Botany Commons^™

Vascular Plants Of The High Sierra San Pedro Mártir, Baja California, Mexico: An Annotated Checklist, Robert F. Thorne, Reid V. Moran, Richard A. Minnich

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

The Sierra San Pedro Mártir (SSPM) is the highest mountain range in Baja California, Mexico, the summit of Picacho del Diablo peak attaining 3095 meters. An annotated checklist describes the vascular flora of the SSPM high country, defined here as above 1800 m. It comprises almost 500 species in 251 genera and 78 families. The high country is dominated by coniferous forest species known from montane California and Arizona whose southern ranges terminate in the SSPM. The annotated checklist identifies 453 species in 236 genera as indigenous, of which 23 species and one variety are endemic to the SSPM. Over …

List Of Reviewers

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

No abstract provided.

The Challenge Of A Siberian Bluegrass (Poa) Phylogeny, Marina V. Olonova

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

In Siberia, the bluegrass genus (Poa) comprises 43 species and 61 subspecies in 12 sections. Diverse modes of speciation, including polyploidy and hybridization, have led to reticulate evolution and adaptive radiation. Cladistic methods that ignore hybridization and reticulate evolution may not be appropriate for morphological data. The number of morphological characters suitable for bluegrass analysis is limited, a majority does not have clear adaptive significance, and the character states cannot be readily polarized, rendering phylogenetic reconstruction very difficult in this group. Other methods of estimating phylogenetic relationships should be used to test hypotheses about relationships and hybridization. Biochemical …

Helianthus Inexpectatus (Asteraceae), A Tetraploid Perennial New Species From Southern California, David J. Keil, Mark A. Elvin

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Helianthus inexpectatus is described as a new species from the Newhall Ranch of northern Los Angeles County, California. It is a tetraploid (2n = 68) perennial that is morphologically similar to--—and intermediate in some characters between--—the diploid H. nuttallii and the hexaploid H. californicus.

A New Combination In Acmispon (Fabaceae: Loteae) For California, Luc Brouillet

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

The new combination Acmispon argophyllus (A.Gray) Brouillet var. niveus (Greene) Brouillet is made.

Nomenclatural Changes For Some Grasses In California And The Muhlenbergia Clade (Poaceae), J. Travis Columbus, James P. Smith Jr.

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

New combinations and names are here validated for ten grass (Poaceae) taxa in California for the forthcoming revision of The Jepson Manual. In addition, guided by recent molecular phylogenetic studies, ten non-California grass species are here transferred to Muhlenbergia (Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae) to achieve monophyly of the genus. Lolium, long known to be phylogenetically nested within Festuca, is here subsumed into Festuca, and the circumscription of Stipa is expanded to include all Stipeae (native and non-native) in California. In Stipeae, most currently recognized genera are not monophyletic. Attaining monophyly while bearing in mind identification for persons not expert …

Two New Combinations In Western North American Asteraceae, David J. Keil

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Two new combinations that will be used in the second edition of The Jepson Manual are proposed for western North American Asteraceae: Helianthus petiolaris subsp. canescens and Cirsium scariosum var. loncholepis.

Vegetation Trends On A Waste Rock Repository Cap In The Northern Black Hills, Andrew C. Korth, Gary E. Larson, Lan Xu, Thomas E. Schumacher

The Prairie Naturalist

We assessed successional trends, long-term vegetation sustainability, and soil surface protection during the 2005-2007 growing seasons on the 32-ha Ruby Gulch Waste Rock Repository cap. The cap consisted of 150 cm of rock and soil covering a polyethylene membrane which in turn covered mining waste rock in order to prevent leaching of heavy metals and acidic water into streams. Following construction in 2003, a contractor applied a grass-forb seed mixture to provide soil-surface protection especially for steeply sloped portions of the cap. In 2005, we established 56, 1-m² plots, and 20, 20-m transects to annually measure canopy cover, basal …

Reproductive Ecology Of Astragalus Filipes, A Great Basin Restoration Legume, Kristal M. Watrous

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Astragalus filipes Torrey ex. A. Gray (Fabaceae) is being studied and propagated for use in rangeland restoration projects throughout the Great Basin. Restoration forbs often require sufficient pollination services for seed production and persistence in restoration sites. Knowledge of a plant's breeding biology is important in providing pollination for maximal seed set.

Reproductive output from four manual pollination treatments (autogamy, geitonogamy, xenogamy, and distant xenogamy) was examined in a common garden. Pod set, seed set, and seed germination were quantified for each of the treatments. Seed set from four wild populations was compared to that of an openly visited common …

Genomic Perspectives On Evolution In Bracken Fern, Joshua P. Der

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The fern genus Pteridium comprises a number of closely related species distributed throughout the world. Collectively they are called bracken ferns and have historically been treated as a single species, Pteridium aquilinum. Bracken is notorious as a toxic weed that colonizes open fields and poisons livestock. Bracken is also easily cultured and has become one of the most intensively studied ferns. Bracken has been used as a model system for the study of the fern life cycle, fern gametophyte development, the pheromonal mechanism of sex determination, toxicology, invasion ecology, and climate change. This dissertation places bracken within a global …

Interisland Variability Of Dune Plant Community Structure On Virginia's Barrier Islands, Justin K. Shafer

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The barrier islands of the Virginia Coast Reserve LTER site provide an opportunity to study interisland variability of dune plant communities. My research focused on the variation in biomass and diversity of communities among islands and dune positions. Grassy dunes of young, intermediate and old age were sampled on Smith, Hog, and Parramore Islands. Aboveground biomass was obtained from harvest plots, and roots were extracted from cores. Data were collected on depth to groundwater and total soil nitrogen. Variation in mean aboveground biomass was evident among the islands with the highest values on Hog Island, followed by Smith, then Parramore …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Spring 2010, Anna San, Donovan J. Craig, Lindsay P. Chiquoine, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel, Christina L. Lund, Jessica E. Spencer, Edward P. Weber Ph.D, Jill E. Craig

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Seed removal rates of Sahara mustard by rodents and ants, Mojave Desert Network exotic invasive inventory, gypsum roadside disturbance restoration update, new paper out on post-fire plant establishment, UNLV establishes school of environmental and public affairs

Research Poster: Water Source Partitioning For Shrubland Transpiration Using Innovative Field Methods, Amanda Wagner, Dale A. Devitt, Michael Young, Matthew S. Lachniet, Jeremy Koonce, Brian M. Bird

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Research Poster: Biotic Responses To Climate Change In The Mojave Desert: Floristics, Patrick Leary, David Charlet

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

The Vascular Flora Of Greater San Quintín, Baja California, Mexico, Sula E. Vanderplank

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The plants of San Quintín (Baja California, Mexico) were documented through intensive fieldwork and the collection of herbarium specimens to create a checklist of species. This region is home to a diverse flora with high levels of local endemism and many rare plants. The flora documented in this study was compared to historical records from the region and shows the impact of agriculture and urbanization on the plants, including several extirpated species. A study of the perennial vegetation using a 1 km grid provides species distribution data for 140 native species, which were assessed to highlight areas of significant species …

Carbon Dynamics In A Phragmites Australis Invaded Riparian Wetland, Steven Walters

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Invasive plant species are widely recognized as a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem stability. Wetland ecosystems tend to be much more susceptible to invasions because of their location on the landscape where water, nutrients, and the impacts of disturbances accumulate. Invasive plants have the ability to alter ecosystem processes and community/population dynamics. The ability of invasive plants to alter these processes can have profound economic consequences. In the United States, control of invasive wetland species alone costs approximately 155 million dollars annually. The state of Nebraska spends 2 million dollars annually controlling invasive plant species in the Platte River …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Winter 2010, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Native species interactions with red brome (Bromus rubens), undergraduate and graduate programs at UNLV, what’s growing in the greenhouse?

Patterns Of Bison Hair Use In Nests Of Tallgrass Prairie Birds, Bryan R. Coppedge

The Prairie Naturalist

I examined patterns of bison (Bison bison L.) hair use by passerine birds nesting in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Osage County, Oklahoma, 2002-2004. I collected and dissected 103 nests of 15 species into their constituent components. Nests were predominately composed of herbaceous material such as grass stems and leaves. Woody material and mud were rarely used. Bison hair was the most prominent zoological material used in nests, with lesser amounts and occurrence of arthropod silk, snake skin, feathers, jack rabbit (Lepus californicus Oray) fur, and man-made materials such as cellophane and string. At least one nest of 13 …

Long Distance Molt Migration By A Giant Canada Goose From Eastern South Dakota, Bobby J. Anderson, Charles D. Dieter

The Prairie Naturalist

To reduce crop damage by resident giant Canada geese (Schaible et al. 2005), the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) initiated a program to reduce goose nesting success in eastern South Dakota. One management tool used by SDGFP personnel was the destruction of giant Canada goose nests. When a giant Canada goose has its nest destroyed, they are known to initiate a molt migration (Mykut 2002, Luukkonen et aI. 2008). We attached Platform Transmitting Terminals (PTT; model ST -19) to document and describe molt migrations of giant Canada geese following nest destruction. We captured 3 adult nesting …

Noteworthy Winter Prey Of Short-Eared Owls In Southern Texas: A Case Study, Damon Williford, Marc C. Woodin, Mary Kay Skoruppa

The Prairie Naturalist

The winter range of North American short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) encompasses much of the United States, including southern Texas, where it is a common winter resident (Oberholser 1974, Rappole and Blacklock 1985). Winter food habits of short-eared owls are relatively weJl documented, but the majority of investigations have been conducted in eastern Canada and northeastern U.S. (Clark 1975, Holt 1993); midwestern U.S. (Colvin and Spaulding 1983); and British Columbia and Pacific northwestern U.S. (Bogiatto et al. 2001). The short-eared owl has a narrow trophic niche, generally preying on small mammals, with voles (Microtus spp.) and deer mice …

Monitoring Meadows With A Modified Robel Pole In The Northern Black Hills, South Dakota, Daniel W, Uresk, Daryl E. Mergen, Ted A. Benzon

The Prairie Naturalist

We used a modified Robel pole to measure vegetation for a study conducted in the northern Black Hills, South Dakota. Objectives were to determine the relationship between visual obstruction readings and clipped standing herbage, and develop guidelines for monitoring standing herbage. The relationship between visual obstruction readings and standing herbage was linear and regression coefficients were significant (P≤ 0.001). Herbage ranged from 140 to 3313 kg· ha-1 with a mean of 1386 kg· ha^-1 (SE = 320 kg· ha^-1) for 123 transects. Visual obstruction readings (VOR) ranged from 0.6 to 30.4 (number of 1.27 cm bands …

A Partial Inventory Of Islands In North Dakota: Potential For Breeding Waterfowl Management, Michael L. Szymanski

The Prairie Naturalist

Islands can provide secure nesting habitat for ducks and other waterbirds, especially in agriculturally dominated landscapes. I inventoried natural and man-made islands in the portion of North Dakota covered by the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV). I mapped 1,305 islands in this area; up to 46% of which could provide enhanced nest success with management (e.g., predator removal or establishment of brushy cover). Management of islands for breeding ducks may be an important method for achieving desired reproductive rates in the PP JV as substantial areas of perennial grass cover are lost from federal conservation programs, primarily the Conservation Reserve …

Observations Of Badgers Preying On Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, Daniel S. Licht

The Prairie Naturalist

American badgers (Taxidea taxus) often visit black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies, most likely in search of prey (Lomolino and Smith 2004, Shaughnessy and Cifelli 2004). Badgers are well suited to hunting fossorial prey such as prairie dogs by excavating burrows and capturing individuals belowground (Lindzey 2003). However, the ecological literature is sparse regarding details of how badgers hunt and capture prairie dogs underground. Eads and Biggins (2008) documented three occurrences of a badger excavating prairie dogs. That badger (apparently the same individual) had a den within the prairie dog town where captures occurred. This note …

Mortality Of Cranes (Gruidae) Associated With Powerlines Over A Major Roost On The Platte River, Nebraska, Gregory D. Wright, Timothy J. Smith, Robert K. Murphy, Jeffery T. Runge, Robert R. Harms

The Prairie Naturalist

Two 69-kilovolt powerlines spanning the Platte River in south central Nebraska are suspected to cause substantial mortality to sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) and pose a threat to endangered whooping cranes (G. americana) that roost overnight on the river during spring and fall migrations. Most studies of crane collisions with powerlines in the region have focused on counts of carcasses away from night roosts on the river and none have accounted for potential biases in detecting carcasses. We found 61 carcasses of sandhill cranes below over-river segments of the two powerlines during 4 March to 7 April …

Bed Site Selection Of Fawn Pronghorn In Custer State Park, South Dakota, Chad P. Lehman, Jamin D. Hartland, Barbara J. Keller, Joshua J. Millspaugh, Gary C. Brundige

The Prairie Naturalist

We evaluated pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) fawn bedding site characteristics on a prairie and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) landscape interface in Custer State Park, South Dakota. We radio-marked 16 adult female pronghorn and collected bed site information from their fawns during 2007~2008. We compared bed site selection with random sites (n = 74) during 2 periods; the early hiding phase when fawns were 1 ~28 days of age (n = 23 bed sites) and the later group phase when fawns were 29~60 days of age (n = 52 bed sites). During the hiding phase fawns selected dry …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Fall 2009, Tom Monaco, Scott R. Abella, Amber Lee, James E. Deacon

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

USDA working to manage invasive annual grasses, effects of heat and smoke on red brome soil seed bank, how burial depth and substrate affect germination of Sahara mustard and red brome, environmental effects of the southern Nevada groundwater project

The Prairie Naturalist. Volume 41, No. 3/4, September/December 2009, The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

THE PRAIRIE NATURALIST MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES. C. N. Jacques, T. W. Grovenburg, and J. A. Jenks

A PARTIAL INVENTORY OF ISLANDS IN NORTH DAKOTA: POTENTIAL FOR BREEDING WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT. M. L. Szymanski

BED SITE SELECTION OF FAWN PRONGHORN IN CUSTER STATE PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA. C. P. Lehman, J. D. Hartland, B. J. Keller, J. J. Millspaugh, and G. C. Brundige

PATTERNS OF BISON HAIR USE IN NESTS OF TALL GRASS PRAIRIE BIRDS B. R. Coppedge

MORTALITY OF CRANES (GRUIDAE) ASSOCIATED WITH POWERLINES OVER A MAJOR ROOST ON THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER, NEBRASKA. G. D. Wright, T. J. Smith, R. K. …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Summer 2009, Kevin E. Oliver, Dianne N. Bangle, E. Cayenne Engel, Lindsay P. Chiquoine, Scott R. Abella

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

BLM and wildfire protection in the Mojave, studies of the sticky ringstem flowering phenology in Lake Mead NRA, restoration work within gypsum soils, post-fire response synthesis for Mojave and Sonoran deserts

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Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

No abstract provided.

Descriptive Anatomy And Evolutionary Patterns Of Anatomical Diversification In Adenia (Passifloraceae), David J. Hearn

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

To understand evolutionary patterns and processes that account for anatomical diversity in relation to ecology and life form diversity, anatomy of storage roots and stems of the genus Adenia (Passifloraceae) were analyzed using an explicit phylogenetic context. Over 65,000 measurements are reported for 47 quantitative and qualitative traits from 58 species in the genus. Vestiges of lianous ancestry were apparent throughout the group, as treelets and lianous taxa alike share relatively short, often wide, vessel elements with simple, transverse perforation plates, and alternate lateral wall pitting; fibriform vessel elements, tracheids associated with vessels, and libriform fibers as additional tracheary elements; …