Ethnobotany, AB
Advisors:Â Fred Jackson, Tim Whitfeld
Thesis:Â How Do Immigrant Farmers and Gardeners Impact Plant Diversity in Providence County, Rhode Island?
Thesis Advisors:Â Rebecca Kartzinel, Fred Jackson, Lina Fruzzetti
Ethnobotany involves the scientific study of the relationship between people and plants through the foundations of biology, history, and anthropology. Ethnobotany investigates the impacts that dynamic human-plant relationships play in societies, cultures, economies and natural environments on global and historical scales. This field of study gives us the tools to ask questions about pressing scientific and social issues by providing a more holistic understanding of the people and plants impacted by our actions in nature.
My thesis investigates how farms in Providence County impact plant diversity and influence the ecological and social dynamics of the urban community. I combine methodologies and analyses from the natural sciences and anthropology to understand the impact of farms and, more specifically, immigrant-run farms in Providence County. Through metrics of phylogenetic diversity and dissimilarity, participant observation, and interviews, I seek to understand the extent to which immigrant farmers and their cultivation practices impact urban plant diversity.Â
Acknowledgments:Â I am so grateful to the mentors who have supported my academic growth over the past four years, especially Peggy Chang, Becky Kartzinel, Tim Whitfeld, Fred Jackson, and Lina Fruzzetti. I am also immensely grateful to my parents and my four siblings, Joey, Tara, Erin, and Ryan, for their constant support and encouragement.
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"Congratulations, Shannon, and best of luck at the Morris Arboretum!" --Rebecca Kartzinel
"Shannon, you should be proud of all your work at Brown, especially your thesis. Good luck and stay in touch." -- Fred Jackson
