Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/21/2016
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
Category(ies)
Seed dispersal, a critical stage in the lifecycle of many plants, involves the movement of the seed beyond
the shadow of the parent plant to sites suitable for germination and seedling establishment. Michael A.
Steele, Ph.D. will review over 25 years of research across North America (including Mexico), Costa Rica
and China on the process of oak dispersal by rodents and birds. He’ll show how specific acorn
characteristics (e.g. germination schedules, chemistry, morphology) influence the behavior of seed-
hoarding animals, and how these behavioral decisions influence the process of oak dispersal, seedling
establishment, and the regeneration of our forests. Michael A. Steele completed his Ph.D. at Wake
Forest University in 1988, followed by a 1-year postdoctoral research position at N.C. State. He is the
Endowed Research Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at Wilkes University and the author
of more than 100 peer reviewed scientific publications, including five books. He received a Fulbright
Fellowship for research in Mexico and a Bullard Fellowship from Harvard University.
This program is the seventh installment of the Preserve’s Winter Lecture Series. The program will take
place on Sunday, February 21, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. The fee for Preserve Members is $8 per lecture.
The fee for non-members is $12 per lecture. Seating for all lectures is general admission; arrive early to
get the seat of your choice. Advance registration is strongly encouraged. Walk-ins welcomed only as
space permits. Most popular topics WILL sell out. Call (215)862-2924 to register.
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