Historical Ecology of Plantation Landscapes in Central Virginia
Research Location:
Charlottesville, VA, USA
Conservation Partner:
Highland
Student Researcher
Kent Codding, Major: Biology, Minor: Environmental Sustainability, Minor: Data ScienceStudent Researcher
Elliott Durham, Major: Integrative ConservationStudent Researcher
Sarah Thomas, Major: UndeclaredStudent Researcher
Charlotte Walters, Major: Environment & Sustainability, Major: German StudiesFaculty Mentors
Dr. Sara Bon-Harper, Dr. Fernando Galeana-Rodriguez, Dr. Christopher Bailey, and Dr. Dom CiruzziProject Description
Historic landscapes are visible through multiple lines of research, including historical documents, geomorphology, hydrology, and plant and animal indicators. Historically, William & Mary’s Highland operated as President James Monroe's plantation and has been farmed in various manners for nearly 250 years. Existing public history initiatives at Highland include interpretation of the social and political legacies of the plantation system, and the proposed project adds a physical/landscape component to the site’s public interpretation by considering how past land use practices have influenced its ecosystem structure, function, and services and the ways that human communities connect to the landscape. A team of faculty and students will create a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the past landscape of Highland and the environmental impacts of land use recorded in the current landscape.
With support from an interdisciplinary team of faculty, external partners, and community members, students combine expertise from across various disciplines, such as geology, biology, sociology, and history, to develop a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the environmental and social legacy of Highland on the landscape. Recent conservation measures of fencing for rotational grazing, installation of cattle watering troughs, and the restoration of a native-species riparian buffer all contribute to the mediation of the effects of current and past farming systems at Highland.
Outcomes of student research on this project will include 1) identification of past and present landscape history using forensic geomorphology; 2) monitoring the efficacy of current conservation measures with systematic eco-hydrology studies; 3) identification of additional conservation measures that could be applied at Highland to improve environmental quality as a further step to address the legacies of the historic plantation; 4) preparation of materials for science communication and citizen engagement, potentially including a new exhibit about environmental history at Highland and a guide to increase awareness of conservation needs at similarly-farmed properties.
