Botany Commons^™

Sciadopitys Verticillata (Japanese Umbrella Pine), #1065-1067, Grace C. Kubat

BIO 140 Arboretum Project

Over the course of the 2021 spring semester, I observed a grove of Japanese Umbrella Pines. These trees are a part of the University's arboretum. In addition to making weekly observations, I researched the cultural significance of the Umbrella Pines. My research will hopefully contribute to future projects regarding the trees and help to enrich the University's arboretum project.

The Phytotherapeutic Arsenal In The Guerbes-Sanhadja Wetlands Complex (North East Of Algeria), Belaidi Abdelouahab, Beghami Yassine, Francisco Maria Vázquez, Souilah Nabila, Bendif Hamdi

Journal of Bioresource Management

This study documents indigenous medicinal flora - utilization, and was carried out in the Guerbes-Sanhadja wetland complex, between January 2018 and December 2020. The detailed information was gathered from users of medicinal plants mainly based on semi-structured interviews. A total of 102 plant species distributed in 48 families were found in practice by the natives for fulfilling their daily life requirements. The most frequently cited plants are: Myrtus communis L. (158 citations), Pistacia lentiscus L. (122) and Thymus vulgaris L. (97). Most of the medicinal species listed were herbs (68.93%). The phanerophytes (33.33%) and hemicriptophytes (27.45%) were the principal species …

Phenotypic Plasticity Of Diverse Sorghum Varieties In Response To Nitrogen Deficit Stress, Mackenzie Zwiener

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The movement of nutrients from old vegetative tissue to young leaves and reproductive organs is known as senescence. Senescence can be influenced by the environment of a plant, such as, drought, heat, and nutrient stress. These environmental stressors can also influence canopy architecture. Crop canopy consists of several traits including: leaf number, angle, length and width. Past research in crops like maize and rice have shown significant influences of more erect leaves, including, the ability for increased planting density, which optimizes light interception and increases yield. In a field trial of a sorghum association panel including 345 different sorghum varieties …

A Baseline Documentation Report For The Delta Wind Birds Sky Lake Nature Reserve, Preston T. Perkins, J Hays Dubberly, Michael J. Thomas, Jensine Coggin

Honors Theses

The purpose of this baseline documentation is to conduct a report on our subject property and discuss the findings. A conservation easement is established by upholding a certain standard of a property’s current condition which makes a baseline documentation necessary for an easement to be enacted. Baseline documentation reports are used as a resource to monitor and enforce the legal agreements of the conservation easement. The subject property is currently owned by the Delta Wind Birds organization. In our scenario, this documentation report will serve to aid in the conversion of our subject property into a conservation easement in which …

Tilia Cordata (Littleleaf Linden) #1059, Heather Noel Mckee

BIO 140 Arboretum Project

In this paper I studied the Tilia cordata, more commonly known as the Littleleaf Linden, over the course of three months. I included the history and uses of the Linden tree along with its symbolic value in European culture. This tree symbolizes friendship and peace which coincides with the critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy.

Discovery Of Epiphytic Lichens In Connecticut Suggests Novel Introduction And Reintroduction Via Horticultural Practices, Henry A. Frye, Zachary Muscavitch, Bernard Goffinet

EEB Articles

The discovery of Teloschistes chrysophthalmus in Connecticut more than one hundred years since its last known occurrence is argued to result from human introduction. The species only occurred on the horticultural tree, Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis, planted on the University of Connecticut campus. Gleditsia triacanthos is not indigenous to northeastern North America, but is widespread in the central United States. Other epiphytic macrolichens also recorded on this phorophyte include Punctelia bolliana and Parmotrema austrosinense, both widespread in the central United States, and new to Connecticut and New England, respectively. This is likely the first reported case of combined …

Nozzle Selection And Adjuvant Impact On The Efficacy Of Glyphosate And Ppo-Inhibiting Herbicide Tank-Mixtures, Jesaelen G. Moraes, Thomas R. Butts, Vitor M. Anunciato, Joe D. Luck, Wesley C. Hoffmann, Ulisses R. Antuniassi, Greg R. Kruger

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

PPO-inhibiting herbicides in combination with glyphosate for postemergence applications is a common approach to manage glyphosate- and ALS-inhibitor-resistant weeds. PPO-inhibitors can reduce glyphosate translocation when applied in tank-mixtures, but adjuvants may be used to overcome this effect. Additionally, optimal droplet size may be affected by tank-mixtures of different herbicides and it can be crucial to herbicide efficacy. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to investigate the impact of nozzle selection and adjuvants on weed control and interactions when applying PPO-inhibitors (fomesafen or lactofen) alone or in tank-mixture with glyphosate to five weed species using six nozzle types. Ultra-coarse droplets were …

Eclp Invasive Plant Project: Spot The Invaders, Aida Washburn

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

An Environmental Center Leadership Program Project

Amelia Island is home to many beautiful native plants, but some invasive species have taken residence in the beach area and caused issues to the ecological system. The invasive plants outcompete our native species and can disrupt the shore bird and sea turtle nesting sites. Invasive plants also destabilize our dunes. A native plant is identified as a species that has naturally existed in each place for an extended length of time. Whereas an invasive species displaces and prevents native species from establishing. The goal of this project was to remove invasive plant species …

Propagation, Upkeep, And Impact On Mental Health And Classroom/Workplace Success Of Dracaena Trifasciata, Chlorophytum Comosum, And Philodendron Hederaceum, Ivan Korostenskij

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Honorable Mention Winner

Environmental Center Leadership Program Project

Greenery and plant life has been shown to increase quality of life and overall wellness in classroom and work environments (Erzsebet et al. 7; Pitts 2). Specifically, many ornamental plants have unique roles in filtering toxic chemicals from ambient air (Erzsebet et al. 3). With a recent push to increase student involvement in a greener environment, in conjunction with the University of North Florida’s Ogier Gardens, we focus here to determine and describe the most optimal plants to propagate and increase student engagement with. We chose Dracaena trifasciata, Chlorophytum comosum, and Philodendron …

2021 Spring Newsletter, Plaster Creek Stewards

Newsletters

Highlights:

Heron Rookery

Spring Event 2021

Education on Cedar

Spring Interns

Watershed Support Grant Awarded

The Influence Of Adjuvants On Physical Properties, Droplet-Size, And Efficacy Of Glufosinate And Dicamba Plus Glyphosate Solutions, Estefania Gomiero Polli

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adjuvants are used in agriculture to improve herbicide activity or application performance. The addition of adjuvants to herbicide solution can enhance its penetration, wettability, and evaporation rates by altering density, viscosity, contact angle between the droplet and plant surface, and droplet surface tension. Furthermore, those alterations in the physical properties of the herbicide solution can result in changes in the droplet-size distribution that directly impact herbicide efficacy. The adoption of glufosinate-based herbicide programs has increased with the widespread occurrence of glyphosate-resistance (GR) weeds in recent years. Also, tank mixture of dicamba and glyphosate has been largely adopted for broad-spectrum weed …

Seed Rain–Successional Feedbacks In Wet Tropical Forests, Nohemi Huanca Nuñez, Robin L. Chazdon, Sabrina E. Russo

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Abstract

Tropical forest regeneration after abandonment of former agricultural land depends critically on the input of tree seeds, yet seed dispersal is increasingly disrupted in contemporary human-modified landscapes. Here, we introduce the concept of seed rain–successional feedbacks as a deterministic process in which seed rain is shaped by successional dynamics internal to a forest site and that acts to reinforce priority effects. We used a combination of time series and chronosequence approaches to investigate how the quantity and taxonomic and functional composition of seed rain change during succession and to evaluate the strength of seed rain–successional feedbacks, relative to other …

Maize Nitrogen Management Using Reactive Sensor And Proactive Maize-N Model Via Fertigation, Mohammed Abdulridha Naser

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Applying a portion of total nitrogen (N) during the growing season has the potential to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) by achieving greater synchrony between N supply and crop N demand, allowing for responsive adjustments to actual field conditions. Three studies from 2017-2019 evaluated using reactive sensor and proactive Maize-N model for determining in-season N requirements via fertigation in corn. The first study evaluated the integration of reactive sensor and proactive Maize-N model for determining the timing and rate of in-season N via fertigation. Overall, reactive and proactive fertigation treatments reduced total N applied by 35 to 65 kg N …

Comparing A Mixed Model Approach To Traditional Stability Estimators For Mapping Genotype By Environment Interactions And Yield Stability In Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.], Mary M. Happ, George L. Graef, Haichuan Wang, Reka Howard, Luis Posadas, David L. Hyten

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Identifying genetic loci associated with yield stability has helped plant breeders and geneticists begin to understand the role and influence of genotype by environment (GxE) interactions in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] productivity, as well as other crops. Quantifying a genotype’s range of performance across testing locations has been developed over decades with dozens of methodologies available. This includes directly modeling GxE interactions as part of an overall model for yield, as well as methods which generate overall yield “stability” values from multi-environment trial data. Correspondence between these methods as it pertains to the outcomes of genome wide association studies …

Evolution And Development Of Staminodes In Paronychia (Caryophyllaceae), Andrea D. Appleton

Honors College Theses

Staminodes are infertile stamens that have evolved numerous times in flowering plants and exhibit a vast array of forms and functions. Variation in staminodes suggests that numerous evolutionary processes underlie their origins, but to understand their how and why they evolved, comparative studies are needed in groups of closely related species. Identifying structures as staminodes is not always straightforward and sometimes requires corroborating phylogenetic and developmental evidence. Staminodial structures in Paronychia (Caryophyllaceae), for example, vary in shape and size and have been referred to as both petals and staminodes, rendering their homology uncertain. The development of staminodes was compared across …

The Role Of Α-Tocopherol In Mitigating The Effect Of Elevated Co2 Concentrations Emitted From The Al-Hunay Power Plant Main Station On Glycine Max L. Plants, Mohammed Abdulrahman Almuwayhi

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Soybean (Glycine max L.), belonging to Leguminosae, is an essential food in Asian countries. It has become a necessity to study the long-term effects of elevated concentrations of CO₂ on plant growth and development. Climate change may be affected by the increment of CO₂ and higher temperatures on crops. Elevated concentrations of atmospheric CO₂ can negatively affect the yield as well as the quality of the field crops. Alpha-tocopherol is the major vitamin E compound found in leaf chloroplasts. This antioxidant deactivates photosynthesis-derived reactive oxygen species and prevents the propagation of lipid peroxidation by scavenging lipid …

Soil Erosion Modelling: A Bibliometric Analysis, Nejc Bezak, Matjǎz Mikǒs, Pasquale Borrelli, Christine Alewell, Dinesh Panday, Panos Panagos, 59 Co-Authors

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soil erosion can present a major threat to agriculture due to loss of soil, nutrients, and organic carbon. Therefore, soil erosion modelling is one of the steps used to plan suitable soil protection measures and detect erosion hotspots. A bibliometric analysis of this topic can reveal research patterns and soil erosion modelling characteristics that can help identify steps needed to enhance the research conducted in this field. Therefore, a detailed bibliometric analysis, including investigation of collaboration networks and citation patterns, should be conducted. The updated version of the Global Applications of Soil Erosion Modelling Tracker (GASEMT) database contains information about …

Mental Model-Based Repeated Multifaceted (Mrm) Intervention Design: A Conceptual Framework For Improving Preventive Health Behaviors And Outcomes, Mazbahul G. Ahamad, Fahian Tanin

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Objective: Field interventions employed to improve preventive health behaviors and outcomes generally use well established approaches; however, recent studies have reported that health education and promotional interventions have little to no impact on health behaviors, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to develop a conceptual framework to improve intervention designs that would internalize these concerns and limitations.

Results: We identified three major experimental design- and implementation-related concerns associated with mental models, including the balance between the treatment and control groups, the treatment group’s willingness to adopt suggested behaviors, and the type, length, frequency, intensity, and sequence of treatments. …

Grass Bud Responses To Fire In A Semiarid Savanna System, Quinn A. Hiers, Morgan L. Treadwell, Matthew B. Dickinson, Kathleen L. Kavanagh, Alexandra G. Lodge, Heath D. Starns, Doug R. Tolleson, Dirac Twidwell, Carissa L. Wonkka, William E. Rogers

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Increasingly, land managers have attempted to use extreme prescribed fire as a method to address woody plant encroachment in savanna ecosystems. The effect that these fires have on herbaceous vegetation is poorly understood. We experimentally examined immediate (<24 hr) bud response of two dominant graminoids, a C₃ caespitose grass, Nassella leucotricha, and a C₄ stoloniferous grass, Hilaria belangeri, following fires of varying energy (J/m² ) in a semiarid savanna in the Edwards Plateau ecoregion of Texas. Treatments included high- and low-energy fires determined by contrasting fuel loading and a no burn (control) treatment. Belowground axillary buds were counted and their activities classified to determine immediate effects …

Project Home Hydroponic Operations For Mars Exploration, Deanna Demattio, Nick Mcguire, Ruben A. Rosa Polonia, Benjamin T. Hufendick

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

This report considers the challenges NASA, SpaceX, and other private companies will face in the approaching two decades when sending astronauts on missions to Mars. The longest exploration is planned to take place in the 2030's, sending a crew of, at minimum, four astronauts to Mars for a year of research. The research conducted is assisting space exploration companies’ with ways to grow a complete diet on a planet that does not receive enough sunlight. Agriculture in enclosed and buried structures on Mars will enable astronauts to conduct extended surface exploration missions. We evaluated a deep-water culture indoor hydroponics system …