New York Flora Association - New York State Museum Institute Gerry Moore and Steve Young, Editors Correspondence to NYFA, 3140 CEC, Albany, NY 12230 Vol. 19 No. 2 Summer 2008 e-mail: [email protected] Dues $20/Year website: ww.nyflora.org Report on the Election of Board Members 1. Michael Corey, private consultant, Minerva, NY By Andy Nelson 2. Ed Frantz, NYS DOT, Utica, NY 3. Gerry Moore, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY Election of members of the Board of Directors 4. David Werier, private consultant, was announced in the spring 2009 Newsletter. Brooktondale, NY Voting began at the annual NYFA meeting, 5. Meg Wilkinson, NY Natural Heritage held during the Northeast Natural History Program, Albany, NY Conference (April 17-18), and continued by mail and email until June 15. This was the first For a term expiring in 2011: election under the newly adopted bylaws. The 1. Bruce Gilman, Finger Lakes Community names of all current board members as well as College, Canandaigua, NY those of potential new members were placed in 2. Joseph McMullen, Terrestrial Environmental nomination. The nominees were divided into Specialists, Inc., Phoenix, NY three classes with terms expiring in 2009, 2010, 3. Adam Ryburn, SUNY Oneonta, Oneonta, and 2011 respectively. In future years, one NY third of the board will be up for reelection each 4. Connie Tedesco, field botanist, year. Cooperstown, NY Voters approved the entire slate of nominees. 5. Priscilla Titus, SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, The NYFA Board for the coming year is: NY For a term expiring in 2009: In addition, three names submitted as write-ins each received a single vote and one received 1. Robert Ingalls, Rensselaer Polytechnic two votes. A total of 11 ballots were Institute, Troy, NY submitted. 2. Andrew Nelson, SUNY Oswego (retired), Oswego, NY New York Flora Association's 3. Troy Weldy, The Nature Conservancy, Albany, NY Northeast Natural History Conference 4. Steve Young, NY Natural Heritage Program, 2008 Botany Related Awards Albany, NY 5. Anne Johnson, field botanist, Lisbon, NY At the 2008 Northeast Natural History Conference, NYFA offered three awards: best For a term expiring in 2010: botany related poster presentation, best student botany related oral presentation, and best develop a predictive model of Aarea. The overall botany related oral presentation. The resulting model employed Amax on a mass winners of (as well as those that received an basis (Amass), green and brown tissue weights honorable mention for) these awards are listed and the light extinction coefficient and below along with their abstracts. explained 93% of variation. Congratulations to all the winners and those that received honorable mention! Honorable Mention: Best Botany Related Poster Presentation Connie Tedesco - Polemonium vanbruntiae Britton (Jacob’s Ladder) Pollination Trials and Winner: Point Quarter Transect Survey Nathali Neal -Predicting Carbon Exchange in Tedesco, Connie, Donna Vogler, and Jen-Ting the Red-Stemmed Moss, Pleurozium schreberi Wang (State University of New York College at Oneonta,Oneonta, NY). Neal, Nathali, Jesse Mango, and Steven K. Rice (Union College, Schenectady, NY) Although Polemonium vanbruntiae Britton (POLEMONIACEAE), Appalachian Jacob’s The red-stemmed moss Pleurozium schreberi Ladder, is considered to be a rare plant in the contributes significantly to carbon balance in northeast United States, little is known about its boreal forests, yet little is known about the pollination biology and population range or underling causes of variation in its demographics. Compounding this problem is CO2 exchange. In vascular plants, leaf nitrogen the lack of a consistent monitoring protocol for concentrations positively associate with populations spatially and temporally. The maximal net photosynthesis on an area basis population for this study, one of the largest and (Aarea) due to the N requirement of most robust in its range, is located at the photosynthetic metabolism. However, in Lordsland Preserve in Roseboom, NY, a Nature mosses, the form of this relationship remains Conservancy site. Like many P. vanbruntiae unknown. Since moss photosynthesis occurs in populations this isolated wetland experiences a region >5 cm thick, properties of the canopy beaver activity, periodic flooding, deer that influence light attenuation and biomass herbivory, and variable canopy cover and distribution may impact rates of carbon uptake. pollinator activity. Although the flower We hypothesized that variation in plant N morphology, protandry, and pollinator activity would have a positive relationship with Aarea, indicate a primarily out-crossed species, the although the form of this relationship should be unpredictable environment and vegetative altered by the distribution of N within the moss regeneration suggest a potential for self- canopy. To evaluate this hypothesis, we pollination for reproductive assurance. Five collected 26 samples of P. schreberi from pollination treatments including pollinator northern New York and measured Aarea at exclusion and hand pollinations were applied to optimal water contents in saturating light using 315 flowers to test this hypothesis. Results a closed-chamber, IRGA-based system. Plant indicate that P. vanbruntiae is capable of some biomass (green and brown tissue separately), degree of autogamous selfing and that fruit set, shoot area, light attenuation and N contents seed number, seed weight, and seed were assessed in whole canopies and at depth germination rate of self- versus outcross increments within the canopy. Aarea varied by pollinations were not significantly different. To over four-fold (2.2–9.2 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1). quantify plant density, a point quarter transect Stepwise multiple linear regression was used to survey was utilized. The estimated population 2 of 4,365 plants covered a 1200 m2 area, 12% of Scanga, Sara and Donald Leopold (SUNY which flowered in 2006. The ecologically College of Environmental Science and distinct upper and lower sites varied in plant Forestry, Syracuse, NY) density and plant height. This survey method works well when monitoring populations under Trollius laxus (spreading globeflower) is a rare, heterogeneous strata with a moderately spring-blooming, perennial herb that occurs in clumped dispersion. Polemonium vanbruntiae open rich fens and northern white-cedar Britton(Jacob's Ladder). Pollination Trials and swamps. Previous studies at several sites have Point Quarter Transect Survey. shown that light levels are associated with the vigor of T. laxus populations. However, the and strength of this association has varied among sites, and observations indicate that the effect Steve Broyles - Digital Field Guides: An of light may be modified by water table depth. Innovative Technology for Exploring Biology Here, we present the results of a two-year observational study conducted at a cedar Broyles, Steve, Jacquelyn Getman, Laurie swamp in central New York. At each of 30 T. Klotz, and Larry Klotz (SUNY Cortland, laxus populations, we measured six variables Cortland, NY) related to plant vigor. We took hemispherical photographs over each population before and Educational technology provides students with after spring leaf-out, and measured the depth to exciting opportunities for hands-on, student- water at a subset (n=13) of the populations centered learning in the sciences. We have biweekly during the growing season. Of the six developed innovative digital field guides for vigor variables, flower and stem counts showed aquatic macro invertebrates, aquatic plants, the strongest positive associations with light. trees, birds, and insects using personal digital Overall, diffuse light had a greater effect on assistants. The BIOWISE vigor than direct light, and despite the (http://acs7.cortland.edu/biowise/) Digital Field phenology of T. laxus, spring light did not Guides provide students, educators, and field show a stronger relationship with vigor than biologists with taxonomic keys, color summer light. Conversely, spring water level photographs, glossaries, and audio files for was more strongly associated with stem and classroom or field use. These educational tools flower production than summer water level. We are designed to improve student observational explore the impact on vigor of interactions skills, to learn taxon specific terminology, and between specific light and water variables. Our to facilitate environmental and ecological results will also be presented as they relate to research projects. The BIOWISE Digital Field observations from a canopy manipulation Guide software is free and may also be used experiment conducted on T. laxus populations from classroom computers. Educators at the same site. interested in enhancing or providing a more structured exploration of the natural world will Honorable Mention: benefit from the Digital Field Guides. Caitlin Quinn - Characterization of Best Student Botany Oral Presentation Autecological Requirements of Carex Species in Glen Meal State Forest Winner: Quinn, Caitlin and Karl McKnight (St. Sara Scanga - How Do Light and Water Lawrence University, Canton, NY) Levels Affect a Rare Wetland Plant? 3 Carex is a large and important group of sedges, While much attention has been paid to nevertheless there exists very little information serpentine outcrops worldwide, the literature on about why these species grow where they do. eastern North America is scant. Although By defining the autecological requirements outcrops in the region have been mapped, there necessary for Carex