Botanical Research
Botanical Research
General Information
Since its inception as a public garden, the Morris Arboretum has served as a center for botanical research. Research staff at the arboretum study the evolution, phylogenetics, systematics/taxonomy, anatomy and morphology of plants. The Morris Arboretum also has a long-standing research program in floristics, or the study of what plants grow in a certain place in a particular time frame, with a major focus on the flora of Pennsylvania (please see below for details). We are currently fundraising to better equip our laboratory with a suite of molecular biology and anatomy/histology tools and equipment, to allow us to grow our research program even further. Please contact us at botany@morrisarboretum.org with any questions about our research program or if you are interested in becoming a volunteer or donor to help further our pursuits!
Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis Project;
Achieving a greater scientific understanding of our urban areas, one plant specimen at a time
In light of the increasingly urban future of our planet, a thorough understanding of the biological processes at work in urban areas is necessary for the continued survival of Earth's inhabitants, including humans. The first step in that understanding is to know what thrives, survives, or perishes in cities, now and in the past. The Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis (MAM) Project begins this study by looking at vascular plants, with the digitization of roughly 700,000 herbarium specimens from eleven institutions in the urban corridor from New York City to Washington, D.C. As the largest, oldest, and most populated urban corridor in the U.S., this area and its flora present a unique opportunity for the study of urbanization, particularly given its rich herbarium collections, containing specimens collected over the last 400 years. The data mobilized in this effort will help us achieve a better scientific understanding of living urban systems, a critical need for urban planners, restoration ecologists, environmental engineers, (landscape) architects, and conservationists engaged in creating more sustainable and better designed cities, including the constructed and restored natural environments of our urban areas.
Staff Members
Dr. Timothy Block, The John J. Willaman Chair of Botany
My research interests are in the flora of Pennsylvania and in GIS mapping of plant distribution.
Dr. Cynthia Skema, Botanical Scientist
My research is focused on the systematics and evolution of plants. I enjoy studying plants at many levels, from ecosystems to species to organs to genes. I am particularly interested in the floras of Pennsylvania and Madagascar, the digitization and dissemination of herbarium/floristics data, and the evolution of separate sexes in flowering plants.
Dr. Ann F. Rhoads, Senior Botanist, retired
My research interests are focused on the floristics of Pennsylvania. I want to document the natural vegetation of the state and better understand historical and contemporary influences that have shaped the patterns of plant distribution we see today.