Adam Herdman has always been captivated by the complex relationships on display in the natural world. During his undergraduate degree he became involved in research on threatened and endangered orchid species in the Florida Everglades, he became enamored with the delicate beauty of the many species throughout the region. Adam has traded the cornfields of Illinois for the swamps and sloughs of South Florida in an effort to make this interest a career. It is his hope that by focusing on charismatic species such as the Ghost Orchid, that a framework for native orchid conservation can be built. Adam stresses working with land managers and private stakeholders to directly inform on research goals and restoration strategy. To address regional scale analysis of the many fragmented populations, Adam has partnered with many organizations to disseminate lessons learned and operate within a greater network of plant conservation.

ADVISOR: Dr. Carrie Adams

Adam-Herdman-UF-CV

LinkedIn Profile

• EDUCATION
  • Bachelor of Science – Illinois College, Jacksonville, Illinois – May 2018
  • Master of Science – Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois – May 2022
  • Doctorate of Environmental Horticulture – University of Florida – May 2027
• RECENT SERVICES AND HONORS
  • UF Scully Fellowship in Orchid Research – Aug 2023
  • SIUE Residential Life Dean’s List Award – Jan 2022
  • Soroa Orchid Botanical Garden Research Recognition – Jul 2020
  • ISAS Certificate of Excellence for undergraduate oral presentation in Botany – Apr 2017
  • Beecher Scholarship at Illinois College – Aug 2014
• INTERNSHIP
  • Starhill Forest Arboretum Internship – 2015
  • Student Defined Web Building Internship – 2016-2017
  • Morgan County GIS – 2018
  • Illinois College Research Internship – 2018 
• PUBLICATIONS
  • Mújica EB, Herdman AR, Danaher MW, González EH, Zettler LW. Projected Status of the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) in Florida during the Next Decade Based on Temporal Dynamic Studies Spanning Six Years. Plants. 2021; 10(8):1579. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081579
  • Herdman AR, Mújica EB, Danaher MW, Zettler LW, Schulz K, Esselman E. Initial Population Analysis and Mycorrhizal Fungi of the Leafless Epiphytic Orchid, Campylocentrum pachyrrhizum, in Florida. Diversity. 2023; 15(4):576. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040576
  • Zettler LW, Herdman AR, Danaher M, Mújica EB. The Ghost Orchid, Dendrophylax lindenii, in Florida and Cuba: two countries working together to save a rare species in peril. InI TALLER INTERNACIONAL SOBRE FORMACIÓN FORESTAL EN PRE Y POSTGRADO 2017 Oct 9. 

  GOOGLE SCHOLAR

• RESEARCH

  Adam's research focuses on regional scale analysis of critically threatened and endangered orchid species. By collecting information on fragmented populations across the range of the species, we may better understand the range of tolerances that orchids exhibit naturally. In documenting what remains within a rapidly changing environment, he aims to inform on future land management strategies and restoration practice. To build a framework for native orchid conservation that can be applied to many species, Adam is pursuing several projects that focus on the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) and the Ribbon Orchid (Campylocentrum pachyrrhizum).

  • The Reintroduction of the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii): Survival and attachment of Plants Germinated Ex Situ
  • Cryopreservation of the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) Seed and Pollinia: Preserving Germplasm for the Future
  • Population Genetics of the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii): a Comprehensive Look at the Populations in the SW Florida Region
  • Microclimate Analysis of the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) in Three Habitats Throughout the SW Florida Region
  • Leafless Epiphyte Regional Inventory: Investigating In Situ Distribution and Ecological Variance 
• TEACHING
  • BI350 Entomology
  • BIOL240A Anatomy and Physiology
  • BIOL240B Anatomy and Physiology