The Guiana Shield: 20 Years and Counting by Vicki A
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Department of Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium TheThe PlantPlant PressPress New Series - Vol. 10 - No. 2 April-June 2007 Botany Profile The Guiana Shield: 20 Years and Counting By Vicki A. Funk he Biological Diversity of the of sand were successively laid down and Likewise faunal studies are in short Guiana Shield (BDG) program cemented during thermal events. The supply so while birds and mammals have Thas operated in the National resulting quartzite and sandstone rocks been studied in a number of places, the Museum of Natural History for over 20 are known today as the Roraima forma- vast majority of the Shield remains years and although the program interacts tion. Some recent work has suggested that under explored. with many departments and bureaus the eastern rocks are the oldest; this across the Smithsonian Institution, it is would make the Pakaraima Mountains of DG is a field-oriented program closely associated with the Department Guyana and the eastern parts of Venezuela that has been operating since of Botany. The goals of BDG are 1) to older than the remainder of the Roraima B1983 (federally funded since document, study, and preserve the bio- formation. 1987). Originally confined to botany diversity of the Guiana Shield, 2) to The area is dotted with tepuis, the and Guyana, the least well-known, most provide the opportunity for excellent steep-walled table mountains prominently biologically diverse of the three scientific research, and, 3) to make featured in photos and films, many of Guianas, the program has since been information generated by these studies which support a unique flora and fauna. expanded to include faunal studies and useful for conservation and education. The easternmost peaks reach heights field work in the other parts of the The Guiana Shield is a distinct geo- around 2,000 meters and include Mt. Shield. From 1986-1998 the BDG logical unit that underlies the northeast- Ayanganna and Mt. Wokomung in Guyana. maintained full-time plant collectors in ern corner of South America and The highest tepui, Sierra de la Neblina, Guyana and each year approximately six includes much of the area east and south exceeds 3,000 meters and is located in major expeditions were organized, and of the Orinoco River and east and north the western part of the Shield on the other expeditions, involving a total of of the Rio Negro and Rio Amazonas. The border of Venezuela and Brazil. Many 20-30 visiting scientists took place. The area includes Bolívar, Amazonas, and other tepuis have summits between 2,000 continued budget cuts of the 1990s Delta Amacuro states in Venezuela; most and 2,400 meters. A large, mid-elevation, made it impossible to continue the of Guyana, Surinam, and French Guiana; sandy plateau between 400 and 1,500 practice of full-time field work, and the parts of northern Brazil; and parts of meters, the Gran Sabana, occupies south- program shifted to sending resident southeastern Colombia. The area has eastern Venezuela and adjacent parts of collectors to Guyana for 4-6 months many unusual ecosystems including the Guyana (where it is named the Rupununi each year or having a series of targeted famous tepuis of Sir Arthur Conan Savanna) and Brazil and there are also expeditions. In recent years there have Doyle’s “The Lost World” and the unique variously-sized areas of lowland white- been resident collectors for butterflies “Greenheart” forests of Guyana, all of sand savanna scattered throughout the and moths, ants, birds, and plants. which have high endemicity. Guiana Shield (e.g., Berbice Savannas of In many ways modern day field work The Shield’s igneous-metamorphic Guyana). resembles the legendary trips of old. basement was laid down in several events There are well-known floras for only a For although it is easier on both ends of from 3.6 to 0.8 billion years ago. This few parts of the Guiana Shield, such as the trip (e.g., airplanes) and we collect granitic basement is easily observed in Mount Roraima (Venezuela, Guyana, new types of data (e.g., DNA samples, the many black “hills” of granite that dot Brazil), the Iwokrama-Mabura Hill area GPS coordinates), the major part of the landscape across the Guiana Shield and Kaieteur (Guyana), Tafelberg (Suri- field work is essentially the same as it and is also exposed on some of the nam), and Saül (central French Guiana). was during the time of Humboldt (1799- mountains and massifs. Between 1.6 and Most areas, such as the lowland forests 1804) and Spruce (1849-1864): a lot of 1 billion years ago, sedimentary covers and tepui slopes, are very poorly known. Continued on page 12 Visitors Wenying Wu, Philipps University, Erik Krause, Emory University; Kevin John Page Cotton, Jeffrey Leon, Sam Germany; Nolana (Solanaceae) (2/28/06- Gress, University of Texas, Arlington; Raker and Bryan Randolph, George 2/27/08). Josh Propp, University of Texas, Austin; Washington University; Medicinal plants Medicinal plants of antiquity (1/8-1/12). of antiquity (1/29-6/30). Hui Ren, South China Botanical Garden; Vitaceae (5/7/06-4/1/07). Daniel Stancik, Charles University, Dylan Burge, Duke University; Recent Czech Republic; Festuca (Poaceae) (1/8- and fossil Paliurus (Rhamnaceae), paleo- Konstantyn Romaschenko, National 2/8). botany of type specimens (2/13-2/16). Academy of Science of Ukranie; Poaceae, Stipeae (11/30/06-5/30/07). Charlotte Riggs, Wesleyan University; Ihsan Al-Shehbaz, Missouri Botanical Plant conservation (1/8-2/20). Garden; Brassicaceae (2/13-2/16). Oscar Vargas, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia; Diplostephium (Asteraceae) Mary Stensvold, National Forest Nick Turland, Missouri Botanical Gar- (12/9/06-1/13/07). Service; North American Botrychium den; Flora of China (2/13-2/16). (Ophioglossaceae) (1/9; 1/12). Ki-Oug Yoo, Kangwon National Univer- Peter Lowry, Missouri Botanical Gar- sity, South Korea; Coryloideae and Doug Ripley, US Air Force retired; den; Araliaceae (2/16). Vitaceae (12/12/06-12/11/07). Image processing (1/10). Steffi Ickert-Bond, University of Alaska, Cody Hinchliff, Washington State Carl Taylor, National Science Founda- Fairbanks; Altingiaceae (2/19-3/1). University; Cyperaceae of Guianas and tion; North American Dryopteris United States (1/1-1/7). (Dryopteridaceae) (1/12). Four Seasons Garden Club, Washing- ton, DC; Tour of Botany greenhouses (2/ Jim Cohen, Cornell University; Litho- Jorge Perez, Universidad Nacional de 24). spermum (Boraginaceae) and related Colombia; Neotropical Prunus (Ro- genera (1/2). saceae) and Colombian Rosaceae (1/21- Lawrence Stritch, United States Depart- 3/23). ment of Agriculture; Endangered Puerto Niki Papavramidou, University of Rican trees (3/1). Thessaloniki, Greece; Greek medicinal Tamara McKimmie, Marcia Sprules plants of antiquity, Historia Plantarum and Leslie Valenza, Earthwatch Institute; John Mitchell and Susan Pell, New collection (1/5-2/28). Medicinal plants of antiquity (1/22-1/26). York Botanical Garden; Anacardiaceae (3/ 1-4/1). Matthew Cimino, Salisbury University; Ling Zhang, Xishuangbanna Tropical Soil sampling of herbarium specimens (1/ Botanic Garden (XTBG), Chinese Lei Xie, Chinese Academy of Sciences; 7). Academy of Sciences; Instant Identifica- Clematis (Ranunculaceae), Circaea and tion System (1/22/07-1/21/08). Fuchsia (Onagraceae) (3/1/07-2/1/09). The Plant Press Mary Byrne, Bureau of Land Manage- Maureen Murphy, University of Mary Washington; Wilkes project (3/5-3/9). New Series - Vol. 10 - No. 2 ment; Seeds of Success Exchange Program (1/23). Chang Liu, Idaho State University; Chair of Botany Lisa Leno, George Mason University; Myodoraceae (3/9-3/14). Warren L. Wagner ([email protected]) Internship interview (1/23). Yaowu Yuan, University of Washington; Nancy Mulry, Independent researcher; Verbenaceae (3/9-3/14). EDITORIAL STAFF Volunteer interview (1/25). Tom Wendt, University of Texas; Po- Editor lygala (Polygalaceae) (3/12-3/14). Gary Krupnick Monica Reardon, George Mason University; Mexican ethnobotany (1/29). ([email protected]) Continued on page 5 News Contacts MaryAnn Apicelli, Robert Faden, Ellen Farr, Shirley Maina, Rusty Russell, Alice Travel Tangerini, and Elizabeth Zimmer Pedro Acevedo traveled to Raleigh, – 3/28) to conduct library research on the The Plant Press is a quarterly publication provided North Carolina (2/1 – 2/2) to attend the final supplements to Taxonomic Litera- free of charge. If you would like to be added to the dissertation defense of graduate student ture, edition 2 and to use the herbarium. mailing list, please contact Dr. Gary Krupnick at: Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, PO Alexander Krimps at North Carolina State Robert Faden traveled to London, Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, DC University. England (2/23 – 3/24) to conduct 20013-7012, or by E-mail: [email protected]. Laurence Dorr and Dan Nicolson research on African Commelinaceae at traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts (2/ the Royal Botanic Garden Kew. Web site: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany 20 – 2/28) and to Bronx, New York (3/25 Vicki Funk traveled to Guyana (2/24 Page 2 Plants, Science, and People, Oh My! Editor’s Note n my research on conservation biology, I utilize and analyze History (page 7). Using botanical and anthropological collec- data from herbarium specimens on a daily basis. Knowing tions, the exhibit tells six stories that describe the manner in Ithe “who, what, where and when” of collected specimens which local cultures from the Southwest United States and allows me to assess the conservation status of many species. Mexico used specific plants more than 100 years ago. This One aspect of the specimens that I often overlook is the “why.” exhibit draws on the research of Rusty Russell’s group, which Many of the specimens in the U.S. National Herbarium was featured in the Plant Press in 2006 (Vol.