Jennifer Ackerfield
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ABOUT ME

I am a Botanist!

I am the author of the Flora of Colorado, Head Curator of Natural History Collections and Associate Director of Biodiversity Research at Denver Botanic Gardens, and an evolutionary biologist studying our native thistles.

I am passionate about plants and educating the next generation of botanists!

​As part of my research on the evolution of thistles, I am currently conducting a citizen science initiative for the collection of alpine thistles throughout Colorado.  Click on "Team Thistle" below to learn more about joining this project!
Team Thistle
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​"As permanent records of the past, herbarium specimens provide invaluable and irreplaceable resources for protecting our future."

RESEARCH

Current Projects

There are two main components to my current research objectives:
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1) Identifying the evolutionary, biogeographical, and ecological patterns that underlie diversification, speciation, and trait evolution in the thistles (Cirsium-Carduus: Compositae).
 
2) Documenting the rich biodiversity in Colorado through floristic inventories.


View Research
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The Flora of Colorado

Colorado has a rich diversity of ecosystems and vegetation communities, ranging from 3,500 ft to over 14,000 ft in elevation, and ultimately supports over 3,200 vascular plant species. The Flora of Colorado is a comprehensive guide to the vascular plants in Colorado, and contains descriptions, distribution maps, habitat information, flowering times, and elevation ranges for all species. Color photographs for nearly 1/3 of the species are also included. The aim of this guide is to enable students, researchers, amateur and professional botanists, or anyone interested in the flora of Colorado to successfully identify plants with confidence and satisfaction.
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Purchase the Flora of Colorado

CONTACT ME

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  • Home
  • About
  • Flora of Colorado
  • Research
  • Team Thistle
  • Outreach
  • Teaching
  • CV
  • Contact