Botany Commons^™

Catching A Fever: A Comparison Of Vachellia Xanthophloea Populations In The Limpopo And Luvuvhu River Floodplains Of The Makuleke Contractual Park, Kianie B. David

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study investigates patterns of stand structure regeneration, growth characteristics, and coarse woody debris (CWD) patterns in Vachellia xanthophloea (fever tree) stands within the Makuleke Contractual Park (MCP), a semi-arid savanna system in northern Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa. Fieldwork was conducted across two stand types: a monospecific fever tree stand in Rietbok Vlei and a mixed-species stand in the Western Nhlangaluwe Floodplain where fever tree is established with Faidherbia albida (ana tree). Data were collected from 20 total 1/4-acre (1,011 m²) circular plots between both stands in 2024 and 2025, including seedling root collar diameter (RCD), …

Insights Into The Floral Senescence Effects Of Nanoparticles, Vuk Uskoković

Administration and Staff Articles and Research

Flowers could be valuable addenda to nanomedicine labs as in vivo models crossing the gap between the cell culture and small mammals. However, as it is shown here, floral models continue to be predominantly utilized within resource-limited research environments and remain largely underrepresented in mainstream biomedical investigations conducted by well-funded institutions in the developed world. The ability to delay the senescence of Orange Jubilee wildflowers was tested here on three types of nanoparticles: selenite-doped hydroxyapatite (HAp), citrate-stabilized HAp, and superparamagnetic iron oxide. Integration of selenite into the HAp crystal lattice produced a mild increase in the senescence rate …

The Ecophysiology Of The Enigmatic Namib Succulent, Lithops Ruschiorum, Garrett Macleod Althausen

Environmental Studies Senior Theses

Water availability is the primary constraint for plant survival and reproduction in hyper-arid ecosystems. In such environments, plant fitness depends on an alignment between physiological traits and limited water resources. The Namib Desert of Namibia exemplifies this extreme selection pressure. Within the Namib Desert, Lithops ruschiorum, a succulent endemic to the gravel plains, exhibits habitat specificity and numerous physiological adaptations to cope with the hyper-aridity.

This research explores the intersection of two fitness strategies for L. ruschiorum: habitat selection and exploitation of alternative moisture sources. The first chapter explores the population dynamics and micro-site habitat conditions preferred by …

The Ethnobotany And Pharmacology Of Medicinal Plants For Caribbean Women’S Health, Ella Thomas Vardeman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Approximately 55% of the world’s population lives in cities, and the United Nations estimates that this number will rise to 68% by 2050. Urban ethnobotany, the study of people’s traditional knowledge and use of plants in cities, is increasingly important as people adapt their cultural traditions to changing environments. In New York City (NYC), there have been several urban ethnobotany investigations in collaboration with Caribbean immigrant groups. However, there has yet to be an ethnobotanical survey that documents and botanically authenticates the medicinal plants used in the Haitian community. Previous collaborative research with women from the Caribbean in NYC has …

Subalpine And Alpine Plant Community Turnover In Yosemite National Park Following 30 Years Of Climate Warming, Rachel Friesen

Master's Theses

Subalpine and alpine regions in California are warming more rapidly than lower elevations. In response, high-elevation plants may acclimate or adapt to the new climate, move to higher elevations or latitudes, persist in refugia, or go extinct. While models predict substantial declines in subalpine and alpine plant communities due to discontinuous population distributions and lack of upslope area, actual responses may vary due to lags in dispersal, establishment, and extinction. Although shifts in high-elevation plant communities have been documented in other regions of the world, such changes have not yet been studied in Yosemite National Park. To assess high-elevation plant …

Fire Fossils: Biomineral Infrastructures In Untangling Climates, Tanmayee More

Masters Theses

Diatoms drift, sediments sink, wildfires generate their own weather. Lightning strikes can blast sand into glass, and microscopic organisms do the same in the cold recesses of the ocean. What alchemies and metabolisms catalyze space, time, and energy? What are the thermodynamics of infrastructure in Climate Change?

Places, materials, and beings are afterimages. Through alchemical experiments, and multi-scalar imaging, I develop simulations of wildfires, and their profound, reverberating effects. In this thesis, a glass-meets-landscape experimental process enters these obscured conditions and renders new material relations for the built environment.

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Maritime Goldfields (Lasthenia Maritima), Nora Dunkirk, Gabriel E. Campbell

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for maritime goldfields (Lasthenia maritima) using NatureServe methodology, 2025.

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Siskiyou Iris (Iris Bracteata), Nora Dunkirk

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Siskiyou iris (Iris bracteata) using NatureServe methodology, 2025.

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Clackamas Iris (Iris Tenuis), Nora Dunkirk

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Clackamas iris (Iris tenuis) using NatureServe methodology, 2025.

Pollinator Plant Communities Within Restored Montane Longleaf Pine Ecosystems, Hanen Van Rossem

Master's Theses

Historically the fire-dependent and biodiverse longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem was the dominant ecosystem of the Southeastern US. This ecosystem’s range was massively reduced due to land conversion and fire exclusion, causing the decline of many native species. Efforts to restore and protect longleaf pine stands are now ongoing with the goal of expanding habitat and refuge for threatened species. Differences in restoration practices and prior land use may influence the extent to which restored habitat patches can support pollinators and their plants. This study compared pollinator plant biodiversity between restored neighboring montane longleaf pine stands that differed in …

Natural Microbial Consortium Construction Strategy From Rhizospheric Agricultural Soils To Improve Wheat (Triticum Durum Desf.) Seedling Growth, Ni̇da Arslan, Mi̇ne Gül Şeker, Özlem Akkaya, Yelda Özden Çi̇ftçi̇

Turkish Journal of Botany

Microbial consortia of compatible microorganisms play a key role in enhancing agricultural sustainability by optimizing nutrient uptake by promoting plant growth more effectively. This study aimed to identify local isolates with the most effective plant growth-promoting (PGP) properties and to form a consortium of isolates showing the optimal synergistic effect between plant and bacterial components to improve the growth of wheat plants. For this purpose, 48 isolates identified from 145 isolates were screened for their PGP activities. According to the results, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to identify the six isolates exhibiting the most promising activity. Different consortium groups …

Molecular Crosstalk Of Transcription Factors And Hormones In Drought Tolerance Genes In Plants, Cengi̇z Kaya

Turkish Journal of Botany

Water deficit is a critical challenge to global agricultural productivity and food security, which is exacerbated by climate change and increasing water scarcity. To withstand drought stress, plants employ a variety of molecular strategies driven by complex regulatory networks. This review examines the central role of transcription factors (TFs) as master regulators that activate drought responsive genes, which in turn mediate key adaptive processes such as osmoregulation, antioxidative defense, and membrane stability. A distinctive aspect of this review is its focus on the dynamic interplay between TFs and hormonal signaling pathways, including abscisic acid, ethylene, salicylic acid, and jasmonic acid. …

Taxonomic Revision Of Korean Salix Section Subviminales Based On Comparative Morphology And Complete Plastome Analysis, Young Moon Kim, Shukherdorj Baasanmunkh, Nudkhuu Nyamgerel, Won Seok Lee, Dong Chan Son, In Kyu Park, Bom Bi Jin, Hyo Sig Won, Hyeok Jae Choi

Turkish Journal of Botany

Salix section Subviminales, including only three species, is endemic to East Asia. In this study, we revised three species, S. gracilistyla, S. graciliglans, and S. blinii in Korea based on their plastomes and extensive morphological analyses to provide a comprehensive understanding of their taxonomic relationships. Based on our findings, we identified the morphological characteristics of S. blinii endemic to Korea, including its small size and distinct leaf shapes, which are well distinguished from both S. gracilistyla and S. graciliglans. Most of the morphological characteristics of S. gracilistyla and S. graciliglans overlapped, particularly leaf shape, floral structure, and growth habits. Next, …

Ecological Assessment Of Lentic Ecosystems In Ceyhan River Basin Using Phytoplankton Indices, Abuzer Çelekli̇, Emi̇ne Yonca Gümüş, Tolga Çeti̇n

Turkish Journal of Botany

Increasing exploitation of water resources has led to declining water quality in aquatic environments. Freshwater ecosystems face various environmental pressures, such as the impacts of climate change and intensifying land-use practices. This study aimed to assess the ecological preferences of phytoplankton communities and determine the ecological status (ES) of several reservoirs and lakes in Ceyhan River Basin across different seasons. A canonical correspondence analysis was conducted to understand the associations between phytoplankton assemblages and stressors in freshwater ecosystems, revealing a strong correlation of 97%. The factors that most influenced the distribution of phytoplankton species were electrical conductivity (EC), temperature, total …

A New Species From Türkiye: Erigeron Akaydinii (Asteraceae), Batikan Günal, Gürkan Semi̇z, Sultan Akyol

Turkish Journal of Botany

Erigeron akaydinii Günal & Semiz sp. nov., belonging to the Trimorpha Cass. (DC) section (Asteraceae), is described as a new species from Uludağ Mountain (Bursa, Türkiye). This study examines the diagnostic traits of E. akaydinii and related species, including morphological, palynological, and molecular analyses. Notes on the ecology, distribution, and conservation status of the new species are also provided, along with a diagnostic key for relevant taxa.

Genome-Wide Association Of Gene Regions Controlling Selenium And Magnesium Accumulation In Walnuts (Juglans Regia L.), İrem Büyükalgan, Bülent Yağmur, Erdal Orman, Muhammed Bahatti̇n Tanyolaç, Duygu Ateş

Turkish Journal of Botany

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is one of the most economically important species. It is of great importance to the food industry due to its nutritional value, and high content of many beneficial components such as macro and microelements. In the current study, the aim was to determine markers of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associated with the gene(s) controlling the accumulation of Selenium (Se) and Magnesium (Mg) in walnuts. Se and Mg concentrations were measured in 154 genotypes of Juglans regia in 2021 and 2022. A total of 16,473 SNP markers were used for association mapping to analyze the marker-trait associations. …

A New Coralloid Arecoid Palm Root Mat From The Deccan Intertrappean Beds Of India And Its Significance, Sanchita Kumar, Robert Spicer, Mahasin Ali Khan

Turkish Journal of Botany

A new fossil-species of coralloid palm root mat under the organ genus Rhizopalmoxylon is reported from the latest Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) to earliest Danian (Early Palaeocene) sediments (c. 66–65Ma) of the Deccan Intertrappean Beds of Madhya Pradesh, Central India. The significant anatomical attributes, specifically an exodermis comprising 2–4 layered parenchymatous cells; a 5–8 layered homogeneous outer cortex, a highly lacunate inner cortex central diffuse layer of aerenchyma with well-developed radially elongated cells arranged in 2–4 rows, and a stele consisting of radial and exarch vascular bundles with proto and metaxylem strands reveal its close resemblance to root mats of extant …

Complete Genome Analyses Of A Novel Narlivirus Identified In The Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Amanita Vidua, Ilgaz Akata, Eda Kumru, Gülce Edi̇ş, Ertuğrul Kaya, Ergi̇n Şahi̇n

Turkish Journal of Botany

The widespread utilisation of deep sequencing has dramatically enhanced and revolutionised our understanding of virus diversity, particularly in complex environments such as soil and biological samples. This research explored mycovirus sequence analyses in the ectomycorrhizal fungus Amanita vidua, utilising deep sequencing alongside total double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) extractions. Our investigation unveiled a unique member of the proposed family, Narliviridae, designated as Amanita vidua narlivirus 1 (AvNV1), in an A. vidua specimen. AvNV1, classified under Amabiliviricetes, possesses a distinct genome structure and sequence attributes. T horough analyses indicated that AvNV1 exhibits sequence similarities with other mycoviruses from the proposed family Narliviridae and …

Unveiling The Physical Interaction Between Gsnor1 And Trx-H Isoforms, Anika Tabassum, Gary J. Loake

Turkish Journal of Botany

This study aims to investigate any possible interaction between two highly conserved regulators of cellular SNO levels: S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR1) and thioredoxin (TRX). These two enzymes control global S-nitrosylation levels and thus impact the cellular redox state during immune responses. A mutant line (Δtrx1trx2sfa1) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae MaV203 strain was generated to explore this possibility rather than using a classical strain. We identified and characterized the physical interaction between GSNOR1 and Arabidopsis cytosolic h isoforms in a yeast two-hybrid screen. Out of the seven TRX isoforms, AtGSNOR1 displayed a high interaction with AtTRXh3, AtTRXh4, and AtTRXh5 (AtTRXh5>AtTRXh4 & AtTRXh3). …

Understanding Temporal Changes In Leaf Traits Of Native Smilax Rotundifolia And Invasive Lonicera Japonica Using Long-Term Herbarium Records From Kentucky, Claudia Ebbecke, Claudia Ebbecke

Honors College Theses

Herbarium specimens are the most valuable, verifiable, and sustainable records to study the impacts of climate change on natural ecosystems. Temporal herbarium data can provide critical information on how species respond to changes in habitat conditions by tracking changes in species’ morphological and phenological traits. This study aims to use Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and common greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia) to assess the impact of climate change on invasive and native plants. Leaf traits, such as leaf size and stomatal density are good indicators of plant’s adaptation to the changing environment. By examining changes in leaf traits …