BIOLOGY PROFESSOR TO DISCUSS FIRE'S BENEFITS TO WETLANDS JAN. 24

David P. Warners, associate professor of biology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., will deliver the first seminar in the Department of Biological Sciences Alumni Seminar Series at 12:30 p.m., Jan. 24, in room 101 of the Mills Godwin Jr. Life Sciences Building.

Warners' presentation, "Mixing Fire and Water," deals with what appears to be an ecological incongruity of maintaining wetlands using controlled burning. His work in the Upper Midwest has centered on the impact of burning on species diversity in sedge meadows, distinctive wetlands that are dominated by tussock-forming grasslike plants. The lecture will be of interest to anyone interested in natural history, ecology, wetlands and wetland restoration.

Warners also will consult on the role of fire in the enhancement and maintenance of wetlands at the university's Blackwater Ecologic Preserve. This 319-acre tract located near Zuni in Isle of Wight County is now one of the components of the Zuni Pine Barrens Natural Area, where remnants of the once extensive longleaf pine ecosystem are preserved.

Warners received his doctorate from the University of Michigan, where he was the recipient of numerous honors and awards. He has been at Calvin College since 1997.

All of the seminars in the series are open to the public. For more information, call 683-3610.