Botany Commons^™

Irvine Prairie Grass Guide, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

A guide to the grasses that can be found in the Irvine Prairie, a prairie-in-progress in Benton County, Iowa.

Irvine Prairie Wildflower Guide, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

A guide to the flowers that can be found in the Irvine Prairie, a prairie-in-progress in Benton County, Iowa.

The Development Of A Photographic Atlas Of Plant Adaptations For Pollination, Bethany Van Dusseldorp

Honors Program Theses

Plants have biotic, abiotic, or both biotic and abiotic adaptations for pollination, depending on how they are structured and the attraction between the plant and pollinator. The main focus for this project was biotic adaptations for pollination, and how various plants are specifically structured for the insect, bird, or mammal to pick up the pollen and carry it to the next plant. Documentation, using image/focus stacking and macro photography, was done of the structures of various plants from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Botanical Center to support the reason for why plants are structured the way they are. While …

Understanding Morphological Responses Of Typha (Cattail) Species To Nutrient Pollution, Anna Marie Shapiro

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the Midwestern United States, Typha x glauca is a hybrid of the native Typha latifolia and the non-native Typha angustifolia. Typha x glauca is considered invasive, and it is dominating Typha latifolia when they co-occur. Wetlands in the Midwest face nutrient pollution, due to fertilization used within the agricultural industry. Wetlands are nutrient sinks, which store the increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients are known to increase Typha growth. Within this thesis, it was hypothesized that an increase of nitrogen in the wetland may increase the width of Typha leaves, making it difficult to distinguish the …

The Systematics Of Physaria Sensu Stricto From Wyoming And Surrounding Areas, Jason Ratcliff

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Two genera of Brassicaceae – Lesquerella and Physaria – were recently united on the basis of monophyly. Classically, these genera have been distinguished based on morphology with 'traditional” Physaria species having doubly inflated (didymous) fruits. Molecular data consisting of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) DNA sequences indicate Physaria has evolved from the larger Lesquerella genus, thus making Lesquerella a paraphyletic grouping as previously described. A revised treatment of the combined Physaria recognized 106 species within the genus, of which 26 taxa occur in Wyoming. Of the Wyoming taxa, those traditionally described as belonging to Physaria (i.e.Physaria sensu stricto) have …

Report: Native Seed Stakeholder Meeting 2020, Laura E. Fischer Walter

Tallgrass Prairie Publications and Reports

There were 27 invited participants from Iowa and other Midwestern states (Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin). In addition, the TPC director, TPC staff members, AmeriCorps associates, and UNI students participated in organizing the meeting.

Meeting participants represented various stakeholder groups with connections to the native seed system of Iowa and the Midwest region:

 Seed consumers – need access to diverse, regionally appropriate, and affordable native seed to meet demand for restoration in various contexts.

 Seed producers and service providers – need to sustain business viability while responding to changing policy and demand for native seed and services.

 Researchers, …

Sacrificial Seed’S Impact On Native Seedling Establishment In Prairie Restoration, Jacey Meier, Isabella Betzer, Laura Jackson

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Tallgrass prairie used to cover Iowa and much of the midwest– now only a small percentage of it remains. Many prairie restoration efforts are in place, but native prairie seed prices are high and seedling establishment is low. We tested how inexpensive sacrificial seed impacts the establishment of native seedlings. After planting a field with native prairie seed, we marked out six test plots and applied treatment (sacrificial seed) to three of them. We counted and evaluated the number of emerged seedlings per m2 after 4.5 months. We saw no differences in emerged seedlings per m2 between the plots with …

Report: Native Seed Stakeholder Meeting 2019, Laura E. Fischer Walter

Tallgrass Prairie Publications and Reports

The purpose of this meeting was to convene stakeholders – to bring together knowledgeable people invested in the native seed industry to work out solutions to pressing problems. This fits the mission of the TPC through our interest in supporting high quality restoration projects that “save all the cogs and wheels” by capturing and propagating the species and genetic diversity of remnant prairies.

Today in Iowa, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is the biggest program using native plant materials, followed by the Department of Transportation. Early in its history, CRP plantings were not seen as an opportunity for ecological restoration. …

Floral Resource Dynamics For Pollinators In A Central Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Restoration, Lily Conrad, Ben Hoksch, Mark C. Myers

Undergraduate Student Work

Recently, native and managed colonies of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other insects, have experienced a largescale declines. In an effort to restore habitat for pollinators, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) created the CP-42 Pollinator Habitat conservation practice under the Conservation Reserve Program. This program pays private landowners to restore habitat for pollinator species with ecological and economic importance. To qualify for the program, CP-42 seed mixes must include:

• A minimum of 9 pollinator-friendly flowering plants,

• A minimum of three species in bloom during each of three seasonal periods (April-June 15, June 15-July, …

Floral Resource Availability And Butterfly Community Characteristics In Cp-42 Pollinator Habitat Plantings, Ethan Marburger, Corinne Myers, Mark Myers

Undergraduate Student Work

Prairies once covered approximately 85% of Iowa, but due to extensive habitat loss less than 0.1% of native prairies remain (Smith 1998). Habitat loss in Iowa has been driven by agricultural expansion and intensification, and has resulted in the decline of many native insect pollinators. To curb habitat loss and restore habitat for pollinators, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides private landowners incentives to enroll agricultural land into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Pollinator Habitat (CP-42) practice. The CP-42 conservation practice requires landowners to seed at least 9 species of pollinator friendly wildflowers, legumes, or shrubs on enrolled lands. CP-42 …

Sown Forb Performance In Cp42 Fields, Nathan Theel, Mark Sherrard

Undergraduate Student Work

CP42 is a general conservation practice that attempts to establish pollinator-friendly habitat

In total, >500,000 acres have been converted to CP42 (>40% of which is in Iowa) [1]

To date, there has been no formal assessment of practice success (i.e., post-seeding forb establishment)

In this study, we assess forb establishment in randomly selected CP42 fields near Cedar Falls, Iowa

We identify forbs with high/low establishment and relate this to seed cost in an effort to improve seed mix design

Soil Characteristics Affecting Weed Invasion On Conservation Reserve Program Pollinator Habitats, Jennifer Pauley

Undergraduate Student Work

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a land conservation program administered by the US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and create wildlife habitat.

• The CP-42 program provides cost share and an annual rental payment to farmers in order to establish native prairie species for pollinator habitat.

County NRCS technical staff make recommendations for seed mix to match the dominant soil moisture class in a parcel (e.g. dry, mesic, wet) with the appropriate plant species.

• There has been little to no research prior to the Biology SURP initiative to monitor …

Correlation Between Wild Bee Populations And Vegetative Resources In The Conservation Reserve Program’S Pollinator Enhancement Plantings, Olivia Willoughby, Alyssa Burgert, Nathan Theel, Ai Wen

Undergraduate Student Work

Wild bee populations are in decline; and one of the main factors that caused this is habitat loss, which diminishes floral resources that bees utilize for nectar and pollen (Watanabe 2013)

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) aims to combat habitat loss by implementing ecological restorations that provide resources for a variety of different wildlife

In 2011, the CRP established a Pollinator Habitat Initiative called CP-42, which encompasses forbs and grasses to create adequate habitat for pollinators

A primary goal of this program is to enhance pollinator abundance and diversity

Root Kerplunk, Tallgrass Prairie Center

Open Educational Resources

With the help of jumps ropes and nerf balls, students explore two ecosystem services provided by prairie roots: nutrient reduction and invasive weed control.

Routes For Infiltration, Tallgrass Prairie Center

Open Educational Resources

Students become a carbon atom and experience the movements of carbon through the environment, including its time sequestered in prairie roots.

Root Community, Tallgrass Prairie Center

Open Educational Resources

Pairs of students play a battleship-style game to show how roots explore the soil to obtain resources.

Incredible Carbon Journey, Tallgrass Prairie Center

Open Educational Resources

Students become a carbon atom and experience the movements of carbon through the environment, including its time sequestered in prairie roots.

Muddy Waters, Tallgrass Prairie Center

Open Educational Resources

With the help of jumps ropes and nerf balls, students explore two ecosystem services provided by prairie roots: nutrient reduction and invasive weed control.

Roots - Why So Fine?, Tallgrass Prairie Center

Open Educational Resources

Using root models made of commonly available materials, students explore how the size of roots affects their ability to exchange materials with soil.

Prairie Roadshow, Tallgrass Prairie Center

Open Educational Resources

Students turn a school hallway into a prairie roadside, while learning about the important services provided by prairie roots.

School Of Roots, Tallgrass Prairie Center

Open Educational Resources

Students learn about ecosystem services provided by prairie roots by matching them to services provided by various components of a school.

Battleship Roots, Tallgrass Prairie Center

Open Educational Resources

Pairs of students play a battleship-style game to show how roots explore the soil to obtain resources.

Developmental Analysis Of Leea Guineensis (Leeaceae), Sally Gray

Honors Program Theses

Vitaceae is the grape family of flowering plants that is composed of twelve genera of woody plants (Jones et al., 2013). Vitis has been studied extensively for the commercial value of the fruit in the wine and grape production. However, not a lot of research has been done specifically on its basic biology such as leaf development within the family.

Understanding the basic biology of the plant can help with understanding its growth habit and help with improving the overall health of the plant. For example, analyzing flowers and leaves is a good way to draw inferences about developmental similarities …

Functional Analysis Of Drought-Resistant Genes In Barley Using Vigs, Natalie Catherine Martin

Honors Program Theses

The following study analyzed the role of the gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABAT) gene in the response of barley plants to drought stress. Expression of GABAT in barley was suppressed using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). In VIGS, an RNA virus is used to replicate a small portion of the target RNA. In this study, barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV), that carries a piece of the GABAT gene to infect barley, was used. As the virus replicates inside infected barley plants, it also makes RNA that is complementary to GABAT messenger RNA (mRNA) that is normally made by the host. The presence …

Analysis Of Ipomoea (Morning Glory) Leaf Mutants, Abigail Anne Lee

Honors Program Theses

Ipomoea (morning glory) is the largest genus in the family Convolvulaceae. Cultivation of morning glory plants began in the late Edo period in Japan, and this horticultural success resulted in thousands of plants with varying floral displays. In addition to the different flower morphologies, leaf shape is highly variable within this family making it an ideal group in which to study leaf development. We selected four mutants that vary in lobe number and lobe depth: 1) Tokyo Standard (TKS1065; wild-type; 3 lobes), yellow maple (ym1018; 5 lobes), delicate maple (dlm620; 5 deep lobes), and maple willow …

Analysis Of The Canola Lip Mutant, Matthew Rafferty

Honors Program Theses

Canola (Brassica napus) is a broadleaf agricultural plant grown mainly in regions of the United States and Canada. Its seeds are used to produce edible oil (canola oil) as well as biofuel. The study of mutagenized wild-type Brassica napus seeds in the CAN-TILL project, (http://www.botany.ubc.ca/can-till/), led to the discovery of a phenotype called Lamina epiphylla (LIP ). The lip mutant is characterized by changes in leaf shape that cause the leaves to look trumpeted, among other variations. This research project compared wild-type Brassica napus leaf development with the lamina epiphylla mutant to assess leaf development and to determine the precise …

A Preliminary Systematic Analysis Of The Species Of Genus Physaria (Brassicaceae) Of Wyoming, Kayla Rethwisch

Honors Program Theses

Physaria is a recent and rapidly evolving genus of plants in the Brassicaceae family. Particularly problematic are the taxa in the “old” Physaria sensu stricto found in Wyoming, characterized by highly inflated, didymous fruits. Due to the plants in this group being of recent origin, the relationships among them are unknown. This study examined several samples from each taxon in a preliminary study of the taxonomy of these species. The resulting phylogenies were analyzed to determine relatedness among the species. By looking at gene regions, sections on the genomic sequence, it is possible to determine how these various plants are …

Development Of Leaf Shape And Vein Homologies In Five Species Of The Genus Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae), Austin William Jones

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Angiosperm leaves are extremely variable in form while predominantly maintaining the function of the primary photosynthetic organ of the plant. Changes in leaf form can result from myriad physiological processes which may be influenced by ecology, physical stimuli, phylogeny, or other factors. In studying the development of divergent leaf forms among closely related species, conserved morphological elements may be identified that are not apparent in the mature form. The genus Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) contains over 600 species and a wide range in leaf shapes. Five species, I. purpurea, I. coccinea, I. sloteri, I. quamoclit, and I. cairica show a range in …

A Study Of The Genes Tfl1 And Lfy As Agents In The Divergent Evolution Of The Plant Species Arabidopsis Thaliana And Carica Papaya, Ryan Lockard

Honors Program Theses

The long term goals of this study are to: (1) To determine if the genes TFLI and LFY perform any role in the divergent evolution and development of these two plant species; (2) If so, begin to assess whether the homologs' functional divergence is a result of gene regulation, protein function, both, or some different genetic mechanism altogether. These goals will be accomplished by genetically transforming Arabidopsis thaliana plants containing TFLI and LFY knockout mutations (those genes removed) with the homologous genes from Carica papaya in order to compare differences in development between the plants resulting from the influence of …

An Evaluation Of The Species Status Of Physaria Intermedia (Brassicaceae), Katie Arp

Honors Program Theses

The taxonomy of the genus Physaria (Brassicaceae) has been continually under revision as many species groups have proved difficult to resolve. Physaria intermedia (S. Watson) O'Kane Al-Shehbaz, has been a species whose circumscription has more recently been questioned and in need of clarification. The uncertainty surrounding the species stemmed from a combination of its geographical distribution, inhabiting two disjunct locations, as well as some minor differences in morphology that warranted a closer look. The species had been described as occupying southern Utah, northern and eastern (in northern 2/3) Arizona and southwest New Mexico with the remaining specimens inhabiting an isolated …