Botany Commons^™

Responses Of The Carnivorous Pink Spoonleaf Sundew (Drosera Capillaris) To Nitrogen Addition, Phosphorus Addition, And Simulated Fire, Karina Rodriguez Castillo

Honors Theses

This study investigated how the carnivorous plant, Drosera capillaris(pink sundew), responded to changes in the resources of its habitat, the fire-prone, nutrient-poor wet savannas. It is of interest to determine what soil nutrient(s), nitrogen or phosphorus, limits the survival and growth of pink sundew, and to what extent, if any, does fire affect the survival and growth of this carnivorous plant. My field experiments had twenty plots with two replicate groups consisting of four pink sundews in each plot. From the fall of 2017 to the fall of 2019, only half of the plots were clipped annually, and there …

Biological Soil Crusts In A Northeastern Pine Barren: Composition And Ecological Effects, Jessica Gilbert

Honors Theses

Biological soil crusts (BSCs), otherwise known as cryptogamic soil crusts, biocrusts, or cyanobacterial crusts, are soil aggregations hosting diverse biotic communities. They are composed of cyanobacteria and algae, and generally have a covering of moss and/or lichen. BSCs are typically found in arid to semi-arid regions throughout the world, and are integral soil stabilizers, moisture retainers, and nitrogen fixers in these communities. Along with these factors, BSCs are able to impact germination and establishment of plants, either as an accompanying influence, or direct result of those listed above. BSCs have yet to be formally described in the inland northeastern United …

Organics: Exploring The Parallels Between Botany And Human Anatomy Through Sculpture And Watercolor Painting, Allison Borek

Honors Theses

Integrating my two passions of the visual arts and science for my senior thesis, I created a collection of paintings that represent human organs and the parallels between plant biology and animal biology. Genetically, plants are just as complex – if not more – than many animals. They have intricate sensory and regulatory systems highly comparable to humans, and on a cellular level, we share many analogous features. In addition, every single carbon atom that makes up the human body was at one time fixed in a plant during photosynthesis. We also rely on photosynthesis to give us the oxygen …

The Tradeoff Between Polyuronic Acid Content And Photosynthesis Rates In Sphagnum, Michael J. Danise

Honors Theses

Sphagnum mosses often dominate peatland ecosystems. Because of the low availability of nutrients in these environments, Sphagnum mosses have developed a cation exchange system within their cell walls to take up nutrients using polyuronic acids (PUA). Increasing amounts of PUA may come at a physiological tradeoff and cause decreasing photosynthetic rates. The objectives of this study were 1) to assess variation in polyuronic acid content and structure by analyzing component monomers from three different Sphagnum species representative of different microhabitats, 2) to investigate how this variation affects the cation exchange capacity of the peat moss species, and 3) to evaluate …

Plant Galls, Michael Paul Grisham

Honors Theses

Plant galls, or cedidia, are defined as

...pathologically developed cells, tissues, or organs of plants that have risen mostly by hypertrophy and hyperplasy under the influence of parasitic organisms like bacteria, fungi, nematoda, mites, or insects.

The plant gall is unique in providing not only food, but shelter as well for its host. While the host benefits, damage to the plant results. Among other things sap flow is disturbed, premature decay results, non-essential parts are developed at the cost of essential parts, and many other injuries occur. A few examples of the benefits of plan galls may be cited. Nitrogen …