"The impacts of urbanization on woodland snake communities: A case study of Central Maryland"
CUERE Fall 2026 Seminar Series
UMBC: Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education
Fall 2026 Seminar Series
virtually presents
Ms. Gemma Feild
Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, UMBC
"The impacts of urbanization on woodland snake communities: A case study of Central Maryland"
Friday, October 9, 2026
2:00 PM online
This seminar series is free and open to the public.
Abstract
Over the last several decades urbanization has been expanding globally, bringing increased imperviousness, reduced greenspace, concentrated human presence, and pollution, all of which can impact species’ survival and persistence. The effects of urbanization have been studied extensively in birds and mammals, but reptiles have received unequal attention despite demonstrated sensitivity to urbanization. Snakes are particularly underrepresented in urban ecology, yet they play a key role in healthy ecosystem functioning, including natural pest and disease control. This study aims to evaluate the effects of urbanization on snake community diversity in temperate forests in Central Maryland. To do this, I am using a combination of coverboards, visual encounter surveys, and wildlife cameras to detect snakes at forested sites across a gradient of urbanization. Surveys began in March 2026, and will continue through October 2027, excluding winter months. This study is ongoing, but current findings show a higher number of detections in urban sites, and preliminary results suggest higher species abundance and lower evenness and richness in urban sites. Of 17 species within the study range, 10 have been detected, and only 6 of these were detected at urban sites. These initial findings indicate that urbanization in Maryland may be impacting snake communities, which is important in determining where and how to focus conservation efforts. This research will contribute knowledge on how urbanization is affecting snakes, which can be used to guide sustainable development and land management decisions to minimize impacts on their populations. This study also entails collaboration with the Maryland DNR, which currently lacks data on snake populations, as well as with parks and landowners, involving local communities in herpetological research.
Bio
Gemma Feild is a third year PhD student in the Geography and Environmental Systems Department working with Dr. Christopher Swan. Her research is focused on snake ecology in urban systems, specifically with regard to biodiversity and community ecology. She is investigating how urbanization is impacting snake communities along an urban-rural gradient in Central Maryland by looking at species diversity, functional diversity, and body size within these communities.
—————————————————————————
Claire Welty
Director, Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education