Current And Historical Occurrences Of Rare Coastal Plants In The Hampton Falls Salt Marshes,
2026
University of New Hampshire, Durham
Current And Historical Occurrences Of Rare Coastal Plants In The Hampton Falls Salt Marshes, Liliana T. Chirichella
Honors Theses and Capstones
A botanical survey of two sites in the Hampton Falls saltmarshes was conducted to document the occurrences of a list of eleven endangered and threatened coastal plants listed in the Natural Heritage Bureau’s NH Rare Plant List. This survey was conducted in fulfillment of the NH Native Plant Protection Act to highlight and identify target species in an area where restorative runneling is to be implemented in order to restore proper hydrology and prevent further expansion of mega-pools in the Little River and Depot Road salt marsh sites, which have been subject to historical ditching and are a part of …
[Review Of The Book A Conspectus Of The North American Isoetaceae, By D. F. Brunton, J. T. Kartesz, M. Nishino, And P. C. Sokoloff].,
2026
Old Dominion University
[Review Of The Book A Conspectus Of The North American Isoetaceae, By D. F. Brunton, J. T. Kartesz, M. Nishino, And P. C. Sokoloff]., Lytton John Musselman
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Isoetes (Isoetaceae; Lycopodiopsida; quillworts) constitutes a highly successful, cosmopolitan genus with over 200 species. Isoetes is derived from isos Greek for equal and eter for year, referring to the typically long persisting leaves of the sole genus in this ancient plant family. The leaves resemble a ‘quill-of-feather,’ hence the common name ‘Quillworts,’ wort, from old Germanic wurti, meaning plant. In large measure due to its simple form, inconspicuous appearance and negligible economic value, it represents one of the least studied and least collected of all North American genera. Isoetes constitutes a taxonomically enigmatic group with numerous polyploid species that arose …
American Elderberry's Next Top Pollinator: Evaluating The Role Of Arthropods In Pollination,
2026
Missouri State University
American Elderberry's Next Top Pollinator: Evaluating The Role Of Arthropods In Pollination, Jenny K. Burrow
Graduate Theses/Dissertations
American elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis) is a woody deciduous shrub native to eastern North America. In addition to its long history of use by indigenous peoples, there is renewed interest in cultivating and consuming American elderberry, primarily driven by expanding health supplement markets. Despite recent advances in horticultural development of American elderberry, its pollination ecology remains poorly understood. In this field study, I evaluated the contribution of arthropod visitors to pollination of American elderberry. To do this, I first characterized the identities and abundances of arthropod visitors via timed arthropod collections and floral observations during peak flowering …
Extending The Fruiting Season With Container Grown Primocane-Fruiting Blackberries Grown In A High-Tunnel,
2026
Missouri State University
Extending The Fruiting Season With Container Grown Primocane-Fruiting Blackberries Grown In A High-Tunnel, Edwin James Tucker Iii
Graduate Theses/Dissertations
Blackberry production has become an important part of many small fruit orchard operations because they’re easy to grow, produce a large crop, and sell well at market. The current blackberry season in Missouri extends from mid-June to mid-August, depending on the cultivar chosen. This fruiting season is common for floricane-fruiting blackberry cultivars (cultivars that fruit on one-year old canes). Primocane-fruiting blackberry, or blackberries that fruit on current season growth, have the potential to further extend the harvest season of blackberry into September and October especially if grown in a high-tunnel. This study had two objectives. The first objective was to …
Hydroponics In The Classroom: Cultivating Plants, Captivating Young People,
2026
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Hydroponics In The Classroom: Cultivating Plants, Captivating Young People, Stacy A. Adams, Christian Stephenson, Theresa James, Kim Todd
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Few students take the initiative to pursue coursework beyond that required for progression to graduation. Limited are opportunities that connect educational content to industry application, potentially inspiring young people towards impactful careers. The United States government has emphasized the importance of STEM education to ensure national security and to maintain economic competitiveness globally. STEM education is not a defined discipline but an approach for building knowledge through application and engagement. Developing and managing a hydroponics prototype provides numerous opportunities for embedding STEM content into a fun and interactive project. This poster provides inspiration for constructing a simple deep water culture …
Sex In Plants: Birth, Death, And Trying To Survive In Changing Climates,
2026
VCU
Sex In Plants: Birth, Death, And Trying To Survive In Changing Climates, Elena M. Meyer
Theses and Dissertations
Plant mating systems are key determinants of fitness. Angiosperms exhibit a wide variety of reproductive strategies, including self-fertilization (or selfing), outcrossing, and mixed mating. It has been estimated that up to 43% of plant species are capable of selfing, and selfing has been hypothesized to provide reproductive assurance where opportunities for mating may be limited, such as in marginal environments. However, questions regarding the overall distribution of selfing rates across angiosperms, the maintenance of mixed mating in the face of inbreeding depression, and the impact of self-fertilization on diversification rates remain incompletely resolved. Here, we explore the dynamics of self-fertilization …
A Novel 3d Imaging Approach To Study Evolutionary Innovations In Solanaceae Inflorescences,
2026
Virginia Commonwealth University
A Novel 3d Imaging Approach To Study Evolutionary Innovations In Solanaceae Inflorescences, Devin L. Jackson, Joonseog Kim, Wenheng Zhang Dr.
UROP Posters
Understanding the relatedness of angiosperms and the evolution of their inflorescence remains challenging, as these structures are highly modified and prone to convergent evolution. The current research describing inflorescence architecture, whether genetically or morphologically focused, typically relies on text based explanations, 2D images, or 3D based models created with CAD modeling software. This creates a disparity in the reader's understanding of these models since descriptions rely heavily on the author's interpretation of the inflorescence. The goal of our study is to bridge this disconnection by producing anatomically and color-correct 3D inflorescence models using Solanaceae flowers that readers can explore directly, …
Evaluating Donor Site Recovery Following Halodule Wrightii Harvest For Restoration In Northwest Florida,
2026
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Evaluating Donor Site Recovery Following Halodule Wrightii Harvest For Restoration In Northwest Florida, Katie M. Konchar, Becca A. Hatchell, Colin P. Shea, Bradley T. Furman, Kent Smith
Gulf and Caribbean Research
Bare‑root harvesting of Halodule wrightii is widely used to supply donor material for seagrass restoration, yet the capacity of donor meadows to recover in near‑temperate systems remains poorly documented. We evaluated donor‑site recovery following bare‑root harvesting in St. Andrew Bay, northwest Florida—an estuary at the northern extent of Tropical Atlantic Bioregion 2 where H. wrightii exhibits strong seasonal senescence and a shortened growing season. Thirty harvest impact sites were monitored for 388 days to quantify changes in shoot density, percent frequency, and sediment elevation relative to nearby reference conditions. Shoot density and percent frequency at harvested sites converged with reference …
Succession And Alpine Plant Habitat Of A Recently Deglaciated Foreland In The Trinity Alps, California,
2026
Cal Poly Humboldt
Succession And Alpine Plant Habitat Of A Recently Deglaciated Foreland In The Trinity Alps, California, Sebastian Evans
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
The recent extinction of the Salmon Glacier in the Trinity Alps, California, provides a rare opportunity to examine post-glacial succession in a region of high endemism experiencing climatic stress. Using a chronosequence spanning ~150 years since deglaciation, I investigated (1) vegetation successional trajectories in the foreland, (2) whether the foreland functions as a climate refugium for alpine specialists, and (3) whether facilitative interactions between the dominant vascular plant (DVP) and bryophytes occur and persist through succession. I surveyed 100 plots across 11 transects within the foreland and 40 randomized plots in adjacent ecosystems. Successional patterns and refugial potential were analyzed …
Phylogeography, Fungal Host Specificity, And Fitness In The Corallorhiza Maculata Species Complex,
2026
West Virginia University
Phylogeography, Fungal Host Specificity, And Fitness In The Corallorhiza Maculata Species Complex, Hana Thixton-Nolan
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Mycoheterotrophic plants exploit fungi for most or all nutritional needs, providing a compelling system to address the evolutionary consequences of genome reduction, population-level variation, and germination requirements. I am using the widespread Corallorhiza maculata species complex to address questions of genomic variation, fungal host specificity, morphological variation, and germination requirements across the broad geographic range from Mexico to northern North America. This complex contains C. bulbosa, C. macrantha, and C. mertensiana, the latter with three varieties (maculata, occidentalis, and mexicana). These taxa vary in flowering time, floral morphology, and fungal associations. However, the degree …
Species Boundaries Of The Rare Menzies’ Wallflower (Brassicaceae: Erysimum Menziesii), An Endemic Of The Northern California Coast,
2026
Cal Poly Humboldt
Species Boundaries Of The Rare Menzies’ Wallflower (Brassicaceae: Erysimum Menziesii), An Endemic Of The Northern California Coast, Cameron M. Jones
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Morphological similarity among geographically isolated populations can obscure deep evolutionary divergence, especially when convergent evolution under similar environmental conditions yields comparable phenotypes across independent lineages. Such cryptic diversity is likely underestimated in hotspots like the California Floristic Province (CFP), a global biodiversity hotspot, defined by its Mediterranean-like climate and encompassing most of California, southwestern Oregon, and northwest Baja California. The CFP is home to a disproportionate number of narrow endemics whose origins and evolutionary relationships remain poorly understood. Here, I investigate the evolutionary origins of Erysimum menziesii (Brassicaceae), a federally endangered California coastal dune endemic whose fragmented distribution has led …
Assessing A Half-Century Of Change In Understory Plant Range And Frequency In The Klamath Mountains Of California,
2026
Cal Poly Humboldt
Assessing A Half-Century Of Change In Understory Plant Range And Frequency In The Klamath Mountains Of California, Emily Jean Jackson
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
The effects of climate change have and will continue to impact plant communities, including by potentially shifting species’ ranges towards topographically sheltered, cooler locations or higher elevations. In 2024, I resampled 140 vegetation plots established in 1969 in the Klamath Mountains of Northern California to assess range shifts of 46 understory species over a 55-year period. During this time, the elevational distribution of all species has increased significantly by an average of 26.9 m, but this increase was slower than necessary to track historic temperature niches given regional warming (215-311 m). Despite this overall increase, only four species exhibited significant …
A New Dioecious Bush Tomato, Solanum Nectarifolium (Solanaceae), From The Northern Tanami Desert, Northern Territory, Australia, With Reassessment Of S. Ossicruentum And A Change In The Circumscription Of S. Dioicum,
2025
Bucknell University
A New Dioecious Bush Tomato, Solanum Nectarifolium (Solanaceae), From The Northern Tanami Desert, Northern Territory, Australia, With Reassessment Of S. Ossicruentum And A Change In The Circumscription Of S. Dioicum, Christopher T. Martine, Kym Brennan, Jason T. Cantley, Aiden Webb, Geoffrey Newton
Faculty Journal Articles
A new species of functionally dioecious bush tomato from the “Solanum dioicum + S. echinatum group” of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum nectarifolium Martine & Brennan, sp. nov., is a member of the taxonomically challenging Solanum dioicum W.Fitzg. species complex in Australia and differs from other species in the group by the presence of prominent and conspicuous extrafloral nectaries on the abaxial leaf surfaces, a tinge of purple on the new growth and young fruiting calyces, and curved prickles on young stems. Although fairly well represented in herbarium collections, this new taxon has historically been treated as a …
Clerodendrum Kelli (Lamiaceae), A New Species From Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, And Lectotypification Of Clerodendrum Mindorense,
2025
Ateneo de Manila University
Clerodendrum Kelli (Lamiaceae), A New Species From Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, And Lectotypification Of Clerodendrum Mindorense, David Justin R. Ples, Jacek Patykowski, John Charles A. Altomonte, Adriene B. Tobias, Rene Alfred Anton Bustamante
Biology Faculty Publications
Clerodendrum kelli (Lamiaceae), a new species from the montane forests of Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, is described and illustrated. The species shares morphological features with Clerodendrum quadriloculare and C. mindorense, but differs in inflorescence structure, corolla tube length, and calyx shape and color. A lectotype for C. mindorense is also designated. Preliminary conservation assessment places C. kelli in the Critically Endangered category (CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)). This study contributes to Philippine plant biodiversity knowledge and informs conservation strategies.
Oregon State Rank Assessment For Plumed Clover (Trifolium Plumosum Var. Plumosum),
2025
Portland State University
Oregon State Rank Assessment For Plumed Clover (Trifolium Plumosum Var. Plumosum), Nora Dunkirk
Institute for Natural Resources Publications
Oregon state conservation status assessment for Plumed Clover (Trifolium plumosum var. plumosum) using NatureServe methodology, 2025.
Exploring The Potential Of Martian Agriculture: Assessing Viability And Nutritional Composition Of Plants Cultivated In Martian Regolith,
2025
Harding University
Exploring The Potential Of Martian Agriculture: Assessing Viability And Nutritional Composition Of Plants Cultivated In Martian Regolith, Abigail Ross
Honors Theses
In addition to sunlight and water, plants can utilize a small number of nutrients from the soil to biosynthesize all the materials that are needed for growth and development. However, plants require an environment where they are able to obtain those nutrients, such as iron, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, and nitrogen. Environmental factors determine the types and accessibility of nutrients available to plants. Plants then take up these nutrients from the soil to aid in biological mechanisms and the synthesis of important molecules needed for growth and development. Ascorbic acid, commonly known as Vitamin C, is a vital molecule that is …
Patch Mow Grazing: Investigating The Effects Of Mowing On Forage Nutritive Value, The Biomass–Nutritive Value Relationship, And Herbivore Selection,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Patch Mow Grazing: Investigating The Effects Of Mowing On Forage Nutritive Value, The Biomass–Nutritive Value Relationship, And Herbivore Selection, Trace R. Stauble
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Herbivore foraging behavior plays a critical role in shaping grassland structural heterogeneity, with selection often driven by forage biomass and nutritive value. Currently, it is thought that herbivores primarily select areas that are greater in nutritive value, and low in biomass. More specifically, disturbances like fire and grazing have been thoroughly studied showing that recently burned and grazed areas are not only higher in nutritive value but disproportionately selected by herbivores in comparison to undisturbed areas. However, most studies address only narrow ranges of defoliation, comparing intensely defoliated sites (< 10 cm) to those that are either not defoliated or have experienced a much longer time since defoliation, thereby decreasing grazing pressure as biomass increases. However, one of the most widely used methods of defoliation in grasslands, mowing, hasn’t been thoroughly studied for its effects on nutritive value, and how it impacts herbivore selection. Our study aimed to (1) evaluate how mowing treatments—i.e., short (5 cm), medium (18 cm), and tall (>30 cm, unmown)—affect nutritive value and herbivore selection, (2) assess …
Cover Crop Influence On Arthropod Biodiversity And Soil–Water Dynamics In A Semi-Arid Maize–Soybean Sequence Of The Nebraska High Plains,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Cover Crop Influence On Arthropod Biodiversity And Soil–Water Dynamics In A Semi-Arid Maize–Soybean Sequence Of The Nebraska High Plains, Carlos Eduardo De Oliveira Martins
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
With the expansion of cover crop (CC) use in semi-arid regions, producers in the Nebraska High Plains are increasingly interested in understanding how CCs influence both beneficial arthropods and soil-water within maize-soybean (Zea mays L., Glycine max [L.] Merr.) rotations. Integrating CCs in these systems can enhance soil water availability and beneficial insect activity, but potential trade-offs include higher early-season water use by CCs and the risk of increasing potential pest populations. This thesis addresses these questions through two complementary studies conducted under field conditions near Brule, Nebraska. The first study evaluated the effects of a multi-species CC mixture …
Post-Fire Soil Health Assessment Of The Grasslands And Woodlands In The Semi-Arid Nebraska Sandhills,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Post-Fire Soil Health Assessment Of The Grasslands And Woodlands In The Semi-Arid Nebraska Sandhills, Stephanie M. Lugo
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Grasslands in the Nebraska Sandhills are shaped by natural wildfires, which help maintain the structure and function of native grasslands. In recent decades, afforestation with ponderosa pine and eastern redcedar has introduced new woodlands that altered the region’s fire dynamics and raised important questions about the effects of wildfire on different vegetation types. As wildfires become more frequent, understanding their impacts on soil health in grasslands and woodlands becomes increasingly important. This study examines the short-term effects of the 2022 Bovee Fire on physical, chemical, and biological soil properties in native grasslands and ponderosa pine and eastern redcedar afforested woodlands. …
Evaluating Metamitron Efficacy For Glyphosate-Resistant Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus Palmeri) Management In Sugarbeet Across The Central High Plains,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Evaluating Metamitron Efficacy For Glyphosate-Resistant Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus Palmeri) Management In Sugarbeet Across The Central High Plains, Abraham Akuoko
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Herbicide-resistant (HR) Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) is regarded as one of the most prominent weeds within sugarbeet fields across the Central High Plains, with limited chemical control options. Although a few herbicides are available, their use is restrictive due to crop injury concerns and can only be applied at or after the 2–4 true leaf (TL) growth stage, which will provide no control for already emerged weeds. However, Palmer amaranth often emerges between sugarbeet planting and the 2 TL sugarbeet growth stage. Consequently, as of 2023, there were no herbicide options to control Palmer amaranth in sugarbeet …
