Botany Commons^™

With Love, ; An Interdisciplinary And Intersectional Look At Why Creativity Is Essential, Theo Starr Gardner

Whittier Scholars Program

My Whittier Scholars Program self-designed major, Teaching Creativity, is a mixture of Art, Literature, and Education classes. My research and praxis classes have been focused on the ‘how?’s and 'why?’s of creativity, so it felt only right that my project should be a constructivist, generative project. The project I have been working on throughout my time at Whittier, and that has just fully come to fruition on April 11th, 2024, was a solo art gallery/open mic event entitled ‘With Love,’. With Love, was conceptually inspired by the research I’ve conducted on creativity and creative arts education over the past few …

Arkansas Soil Erosion And Conservation Methods In Ornamental Landscapes, Abby J. Cutsinger

ATU Research Symposium

This study will attempt to identify the best soil erosion mitigation methods for Arkansas ornamental landscape settings by comparing the strengths and weaknesses of known techniques. Since soil is not a renewable resource, we must apply conservation practices wherever possible, not just in agricultural settings. To determine the most effective erosion prevention techniques, this study will review soil studies conducted by the NRCS and NASA, as well as articles on best practices observed in ornamental landscape and agricultural industries. These are analyzed by comparing and contrasting techniques against known problems with Arkansas soil to determine which methods are most effective. …

Examination Of Greenhouse Conditions That Influence Scale Infestation Rates On Begonia, Madeline M. Cusick

Honors College Theses

Scale insects are common pests within greenhouse and agricultural settings. I quantified scale infestation on Begonia x Richmondensis, also known as the Dragon Wing begonia, within the Armstrong Campus Greenhouse from March to November of 2023. Six different treatments accounted for variations in sunlight, humidity, and temperature within the greenhouse with the goal of determining the insect’s preferred environmental conditions. Morphological comparisons were also made between host plant Dragon Wing begonia and other begonias present within the greenhouse. Analysis indicated a significant difference in scale presence on replicate plants by zone and sunlight treatments, with more plants hosting at least …

An Interdisciplinary Experience, Reyna Vergara, Michael Dodson

OUR Assignment Repository

This proposal showcases the success of an interdisciplinary approach. It provides an overview of a project titled: "Cacao and Chocolate: A Powerful Legacy." It took place during Hispanic Heritage Month in 2023. The project aimed to explore the rich and multifaceted legacy of cacao and chocolate in Latin America, incorporating perspectives from various academic disciplines, including public history, chemistry, Spanish language, graphic design, culinary arts, and family science. The interdisciplinary nature of the project highlights the power of collaboration in research and education, serving as a model for integrating diverse fields of study.

The project was divided into two main …

Providing Pest Management Education For Home Gardeners In Utah, Nick Volesky, Marion Murray

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

In January 2024, Utah State University (USU) Extension's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program launched a three-part class series targeting Utah's home gardeners. The goal was to enhance their abilities in identifying and managing insect and plant diseases. With over 200 participants, the series notably increased the knowledge of attendees. This initiative aligns with the USU Extension IPM program's mission to promote sustainable pest management practices across Utah, evidencing its commitment to environmental stewardship and community education.

Toward A Coordinated Understanding Of Hydro-Biogeochemical Root Functions In Tropical Forests For Application In Vegetation Models, Daniela F. Cusack, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Chris M. Smith-Martin, Kelly M. Andersen, Amanda L. Cordeiro, Katrin Fleischer, S. Joseph Wright, Nathaly R. Guerrero-Ramírez, Laynara F. Lugli, Lindsay A. Mcculloch

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation and global models, hampering the prediction of forest–climate feedbacks for these carbon-rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, and strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns in root traits and functions compared with higher latitude ecosystems. We provide a roadmap for integrating recent advances in our understanding of tropical forest belowground function into vegetation models, focusing on water and nutrient acquisition. We offer comparisons of recent advances in empirical and model understanding of root characteristics …

A New Permineralized Corypha-Type Coryphoid Palm Stem From K-Pg Of India: Anatomy, Systematics, Saprophytic Fungi, And Paleoecology, Ashif Ali, Kaustav Roy, Biswajit Mukherjee, Subir Bera, Mahasin Khan

Turkish Journal of Botany

Palms are known to be an important and diverse angiosperm component in the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Central India. However, the report of fossilized palm stems inhibiting saprophytic fungal remains is empty in the field of paleobotany. Here, we document for the first time the occurrence of fungal remains in a petrified palm stem collected from the latest Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous)-earliest Danian (early Paleocene) sediments of the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Madhya Pradesh, Central India. The anatomical features of the fossil stem are characterized by the presence of Corypha-type general stem pattern (progressive decrease of fibrous parts of fibrovascular bundles, …

Identification Of Carrying Alien Dna Fragments In Solanum Melongena X Solanum Incanum Interspecific Progeny By Using Cosii Marker, Görkem Sülü, İlknur Polat, Hati̇ce Fi̇li̇z Boyaci, Ahmet Naci̇ Onus

Turkish Journal of Botany

Cultivated eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is produced in many countries with temperate and tropical climates and has great economic importance. In recent years, resistance to biotic and abiotic stress conditions in addition to increasing yield and quality has gained importance in plant breeding including eggplant breeding. Therefore, the wild relative S. incanum is an important parent in breeding studies as it provides resistance to some important biotic and abiotic stresses for eggplant. It is possible to obtain a fully fertile hybrid between the two species, as well as to establish F2 lines. However, it is a mystery whether there is …

Isolation And Assessment Of Halophilic Rhizobacteria Plant Growth-Promoting Traits For Alleviating Salt Stress In Wheat, Alev Sezen, Ömer Faruk Algur, Ferruh Aşçi, Arzu Ünal

Turkish Journal of Botany

In this study, 22 halophilic bacteria were isolated from plants collected together with rhizosphere soil from habitats with high salt content in and around Erzurum. Various plant growth-promoting (PGP) properties of these isolates (nitrogen fixing, phosphate solubilizing, ACC deaminase, and IAA and siderephore production) were determined. Bacteria positive for PGP properties and various combinations with these bacteria were subjected to pot experiments in saline medium (greenhouse conditions) and their effects on growth parameters (root and stem length, fresh and dry weight, protein, and chlorophyll and carotenoid content) of wheat plants were determined. As a result of the research, the isolates …

A New Fossil Wood Species Of Ziziphus From The Middle Miocene Of Türkiye And Its Palaeoenvironmental Evaluation, Ünal Akkemi̇k, Özlem Toprak

Turkish Journal of Botany

The purpose of this study is to describe a new fossil wood from the Middle Miocene of South Anatolia (Mersin) and to identify it and evaluate its palaeoenvironmental implications. Thin sections of transverse, tangential, and radial surfaces were examined and described using the terminology of the International Association of Wood Anatomists. The wood was determined to have characteristics of Ziziphus (Rhamnaceae). It is the first fossil wood of Ziziphus and is described as Ziziphoxylon sayaz Akkemik sp. nov. It is from the Middle Miocene Climate Optimum (MMCO), which is a relatively warm interval in the Miocene. Indistinct annual growth ring …

Dorycnium Vuralii (Fabaceae), A New Species From Türkiye, Bilal Şahi̇n, Seher Karaman, Mevlüde Alev Ateş, Zeki Aytaç

Turkish Journal of Botany

The present study describes a new species Dorycnium vuralii (Fabaceae) from Çankırı, Türkiye. The new species is compared morphologically to the taxa of sect. Bonjeanea and sect. Dorycnium along with pollen micromorphology, leaflet, and seed micromorphology. The geographical distribution of Dorycnium vuralii is mapped. The phylogenetic relationships between the new species and other closely related species in the genus are inferred based on DNA data from both cpDNA and nrDNA (rbcL1&ITS). Although phylogenetic implications are different in the two DNA barcoding regions, D. vuralii is shown to be a new species in both molecular data. The new species is assessed …

Modelling The "Bottom-Up" Development Pattern Of Tar Spot Disease In Corn, Brenden Lane, Joaquín Guillermo Ramírez-Gil, Carlos Góngora-Canul, Mariela Sofia Fernandez Campos, Andres Cruz-Sancan, Fidel E. Jiménez-Beitia, Alex G. Acosta-Guatemal, Wily Sic, C. D. Cruz

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

In 2015, the corn-infecting pathogen Phyllachora maydis (causal agent of tar spot disease) was reported for the first time in the United States. The disease has since spread across the US, causing major yield losses. In 2021 alone, 5.88 million metric tons (231.3 million bushels) of US corn yield were lost to this disease, costing an estimated US$1.25 billion. Though fungicides can protect against these agroeconomic losses, application timing can be difficult to optimize because our understanding of tar spot dynamics is still evolving. The current view is that tar spot typically develops bottom-up through a repeating infection cycle. Because …

Automated Tree Mortality Detection Using Ubiquitously Available Public Data, Michael T. Huggins

Master's Theses

Understanding the dynamic interplay between fire severity, topography, and tree mortality, is crucial for predicting future forest dynamics and enhancing resilience against climate change-induced wildfire regimes. This thesis develops a multi-sensor approach for automated estimation of tree mortality, then applies it to examine trends in tree mortality over a six-year period across a fire affected study site in the Trinity River basin in Northern California. The Random Forest model uses publicly available USGS 3D Elevation Program Lidar (3DEP) and NAIP imagery as inputs and is likely to be easily adaptable to other landscapes. The model had a Receiver Operating Characteristic …

Prioritizing Indigenous Participation And Compensation In Research, Amanda Sabin

Journal of Critical Global Issues

Throughout history, the dynamic between colonial entities and indigenous groups has been characterized by exploitation and power imbalance. Indigenous knowledge has the potential to positively impact the world, through medicinal breakthroughs, radical approaches to sustainability, cultural heritage, systems of learning and adaptation, and more. Particularly in the context of research, fields like anthropology, botany and pharmacology serve to benefit from indigenous knowledge, but these interactions cannot continue to be based on extraction at the cost of indigenous communities. This work will discuss the future of relationships between researchers and indigenous communities; how this power dynamic must be transformed into an …

Toward A Coordinated Understanding Of Hydro-Biogeochemical Root Functions In Tropical Forests For Application In Vegetation Models, Daniela F. Cusack, Bradley Christoffersen, Chris M. Smith-Martin, Kelly M. Andersen, Amanda L. Cordeiro, Katrin Fleischer, S. Joseph Wright, Nathaly R. Guerrero-Ramírez, Laynara F. Lugli, Lindsay A. Mcculloch, Mareli Sanchez-Julia, Sarah A. Batterman, Caroline Dallstream, Claire Fortunel, Laura Toro, Lucia Fuchslueger, Michelle Y. Wong, Daniela Yaffar, Joshua B. Fisher, Marie Arnaud, Lee H. Dietterich, Shalom D. Addo-Danso, Oscar J. Valverde-Barrantes, Monique Weemstra, Jing Cheng Ng, Richard J. Norby

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation and global models, hampering the prediction of forest–climate feedbacks for these carbon-rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, and strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns in root traits and functions compared with higher latitude ecosystems. We provide a roadmap for integrating recent advances in our understanding of tropical forest belowground function into vegetation models, focusing on water and nutrient acquisition. We offer comparisons of recent advances in empirical and model understanding of root characteristics …

Applicability Of Using Bio-Receptive Concrete For Building Facades In Egypt, Gina Roupheil

Theses and Dissertations

The significant increase in carbon dioxide emissions caused by the construction industry is detrimental to our planet. This is rapidly increasing with the urbanization of cities that is gradually taking its toll on the available green spaces, which help in balancing such emissions. Recently, researchers have been trying to make use of bio-receptivity to create biomaterial systems that could be spread on building envelopes and support the growth of small plant species and microorganisms to establish on. Out of those materials, comes the concrete as a promising material for bio-colonization.

Within this context, this study aims at investigating the applicability …

Effects Of Hemiparasites In Grassland Restorations Are Not Universal, Anna Marie Scheidel, Victoria Borowicz

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Root hemiparasites infiltrate the vascular tissue of host roots to acquire water and nutrients, which often reduces host growth. Hemiparasites are postulated to be keystone species in grassland communities if they suppress dominant species and increase plant community biodiversity, and ecosystem engineers if they increase nutrient accessibility for surrounding species. We examined keystone effects by evaluating species richness and evenness in 1 m2 plots in a recent prairie restoration where Castilleja sessiliflora was naturally present or absent, and in a longer-established prairie restoration with or without Pedicularis canadensis. We examined ecosystem engineer effects by determining nitrate and phosphate concentrations …

Technological Bottlenecks And Innovative Developments For Rubber Tree Breeding In China, Yongshuai Sun, Weimin Tian, Deli Zhai, Yongping Yang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Superior varieties of rubber trees are crucial elements in achieving stable production and supply of natural rubber. In China, rubber tree planting areas are situated at the northern edga of the world’s tropical zone and thus belong to non-traditional rubber tree planting areas with climatic conditions inferior to the traditional ones in Southeast Asia. The planted rubber trees are frequently damaged by low temperatures and diseases. Therefore, an urgent need in natural rubber production is to develop varieties with highyield potential and strong stress-tolerance. The scarcity of such varieties is mainly ascribed to the highly heterozygous genome, a long juvenile …

Genetic Variation In White Poplar (Populus Alba L.) Populations As Characterized By Ssr Markers, Burcu Uzan Eken, Emrah Kirdök, Ercan Veli̇oğlu, Yelda Özden Çi̇ftçi̇

Turkish Journal of Botany

The white poplar (Populus alba L.), which is tolerant to abiotic and biotic stresses, is a tree species that is resilient against changing climatic and environmental conditions, which makes it a suitable candidate for afforestation efforts. However, due to prolonged human intervention associated with the increasing population, the genetic resources of this species are at risk of loss. Additionally, while this species generally reproduces sexually, reproduction clonally via its root suckers has become widespread in some areas. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity of white poplar, which is increasingly experiencing genetic diversity loss. Herein, …

A Comprehensive Study On The Molecular Characterization Of Tomato Spotted Wilt Orthotospovirus Isolates And Resistance Genes In Pepper And Tomato, Qurat Ul Ain Sajid, Emi̇nur Elçi̇

Turkish Journal of Botany

Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV, Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae) resistance genes (Tsw, Sw5) have been identified in pepper and tomato plants. The development of resistant cultivars is one of the popular management strategies for overcoming viral infections. However, the breakdown of resistance genes has been documented from many places where resistant cultivars have been developed. This has mainly been due to the emergence of resistance-breaking (RB) lines because of the consecutive use of these cultivars. The development of these isolates may cause great losses in both tomato and pepper plants in Türkiye. To investigate the incidence of TSWV, 150 symptomatic samples were …