Kathryn Flinn
@flinnlab.bsky.social
Ecologist | Writer | Educator | Professor of Biology at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. Investigating northeast Ohio’s natural heritage & how humans shape it. https://kathrynflinn.com/ AKA Katie
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Kathryn Flinn
@flinnlab.bsky.social
· Aug 22
Forest diversity and composition changed over 120 years of post-agricultural succession in Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio, USA - Plant Ecology
Changes in land use have radically impacted forests in the USA over the past several centuries. This study examined how the long-term effects of agricultural land use shape the vegetation structure, d...
link.springer.com
So proud of my lab's first paper with the first author a
@baldwinwallace.bsky.social undergraduate. Another fruitful collaboration with Cleveland Metroparks, informing forest conservation in northeast Ohio. Congrats Skyanne!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@baldwinwallace.bsky.social undergraduate. Another fruitful collaboration with Cleveland Metroparks, informing forest conservation in northeast Ohio. Congrats Skyanne!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
My @baldwinwallace.bsky.social Ecology students helped plant hundreds of trees today with Cleveland Museum of Natural History. We were happy to be part of the amazing restoration of Mentor Marsh. Everyone enjoyed dibbling!
November 13, 2025 at 7:00 PM
My @baldwinwallace.bsky.social Ecology students helped plant hundreds of trees today with Cleveland Museum of Natural History. We were happy to be part of the amazing restoration of Mentor Marsh. Everyone enjoyed dibbling!
.@baldwinwallace.bsky.social's ginkgo trees lost all their leaves in one day, leaving a gold carpet.
November 12, 2025 at 9:01 PM
.@baldwinwallace.bsky.social's ginkgo trees lost all their leaves in one day, leaving a gold carpet.
It has been a privilege to mentor Skyanne as she grows into a scientist!
Few undergraduates earn the distinction of first author in a major scientific journal.
Read how BW student Skyanne Melton '25 achieved this milestone in Plant Ecology through research with Cleveland Metroparks on forest recovery and conservation! 👏
www.bw.edu/news/2025/10...
Read how BW student Skyanne Melton '25 achieved this milestone in Plant Ecology through research with Cleveland Metroparks on forest recovery and conservation! 👏
www.bw.edu/news/2025/10...
BW undergrad publishes in international journal as first author
The research project was a collaboration with Cleveland Metroparks, fellow students and a key faculty mentor.
www.bw.edu
October 11, 2025 at 12:03 PM
It has been a privilege to mentor Skyanne as she grows into a scientist!
Yep that's my grad school buddy who has explained everything with his new book!
Please join the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science in welcoming Mark Vellend to a virtual event to discuss his new book, Everything Evolves, tomorrow (September 24th) at 7:00 pm EDT.
RSVP for this free webinar here: tieseducation.org/webinars/.
RSVP for this free webinar here: tieseducation.org/webinars/.
September 24, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Yep that's my grad school buddy who has explained everything with his new book!
So proud of my lab's first paper with the first author a
@baldwinwallace.bsky.social undergraduate. Another fruitful collaboration with Cleveland Metroparks, informing forest conservation in northeast Ohio. Congrats Skyanne!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@baldwinwallace.bsky.social undergraduate. Another fruitful collaboration with Cleveland Metroparks, informing forest conservation in northeast Ohio. Congrats Skyanne!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Forest diversity and composition changed over 120 years of post-agricultural succession in Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio, USA - Plant Ecology
Changes in land use have radically impacted forests in the USA over the past several centuries. This study examined how the long-term effects of agricultural land use shape the vegetation structure, d...
link.springer.com
August 22, 2025 at 4:06 PM
So proud of my lab's first paper with the first author a
@baldwinwallace.bsky.social undergraduate. Another fruitful collaboration with Cleveland Metroparks, informing forest conservation in northeast Ohio. Congrats Skyanne!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@baldwinwallace.bsky.social undergraduate. Another fruitful collaboration with Cleveland Metroparks, informing forest conservation in northeast Ohio. Congrats Skyanne!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Kathryn Flinn
I really hate being captain science buzzkill.
"That science-y thing you're all talking about and excited about? Actually it's not true. But please still care about science!"
Ugh. It's no fun.
But it's not true! And it matters that it's not true! Someone should say so!
"That science-y thing you're all talking about and excited about? Actually it's not true. But please still care about science!"
Ugh. It's no fun.
But it's not true! And it matters that it's not true! Someone should say so!
April 8, 2025 at 6:14 PM
I really hate being captain science buzzkill.
"That science-y thing you're all talking about and excited about? Actually it's not true. But please still care about science!"
Ugh. It's no fun.
But it's not true! And it matters that it's not true! Someone should say so!
"That science-y thing you're all talking about and excited about? Actually it's not true. But please still care about science!"
Ugh. It's no fun.
But it's not true! And it matters that it's not true! Someone should say so!
Reposted by Kathryn Flinn
A friend gave me some buckeyes, the lovely peanut butter and chocolate candy. Ohio buckeye is the most toxic tree in our flora, with potentially lethal doses in all plant parts. There is some irony that the candy is delicious but the actual nut can kill you, and that the Ohio state tree is toxic.
April 2, 2025 at 2:08 PM
A friend gave me some buckeyes, the lovely peanut butter and chocolate candy. Ohio buckeye is the most toxic tree in our flora, with potentially lethal doses in all plant parts. There is some irony that the candy is delicious but the actual nut can kill you, and that the Ohio state tree is toxic.
Reposted by Kathryn Flinn
A global analysis of altered species compositions and climate change reveals the extent to which ecosystems, including in protected areas and biodiversity hotspots, are exposed to novel conditions due to anthropogenic forces rdcu.be/edTpA
Widespread ecological novelty across the terrestrial biosphere
Nature Ecology & Evolution - Even outside urban and agricultural areas, ecosystems are vastly transformed as a result of human activities. Here the authors map patterns in climate change,...
rdcu.be
March 17, 2025 at 2:28 PM
A global analysis of altered species compositions and climate change reveals the extent to which ecosystems, including in protected areas and biodiversity hotspots, are exposed to novel conditions due to anthropogenic forces rdcu.be/edTpA
Reposted by Kathryn Flinn
The link between war, fire, and climate explored in the Guardian today. #envhist #envhum #wildfire
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...
Forest fires push up greenhouse gas emissions from war in Ukraine
Emissions estimated at 55m tonnes in 2024 and nearly 230m tonnes in three years of war
www.theguardian.com
February 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
The link between war, fire, and climate explored in the Guardian today. #envhist #envhum #wildfire
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...
Reposted by Kathryn Flinn
Now in print: Observations of an incursion of katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) + heavy seedling recruitment during COVID-related reductions in campus landscape maintenance. If u have a bunch of mature trees, heads up. #trees #invasive #undergradresearch castaneajournal.com/article/scie...
February 12, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Now in print: Observations of an incursion of katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) + heavy seedling recruitment during COVID-related reductions in campus landscape maintenance. If u have a bunch of mature trees, heads up. #trees #invasive #undergradresearch castaneajournal.com/article/scie...
Reposted by Kathryn Flinn
Ecologists seek to understand how species distributions relate to environmental factors, but often these relationships have been radically human-altered. This new paper by Flinn et al. uses historical data & SDMs to understand the presettlement distributions of forest trees. doi.org/10.1111/jvs....
Presettlement Tree Distributions and Forest Types of Northeast Ohio, USA, Mapped With Species Distribution Models
Using species distribution models to map the presettlement vegetation of northeast Ohio, we found that tree distributions depended largely on elevation and slope. Fagus grandifolia had the largest ar...
doi.org
January 26, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Ecologists seek to understand how species distributions relate to environmental factors, but often these relationships have been radically human-altered. This new paper by Flinn et al. uses historical data & SDMs to understand the presettlement distributions of forest trees. doi.org/10.1111/jvs....
Ecologists seek to understand how species distributions relate to environmental factors, but often relationships are radically human-altered. Our new @jvegsci.bsky.social paper uses historical data in niche models to understand presettlement distributions of forest trees. 🧪🌿🌎 doi.org/10.1111/jvs....
Presettlement Tree Distributions and Forest Types of Northeast Ohio, USA, Mapped With Species Distribution Models
Using species distribution models to map the presettlement vegetation of northeast Ohio, we found that tree distributions depended largely on elevation and slope. Fagus grandifolia had the largest ar...
doi.org
January 16, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Ecologists seek to understand how species distributions relate to environmental factors, but often relationships are radically human-altered. Our new @jvegsci.bsky.social paper uses historical data in niche models to understand presettlement distributions of forest trees. 🧪🌿🌎 doi.org/10.1111/jvs....
Spread the word... All 1938 aerial photos of Cuyahoga County, Ohio are now freely available to everyone in this digital archive: libguides.bw.edu/c.php?g=1379... 🌿🌎🧪
LibGuides: 1938 Aerial Photos of Cuyahoga County: Overview
LibGuides: 1938 Aerial Photos of Cuyahoga County: Overview
libguides.bw.edu
June 12, 2024 at 7:29 PM
Spread the word... All 1938 aerial photos of Cuyahoga County, Ohio are now freely available to everyone in this digital archive: libguides.bw.edu/c.php?g=1379... 🌿🌎🧪
Reposted by Kathryn Flinn
Imagine our profession was built so that you could advance your career without moving all the time. Isn't this a huge piece of the equity and access problem? Yes, it is.
Needing to move is a huge barrier to broadening representation in the sciences
Science will be more inclusive and equitable when we stop expecting people to uproot their lives every few years
open.substack.com
December 12, 2023 at 1:10 AM
Imagine our profession was built so that you could advance your career without moving all the time. Isn't this a huge piece of the equity and access problem? Yes, it is.
Our new analysis of land use change in Cuyahoga County, home of Cleveland, Ohio, published today in Urban Ecosystems. We trace how urbanization has impacted our native forests over the past 220 years, providing context for current growth. Highlights in thread: 🌿🧪🌎
November 28, 2023 at 6:28 PM
Our new analysis of land use change in Cuyahoga County, home of Cleveland, Ohio, published today in Urban Ecosystems. We trace how urbanization has impacted our native forests over the past 220 years, providing context for current growth. Highlights in thread: 🌿🧪🌎
Reposted by Kathryn Flinn
There's a deep sense of sadness and loneliness seeing this record shattering graph.
November 17, 2023 was the first day in recorded history when the earth's surface was a whole 2°C hotter than pre-industrial times. Yet, there's barely any chatter about this staggering breach.
November 17, 2023 was the first day in recorded history when the earth's surface was a whole 2°C hotter than pre-industrial times. Yet, there's barely any chatter about this staggering breach.
November 20, 2023 at 4:41 AM
There's a deep sense of sadness and loneliness seeing this record shattering graph.
November 17, 2023 was the first day in recorded history when the earth's surface was a whole 2°C hotter than pre-industrial times. Yet, there's barely any chatter about this staggering breach.
November 17, 2023 was the first day in recorded history when the earth's surface was a whole 2°C hotter than pre-industrial times. Yet, there's barely any chatter about this staggering breach.
@danirabaiotti.bsky.social Hi Dani, may I be added to the What's Science contributor list? Thanks!
November 10, 2023 at 3:58 PM
@danirabaiotti.bsky.social Hi Dani, may I be added to the What's Science contributor list? Thanks!
Spotted my first lanternfly, at Cleveland Metroparks' Lakefront Nature Preserve, which is a peninsula in Lake Erie. This invasive crop pest recently arrived in northeast Ohio and lives primarily on tree of heaven. How did she get here? 🌿🌎
October 26, 2023 at 6:26 PM
Spotted my first lanternfly, at Cleveland Metroparks' Lakefront Nature Preserve, which is a peninsula in Lake Erie. This invasive crop pest recently arrived in northeast Ohio and lives primarily on tree of heaven. How did she get here? 🌿🌎
How lucky that my birthday coincides with the persimmon harvest! I'm making persimmon pudding with fruit I gathered from this native tree. Find a persimmon tree if you can... yes, they're seedy and squishy, but the flavor is worth it and like nothing else. 🌿
October 25, 2023 at 6:00 PM
How lucky that my birthday coincides with the persimmon harvest! I'm making persimmon pudding with fruit I gathered from this native tree. Find a persimmon tree if you can... yes, they're seedy and squishy, but the flavor is worth it and like nothing else. 🌿
New here, so an introduction: I'm excited to be here and connect with fellow scientists & naturalists! 🌿🌎🧪
I am a plant ecologist using historical ecology to understand how ecological communities have changed over the past ~300 years or so in my home landscape of northeast Ohio, around Cleveland.
I am a plant ecologist using historical ecology to understand how ecological communities have changed over the past ~300 years or so in my home landscape of northeast Ohio, around Cleveland.
October 23, 2023 at 3:04 PM
New here, so an introduction: I'm excited to be here and connect with fellow scientists & naturalists! 🌿🌎🧪
I am a plant ecologist using historical ecology to understand how ecological communities have changed over the past ~300 years or so in my home landscape of northeast Ohio, around Cleveland.
I am a plant ecologist using historical ecology to understand how ecological communities have changed over the past ~300 years or so in my home landscape of northeast Ohio, around Cleveland.
I experienced the katsura smell for the first time! The yellowing leaves smell fruity, malty, caramelly... like cotton candy, apple cake or a fruity beer. As they decay, they release maltol. Beautiful, old weeping specimen @ Secrest Arboretum. 🌿
October 23, 2023 at 3:00 PM
I experienced the katsura smell for the first time! The yellowing leaves smell fruity, malty, caramelly... like cotton candy, apple cake or a fruity beer. As they decay, they release maltol. Beautiful, old weeping specimen @ Secrest Arboretum. 🌿
@friel.bsky.social Hi John! Could you add me to the naturalists feed? Thanks!
October 21, 2023 at 4:56 PM
@friel.bsky.social Hi John! Could you add me to the naturalists feed? Thanks!
Katsura tree leaves in fall smell like caramelized sugar. Who has experienced this and how would you describe it?
October 20, 2023 at 6:20 PM
Katsura tree leaves in fall smell like caramelized sugar. Who has experienced this and how would you describe it?