Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

The Characteristics And Phytogeographic Affinities Of The Flora Of Nine-Mile Prairie, A Western Tall-Grass Prairie In Nebraska, Robert B. Kaul, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Three hundred ninety-two species, subspecies, and varieties have been recorded at Nine-Mile Prairie, a relict tall-grass prairie that has been reduced from 323 to 97 ha in the past 50 years. There are 218 native and 17 introduced herbaceous perennial species, and 73 native and 24 introduced annuals. Analogous numbers for biennials are 15 and 11, for shrubs are 14 and one, for trees are ten and three, and for woody vines are six and none. One hundred twenty-one native species are of central and eastern North American phytogeographic affinity, and 109 are of transcontinental affinity. Seventy-nine of the Prairie's …

New And Corrected Records Of The Flora Of Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Robert B. Kaul, David M. Sutherland

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

New distributional data are provided for 27 species of vascular plants in Nebraska, eight newly recorded as growing wild in the State. The record of one species previously attributed to the State is shown to be based upon misidentified specimens, the range of another is shown to be much more restricted in Nebraska than previously reported, and nomenclature is corrected for two species.

Organic Matter Budgets And Models For Four Plant Communities In The Great Dismal Swamp, J. Patrick Megonigal

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Budgets and models of organic matter dynamics were developed for one mesic and three seasonally flooded plant communities in the Dismal Swamp. Components included aboveground parts, belowground parts, litter and soil organic matter (SOM).

Net primary- production was significantly greater on them flooded sites. Comparisons show that the Dismal Swamp is highly productive despite relatively low nutrient inputs.

Budget calculations showed that over 65% of the total input to SOM comes from roots. Leaves contributed about 70% of the aboveground inputs.

The model predicted that species composition, aboveground biomass and turnover rates on the cedar site will become quite similar …

Nebraska Plant Distribution, David M. Sutherland, Robert B. Kaul

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Distribution notes based on recent collections and herbarium work are provided for 46 Nebraska plant taxa, including 43 flowering plants, two ferns, and one liverwort. The list includes several plants that are new to the State and provides range extensions within the State for many others. Several previously published distribution records believed to be erroneous are also discussed.

Effects Of Litter On Aquatic Macrophyte Germination And Growth, Mark F. Carter, Forrest E. Lane, James B. Grace

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

In Arkansas, during seasonal drought periods, lake water levels drop leaving exposed mudflats which are primary sites for seedling establishment. Commonly, these exposed mudflats are partially covered with decomposing litter from previous stands of aquatic plants. In this study, aqueous leachates from the litter of four macrophytes, Eleocharis quadrangulata, Justicia americana, Polygonum lapathifolium, and Potamogeton nodosus, were used to test for chemical interference with germination and seedling growth. Only Justicia americana leachate was found to affect the growth of several of the test species. The potential for chemical interference by Justicia litter was evaluated further using extracts of acidified leachate. …

Benthic Diatom Community Dynamics In The Colorado River: Interactive Effects Of Periodic Dessication And Current Regime, Christopher Gerard Peterson

Publications (WR)

The response to periodic desiccation of periphyton communities developed in eddy environments or in areas exposed to variable, direct current was examined. Algal communities were incubated on clay tiles for between 2 and 12 weeks in the Colorado River, directly below Hoover Dam from October, 1983 - January, 1984. Mean daily discharge from the dam decreased over this period. To assess the influence of these discharge changes on community dynamics, samples collected over the first 12 weeks of the investigation were compared to samples of the same age collected over the final 8 weeks.

The small diatom taxon Achnahthes spp …

Algal Growth And The Phosphorus Cycle, Arthur J. Mccomb, K. S. Hamel, A. L. Huber, D. K. Kidby, R. J. Lukatelich

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Larger algae and microscopic phytoplankton foul the waters of the Peel-Harvey estuarine system, upsetting the fishery and polluting the beaches.

These aquatic plants grow in response to phosphorus runoff from drainage, trapping phosphorus in the estuary and using it in their growth. When they die this phosphorus remains in the system to be recycled for further plant growth.

Algal pollution in the estuary can be lessened by reducing the amount of phosphorus entering the system, increasing phosphorus losses to the ocean, or in some way blocking the trapping and recycling processes.

Flora And Early Secondary Succession In Wetlands Of The Lower Kanawha River Floodplain, West Virginia, Brenda Kay West

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Vegetational and floristic analyses were performed on eight wetlands undergoing early secondary succession on the Kanawha River floodplain of' West Virginia. All sites have been cleared previously and have been revegetated for 30 years or less. Vegetation was classified into ten cover types according to species composition and physiognomy. Aquatic, graminoid dominated wet meadow, shrub-wet meadow, Spiraea tomentosa dominated, Comus amomum dominated, and various early forested wetlands were among the cover types classified and surveyed. Frequency, density, dominance, and importance values were established with random plot sampling for both herbaceous and woody species. A total of 262 species distributed among …

Prairie Phenology And Seed Germination, Donald E. Culwell, Robert Wright

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Neviusia Alabamensis: A Phytogeographic Analysis, Alice A. Long

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

First Host Plant Records For Chelysomidea Guttata (Herrich-Schaeffer) (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae, With Notes On The Biology And Distribution, Julia L. Reid, Harvey E. Barton

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Variation In Leaf Macronutrients Of Overstory Trees As Influenced By Species Season And Soil Type In The Great Dismal Swamp Of Virginia, Bruce J. Bandle

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Leaf macronutrient variation was studied in four plant communities in the Dismal Swamp of Virginia. composition differed markedly between these sites. Soils and species Eight important overstory trees were studied in August 1980; whereas red maple (Acer rubrum L.} and black gum (Nyssa sylvatica Marsh.}, which occurred on all four sites, were sampled seasonally. Significant differences (p .05) were found in the nutrient concentrations of the leaves between species, seasons, and sites. These differences may be attributed to inherent species characteristics, leaf expansion, nutrient translocation, and differences in soil organic matter content, pH, and degree of …

Decay Rates And Nutrient Dynamics In Confines And Nonconfined Leaf Litter In The Great Dismal Swamp, R. Frederick K. Yates

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to quantitatively compare decay rates and nutrient dynamics by the confined and unconfined litter techniques in a seasonally flooded swamp. In this study both methods indicated the same order of decay rates among sites (cedar>maple-gum>cypress> mixed hardwood), but the unconfined method showed faster decay rates at all sites. As in two years of previous data collection, the stands exhibiting some seasonal flooding showed greater decay rates than the mixed hardwood stand which was not inundated. Nutrient dynamics were not different between litter bag and leaf pack methods.

This study included a preliminary investigation of …

The Use Of Microscopic Vegetative Characteristics And Leaf Characteristics And Leaf Deterioration Rates In The Formulation Of Keys Of Some Wetland Plants, Bruce Foy Williams

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Leaves of Spartina alterniflora, Spartina patens, Spartina cynosuroides, Distichlis spicata, Phragmites communis, Juncus roemerianus, Scirpus robustus, Typha latifolia, Iva frutescens, and Baccharis halimifolia were examined microscopically. Characteristics of each species were then used to develop identification keys. In addition, leaf fragments were buried in the marsh substrate to simulate a dredging and/or filling operation. At weekly intervals during each season of the year, a leaf fragment of each species was processed and examined to see if it could be identified.

Cover Of Plants With Extrafloral Nectaries At Four Northern California Sites, Kathleen H. Keeler

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Percent cover of plants with extrafloral nectaries was investigated in three California habitats with the same physiognomy as habitats previously studied in Nebraska (perennial native grassland, riparian forest, deciduous forest). In contrast to Nebraska where cover of plants with extrafloral nectaries reached 14 percent, no plants with extrafloral nectaries were found in any California transect. Chaparral was also studied; no plants with extrafloral nectaries were found.

Litter Production And Nutrient Content Of Litter In The Seasonally Flooded Dismal Swamp, Marta M. Gomez

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Litter production was studied in four plant communities in the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia, that differ primarily in species composition and flooding regime. Greatest leaf deposition occurred in the more flooded communities, maple-gum (Acer-Nyssa) with 536 g m^-2 yr^-1 and cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Richard) with 528 g m^-2 yr^-1, followed by the cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) BSP) and mixed hardwood (Quercus-Acer-Nyssa-Liquidambar) communities with 506 g m^-2 yr^-1 and 455 g m^-2 yr^-1, respectively. Litter nutrient concentrations were generally higher in the cypress and maple-gum stands, indicating greater nutrient availability …

The Flora And Sandhills Prairie Communities Of Arapaho Prairie, Arthur County, Nebraska, Kathleen H. Keeler, A. T. Harrison, L.S. Vescio

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Arapaho Prairie is a 526-hectare (two-section) tract of upland Sandhills prairie located approximately nine miles southwest of the town of Arthur in Arthur Co., Nebraska (Sec. 31, 32 T18N R39W). The Prairie is at the extreme southwest edge of the 52,000-km² Nebraska Sandhills (see Kaul 1975) and is floristically and ecologically typical of the slightly drier, western part of this vegetation type. Sandhills prairie which stretches across much of north central Nebraska is a unique type of "mixed" grassland (Pool 1914, Rydberg 1931, Tolstead 1942, Weaver 1965) created by impact of the dry, continental climate on the extensive …

Botanical And Ecological Aspects Of Coastal Raised Peatlands In Maine : And Their Relevance To The Critical Areas Program Of The State Planning Office, Ian A. Worley

Maine Collection

Botanical and Ecological Aspects of Coastal Raised Peatlands in Maine : and Their Relevance to the Critical Areas Program of the State Planning Office.

by Ian A. Worley

A Report Prepared for the Maine Critical Areas Program, State Planning Office, 184 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04333.

Planning Report No. 69 (January 1980)

Contents: Foreword / Abstract / Table of Contents / List of Figures / List of Tables / Acknowledgements / Introduction / Natural History and Ecology of the Coastal Raised Peatlands / Selection of Coastal Peatlands Recommended for Evaluation by the Critical Areas Program / General Evaluation of Coastal …

Use Of An Outdoor Lab In Teaching Botany, Jewel E. Moore

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Geological And Botanical Features Of Sand Beach Systems In Maine And Their Relevance To The Critical Areas Program Of The State Planning Office, Bruce W. Nelson, L. Kenneth Fink Jr.

Maine Collection

Geological and Botanical Features of Sand Beach Systems in Maine and Their Relevance to the Critical Areas Program of the State Planning Office

by Bruce W. Nelson and L. Kenneth Fink, Jr.

"A Report Prepared for the Maine Critical Areas Program, State Planning Office, Augusta, Maine 04330 - Planning Report Number 54 (14 March 1978)."

Contents: Abstract / Foreword / Acknowledgements / Geology, Distribution, and Geomorphology of Maine's Coastal Sandy Beaches and Dune Systems / Methods of Locating Sandy Beaches and Dunes / General Consideration in Developing Criteria for Inclusion in the List of Significant Coastal Sandy Beaches and Dunes …

Plant Distribution And Succession Within Interdunal Depressions On A Virginia Barrier Dune System, Robert Wayne Tyndall

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A unique series of interdunal depressions was recognized on the barrier dune system of southeastern Virginia. Plant distribution and succession, and environmental factors controlling them, were studied in the series. Plant community distribution appears to be predominantly controlled by soil moisture, interspecific competition, and feral hog disturbance. Both biotic and physiographic succession are apparent with Quercus virginiana probably climax for both. Salt spray and feral hog and migratory waterfowl activity are important controlling factors of plant succession. Results indicate that the zonal appearance of shrubs and trees on the Virginia and North Carolina coasts is due to the absence of …

Beach Vegetation And Oceanic Processes Study Of Popham State Park Beach, Reid State Park Beach, And Small Pt. Beach, Philip Trudeau, Paul J. Godfrey, Barry S. Timson

Maine Collection

Beach Vegetation and Oceanic Processes Study of Popham State Park Beach, Reid State Park Beach, and Small Pt. Beach

by Philip Trudeau, Paul J. Godfrey and Barry S. Timson

"Prepared Under Cooperative Agreement Between the Maine Department of Conservation and the Soil Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, September 1977."

On Cover: Time and Tide Resource Conservation and Development Project.

Contents: List of Figures / List of Tables / Introduction / Plant Community Research / Oceanic Processes / Historic Analysis of Barrier Beach Movement and Erosion / Dune Dynamics / Suggestions for Long Term Management / Appendices A - …

A Seasonal Study Of Phytoplankton Composition Abundance And Productivity In Back Bay, Virginia, Robert Ringgold Comegys

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Phytoplankton samples were collected monthly (August 1974-June 1975) at two stations in the Back Bay system of southeastern Virginia. Measurements of phytoplankton productivity and potentially influencing environmental parameters (water and air temperature, turbidity, depth, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen) accompanied sample collections. A total of 106 phytoplankton species, representing six algal divisions and 54 genera were identified. Cyanophyta species were dominant at both stations in the warmer months of August, September, October, and June, and in April at one station only. In all remaining months, Chlorophyta species were dominant, indicating a seasonal shift in phytoplankton composition during winter and spring. The …

The Distribution Of Cane, Arundinaria Gigante (Poaceae: Bambusoideae), Daniel L. Marsh

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The distribution of cane in the United States was compiled on a county basis from previous records, correspondence, and field work. Ecological correlations were considered. The range appears to be limited primarily by temperature and precipitation. Two geographic populations correlate with major drainage divisions. The broad ecologic amplitude of cane is indicated by its occurrence in many different community types.

Report On Wastewater Disposal To Board Of County Commissioners, Clark County Nevada, Clair N. Sawyer

Publications (WR)

This report is concerned with the management of waste-waters and subsurface drainage from the City of Las Vegas and its environs and the BMI complex, all in Clark County, Nevada. The prime objective is to recommend a plan of action which will utilize the natural resources of the area in the least costly manner and still protect Lake Mead for recreational purposes and use as a public water supply, At this writing, conditions in the upper Las Vegas arm of Boulder Basin are quite unsatisfactory for some recreational purposes due to the extensive blooms of algae which develop. Experience at …

Structural Comparisons Of Four Plant Communities In The Great Dismal Swamp, Claire Virginia Dabel

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Four plant communities in the Great Dismal Swamp, located on the coastal plain in southeastern Virginia, were sampled and estimates of density, basal area and aboveground standing crop biomass were determined, Biomass was estimated as 229,800 kg/ha in the Chamaecyparis thyoides community and as 344,500 kg/ha in the Taxodium distichum community. Biomass for the two hardwood communities, the

Acer-Nyssa community and mixed hardwood (Quercus-Nyssa-Acer-Liriodendron-Liquidamber) community was estimated as 195,700 kg/ha and 194,600 kg/ha respectively and did not differ significantly (P

The Distribution Of Submersed Hydrophytes In Currituck Sound, Steven Harry Davis

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The rooted submergent flora of Currituck Sound, North Carolina was determined, and the distributions of its species investigated with respect to salinity, substrate texture, depth, pH, turbidity and species co-occurrence. Eight species of hydrophytes were found: Potamogeton pectinatus, Fotamogeton perfoliatus, Ruppia maritima, Zannichellia palustris, Najas guadalupensis, Elodea nuttallii, Vallisneria americana, and Myriophyllum spicatum. The mean salinities at which each species occurred ranged from 1.0 ppt for E. nuttallii to 3.1 ppt for Z. palustris, Ruppia maritima, Z palustris and V. americana were the only species that commonly occurred on coarse-grained substrates. Elodea nuttallii and N. guadalupensis …

New Records Of Native And Introduced Plants From Nebraska, Steven P. Churchill, Robert B. Kaul, David M. Sutherland

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Recent field work in Nebraska by staff of the University of Nebraska Herbarium has produced a number of records of previously uncollected specimens and has confirmed the presence of species collected only a few times long ago. Some of the records are of American species which are indigenous to Nebraska or which have recently spread to the state, while other records are of foreign species which are thoroughly established in the wild. Some of these are potentially serious weeds, though none have reached that stage yet.

All specimens cited are deposited in the University Herbarium in Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, except …

Anatomical Observations On Floating Leaves, Robert B. Kaul

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

An examination of 24 genera of aquatic plants having floating leaves and leaf-like thalli has been made. Functional stomata occur on the adaxial sides of floating leaves of angiosperms and some ferns, and in some floating leaves there are stomata on the abaxial surface as well. Most floating leaves have prominently chambered mesophyll, and in some instances the chambers are locally enlarged and form buoys.

Biological Inventory Of The Southern Nevada Water Project, Second Stage, W. Glen Bradley, J. Scott Miller

Publications (WR)

The present report is a biological inventory of the Southern Nevada Water Project, Second Stage. The boundaries of the project encompass sections of North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, East Las Vegas and areas along Las Vegas Wash extending to its drainage point in Las Vegas Bay in Lake Mead. Therefore, it encompasses a wide array of ecological situations and landscapes ranging from essentially natural to various stages of urban development.

This biological inventory presents basic ecological classifications, descriptions of vegetation, lists of vascular plants and vertebrates known to occur in the area. Each major group, i.e., plants, fish, amphibians, reptiles, …