Plants, People & Beyond Lecture Explores Crimea

Thursday, April 7, 2016

The eighth annual “Plants, People & Beyond” lecture is on April 8 at 3 p.m. at the Edmon Low Library in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

“Plants, People & Beyond” is hosted by the Oklahoma State University  Library and Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Evolution each spring, and explores the relationship between people and plants. Carlos Cordova, professor of Geography at OSU, will headline the event with his presentation, “Crimea: Environmental change from the ancient Greek colonies to the Putin Era.”

“I would like to show the unique characteristics of the flora of that region,” Cordova said. “The unusual geographic conditions have caused a climate that resembles that of the Mediterranean, which has allowed the introduction of Mediterranean crops, plants and culture.”

In 1997, Cordova received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. His lecture is based on his research focused on the environmental history of the Crimean peninsula, specifically its geoarchaeological, paleoecological and biogeographical aspects. Cordova is the author of  “Crimea and the Black Sea: An Environmental History.”

“Colleagues and people in the West need to know about the natural and cultural history of this part of the world,” Cordova said. “Little is known about it because for a very long time Crimea has been practically closed to foreigners.”

The lecture is co-sponsored by OSU Botanical Society and Oklahoma Native Plant Society - Cross Timbers Chapter. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact lib-pub@okstate.edu or 405-744-7901.