ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS
Invited Presentations
Spicer ME, Carson WP, Royo AA, Nuttle T, Adams B, Muzika R-M, & Pasquini S. “Biodiversity collapse and the future of the eastern deciduous forest biome.” Virginia Native Plant Society Workshop. 2019.
Spicer ME, Wenzel J, Royo AA, & Carson WP. “How do diverse forest understories regenerate after a tornado? A large-scale experimental evaluation of community reorganization in a human-modified landscape.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA. Organized Oral Session 12. 7 Aug 2018. Abstract.
Spicer ME. “Discovering the forest amongst the trees: Community assembly and regeneration patterns in diverse yet understudied forest strata.” Monthly Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania Meeting. 8 Jan 2018.
Spicer ME& Carson WP. “Human legacies in forest ecosystems: A discussion of how deer overabundance and logging practices have shaped eastern deciduous forests in the past century.” Society of Environmental Journalists Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA. 5 Oct 2017.
Contributed Talks
Spicer ME & Carson WP. “Substrate texture mediates vascular epiphyte establishment: Experimental evidence from a Panamanian cloud forest.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Louisville, KT. 13 Aug 2019.
Spicer ME, Mellor H, Yang Y, Sutton S, & Carson WP. “Seeing beyond the trees: A comparison of the relative abundance of plant life forms and their vertical distribution in New World temperate and tropical forests.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, OR. 8 Aug 2017.
Spicer ME. “A triad of trouble for northeastern forest communities: Testing the combined effects of overbrowsing, woody competitors, and propagule limitation on herbaceous plant diversity and reproduction.” Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology Summer Seminar Series, Linesville, PA. 27 Jul 2016.
Spicer ME, Pendergast IV TH, & Carson WP. “The legacy of deer overabundance: Long term delays in herbaceous community recovery.” The Northeast Natural History Conference, Springfield, MA. 23 Apr 2016. Abstract.
Poster Presentations
Spicer ME, Mellor H, & Carson WP. “A comparison of tropical and temperate plant growth-forms and strata distributions.” AAAS Annual Conference, Seattle, WA. 2020. Honorable Mention: Graduate Student E-Poster Competition in Ecology & Evolution.
Spicer ME.“Assembly in the air: Experimentally testing colonization versus niche hypotheses in aerial plant communities.” SACNAS, the National Diversity in STEM Conference. 30 Oct 2019.
Spicer ME, Royo AA, Wenzel J, & Carson WP. “Salvage logging is not the Darth Vader of forestry: Rapid understory recovery following catastrophic disturbances.” Science 2019: Question, Pittsburgh, PA. 17 Oct 2019.
Spicer ME, Mellor H, & Carson WP. “Seeing beyond the trees: A comparison of tropical and temperate plant life forms and their vertical distributions.” Science 2018: From A to Z, Pittsburgh, PA. 18 Oct 2018.
Spicer ME& Carson WP. “Why do plants climb trees? Proposing the Epiphyte Enemy Escape Hypothesis for tropical epiphyte evolution.” Three Rivers Evolution Event Conference, Pittsburgh, PA. 9 Sep 2017.
Spicer ME. “Advocate, adversary, or bystander: Are lianas a driver of tropical epiphyte diversity?” University of Pittsburgh Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Grad Expo, Pittsburgh, PA. 24 Mar 2016. Outstanding Presenter Award.
Spicer ME & Carson WP. “Direct and indirect effects of excluding mammals in a tropical wet forest: Evidence from Costa Rica for altered seedling recruitment success.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. 11 Aug 2015. Abstract.
Spicer ME & Booth RK. “To plant or not to plant? Results from a century-long planting experiment.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA. 12 Aug 2014. Abstract.
Spicer ME & Booth RK. “A century-long experiment in forest planting: Preliminary results from the Lehigh University Experimental Forest.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN. 8 Aug 2013. Link to abstract: Abstract.
Spicer ME & Coleman D. “Education for the environment: Integrating the Earth Charter into the second-cycle science curriculum.” Lehigh University STEPS-Environmental Initiative Student Summer Internship Symposium, Lehigh University. 19 Sep 2012.
Spicer ME, Carson WP, Royo AA, Nuttle T, Adams B, Muzika R-M, & Pasquini S. “Biodiversity collapse and the future of the eastern deciduous forest biome.” Virginia Native Plant Society Workshop. 2019.
Spicer ME, Wenzel J, Royo AA, & Carson WP. “How do diverse forest understories regenerate after a tornado? A large-scale experimental evaluation of community reorganization in a human-modified landscape.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA. Organized Oral Session 12. 7 Aug 2018. Abstract.
Spicer ME. “Discovering the forest amongst the trees: Community assembly and regeneration patterns in diverse yet understudied forest strata.” Monthly Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania Meeting. 8 Jan 2018.
Spicer ME& Carson WP. “Human legacies in forest ecosystems: A discussion of how deer overabundance and logging practices have shaped eastern deciduous forests in the past century.” Society of Environmental Journalists Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA. 5 Oct 2017.
Contributed Talks
Spicer ME & Carson WP. “Substrate texture mediates vascular epiphyte establishment: Experimental evidence from a Panamanian cloud forest.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Louisville, KT. 13 Aug 2019.
Spicer ME, Mellor H, Yang Y, Sutton S, & Carson WP. “Seeing beyond the trees: A comparison of the relative abundance of plant life forms and their vertical distribution in New World temperate and tropical forests.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, OR. 8 Aug 2017.
Spicer ME. “A triad of trouble for northeastern forest communities: Testing the combined effects of overbrowsing, woody competitors, and propagule limitation on herbaceous plant diversity and reproduction.” Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology Summer Seminar Series, Linesville, PA. 27 Jul 2016.
Spicer ME, Pendergast IV TH, & Carson WP. “The legacy of deer overabundance: Long term delays in herbaceous community recovery.” The Northeast Natural History Conference, Springfield, MA. 23 Apr 2016. Abstract.
Poster Presentations
Spicer ME, Mellor H, & Carson WP. “A comparison of tropical and temperate plant growth-forms and strata distributions.” AAAS Annual Conference, Seattle, WA. 2020. Honorable Mention: Graduate Student E-Poster Competition in Ecology & Evolution.
Spicer ME.“Assembly in the air: Experimentally testing colonization versus niche hypotheses in aerial plant communities.” SACNAS, the National Diversity in STEM Conference. 30 Oct 2019.
Spicer ME, Royo AA, Wenzel J, & Carson WP. “Salvage logging is not the Darth Vader of forestry: Rapid understory recovery following catastrophic disturbances.” Science 2019: Question, Pittsburgh, PA. 17 Oct 2019.
Spicer ME, Mellor H, & Carson WP. “Seeing beyond the trees: A comparison of tropical and temperate plant life forms and their vertical distributions.” Science 2018: From A to Z, Pittsburgh, PA. 18 Oct 2018.
Spicer ME& Carson WP. “Why do plants climb trees? Proposing the Epiphyte Enemy Escape Hypothesis for tropical epiphyte evolution.” Three Rivers Evolution Event Conference, Pittsburgh, PA. 9 Sep 2017.
Spicer ME. “Advocate, adversary, or bystander: Are lianas a driver of tropical epiphyte diversity?” University of Pittsburgh Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Grad Expo, Pittsburgh, PA. 24 Mar 2016. Outstanding Presenter Award.
Spicer ME & Carson WP. “Direct and indirect effects of excluding mammals in a tropical wet forest: Evidence from Costa Rica for altered seedling recruitment success.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. 11 Aug 2015. Abstract.
Spicer ME & Booth RK. “To plant or not to plant? Results from a century-long planting experiment.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA. 12 Aug 2014. Abstract.
Spicer ME & Booth RK. “A century-long experiment in forest planting: Preliminary results from the Lehigh University Experimental Forest.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN. 8 Aug 2013. Link to abstract: Abstract.
Spicer ME & Coleman D. “Education for the environment: Integrating the Earth Charter into the second-cycle science curriculum.” Lehigh University STEPS-Environmental Initiative Student Summer Internship Symposium, Lehigh University. 19 Sep 2012.