Botany Commons^™

Limestone Flora Of The Simonton Corner Quarry Preserve, Rockport, Maine, Usa, Margaret Stern, Ian Medeiros, Luka Negoita, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Limestone is a distinctive substrate that has significant effects on soils and plants. The present study characterizes the diversity of vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens at the Simonton Corner Quarry Preserve, an abandoned limestone quarry in Rockport, Maine, USA, which was in operation in the late 1800s. We document vascular plant diversity and associated edaphic features (i.e., soil pH and elemental chemistry) using 30 5×5 meter plots spread throughout the site. For vascular plants, 114 species in 96 genera and 50 families were observed; few of these species are known to prefer calcareous environments, and 38% are nonnative. Conversely, the …

The Ecology And Evolution Of Rare, Soil Specialist Astragalus Plants In The Arid Western U.S., Joseph M. Statwick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organisms that specialize in uncommon habitats are, by their very nature, inherently uncommon. Specialization has its advantages, namely reduced competition and predation, but it also incurs costs. Specialists often have small population sizes, narrow ranges, and fragmented habitat, all of which engender negative consequences on an evolutionary timescale. Herein, I examine benefits and costs of specialization in selenium-hyperaccumulating plants in the genus Astragalus (Fabaceae). These plants are disproportionately likely to be rare and of conservation concern. Thus, I optimized germination pretreatments for Astragalus species such that seed loss can be minimized during ex situ cultivation, and found that physical scarification …

New Mexico, Gordon Tucker, Phil Tonne

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

The Chemical Constituents Of New Essential Oils From Endemic And Sub Endemic Plants Of Mongolian Gobi, Sanduin Shatar, Jordanka Stavena, Milka Todorova, Shataryn Altantsetseg

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

The new essential oil-Endemic and sub endemic plants in Outer Mongolian Gobi were isolated by hydro distillation from the aerial parts of Brachanthemum gobicum Krasch, B. mongolicum Krach, B. mongolorum Grub., Asterothamnus centrali-asiaticus Novopork, A. molliusculus Novopork., Ajania trifida (Turcz) Tzvel, A. achilleoides (Turcz) Tzvel., Ferula ferulaeoides (Stend) Eug. Kor., Artemisia davajamczii Darijima., A. caespitosa Ldb, A. subchrysolepis Filat, A. schischkinii Krasch, A.intricata Franch, A.ordasica Krasch, A.gobica (Krasch) Grub., A. sphalerocephala Krasch that grown in wild in Outer Mongolian Gobi. The essential oils were analyzed by a combination of Capillary GC and GC-MS and their main constituents were described.

Invasive Species In An Urban Flora: History And Current Status In Indianapolis, Indiana, Rebecca W. Dolan

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Invasive plant species are widely appreciated to cause significant ecologic and economic damage in agricultural fields and in natural areas. The presence and impact of invasives in cities is less well documented. This paper characterizes invasive plants in Indianapolis, Indiana. Based on historical records and contemporary accounts, 69 of the 120 species on the official Indiana state list are reported for the city. Most of these plants are native to Asia or Eurasia, with escape from cultivation as the most common mode of introduction. Most have been in the flora of Indianapolis for some time. Eighty percent of Indianapolis’ invasive …

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.

Plant Communities In Eastern Mongolia, Werner Hilbig, Naidan Narantuya

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

In this contribution is presented a phytosociological description of plant communities, recorded in the phytogeographical district of Eastern Mongolia, including parts of the Dornod (Eastern) and the Choybalsan aymags. The whole district is characterized by steppe vegetation. Other vegetation types, like elm (Ulmus pumila) bush vegetation, shrubbery on sandy and rocky sites, Salix miyabeana bushes, meadow and reed vegetation in the river plains and lake basins, salt vegetation and ruderal plant communities were also recorded, documented by synoptic vegetation tables or single relevés and characterized by information on the ecological conditions of their habitats. Some of the observed …

Fidelity And Survival Of Breeding Mallards In The Nebraska Sandhills, Zachary J. Cunningham, Larkin Powell, Mark P. Vrtiska

The Prairie Naturalist

Assessment of demographic parameters of a population allows managers to better understand factors affecting populations and increase efficiency of conservation efforts. Few data on demographics exist for mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) breeding in the Nebraska Sandhills. Thus, we used banding data to estimate probabilities of fidelity, survival, band recovery, and recapture of mallards banded in the eastern Sandhills, 2005–2008. Our recapture probability estimate for mallards was 0.074 (95% CI: 0.033–0.158), and the recovery probability estimate was 0.300 (95% CI: 0.156–0.497). Mallard annual survival was 0.795 (95% CI: 0.609–0.906) with a fidelity probability of 0.618 (95% CI: 0.283–0.868). High annual …

Review Of Following The Wild Bees: The Craft And Science Of Bee Hunting By Thomas D. Seeley, Katrina Klett

The Prairie Naturalist

Since the media’s coverage of the sudden losses of worker bee populations in many honeybee colonies during the winter of 2006-07 (a phenomenon that was later termed the Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD), there have been increasingly high levels of popular interest in bees and beekeeping in the United States. While a number of books have followed this wave of interest, Following the Wild Bees: The Craft and Science of Bee Hunting by Thomas Seeley is a fundamentally unique contribution to popular honeybee literature. The focus of the book is not on the current synergy of effects that are leading …

A Vegetation-Based Index Of Biotic Integrity For Wetlands Of Kentucky, Noelle Newman Smith

Online Theses and Dissertations

Wetland ecosystems have experienced severe declines across the United States, prompting efforts to assess the status of remaining wetlands and regulate their development. The Clean Water Act and the policy of “No Net Loss” have resulted in a system of permitting and mitigation for impacts to wetlands. Professional judgments of wetland quality are inherent in regulatory decisions related to preservation and mitigation, but many states, and until recently including Kentucky, have no standard, quantifiable means of assessing wetlands to guide the decision process. A rapid assessment method has recently been developed for Kentucky, but there is no intensive assessment method …

Mapping Qtls And Association Of Differentially Expressed Gene Transcripts For Multiple Agronomic Traits Under Different Nitrogen Levels In Sorghum, Malleswari Gelli, Sharon E. Mitchell, Kan Liu, Thomas E. Clemente, Donald P. Weeks, Chi Zhang, David R. Holding, Ismail M. Dweikat

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Sorghum is an important C₄ crop which relies on applied Nitrogen fertilizers (N) for optimal yields, of which substantial amounts are lost into the atmosphere. Understanding the genetic variation of sorghum in response to limited nitrogen supply is important for elucidating the underlying genetic mechanisms of nitrogen utilization.

Results: A bi-parental mapping population consisting of 131 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was used to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) influencing different agronomic traits evaluated under normal N (100 kg.ha⁻¹ fertilizer) and low N (0 kg.ha⁻¹ fertilizer) conditions. A linkage map spanning 1614 cM was developed …

Proteomic Profiling Of Maize Opaque Endosperm Mutants Reveals Selective Accumulation Of Lysine-Enriched Proteins, Kyla J. Morton, Shangang Jia, Chi Zhang, David R. Holding

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Reduced prolamin (zein) accumulation and defective endoplasmic reticulum (ER) body formation occurs in maize opaque endosperm mutants opaque2 (o2), floury2 (fl2), defective endosperm*B30 (DeB30), and Mucronate (Mc), whereas other opaque mutants such as opaque1 (o1) and floury1 (fl1) are normal in these regards. This suggests that other factors contribute to kernel texture. A liquid chromatography approach coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) proteomics was used to compare non-zein proteins of nearly isogenic opaque endosperm mutants. In total, 2762 proteins were identified that were enriched for biological processes such …

Simulating Long-Term Impacts Of Cover Crops And Climate Change On Crop Production And Environmental Outcomes In The Midwestern United States, Andrea D. Basche, Sotririos V. Archontoulis, Thomas C. Kaspar, Dan B. Jaynes, Timothy B. Parkin, Fernando E. Miguez

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

It is critical to evaluate conservation practices that protect soil and water resources from climate change in the Midwestern United States, a region that produces one-quarter of the world’s soybeans and one-third of the world’s maize. An over-winter cover crop in a maize–soybean rotation offers multiple potential benefits that can reduce the impacts of higher temperatures and more variable rainfall; some of the anticipated changes for the Midwest. In this experiment we used the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) to understand how winter rye cover crops impact crop production and environmental outcomes, given future climate change. We first tested APSIM …

Decipher The Molecular Response Of Plant Single Cell Types To Environmental Stresses, Mehrnoush Nourbakhsh-Rey, Marc Libault

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The analysis of the molecular response of entire plants or organs to environmental stresses suffers from the cellular complexity of the samples used. Specifically, this cellular complexity masks cell-specific responses to environmental stresses and logically leads to the dilution of the molecular changes occurring in each cell type composing the tissue/organ/plant in response to the stress.Therefore, to generate a more accurate picture of these responses, scientists are focusing on plant single cell type approaches. Several cell types are now considered as models such as the pollen, the trichomes, the cotton fiber, various root cell types including the root hair cell, …

Organic Struggle: The Movement For Sustainable Agriculture In The United States [Book Review], Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Organic Struggle chronicles the challenges encountered by innovators in a growing segment of the U.S. food production and marketing system. Practiced for millennia by farmers before the introduction of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and first developed more formally in Europe, organic farming practices began to gain prominence in the United States only in the 1950s. Far more than a system for producing food, this strategy has become a focus for those supporting healthy and pesticide-free products, for some who embrace the organic system as a food movement, and by many who disagree with the current domination of the country’s food …

Draft Genome Sequence Of Erwinia Tracheiphila, An Economically Important Bacterial Pathogen Of Cucurbits, Lori R. Shapiro, Erin D. Scully, Dana Roberts, Timothy J. Straub, Scott M. Geib, Jihye Park, Andrew G. Stephenson, Erika Salaau Rojas, Quin Liu, Gwyn Beattie, Mark Gleason, Consuelo M. De Moraes, Mark C. Mescher, Shelby G. Fleischer, Roberto Kolter, Naomi Pierce, Olga Zhaxybayeva

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Erwinia tracheiphila is one of the most economically important pathogens of cucumbers, melons, squashes, pumpkins, and gourds in the northeastern and midwestern United States, yet its molecular pathology remains uninvestigated. Here, we report the first draft genome sequence of an E. tracheiphila strain isolated from an infected wild gourd (Cucurbita pepo subsp. texana) plant. The genome assembly consists of 7 contigs and includes a putative plasmid and at least 20 phage and prophage elements.

Muts Homolog1 Silencing Mediates Orf220 Substoichiometric Shifting And Causes Male Sterility In Brassica Juncea, Na Zhao, Xinyue Xu, Yashitola Wamboldt, Sally Ann Mackenzie, Xiaodong Yang, Zhongyuan Hu, Jinghua Yang, Mingfang Zhang

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) has consistently been associated with the expression of mitochondrial open reading frames (ORFs) that arise from genomic rearrangements. Spontaneous fertility reversion in CMS has been observed in several cases, but a clear understanding of fertility reversion controlled by nuclear genetic influences has been lacking. Here, we identified spontaneous fertile revertant lines for Brassica juncea CMS cytoplasm in which the mitochondrial genome has undergone substoichiometric shifting (SSS) to suppress ORF220 copy number. We placed ORF220, with or without a mitochondrial targeting presequence, under the control of the CaMV35S and AP3 promoters in Arabidopsis to confirm that ORF220 …

New Records Of Basidiomycota From Trabzon, Tokat, And İstanbul Provinces In Turkey, Ertuğrul Sesli̇, İbrahi̇m Türkekul, Ilgaz Akata, Tuula Ni̇skanen

Turkish Journal of Botany

Basidiomata were collected from Trabzon, Tokat, and İstanbul provinces between 2011 and 2015. Standard methods were used during collecting and microscopic investigations. Cantharellus ianthinoxanthus (R.Maire) Kühner, Cortinarius humicola (Quél.) Maire, Cortinarius obtusorum Rob.Henry, Cortinarius rubicundulus (Rea) A.Pearson, Cortinarius sordescens Rob.Henry, Crinipellis subtomentosa

Sem Studies Of Two Riparian New-Caledonian Conifers Reveal Air Channels In Stem Wood; Field Observations, Sherwin Carlquist, Mare Nazaire

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Two New Caledonian conifers, Dacrydium guillauminii and Retrophyllum minor, both of Podocarpaceae, occupy distinctive habitats in which roots are characteristically inundated. SEM studies of stem wood anatomy of both reveal characteristic vertical intercellular channels, not apparent in light microscope examination. These channels are regular in spacing as seen in radial sections and indefinite in vertical extent; they were observed only adjacent to rays. These channels, not reported in other conifers, are a potential source of aeration for roots and submersed stem portions. Other wood details are reported. In order to provide a more comprehensive picture of adaptation to these …

A Morphometric Analysis Of Arceuthobium Campylopodum And Arceuthobium Divaricatum (Viscaceae), Robert L. Mathiasen, Shawn C. Kenaley, Carolyn M. Daugherty

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Although the classification of pinyon dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium divaricatum, Viscaceae) has not been controversial to any extent since Engelmann described it in 1878, a recent taxonomic treatment has included this species in western dwarf mistletoe (A. campylopodum). While pinyon dwarf mistletoe is only known to parasitize pinyon pines (Pinus subsection Cembroides), western dwarf mistletoe as it has been known since the late 1800s is a principal parasite of Pinus ponderosa and P. jeffreyi and has never been observed parasitizing pinyon pines. With reservations about the recent classification of pinyon dwarf mistletoe and its treatment …

Tomus Nominum Eriastri: The Nomenclature And Taxonomy Of Eriastrum (Polemoniaceae: Loeselieae), Sarah J. De Groot

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

A revised taxonomy for the genus Eriastrum is presented, including type information, synonymy, descriptions, and keys for identification. The nomenclature of Hugelia lanata, Gilia floccosa, and Gilia virgata var. yageri is clarified. Additionally, issues pertaining to August Brand’s, Thomas Nuttall’s, and Asa Gray’s names in Eriastrum are reviewed. An illustrated glossary of important descriptive terms is provided, along with photographs and illustrations of taxa and features. Lectotypes are proposed for 14 taxa. There is further discussion about the nomenclature and type localities for each taxon, comparison of circumscriptions from previous authors, and some field observations. Discussion of identifying …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 17 2016, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Bumpers College Students In Action, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Impacts Of Fuel Treatments On Tree Growth And Aboveground Biomass Accumulation In Ponderosa Pine Forests Of The Northern Rocky Mountains, Kate A. Clyatt

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In western North America, many low-elevation, dry forest types historically experienced frequent, low-severity fires. However, European settlement and fire suppression policies have contributed to over a century of fire exclusion, substantially altering forest structure and composition. There is considerable interest in restoring fire resilient characteristics to these forests through fuel reduction treatments. One limitation of current research on the impacts of fuel treatments is treatment longevity, as few studies have been able to quantify long-term responses to commonly applied treatments. This research evaluated tree growth and aboveground biomass responses 23 years after treatment in two silvicultural installations with different underburning …

Morphological And Molecular Characterization Of Gracilacus Wuae N. Sp. (Nematoda: Criconematoidea) Associated With Cow Parsnip (Heracleum Maximum) In Ontario, Canada, Qing Yu, Weimin Ye, Thomas O. Powers

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Gracilacus wuae n. sp. from soil associated with cow parsnip in Ontario, Canada is described and illustrated. Morphologically, females have a long stylet ranging from 80 to 93 mmlong, the lip region not offset from the body contour, without lateral lips but with large and flat submedian lobes, the mouth opening slit-like elongated laterally and surrounded by lateral flaps, the excretory pore is anterior to the knobs of the stylet; males without stylet and the pharynx degenerated. The fourth-stage juveniles lack a stylet, the pharynx degenerated, and can be differentiated into preadult females and males based on the position of …

Prospects Of Genomic Prediction In The Usda Soybean Germplasm Collection: Historical Data Creates Robust Models For Enhancing Selection Of Accessions, Diego Jarquin, James Specht, Aaron Lorenz

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The identification and mobilization of useful genetic variation from germplasm banks for use in breeding programs is critical for future genetic gain and protection against crop pests. Plummeting costs of next-generation sequencing and genotyping is revolutionizing the way in which researchers and breeders interface with plant germplasm collections. An example of this is the high density genotyping of the entire USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection. We assessed the usefulness of 50K SNP data collected on 18,480 domesticated soybean (G. max) accessions and vast historical phenotypic data for developing genomic prediction models for protein, oil, and yield. Resulting genomic prediction models explained …

Corn (Zea Mays L.) Seeding Rate Optimization In Iowa, Usa, Mark A. Licht, Andrew W. Lenssen, Roger W. Elmore

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Collecting soil, topography, and yield information has become more feasible and reliable with advancements in precision technologies. Combined with the accessibility of precision technologies and services to farmers, there has been increased interest and ability to make site-specific crop management decisions. The objective of this research was to develop procedures to optimize corn seeding rates and maximize yield using soil and topographic parameters. Experimental treatments included five seeding rates (61 750; 74 100; 86 450; 98 800; and 111 150 seeds ha^-1) in a randomized complete block design in three central Iowa fields from 2012 to 2014 (nine …

Construction Of High Resolution Genetic Linkage Maps To Improve The Soybean Genome Sequence Assembly Glyma1.01, Qijian Song, Jerry Jenkins, Gaofeng Jia, David L. Hyten, Vince Pantalone, Scott A. Jackson, Jeremy Schmutz, Perry B. Cregan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: A landmark in soybean research, Glyma1.01, the first whole genome sequence of variety Williams 82 (Glycine max L. Merr.) was completed in 2010 and is widely used. However, because the assembly was primarily built based on the linkage maps constructed with a limited number of markers and recombinant inbred lines (RILs), the assembled sequence, especially in some genomic regions with sparse numbers of anchoring markers, needs to be improved. Molecular markers are being used by researchers in the soybean community, however, with the updating of the Glyma1.01 build based on the high-resolution linkage maps resulting from this research, …

Genome-Wide Discriminatory Information Patterns Of Cytosine Dna Methylation, Robersy Sanchez, Sally A. Mackenzie

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cytosine DNA methylation (CDM) is a highly abundant, heritable but reversible chemical modification to the genome. Herein, a machine learning approach was applied to analyze the accumulation of epigenetic marks in methylomes of 152 ecotypes and 85 silencing mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. In an information-thermodynamics framework, two measurements were used: (1) the amount of information gained/lost with the CDM changes I_R and (2) the uncertainty of not observing a SNP LC_R. We hypothesize that epigenetic marks are chromosomal footprints accounting for different ontogenetic and phylogenetic histories of individual populations. A machine learning approach is proposed to …