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Lichens Of Six Vernal Pools In Acadia National Park, Maine, Usa, Jason Barton, Brett Ciccotelli, Jillian E. Gall, Fred C. Olday, Bruce Connery, Tanner B. Harris, Alan M. Fryday, Nishanta Rajakaruna Mar 2014

Lichens Of Six Vernal Pools In Acadia National Park, Maine, Usa, Jason Barton, Brett Ciccotelli, Jillian E. Gall, Fred C. Olday, Bruce Connery, Tanner B. Harris, Alan M. Fryday, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Nishanta Rajakaruna

Whereas lichen-habitat relations have been well-documented globally, literature on lichens of vernal pools is scant. We surveyed six vernal pools at Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine, USA for their lichen diversity. Sixty-seven species were identified, including seven species that are new reports for Acadia National Park: Fuscidea arboricola, Hypogymnia incurvoides, Lepraria finkii, Phaeographis inusta, Ropalospora viridis, Usnea flammea, and Violella fucata. Five species are considered uncommon or only locally common in New England: Everniastrum catawbiense, Hypogymnia krogiae, Pseudevernia cladonia, Usnea flammea, and Usnea merrillii. This …


A Preliminary Study Of The Vegetation Of Vernal Pools Of Acadia National Park, Maine, U.S.A, Brett Ciccotelli, Tanner B. Harris, Bruce Connery, Nishanta Rajakaruna Jul 2011

A Preliminary Study Of The Vegetation Of Vernal Pools Of Acadia National Park, Maine, U.S.A, Brett Ciccotelli, Tanner B. Harris, Bruce Connery, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Nishanta Rajakaruna

We conducted a preliminary floristic study of six vernal pools in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Plant species were recorded on three sampling dates from April to October, 2008. Sixty-five vascular plant species from 26 families were recorded. Of these, 27 are considered occasional or uncommon in Acadia National Park. Thirteen species are new reports for vernal pools in the northeastern United States. This represents the first published study of the vernal pool flora of Acadia National Park.


Vascular Plants Of Adjacent Serpentine And Granite Outcrops On The Deer Isles, Maine, U.S.A, Nathaniel Pope, Tanner B. Harris, Nishanta Rajakaruna Apr 2010

Vascular Plants Of Adjacent Serpentine And Granite Outcrops On The Deer Isles, Maine, U.S.A, Nathaniel Pope, Tanner B. Harris, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Nishanta Rajakaruna

We performed a comparative study of the vascular flora of a serpentine outcrop, Pine Hill, and that of a granite outcrop, Settlement Quarry, from Little Deer Isle and Deer Isle, respectively, Hancock County, Maine. We established four transects along a gradient from exposed to forested areas within each outcrop. Plants were recorded for presence and percent cover from circular plots along each transect. Soil and tissue samples were collected to examine soil-tissue elemental relations. One hundred thirty-two taxa were recorded from serpentine and 89 from granite. Fifty-seven taxa were shared by both sites. Species richness (α diversity) and diversity indices …


Adiantum Viridimontanum, Aspidotis Densa, Minuartia Marcescens, And Symphyotrichum Rhiannon: Additional Serpentine Endemics From Eastern North America, T B. Harris, N Rajakaruna Jan 2009

Adiantum Viridimontanum, Aspidotis Densa, Minuartia Marcescens, And Symphyotrichum Rhiannon: Additional Serpentine Endemics From Eastern North America, T B. Harris, N Rajakaruna

Nishanta Rajakaruna

Serpentine outcrops around the world are known to harbor disproportionately high rates of plant endemism. Remarkable cases of serpentine endemism occur in New Caledonia and Cuba, with 3178 and 920 endemic taxa, respectively, found solely on serpentine. Despite the patchy occurrence of serpentine in eastern North America from Québec and Newfoundland south to Alabama, only one taxon, Cerastium velutinum var. villosissimum, has been broadly recognized as a serpentine endemic for the region. Based on reports in the literature, we suggest that Adiantum viridimontanum, Minuartia marcescens, and Symphyotrichum rhiannon be considered endemic to serpentine soils from the east coast of North …


Biology Of Ultramafic Rocks And Soils: Research Goals For The Future, R S. Boyd, A R. Kruckeberg, N Rajakaruna Jan 2009

Biology Of Ultramafic Rocks And Soils: Research Goals For The Future, R S. Boyd, A R. Kruckeberg, N Rajakaruna

Nishanta Rajakaruna

At this, the 6th International Conference on Serpentine Ecology, it seems timely to review briefly the present status of the field and to project the needs for future research. Although a great deal of serpentine research was done prior to 1960, as summarized by Krause (1958) and discussed briefly by Brooks (1987), much of our progress in learning how serpentine geology affects plant and animal life occurred in the mid- to late 20th century. In that era, it was the landmark studies of several scientists worldwide that initiated a meteoric increase in published serpentine research. Key players in setting the …


Advances In Serpentine Geoecology: A Retrospective, N Rajakaruna, R S. Boyd Jan 2009

Advances In Serpentine Geoecology: A Retrospective, N Rajakaruna, R S. Boyd

Nishanta Rajakaruna

No abstract provided.