Conservation Symposium Series
Ecology Underfoot: The Secret Life of Soil

Friday, September 11, 2009 from 9 am to 4 pm

The Sixth-Annual Conservation Symposium at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Presented by The Cleveland Museum of Natural History Conservation Symposium Series

Soil life is the Earth's most abundant terrestrial ecosystem and supports a tremendously diverse biota. Organisms range in size from the tiniest single-celled bacteria, algae, fungi, and protozoa; to the more complex nematodes and micro-arthropods; to the visible earthworms, insects, small vertebrates, and plants. The interactions of these organisms maintain a healthy soil food web and provide a foundation for energy flow and nutrient cycling.

Two prominent authors and researchers will deliver the morning and afternoon keynote addresses: Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming With Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web, will reveal who's down there, who's eating whom and how plants manipulate other organisms' actions for their own benefit. Dr. Cindy Hale, author of Earthworms of the Great Lakes and Research Associate at the University of Minnesota, will present her research on exotic earthworm invasions and how these non-native invaders may be affecting other creatures that rely on the forest floor, such as ants, spiders, amphibians, mammals and ground nesting birds. Other discussions will include mycorrhizal fungi, the role ant communities play in our soil, and the status of the Ohio-extirpated American Burying Beetle.

Conservation Symposium Field Trips and Workshops
Join us on Thursday afternoon, September 10, and Saturday morning, September 12, for field trips to various natural areas in our region. Also on September 10, we will offer two optional daylong workshops, one covering earthworm identification, the other on composting.

To Register:
Fee: $15 per person with registration before September 4 [registration to open in late July]
For more information, call (216) 231-4600 or 1-800-317-9155, ext. 3505. 

This Conservation Symposium Series event is made possible by the generous support of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland Zoological Society, Cleveland Museum of Natural History Trout Club, Geauga Park District, Holden Arboretum, Lake Metroparks, The Nature Conservancy, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Ohio Environmental Council, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, and Sierra Club.