Changing Landscapes & the Call to Action: Building Climate Change Resiliency at the Agroecology Lab
I first found out about the Agroecology Lab while researching the impacts of saltwater intrusion for a short film I was producing. Hoping to learn more from an expert, I was fortunate enough to get an interview with Dr. Kate Tully in the summer of 2021. After I finished shooting my documentary and resumed my coursework at UMD, I found myself still very interested in learning more about saltwater intrusion. Because of this lingering feeling, I decided to apply to become a research assistant at the Agroecology Lab. I had never done formal scientific research before, and I gained a lot of insight into what work needs to be done to publish the research I took for granted throughout my academic career.
Ghost forest and surrounding marsh.
After nearly 4 months at the lab, the biggest takeaway from my time as a research assistant would be my appreciation for the long, tireless processes that researchers go through to make sure they get accurate, reliable results. This includes having very thin error margins for measuring out soil samples or needing to rinse out glass tubes half a dozen times to reduce contamination. All these protocols may seem redundant to someone who had never done research before, such as myself, but I quickly learned they were necessary.
The work I’ve done at the lab has not only bolstered my work ethic, but it has also taught me important concepts in sustainability and ecology that I’ve been able to connect with my coursework. For instance, I have gotten the opportunity to learn from various guest speakers about topics including stormwater management [1], terracing [2], wetland ecology [3], and community agriculture [4]. While at the lab, I’ve been able to put some of these ideas into practice by helping to perform soil digestions, grinding soils, and other tasks that help uncover the chemical composition of soils in relation to the encroachment of saltwater on Eastern Shore farms.
References
1. Lane, C. R., Creed, I. F., Golden, H. E., Leibowitz, S. G., Mushet, D. M., Rains, M. C., ... & Vanderhoof, M. K. (2022). Vulnerable Waters are Essential to Watershed Resilience. Ecosystems, 1-28.
2. Deng, C., Zhang, G., Liu, Y., Nie, X., Li, Z., Liu, J., & Zhu, D. (2021). Advantages and disadvantages of terracing: A comprehensive review. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 9(3), 344-359.
3. Rideout, N. K., Lapen, D. R., Peters, D. L., & Baird, D. J. (2021). Ditch the low flow: Agricultural impacts on flow regimes and consequences for aquatic ecosystem functions. Ecohydrology, e2364.
4. Ruggeri, D. (2018). Storytelling as a catalyst for democratic landscape change in a modernist utopia. In Defining landscape democracy. Edward Elgar Publishing.