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A Comparative Study Of The Flora And Soils Of Great Duck And Little Duck Islands, Maine, Usa, Luka Negoita, Matthew Dickinson, Glen H. Mittlehauser, N. Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Strong environmental gradients and varied land-use practices have generated a mosaic of habitats harboring distinct plant communities on islands on the coast of Maine. Botanical studies of Maine’s islands, however, are generally limited in number and scope. Baseline studies of Maine’s islands are necessary for assessing vegetation dynamics and changes in habitat conditions in relation to environmental impacts imposed by climate change, rising sea levels, invasive species, pests and pathogens, introduced herbivores, and human disturbance. We conducted a survey of the vascular plants and soils of forest, field, and ocean-side communities of Great Duck and Little Duck Islands, ME. These …

Evolutionary Responses Of Invasive Grass Species To Variation In Precipitation And Soil Nitrogen, Monica A. Nguyen, Amy E. Ortega, Quoc L. Nguyen, Sarah Kimball, Michael L. Goulden, Jennifer L. Funk

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

1.Global climate models suggest that many ecosystems will experience reduced precipitation over the next century and the consequences for invasive plant performance are largely unknown. Annual invasive species may be able to quickly evolve traits associated with drought escape or tolerance through rapid genetic changes.

2.We investigated the influence of five years of water and nitrogen manipulations on trait values in a southern California grassland system. Seeds from two annual grass species (Avena barbata, Bromus madritensis) were collected from experimental plots and grown in a common environment over two generations. We measured 14 physiological, morphological, phenological, and …

A Comparative Study Of The Flora And Soils Of Great Duck And Little Duck Islands, Maine, Usa, Luka Negoita, Matthew Dickinson, Glen Mittelhauser, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Strong environmental gradients and varied land-use practices have generated a mosaic of habitats harboring distinct plant communities on islands on the coast of Maine. Botanical studies of Maine's islands, however, are generally limited in number and scope. Baseline studies of Maine's islands are necessary for assessing vegetation dynamics and changes in habitat conditions in relation to environmental impacts imposed by climate change, rising sea levels, invasive species, pests and pathogens, introduced herbivores, and human disturbance. We conducted a survey of the vascular plants and soils of forest, field, and ocean-side communities of Great Duck and Little Duck Islands, ME. These …

Bibliographia Phytosociologica Et Floristica Mongolia: Pars Iv, Werner Hilbig

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In Ergänzung zu den bisherigen drei Teilen der Bibliographie vegetationskundlicher, vegetationsökologischer, floristischer und pflanzengeographischer Arbeiten über die Mongolei wird in dieser Arbeit Teil IV der Bibliographie vorgelegt. Er umfasst im Wesentlichen den Zeitraum 2007 bis 2014. Auch Publikationen zur Vegetationsgeschichte und zum botanischen Naturschutz werden berücksichtigt.

English summary:

In addition to the hitherto existing three parts of the bibliography of geobotanical, ecological, floristic and plant-geographical papers on Mongolia the part IV of the bibliography is given. It comprises in the main point the period from 2007 until 2014. In addition, publications on vegetation history and botanical nature protection are considered.

A Floristic Study Of The Oak Leaf Lake Unit Of The Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area In Nicollet County, Minnesota, Heidi Rauenhorst

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Prairies play an integral ecological role, protecting biodiversity and providing habitat for fauna. The number of prairie acres has significantly declined in Minnesota, making the existing prairies that much more valuable. The Oak Leaf Lake Unit of the Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area in Nicollet County, Minnesota (latitude 44.311050, longitude -94.015577) was purchased by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in 1994 and is being managed as tallgrass prairie. Floristic surveys were performed during the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons to gather baseline data. These data were used to assess the quality of the site through calculation of various indices …

Effects Of Short-Term Soil Conditioning By Cheatgrass And Western Wheatgrass, James J. O'Connor, Janet S. Prevey

The Prairie Naturalist

The exotic grass Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) is a ubiquitous invader in the western USA. Cheatgrass is a proficient competitor, frequently displacing native plants, forming monotypic stands and reducing biodiversity in ecosystems it invades. Our experiment tested whether short-term soil modification by cheatgrass and a predominant native grass, Pascopyrum smithii (western wheatgrass), affected subsequent growth of both species. We compared productivity of cheatgrass and western wheatgrass by harvesting aboveground biomass of plants grown in either cheatgrass- or western wheatgrass-conditioned soils over two simulated growing seasons. Results indicated that cheatgrass soils do not inhibit the productivity of the native grass, but do …

Remembering Paul B. Kannowski, Robert Seabloom

The Prairie Naturalist

I am saddened to report that Dr. Paul Kannowski passed away 3 September 2015, succumbing to cancer. He was 88. A native of Grand Forks, Paul attended the University of North Dakota for his B.S. and M.S. degrees, and the University of Michigan for his Ph.D. He joined the University of North Dakota Biology Department in 1957, retiring in 1990 after 33 years of service

Paul chaired UND’s Biology Department twice, totaling 13 years, considered to be a remarkable achievement by many of us who have been exposed to that task! His leadership was instrumental in the nearly exponential growth …

Switchgrass Germplasm Resources, Michael D. Casler, Kenneth P. Vogel, Melanie Harrison

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is an important native grass and dominant member of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. It is used for conservation, restoration, livestock feed production, and bioenergy feedstock production. The purpose of this review is to describe the biological and geographical basis for switchgrass germplasm diversity and to provide a resource for scientists and outreach personnel to find switchgrass germplasm to meet their needs. Upland and lowland ecotypes represent the most important polymorphism in switchgrass, with distinct but overlapping geographic distributions. Variation in ploidy exists within both ecotypes, with 2n = 4x = 36 the dominant ploidy …

Flowers In Space Attacked By Aliens: Understanding The Spatial Ecology Behind The Devastating Damage By A Thistle Bud Weevil On Pitcher’S Thistle At Whitefish Dunes State Park, Wi, Zechariah D. Meunier

Lawrence University Honors Projects

One of the most threatened plants in the Great Lakes region is Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri), which inhabits sand dunes along the shorelines of Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior. In addition to risks from habitat loss and invasive species, C. pitcheri are imperiled by a thistle bud weevil (Larinus planus) that was originally distributed for biological control of nonnative thistles. During the summer of 2014, we empirically studied the devastating damage caused by L. planus on a population of C. pitcheri at Whitefish Dunes State Park, WI, to determine what factors influence the distribution and intensity …

The Spanish And Mexican Baseline Of California Tree And Shrubland Distributions Since The Late 18th Century, Richard A. Minnich, Brett R. Goforth, Richard Minnich

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Historical distributions of 31 tree species, chaparral, and coastal sage scrub described by Spanish land explorers in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries (1769–1806) and in land grant diseños (1784–1846) are reconstructed at 634 localities across central and southern California. This baseline predates most formal botanical surveys by nearly a century, allowing for assessment of vegetation change over the broadest time frame for comparison with pre-historical evidences and future distributions. Spanish accounts are compared with historical sources in the Mexican era (1821–1848), American settlement (1848–1929), and modern range maps of the 1929–1934 Vegetation Type Map (VTM) survey. Among tree …

The Vascular Flora Of Boyle County, Ky, Heidi M. Braunreiter

Online Theses and Dissertations

The vascular flora of Boyle County, Kentucky, was conducted from March 2013 to March 2015. Boyle County is located in central Kentucky and is part of the Bluegrass Physiographic Section. A total of 127 families, 392 genera, and 722 species, varieties, and subspecies were documented from Boyle County. Twelve plant communities were described: acidic mesophytic forest, acidic sub-xeric forest, acidic xeric forest, Bluegrass woodland, bottomland ridge/terrace forest, calcareous mesophytic forest, calcareous sub-xeric forest, depression pond/mudflat, dry limestone cliff/outcrops, riparian forest, wet prairie/meadow, and one rare state-listed plant community, the shale/siltstone glade. Five rare species with state rankings were discussed: American …

Precipitation And Fire Impacts On Small Mammals In Shortgrass Prairie, Whitney J. Priesmeyer, Raymond S. Matlack, Richard T. Kazmair

The Prairie Naturalist

The southern Great Plains and the northern part of the Texas Panhandle have received less attention from a biological perspective than other parts of the state. Although there is substantial information on the effects of fire on small mammals in the tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies, there is a lack of understanding of fire influences in the shortgrass prairie, specifically on small mammals. We conducted our study on the Cross Bar Cooperative Management Area (CMA), a 4,856 ha shortgrass prairie within the Texas panhandle. Our objective was to determine the effect of three different fire return frequencies and precipitation on diversity …

Diurnal Raptors Of Buffalo County, Nebraska, Thomas L. Freeman

The Prairie Naturalist

Diurnal birds of prey are apex predators, which often are utilized as indicators of potential environmental change (Newton 1979, Rodriguez-Estrella et al. 1998). While the Platte River Valley of Nebraska and the central plains are recognized as important winter habitat for numer- ous bird of prey species (United States Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] 1981, Root 1988), there are few published studies describing the distribution and abundance of raptors in Nebraska (Mathisen and Mathisen 1968, Craighead and Craighead 1969, USFWS 1981). In addition, studies summarizing the long-term distribution or density of Falconi- formes in Nebraska are limited due to the …

Mate Replacement And Alloparental Care In Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo Regalis), Shubham Datta, Will M. Inselman, Jonathan A. Jenks, Kent C. Jensen, Christopher C. Swanson, Robert W. Klaver, Indrani Sasmal, Troy W. Grovenburg

The Prairie Naturalist

Alloparental care (i.e., care for unrelated offspring) has been documented in various avian species (Maxson 1978, Smith et al. 1996, Tella et al. 1997, Lislevand et al. 2001, Literak and Mraz 2011). A male replacement mate that encounters existing broods has options, which include alloparental care or infanticide. Infanticide may be beneficial in some species (Rohwer 1986, Kermott et al. 1990), but in long-lived avian species, like the ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) that do not renest within a season, infanticide might be detrimental. Adoption and rearing success likely provide direct evidence of competence of replacement mates as potential parents for …

Photosynthetic Thermal Tolerance And Recovery To Short Duration Temperature Stress In Desert And Montane Plants: A Comparative Study, David William Gallagher

Master's Theses

• Climate change models predict an increase in frequency and amplitude of extreme weather events, including heat waves. To better predict how the composition and distribution of plant assemblages might respond to these changes in temperature, it is important to understand how species currently respond to these extremes. Photosynthetic thermal tolerance (T₂₅)and photosynthetic recovery (RT₂₅) were quantified in 27 species. We also studied the relationships between T₂₅, RT₂₅ and leaf mass per area (LMA). Leaf temperature was also monitored in the field.
• Leaves used in this study were collected from two distinct …

Plant Community Development Of Isle Royale's Moose-Spruce Savannas, Michael C. Rotter

All NMU Master's Theses

On Isle Royale National Park, heavy moose browsing over the past 100 years has suppressed the regeneration of many tree species, gradually resulting in a shift towards more open forests and savannas. By 1996, 16% of the forests at the southwest end of Isle Royale had become savanna and another 20% were starting to break-up. The changes in understory vegetation brought about by savanna formation have received little attention, even though the future of moose and wolf populations on Isle Royale are tied to these vegetation changes. This study examined the vegetation of savannas ranging in age (date since formation) …

Ellenberg’S Indicator Values For Soil Nitrogen Concentration And Ph In Selected Swamp Forests In The Central Black Sea Region Of Turkey, Burak Sürmen, Hamdi̇ Güray Kutbay, Dudu Duygu Kiliç, Rena Huseyinova, Mahmut Kilinç

Turkish Journal of Botany

Ellenberg developed a system that assigns indicator scores for habitat characteristics of individual plant species. Swamp forests are highly diverse ecological communities and include different plant species, all of which have different ecological requirements. Ellenberg's indicator values (EIVs) were calculated for soil pH and nitrogen (N) concentration in some swamp forest species in the Central Black Sea region of Turkey. In this study, the EIVs for soil pH were usually similar in the swamp forest species studied, while some differences were found with respect to EIVs for soil nitrogen concentration. Tolerance values (TVs) of all of the studied species were …

Plastid And Nuclear Genomic Resources Of A Relict And Endangered Plant Species: Chamaedaphne Calyculata (L.) Moench (Ericaceae), Monika Szczecinska, Angelika Gomolinska, Piotr Szkudlarz, Jakub Sawicki

Turkish Journal of Botany

Chamaedaphne calyculata, one of the largest shrubs in the family Ericaceae, is native to boreal zones of the northern hemisphere. The complete nucleotide sequence of the Chamaedaphne plastid genome was determined in the present study. The genome is a circular double-stranded DNA molecule 176,744 bp in length, that includes the typical large single-copy (LSC), small single-copy, and 2 inverted repeats (IR) regions. The C. calyculata plastid genome contains 113 genes, excluding the second IR region. A comparative analysis revealed that the plastid genome organization of the Chamaedaphne plastome is almost identical to that of Vaccinium macrocarpon, the first sequenced chloroplast …

Whooping Cranes Consume Plains Leopard Frogs At Migratory Stopover Sites In Nebraska, Keith Geluso, Brad T. Krohn, Mary J. Harner, Michael J. Assenmacher

The Prairie Naturalist

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) currently consist of a single, wild population that migrates annually from breeding grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada, to wintering grounds on and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge along the Texas coast, USA (NRC 2005). This population reached a low of less than 20 individuals in 1941 (Allen 1952) but has rebounded to over 250 individuals (Chavez-Ramirez and Wehtje 2012, Gil-Weir et al. 2012). Whooping cranes migrate approximately 4,000 km each spring and autumn, traversing much of the North American Great Plains (Lewis 1995) and periodically landing along rivers, wetlands, and other …

Factors Influencing The Current And Historical Invasion Trends In The Connecticut College Arboretum, Lillian Fayerweather

Botany Honors Papers

Invasive species present a growing risk to native ecosystems. It would be impossible to eliminate them, but by learning where they are more likely to occur it may be possible to concentrate resources on removal and management in the most at risk areas. A number of site characteristics may influence invasive species presence and invasion trends. In order to determine what factors affect species presence and historical invasion trends, I utilized data from decennial surveys conducted in the Bolleswood Natural Area of the Connecticut College Arboretum in New London, Connecticut. In 1952, 4 transects were established across the area, composed …

Spatial Pattern Analysis Of Peganum Harmala On The Salted Lower Chelif Plain, Algeria, Adda Ababou, Mohammed Chouieb, Abdelkader Bouthiba, Djamel Saidi, Mahfoud M'Hamedi Bouzina, Khalladi Mederbal

Turkish Journal of Botany

Peganum harmala L. (Zygophyllaceae), native to arid and semiarid rangeland, has been widely studied biochemically, pharmaceutically, and medicinally, but is largely unknown ecologically. In the lower Chelif, Algeria, this plant is largely present and shows a clear clumped pattern, which indicates the strong effects of environmental conditions. Our redundancy analysis showed that the geographic distribution of this species was positively correlated with sand and pH and negatively correlated with conductivity, Na^+, and clay. The Gaussian model suggested that 9.4 mmhos/cm conductivity and sand contents greater than 40% are optimum for this plant. The spatial distribution map obtained through the kriging …

Succession Of Epiphytic Bryophytes In Cedrus Libani Forest On The Meydan Plateau (Aladağ), Tülay Ezer, Recep Kara

Turkish Journal of Botany

The succession of epiphytic bryophytes was investigated in Cedrus libani A.Rich. forest on the Meydan Plateau (Aladağ). A total of 19 taxa (16 mosses, 3 liverworts) were recorded in 90 sampling relevés, 4 dm^2 each. Index of ecological significance (IES) was used to evaluate the ecological importance of the taxa in epiphytic habitats on tree trunks. Additionally, the epiphytic bryophyte succession of the cedar forest was analysed using multivariate classification techniques (TWINSPAN and DECORANA). The multivariate analysis results showed that the epiphytic bryophyte communities were divided into 2 main groups and 5 different subgroups associated with successional gradient. Moreover, habitat …

Ecophysiology Of The Holoparasitic Angiosperm Cistanche Phelypaea (Orobancaceae) In A Coastal Salt Marsh, Gamal Mohammad Fahmy

Turkish Journal of Botany

Cistanche phelypaea (L.) Cout. (Orobancaceae) was found parasitising the roots of the succulent shrublets Arthrocnemum macrostachyum (Moric.) K.Koch (Chenopodiaceae) in a coastal salt marsh in Qatar. Measurements were conducted to identify soil properties, host, and noninfected plants by soil excavations to expose the haustoria of the parasite attached to the host roots. The water potential, osmotic potential, pressure potential, and chemical analyses were determined in parasite, host, and noninfected plants. Crown diameter and dry mass of the host plants were smaller than in the noninfected plants. A gradient of water potential existed between the host root and the underground tuberous …

Floristic Diversity And Vegetation Analysis Of Wadi Al-Noman, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Kadry Abdel Khalik, Mohamed El-Sheikh, Abeer El-Aidarous

Turkish Journal of Botany

Wadi Al-Noman in Mecca is one of the most important wadis. It was included among the most important water sources where the springs and wells of Zobida run and it provides drinking water for the holy places in Mecca and visitors to the Kaaba and Arafat regions. The present study provides an analysis of floristic composition, vegetation types, and structure and species distribution at 20 sites, emphasising the environmental factors that affect species distribution. A total of 126 species representing 39 families of vascular plants are recorded. Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Boraginaceae are the largest families, and therophytes and chamaephytes are …

International Polar Year (Ipy) Back To The Future (Btf): Changes In Arctic Ecosystem Structure Over Decadal Times Scales, Sandra Villarreal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Arctic vegetation communities are responding to climate warming through shifts in species composition and diversity but most observations have been made over relatively short time frames, and/or in association with experimental manipulations. Because vegetation plays a key role in regulating ecosystem productivity, nutrient cycling, surface energy budgets, and trophic interactions in the Arctic, there is a need to better understand shifts in tundra vegetation communities over decadal time scales. Understanding these shifts and their impact on ecosystem structure and function in the Arctic has important implications for predicting the future state of both the Arctic and the Earth System. Long …

Investigating Phosphorus And Turbidity Removal Efficiencies Of Main Aquatic Vegetation Species In The Lower Kelkit Basin Of Turkey, Ekrem Buhan, Hakan Mete Doğan, Sali̇ha Di̇ri̇m Buhan, Sai̇m Özdemi̇r, Fati̇h Polat, Çi̇sem Ni̇ldem Doğan

Turkish Journal of Botany

In this study, we researched the main aquatic vegetation (AV) species and their orthophosphate and turbidity removal efficiencies in the Lower Kelkit Basin of Turkey. We chose an experimental area (1650 m^2) in the field and determined orthophosphate (mg/L) and turbidity (NTU) variables at the charging and discharging points between November 2005 and March 2006. We also applied an experimental design including 9 treatments and 3 replications in aquarium conditions. Orthophosphate (mg/L) contents of each aquarium were measured at 6 time periods (initial measurement and days 1, 4, 9, 16, and 25). Ceratophyllum demersum L., Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kützing, Lemna …

Morphological And Ecological Evidence For A New Infraspecific Taxon Of The Wallflower Erysimum Cheiri (Brassicaceae) As An Indigenous Endemism Of The Southwestern Mediterranean, Samira Ouarmim, Chloe Dubset, Errol Vela

Turkish Journal of Botany

The wallflower Erysimum cheiri is a horticultural cruciferous growing as garden-escaped with a wide distribution in West and South Europe. In Algeria, it is locally found on the northern cliffs of the National Park of Gouraya (Kabylia). The aim of this study is to compare the populations of E. cheiri identified in Algeria with those found in Mediterranean France. To study the differences between both sites, a morphological and ecological analysis was undertaken on 6 populations growing in Algeria and France. Ecological communities where wallflower is growing in Algeria are dominated by indigenous plants with a significant proportion of endemic …

Monitoring Of Vascular Plant Diversity In A Changing Climate In The Alpine Zone Of The Central Greater Caucasus, Khatuna Gigauri, Maia Akhalkatsi, George Nakhutsrishvili, Otar Abdaladze

Turkish Journal of Botany

Short-term changes in plant species number, cover, frequency, and composition were studied along an altitudinal gradient crossing 4 GLORIA summits (from 2240 m to 3024 m a.s.l.) from the treeline ecotone to the subnival zone in the Central Caucasus. Large-scale (summit area) and small-scale (16 plots of 1 m^{2}/summit) patterns were monitored in 2001. Recording was repeated in 2008. During the monitoring period, the average soil temperature and growing-degree days did not significantly increase. After 7 years, a revisitation of the summit area revealed a considerable increase of species richness, especially at the lower alpine zone (CP1 and CP2 summits). …

Walleye Trophic Position Before And After A Gizzard Shad Extirpation, Bethany J. Bethke, Justin A. Vandehey, Mark J. Fincel, Brian D.S. Graeb, Mark T. Porath

The Prairie Naturalist

Walleye (Sander vitreus) are an ecologically and recreationally important sport fish species. Reduced growth and condition in walleye can occur when prey availability is limited. In two Nebraska reservoirs, walleye consumed gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) as their primary prey until a winterkill extirpated the gizzard shad in 2001. Because of the winterkill, walleye in the two reservoirs had to change to alternative prey items. Our objective was to determine if stable isotope analysis on archived walleye scales can be used to detect a known food web shift in two reservoir food webs. We quantified the changes …

Challenges In Predicting The Future Distributions Of Invasive Plant Species, Chad C. Jones

Botany Faculty Publications

Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used to predict distributions of invasive species. If successful, these models can help managers target limited resources for monitoring and controlling invasive species to areas of high invasion risk. Model accuracy is usually determined using current species distributions, but because invasive species are not at equilibrium with the environment, high current accuracy may not indicate high future accuracy. I used 1982 species distribution data from Bolleswood Natural Area, Connecticut, USA, to create SDMs for two forest invaders, Celastrus orbiculatus and Rosa multiflora. I then used more recent data, from 1992 and 2002, as validation …