Polypodium Scouleri (Leather Polypody) Photo: Dawn Hanna NPSBC Cover Story: Polypodium Scouleri Native Plant Society of British Columbia
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menziesia Winter 2013 NPSBC Native Plant Society of British Columbia www.npsbc.org Volume 18, Issue 1 Polypodium scouleri (leather polypody) Photo: Dawn Hanna NPSBC Native Plant Society of British Columbia Cover story: Polypodium scouleri Our Mission hotographer Dawn Hanna The purpose of the Native Plant Society captured the cover image of of British Columbia is to encourage PolypodiumP scouleri. knowledge, appreciation, responsible use She writes: “This particular and conservation of BC’s native plants and specimen of leather polpody was habitats. growing on a tree near the shore at Schooner Cove in Pacific Rim National Park. Getting the shot Board of Directors involved climbing a large pile of driftwood and balancing on Dawn Hanna, President [email protected] a protruding log about 15 feet above some rocks. Who ever said Ron Long, Vice President native plant appreciation wasn’t [email protected] 604-469-1651 dangerous? :-) Polypodium scouleri is found Eleanor Anderson, Treasurer on the west coast of North [email protected] America from BC as far south as Guadalupe Island off Baja Helen Gowans, Secretary [email protected] California. I think it is among the most beautiful of BC’s ferns.” Hugh Daubeny [email protected] 604-731-8537 Laura Duncan [email protected] 250-427-2600 Jamie Fenneman In This Issue: [email protected] Feature articles are the sole Terry McIntosh responsibility of their authors. Opinions [email protected] expressed therein are not necessarily Moralea Milne those of the Native Plant Society of BC. [email protected] 250-478-3838 Features: Virginia Skilton [email protected] 604-536-3529 Pink Mountain Biodiversity Research .... 3 Plants unpack winter coats ...................... 4 Evening speakers coordinator Discussion Group Terry McIntosh Native plants play starring role in water Subscribe to the NPSBC conservation in Summerland .............5 electronic list for information NPSBC inquiries: Ross Waddell, Information Coordinator, A closer look at bitter cherry ............. 7 and discussion on native plants 604-255-5719 [email protected] Invasive species threaten native plants ... 9 and habitats, current projects and upcoming events. Plant sniffs out danger .......................10 TO SUBSCRIBE: Visit http:// Climate change affects Erythonium.... 11 lists.vvv.com/mailman/ Gene helps plants flower in spring ...........12 listinfo/npsbc and follow the menziesia Douglas fir used in nanodevices ........... 14 instructions. Dawn Hanna, Editor and Layout TO SEND MAIL to the list Erin Skelton, Proofreading Departments: (after subscribing), email [email protected] Coming events ...................................... 13 Menziesia submissions and queries: TO CHANGE SETTINGS [email protected] or send enquiries to the list Menziesia is published four times a year. Regular columns: administrators, visit http://lists. Subscription is included with Canning’s crossword ........................... 15 vvv.com/mailman/listinfo/ NPSBC membership. npsbc 2 menziesia Winter 2013 Pink Mountain Biodiversity Research Initiative needs your support Story and photos by Ron Long ink Mountain is located 120 km north of Fort St. John in northern British Columbia. The Pmountain is unique in the province for its rich flora and fauna. Preliminary studies on the flora of the summit plateau reveals that Pink Mountain hosts more red- and blue-listed species (endangered or threatened) than any other location in the province north of Vancouver (Conservation Data Centre information). Examinations of adjacent peaks show only a few flowering plant species, suggesting Pink Mountain is exceptional for its diversity. To date, 12 red- and blue-listed plant species have been identified. In addition to the listed species, Pink Mountain also hosts a number of Gentiana prostrata (moss botanical curiosities. For example, gentian), above, and the southernmost populations of Rhododendron lapponicum some Arctic species, such as the rare (Lapland rosebay), at right, Rhododendron lapponicum, can be are two of the stunning species found on Pink found. Two species of orchids not Mountain. otherwise known to occur in tundra habitats are located on the mountain, while subalpine plants such as fact that no comprehensive Zygadenus elegans can be found on biodiversity survey has the tundra summit. The exquisite and ever been done on Pink odd can also be found: two miniature Mountain by qualified gentians and a rare Corydalis are scientists. There is also here, as are five species of the more to discover in this partially-parasitic genus Pedicularis. unique location, and The exceptional plant biodiversity many questions yet to of Pink Mountain is matched by an be answered. Despite extensive fauna: large populations its importance to BC’s of elk, moose, whitetail deer, Stone’s biodiversity, Pink sheep, mountain caribou and black Mountain is under threat bear frequent the mountain, as well of development from the as smaller rarely-seen animals like proposed construction of a the pine marten. The mountaintop wind farm. dozens of wind turbines will destroy supports a substantial population Wind turbines have already the ecological uniqueness of Pink of hoary marmots and a diversity of been tested on the summit of Mountain. birds such as the golden eagle and Pink Mountain, and the impact of A letter writing campaign over horned lark. Pink Mountain is known maintaining that single test site has the past two years has made the worldwide in the butterfly community been severe and has been observed to provincial government aware of for its assemblage of rare Arctic directly affect one of the threatened the special assemblage of plant and butterfly species. Geologically, Pink plant species. The only known site of animal species that exist on Pink Mountain is also the southernmost a blue-listed buttercup species on the Mountain, and has pressed for the occurrence of permafrost in BC. summit was extensively damaged by creation of a preserve on a portion Much of this is recent knowledge heavy equipment, easily halving the of the summit. Results have been and has been determined despite the number of plants. The installation of Pink Mountain, continued on page 4 Winter 2013 menziesia 3 Pink Mountain, cont. from page 3 disappointing and no indication of interest has been received from the government. More needs to be done. Presentations to nature societies and gardening clubs around the province have generated significant interest from club members wanting to preserve the ecological integrity of Pink Mountain. While I invite continued help with lobbying the government on behalf of Pink Mountain’s biodiversity, it is also necessary to bolster the argument for preservation with additional scientific evidence. With this evidence in hand, the government will be hard-pressed to ignore the need to preserve Pink Mountain. A proposed Pink Mountain Biodiversity Research Initiative (PMBRI), intended to further document and study the flora and fauna of Pink Mountain, has been endorsed by the UBC Botanical Garden and the Native Plant Society of BC. PMBRI will involve three months of field study to cover the entire bloom and seed-set period of the flora of Pink Mountain, with a preceding planning period. Several months of lab and herbarium analysis will follow the field study. Seeds will be collected for propagation and for eventual distribution to gardeners through a seed exchange program. Certain organizations are being asked to commit up to $3,000 (suggested $500 to $1000) to help fund the initiative. Once a commitment of $30,000 has been raised to fund this yearlong study by a doctoral student and several undergraduate assistants, the organizations will be asked to submit the actual funds. But it’s not just organizations that can help. You can lend your individual support to the Pink Mountain Biodiversity Research Initiative with a personal donation. The University of BC Botanical Garden will support Pedicularis lanata (woolly lousewort) PMBRI through managing the donated funds and administering the hiring of the researchers, as well as As time is of the essence, the study must be carried out providing research support (e.g., helping to identify plant during 2013, so your early commitment before February specimens). A full accounting of funds will be available to all 1, 2013 would be much appreciated. contributing organizations. If your group would like to know more about Pink At the end of the research period, the scientific report will Mountain before (or after) making a funding decision, I be submitted to the BC Minister of Resource Operations, am available to give a detailed slide presentation. the BC Minister of Environment and to all contributing Thank you for your support. Please contact me with organizations. any inquiries at [email protected] Plants unpack winter coats when days get shorter echanisms that protect plants sunlight to prepare plants for freezing against freezing, but this has never from freezing are placed in temperatures. been demonstrated in herbaceous storage during the summer “We knew that when plants plants. The paper not only shows that Mand wisely unpacked when days get are exposed to cold, nonfreezing such plants use shorter days as a cue shorter. temperatures, they can better survive for the impending winter, but that the In a recent issue of the Proceedings below-freezing temperatures,” said mechanism also is turned off during of the National Academy of Sciences, Thomashow, who co-authored the the warm growing season. Michael Thomashow,