Exploring the Past and Future of California’s Ecosystems, Dr. Katherine Glover, Evening Lecture

Katie Glover, Ph.D., Associate Director for Environmental Education, Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Oothcamin 'Ooyakma) 

Exploring the Past and Future of California’s Ecosystems

California’s iconic landscapes and vegetation communities have long been shaped by dynamic climate and terrestrial processes. Often, changes in these forces can push an ecosystem transition into a different, yet stable, state. In this talk, I will draw upon my research in paleoecology that used California’s fossil record from lake cores and the La Brea Tar Pits to show how ecosystems shifted in response to climate change and fire during the last Ice Age. The tools and botanical evidence used in these studies are powerful to help us understand landscape response before human-induced impacts, and to inform the changes we can expect in a warmer world. Yet one doesn’t have to be a trained paleoecologist to imagine past worlds, envision future landscapes, or quickly spot the evidence for an ecosystem transition. The interpretive tours we offer within Jasper Ridge’s ecosystems are an ideal setting to explore these concepts with visitors, with rich opportunities to "time travel."

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

4-5 PM Reception

5-6 PM Lecture & Q&A

Sun Field Station, JRBP('O'O)