Botany & Mycology

My research focuses on the botanical diversity of land-based ecosystems in eastern North America. This emphasizes understanding not only biological diversity, but the relationships among botanical organisms and their environments through extensive study in nature and in museum collections. In particular, I use lichens, which are sensitive to disturbance and pollution, as a way to demonstrate how ecosystems change over time and how these changes may result in increased need for conservation. As the Curator of Botany, I oversee the collection of algae, bryophytes, lichens and plants. The NYSM collection is an essential resource that documents botanical diversity in New York and beyond. The growth, maintenance, and digitization of this collection is a core part of my research that supports a much broader community of naturalists and educators.