Plant Sciences Commons^™

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, October 1, 2007 To December 31, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Executive Summary

• The Weed Sentry program surveyed more than 750 miles of federal lands in Clark County for invasive, exotic plant species.
• Weed Sentry also removed more than 600,000 individual invasive plants from federal
  lands. These removals represent pro-active efforts that may have forestalled large
  infestations difficult and costly to eradicate.
• In response to a request by the manager of the Fish and Wildlife Service Desert National
  Wildlife Refuge, a major effort of surveying springs for plant community composition
  and invasive plants provided unique knowledge services by the Weed Sentry program.
  No such baseline information existed for the Sheep Range. …

Joint Fire Science Program – Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Revegetating Burned Arid Lands: Identifying Successful Native Species Using Trait And Competition Analysis, Quarterly Progress Report, October 1, 2007 To December 31, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Fire Science

The task agreement was awarded to UNLV on October 1, 2007. This report covers the period October 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007. The following activities have been conducted toward meeting or exceeding deliverables in the statement of work: hiring and project start and experimental set-up

Northeast Research Station Watertown, South Dakota Annual Progress Report, 2007, Agricultural Experiment Station, Plant Science Department

Agricultural Experiment Station and Research Farm Annual Reports

This is the 2007 annual progress report for the Northeast Research Station in Watertown, South Dakota. This report is issued by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and the South Dakota State University Plant Science Department. This report includes weather data, yield comparisons, crop performance trials, corn trials, soybean trials, winter wheat performance testing, Barley Foliar information, weed and pest control, herbicide demonstrations, canola and flax variety trials and more.

Central Crops And Soils Research Station Highmore, South Dakota: Annual Progress Report, 2007, Agricultural Experiment Station, Plant Science Department

Agricultural Experiment Station and Research Farm Annual Reports

This is the 2007 progress report for the Central Crops and Soils Research Station at Highmore, South Dakota State College. This document represents the research conducted at the Station during the 2007 crop season including: temperature and precipitation data, evaluation of native and naturalized grasses for reduced-input turf in the Northern Plains, 2006 NTEP tall fescue ancillary trial for drought tolerance, sunflower evaluation for resistance to the red sunflower seed weevil, weed control, alfalfa production, and spring-seeded small grains- 2007 eastern South Dakota variety test results, herbicide programs and experiments.

Evidence Of Ecological Speciation In Phacelia., Pamela Michele Glass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phacelia purshii Buckley and P. fimbriata Micheaux are two species that are nearly morphologically indistinguishable. Seed germination experiments showed that the high elevation endemic, P. fimbriata requires lower temperatures to trigger germination. Following interspecific crosses, pollen tubes enter ovules and maternal tissue of the gynoecium matures but hybrid diploid and triploid organs fail to develop. DNA sequences from the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed region showed that P. fimbriata and P. purshii comprise a monophyletic clade but that P. fimbriata is more differentiated from related species. In contrast, P. purshii supported significantly higher levels of intraspecific polymorphism. Phacelia fimbriata and P. …

Comparison Of Compost Tea And Biological Fungicides For Control Of Early Blight In Organic Heirloom Tomato Production, Richard Kouyoumjian

All Theses

The efficacy of compost tea was evaluated and compared alone and in combination with two biofungicides Serenade Max and Sonata for control of early blight caused by the fungal pathogen Alternaria tomatophila on tomato Solanum lycopersicum (L), heirloom cultivar `Cherokee Purple'. Results of field experiments over two growing seasons indicated that compost tea provided a low level of protection against early blight. The results were variable; most likely due to dry conditions and the presence of bacterial wilt the first year and tomato spotted wilt virus the second year. In both 2006 and 2007 field trials compost tea was not …

Enhancing The Ability Of Panicum Virgatum To Survive Flooding And Its Effects On Soil Activity When Used For Lakeshore Stabilization, Lee Edwards

All Dissertations

Reservoirs in upstate South Carolina are subject to erosion and vegetation has been placed to help stabilize banks, but soils are nutrient-poor and have high bulk densities. Panicum virgatum L. (switchgrass) has been planted in several sites, and it is hypothesized that over time, changes in microbial activity and soil quality will occur in response to the planting. As vegetated sites aged, acid phosphomonoesterase, nitrate reductase, and dehydrogenase activity increased. Low values of nitrogen fixation and substrate-induced respiration were measured at all sites with no statistical differences between sites. Fatty acids indicative of Gram negative bacteria were found in vegetated …

The Molecular Characterization Of The Virus And Virus-Like Agents Present In Ta Tao 5 Germplasm Of Prunus Persica , Diana Marini

All Dissertations

Peach production in the southeastern United States is limited by late spring freezes. Ta Tao 5 germplasm, used either as an interstem or by chip bud inoculation, has been shown to delay bloom and avoid the effects of these late freezes. The growth modification is graft transmissible and the germplasm has been found to be infected with ACLSV, APruV-3, and PLMVd. Using a combination of PCR, cloning, and sequencing techniques, a molecular characterization of the three graft-transmissible agents present in Ta Tao 5 has been completed.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the genome of the isolate of ACLSV (ACLSV-Ta Tao …

Maestra2: A Model For Simulating Spatially Explicit Carbon Dioxide Exchange Rates Among Species' Water Stress Response, Robert Reynolds

All Theses

MAESTRA2, a species specific mechanistic model, was parameterized to estimate water use, carbon accumulation and organ specific respiration of five deciduous tree species under both irrigated and water stressed conditions. The model was validated using temporally and spatially explicit ecophysiological data to account for seasonal changes in species physiology. The following tree species: Acer rubrum L. 'Summer Red' (A. rubrum), Betula nigra (B. nigra), Paulownia elongata (P. elongata), Quercus nuttallii (Q. nuttallii), and Quercus phellos (Q. phellos) were intensively measured and organ specific destructively harvested samples were compared to modeled estimates of carbon accumulation. Among species, we observed variability in …

Phylogeny, Adaptive Radiation, And Historical Biogeography Of Bromeliaceae Inferred From Ndhf Sequence Data, Thomas J. Givnish, Kendra C. Millam, Paul E. Berry, Kenneth J. Sytsma

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Cladistic analysis of ndhF sequences identifies eight major bromeliad clades arranged in ladderlike fashion. The traditional subfamilies Tillandsioideae and Bromelioideae are monophyletic, but Pitcairnioideae are paraphyletic, requiring the description of four new subfamilies, recircumscription of Pitcairnioideae and Navioideae, the sinking of Ayensua, and description of the new genus Sequencia. Brocchinioideae are basalmost, followed by Lindmanioideae, both restricted to the Guayana Shield. Next is an unresolved trichotomy involving Hechtioideae from Central America, Tillandsioideae, and the remaining bromeliads in subfamilies Navioideae, Pitcairnioideae, Puyoideae, and Bromelioideae. Bromeliads arose as C₃ terrestrial plants on moist infertile sites in …

Systematics Of Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae)—Evidence From Molecular And Anatomical Studies, Ralf Horres, Katharina Schulte, Kurt Weising, Georg Zizka

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

A reconstruction of the phylogeny of Bromeliaceae based on sequence data from three noncoding chloroplast DNA markers (trnL intron, trnT–trnL, and trnT–trnF intergenic spacer [IGS]) is presented, including 26 genera and 33 species. Relationships of Bromelioideae and phylogeny within this subfamily were analyzed in more detail on the basis of two of these markers (trnL intron and trnL–trnF IGS) using a set of 37 genera/74 species of Bromeliaceae, including 28 genera/60 species of Bromelioideae. Sister group relationships of Bromelioideae were not resolved with sufficient reliability, but the …

The Juncaceae-Cyperaceae Interface: A Combined Plastid Sequence Analysis, Eleanor Jones, David A. Simpson, Trevor R. Hodkinson, Mark W. Chase, John A. N. Parnell

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Phylogenetic relationships of Juncaceae and related families of Cyperales were investigated using DNA sequence data from the plastid rps16 intron, trnL intron, and trnL–F intergenic spacer. Results using parsimony analysis of the aligned matrices find Juncaceae and Cyperaceae to be monophyletic families, which form a clade sister to a monophyletic Thurniaceae that includes Prionium (Prioniaceae), all three clades with 100% bootstrap support. Within Juncaceae, the genus Luzula is monophyletic with 100% bootstrap support and sister to the rest of Juncaceae. Further groupings within the family indicate that the genus Juncus may be monophyletic only with the inclusion …

Chromosome Evolution In Cyperales, Eric H. Roalson, Andrew G. Mccubbin, Richard Whitkus

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Karyotypic evolution is a prominent feature in the diversification of many plants and animals, yet the role that chromosomal changes play in the process of diversification is still debated. At the diploid level, chromosome fission and/or fusion are necessary components of chromosomal structural change associated with diversification. Yet the genomic features required for these events remain unknown. Here we present an overview of what is known about genomic structure in Cyperales, with particular focus on the current level of understanding of chromosome number and genome size and their impact in a phylogenetic context. We outline ongoing projects exploring genomic structure …

Phylogeny Of Cyperaceae Based On Dna Sequence Data–A New Rbcl Analysis, David A. Simpson, A. Muthama Muasya, Marccus V. Alves, Jeremy J. Bruhl, Sandra Dhooge, Mark W. Chase, Carol A. Furness, Kioumars Ghamkhar, Paul Goetghebeur, Trevor R. Hodkinson, Adam D. Marchant, Anton A. Reznicek, Roland Nieuwborg, Eric H. Roalson, Erik Smets, Julian R. Starr, William W. Thomas, Karen L. Wilson, Xiufu Zhang

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Since the Monocots II meeting in 1998, significant new data have been published that enhance our systematic knowledge of Cyperaceae. Phylogenetic studies in the family have also progressed steadily. For this study, a parsimony analysis was carried out using all rbcL sequences currently available for Cyperaceae, including data for two new genera. One of the four subfamilies (Caricoideae) and seven of the 14 tribes (Bisboeckelereae, Cariceae, Cryptangieae, Dulichieae, Eleocharideae, Sclerieae, Trilepideae) are monophyletic. Subfamily Mapanioideae and tribe Chrysitricheae are monophyletic if, as the evidence suggests, Hellmuthia is considered a member of Cypereae. Some other features of our analysis include: …

Phylogenetic Implications Of A Unique 5.8s Nrdna Insertion In Cyperaceae, Julian R. Starr, Geneviève Gravel, Anne Bruneau, A. Muthama Muasya

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

The purpose of this study was to assess the phylogenetic utility of a large insertion (3 bp) in the 5.8S gene of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) in Cyperaceae and selected Juncaceae. This was done by reconstructing the character evolution of the insertion on a phylogeny derived from rbcL sequences. Results suggest that the insertion was gained once at the base of Cyperaceae followed by multiple losses in its most-derived taxa. Despite several homoplastic losses (CI = 0.20), the pattern of insertion loss (RI = 0.88), and base pair variation within the insertion were useful for defining sedge clades at …

Phylogeny Of Abildgaardieae (Cyperaceae) Inferred From Its And Trnl–F Data, Kioumars Ghamkhar, Adam D. Marchant, Karen L. Wilson, Jeremy J. Bruhl

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Within the tribe Abildgaardieae, the relationships between Fimbristylis and its relatives have not been certain, and the limits of Fimbristylis have been unclear, with Bulbostylis and Abildgaardia variously combined with it and each other. The relationships and limits of tribes Abildgaardieae and Arthrostylideae and their genera were evaluated across 49 representative species using parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of ITS (nuclear ribosomal) and trnL–F (plastid) DNA sequence data separately and combined. The evolutionary reconstructions derived from sequences of cpDNA and nrDNA disagree about the position of tribe Arthrostylideae relative to Abildgaardieae; Arthrostylis and Actinoschoenus are either nested within Abildgaardieae …

Phylogenetic Relationships In Tribe Cariceae (Cyperaceae) Based On Nested Analyses Of Four Molecular Data Sets, Marcia J. Waterway, Julian R. Starr

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Phylogenetic reconstruction for Carex and relatives in tribe Cariceae is complicated by species richness and nearly cosmopolitan distribution. In this investigation, our main objective was to estimate evolutionary relationships in tribe Cariceae using DNA sequence data from two spacer regions in nuclear ribosomal genes (ITS and ETS-1f) combined with noncoding chloroplast DNA (trnL intron, trnL–trnF intergenic spacer, and trnE–trnD intergenic spacers). Parsimony analyses of separate and combined data and Bayesian analysis of the combined data matrix revealed strong support for monophyly of tribe Cariceae and for monophyly of two major lineages, one …

Chromosome Number Changes Associated With Speciation In Sedges: A Phylogenetic Study In Carex Section Ovales (Cyperaceae) Using Aflp Data, Andrew L. Hipp, Paul E. Rothrock, Anton A. Reznicek, Paul E. Berry

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Phylogenetic analysis of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) was used to infer patterns of morphologic and chromosomal evolution in an eastern North American group of sedges (ENA clade I of Carex sect. Ovales). Distance analyses of AFLP data recover a tree that is topologically congruent with previous phylogenetic estimates based on nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences and provide support for four species groups within ENA clade I. A maximum likelihood method designed for analysis of restriction site data is used to evaluate the strength of support for alternative topologies. While there is little support for the precise placement of …

Towards A Comprehensive Survey Of C3 And C4 Photosynthetic Pathways In Cyperaceae, Jeremy J. Bruhl, Karen L. Wilson

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Members of the family Cyperaceae were surveyed by original observation and from the literature to assess the distribution of C₃ and C₄ photosynthetic pathways in the family. All 107 genera were included in the current sample, with 91 genera assessed as consistently C₃ and 11 genera as C₄. The genera Abildgaardia, Cyperus, Eleocharis, Fimbristylis, and Rhynchospora are variable for this trait. Of the total number (1474) of specific (1406) and infraspecific (68) taxa sampled, 938 taxa (63%) are C₃, 527 taxa (36%) are C₄, and nine species …

The Schoenus Spikelet: A Rhipidium? A Floral Ontogenetic Answer, Alexander Vrijdaghs, Paul Goetghebeur, Erik Smets, Pieter Caris

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

The inflorescence unit of Schoenus nigricans and S. ferrugineus consists of a zigzag axis and distichously arranged bracts, each of which may or may not subtend a bisexual flower. Each flower seems to terminate a lateral axis. These features have led to a controversy about the nature of the inflorescence unit, particularly whether it is monopodial or sympodial. It was often seen as a pseudospikelet composed of a succession of lateral axes, each subtended by the prophyll of the previous axis, as in a rhipidium. Many authors, however, consider the inflorescence units of all Cyperaceae to be indeterminate, racemose, actual …

Phylogeny And Historical Ecology Of Rhodocoma (Restionaceae) From The Cape Floristic Region, Christopher R. Hardy, H. Peter Linder

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

A macroevolutionary analysis of macroecological relationships in Rhodocoma revealed a complex history of rapid ecological divergence, as well as genetic isolation via shifts in flowering times. The rate and extent of divergence observed among even the youngest of species pairs indicated that the selective forces driving these processes are strong enough to effect substantial amounts of ecological change in relatively short periods of time, and are potentially important factors promoting the origin and persistence of species diversity not only in Rhodocoma, but also the African Restionaceae as a whole. These results also suggest that the rate and extent of …

Phylogeny Of The Grasses (Poaceae) Revisited, Melvin R. Duvall, Jerrold I Davis, Lynn G. Clark, Jeffrey D. Noll, Douglas H. Goldman, J. Gabriel Sánchez-Ken

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

The most robust previously published phylogeny for the overall structure of the grass family (Poaceae) shows three early diverging lineages and two major derived clades, the BEP clade and the PACCAD clade (Grass Phylogeny Working Group 2001). A few key taxa were incompletely sampled, however, and support for the BEP clade was moderate at best and relationships among the major lineages within the PACCAD clade remained unresolved. In addition, recent studies indicated that the sister group to Poaceae may be Joinvilleaceae and/or Ecdeiocoleaceae, the latter of which were not previously sampled. In this study, missing structural data were determined and …

Large Trees, Supertrees, And Diversification Of The Grass Family, Trevor R. Hodkinson, Nicolas Salamin, Mark W. Chase, Yanis Bouchenak-Khelladi, Stephen A. Renvoize, Vincent Savolainen

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Phylogenetic studies of grasses (Poaceae) are advanced in comparison with most other angiosperm families. However, few studies have attempted to build large phylogenetic trees of the family and use these for evaluating patterns of diversification or other macroevolutionary hypotheses. Two contrasting approaches can be used to generate large trees: supermatrix analyses and supertrees. In this paper, we evaluated the suitability of each of these methods for the study of patterns and processes of evolution in the grasses. We collected data from DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank to determine sequence availability and asked how far we are from a complete generic-level phylogenetic tree of the …

Inflorescence Architecture And Floral Morphology Of Aratitiyopea Lopezii (Xyridaceae), Lisa M. Campbell, Dennis Wm. Stevenson

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Aratitiyopea lopezii is a robust perennial species of Xyridaceae from seasonally saturated, mid- to high-elevation, sandstone and granite sites in northern South America. The species lacks the scapose inflorescence characteristic of Xyridaceae and, having the gestalt of a rhizomatous bromeliad, it is seemingly aberrant in the family. However, closer examination confirms features consistent with the family and the previously noted morphological similarities to Orectanthe. Details of inflorescence structure and floral morphology are presented and compared to other genera of Xyridaceae.

An Electronic World Grass Flora, Steve Renvoize, Derek Clayton, Tom Cope, Helen Williamson

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

The development of an electronic world grass flora database is described in which data for 1090 morphological characters gathered for 11,000 species in 700 genera organized according to accepted names. This descriptive information is linked to a synonym database of 60,000 names. Authors, literature references, and the status of each name are also recorded in the database along with geographical distribution and type information. The list of accepted species is linked to a global herbarium of 350,000 specimens at Kew arranged in a phylogenetic sequence at the generic and species levels and according to broad phytogeographic divisions. From the database, …

Grass Phylogeny And Classification: Conflict Of Morphology And Molecules, Bryan K. Simon

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

The grass family (Poaceae) has been recognized as a unique lineage for more than 200 years, based initially on characters of inflorescence and spikelet morphology and corroborated by anatomical and other features in the latter half of the twentieth century. There have been a number of attempts to derive a phylogeny of sections of the family from structural (morphological and anatomical) characters. However, more recently the Grass Phylogeny Working Group (2001) applied cladistic principles to the whole family using molecular and structural characters. This study produced a single most-parsimonious tree from six molecular sequence data sets, chloroplast restriction site data, …

Phenotypic Plasticity Of Reproduction In Schizachyrium Scoparium (Poaceae) Populations In Relation To Ecological History, Elizabeth M. Obee, James A. Quinn

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Genetic differentiation in reproduction in the wide-ranging Schizachyrium scoparium (Poaceae) has been demonstrated in uniform gardens. However, the fine-tuning of flowering phenology and biomass allocation in relation to spatial and temporal fluctuations in the local environment is best accomplished by plastic responses to local variability. An earlier central New Jersey study suggested that S. scoparium populations in old fields of 2 to 40 years differed in plasticity. To test this apparent effect of ecological history on the development of different levels of plasticity, genotypes were collected from high- and low-fertility sites in New Jersey (forest biome) and in Oklahoma (grassland …

Plasticity Of Chasmogamous And Cleistogamous Reproductive Allocation In Grasses, Gregory P. Cheplick

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Cleistogamy is more common in grasses than in any other angiosperm family. Both self-fertilized cleistogamous (CL) spikelets and open-pollinated chasmogamous (CH) spikelets are typically produced. Relative allocation to CL and CH varies among species and populations, and is influenced by ontogeny and environment. The balance between reproductive modes can be expressed as a CH/CL ratio. This ratio is very plastic, and stressful conditions can result in values Amphicarpum purshii, an annual with subterranean CL spikelets, CH/CL declined as density increased because CH decreased more than CL as size was reduced by intraspecific competition. In the shade-tolerant annual Microstegium vimineum, …

Phenotypic Plasticity May Facilitate Invasion By Aegilops Triuncialis, Andrew R. Dyer

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

One great obstacle to understanding the invasion of nonnative species into native ecosystems is the lack of information on the population biology of the invading species. In particular, morphological and physiological adaptations and potential for phenotypic plasticity will strongly influence a species’ ability to persist and spread in newly invaded ecosystems. Phenotypic plasticity can buffer populations from selection thereby allowing them to survive the establishment phase of the invasion. The annual grass Aegilops triuncialis (Poaceae, Triticeae) has become highly invasive in California (USA) and provides an opportunity to investigate the importance of phenotypic plasticity to persistence and spread in new …

Systematics Of The Tribe Stipeae (Gramineae) Using Molecular Data, Surrey Jacobs, Randall Bayer, Joy Everett, Mirta Arriaga, Mary Barkworth, Alexandru Sabin-Badereau, Amelia Torres, Francisco Vázquez, Neil Bagnall

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences have been determined for a wide range of stipoid grasses (Poaceae, Pooideae, Stipeae). Nardus was confirmed as the most appropriate outgroup. Anisopogon is consistently included among the stipoid genera. Lithachne and Oryza form a clade and are clearly not close to Stipeae, and there is no support for including Brachyelytrum within Stipeae. Ampelodesmos and Diarrhena do appear among the core taxa in some analyses, but their positions are unstable and the evidence for retaining them is limited. So far there is inadequate support for rejecting them from Stipeae, so they should be included in any …