, our grandchildren might not have a forest at Radnor Lake to go to. This Research Fellowship has been the experience of a lifetime—everyday is an adventure and I lay down at night looking forward to tomorrow. I just thank Lipscomb and Radnor for giving me this opportunity and all of the generous donors who make these Research Fellowships possible,” Wakefield continued.
The projects at Radnor Lake Natural Area are part of Dr. Loeb’s forty-year research program on long-term vegetation changes in urban park forests located in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Radnor Lake in Nashville. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach that combines research in forest composition resampling and comparison, fossil pollen studies, and primary historical sources, he examines the relationships between human activities and forest changes.
“It was very interesting to work with a professor onsite. We have been recording data on the types and sizes of trees we located. I had studied ecology in the classroom, but this work was a lot more in-depth. Dr. Loeb was open to questions and he shared a lot of his information and research techniques with us. I also enjoyed being available to help with other projects. My work at Radnor has given me a good window to view the life of the rangers and researchers. My work has been mentally and physically hard at times, but you really feel like you have accomplished something when the day is done,” said Germeraad.