BULLETIN WINTER 2008 VOLUME 54 NUMBER 4 2@2 Botany in Pakistan
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BULLETIN WINTER 2008 VOLUME 54 NUMBER 4 2@2 Botany in Pakistan...............................................................................................................................130 Tom Croat, Plant Collector at the Missouri Botanical Garden.......................................................135 News from the Society Meet the New Staff in the BSA Office................................................................................138 News from the Annual Meeting Awards..................................................................................................................139 Women in Botany Luncheon.............................................................................140 BSA Science Education News and Notes........................................................................140 Editor’s Choice.....................................................................................................141 News from the Sections BSA Historical Section.......................................................................................142 Announcements In Memoriam Lazarus Walter (Walt) Macior (1926-2007)......................................................143 Personalia Eshbaugh Honored for Outreach Efforts.........................................................145 Donation of the Graham Palynological Collection to the Smithsonian Institution.............................................................................................145 Missouri Botanical Garden Awards Highest Honor To Renowned Ecologist...............................................................................................146 2008 ESRI User Conference Features Keynote Address by Dr. Peter H. Raven....................................................................................................146 Professor Dedicated To Study Of Plant Use By Native Americans Will Receive William L. Brown Award.....................................................147 Courses/Workshops Experience in Tropical Botany...........................................................................148 Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University Create Doctorate Program in Plant Biology and Conservation...................................148 Positions Available M.S. Student Position: Analysis of Patterns of Gene Flow in Maryland Populations of Harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum)..........................149 Other News. Brooklyn Botanic Garden and NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Sign The Botanical Society of America: for ALL Plant Biologists Breakthrough Conservation Initiative..............................................................150 Rare Book Exhibition Focuses on Children’s Books about Plants, Lenhardt Library, November 28, 2008 through February 1, 2009...................................150 Missouri Botanical Garden Mounts Milestone Six Millionth Herbarium Specimen..151 PLANT SCIENCE Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden on Display in Olympic Venues................................152 The Elastic Stability of Palms...............................................................................................153 Wind load analysis for trees...............................................................................................153 Books Reviewed..................................................................................................................................155 Books Received...................................................................................................................................175 Botany and Mycology, 2009.............................................................................................................176 THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Leading Scientists and Educators since 1893 ISSN 0032-0919 Plant Science Bulletin 54(4) 2008 Botany in Pakistan by Anitra Thorhaug This issue brings an end to 2008 and what an The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has a spatial exciting year it’s been for plant science and the extent of 796 100 km2 (latitudes 24 and 27° N and Society. We are living our motto of “Leading longitudes 61 and 75° E). The boundaries include Scientists and Educators since 1893” in many ways, The Arabian Sea on the south, India to the east, not the least of which is PlantingScience.org. As you Afghanistan on the north-west, Iran on the west; will read inside, six other plant-science societies Russia and China on the north. The land mass is have now formally joined us in this effort as we lead divided into three main geographical regions: 1.) the grass roots effort to engage school-age students Mountains occupying northern and western parts in learning about, appreciating, and researching of the country. The northern mountains are the plants. The efforts of the Society, however, are not termination of the Himalayan range (with a number restricted to the United States. Our lead article, of peaks above 6 000 m permanently clad with Botany in Pakistan, is the second in a series from the snow). The sub-mountainous areas are extensive, Society’s International Affairs Committee focusing forming a number of plateaus and valleys. The on Botany and Plant Science in developing countries. western mountains are not very high with plateaus, Our goal is to strengthen ties between individuals semi-arid valleys and plains, much of which land and institutions in the U.S. and around the world. is unproductive; 2.)The Indus plain is the western part of the Indo-Gangetic plain that forms one of the Our second article focuses on Tom Croat, plant most prominent and extensive physiographic collector extraordinaire, who recently was celebrated features of the subcontinent. The plain is believed by the Missouri Botanical Garden. Tom provided to be more than one thousand meters deep and is PSB with a slightly expanded transcript of the address formed by large quantities of alluvial material he presented at the celebration recognizing the 6 deposited since time immemorial by the Indus and millionth mounted specimen added to the Missouri several of its tributaries. The land is fertile and Botanical Garden Herbarium. What an interesting heavily populated. The original agricultural story! But the thing that really caught my attention is civilization of this region was thought to begin here at the beginning of his second paragraph. What got more than 5000 years ago; 3.)The coastal zone is Tom interested in Botany? His college botany a narrow fringe bordering the Arabian Sea. It professor, Jack Carter. Jack, now retired in Silver includes also the Indus delta and saline marshes. City, NM, is a long time BSA member who was active The climate of the country, which lies in the in the BSA teaching section when I first joined the subtropical region, is varied due to the wide range society. Jack could not only inspire his students, he of altitude and distance to sea. In the mountain inspired young professionals to continue the tradition regions of the north and west, temperatures fall of teaching about the wonder of plants. As you read below freezing during winter; in the Indus Valley Tom’s story, I hope you are inspired to renew your area, temperatures range between about 32° and dedication to proselytize for botany whenever an 49° C in summer and the average about 13° C in occasion arises. winter. -the editor The geology is recent dating from the event of the Indian subcontinent bumping into the Asian land PLANT SCIENCE BULLETIN ISSN 0032-0919 Published quarterly by Botanical Society of America, Inc., 4475 Castleman Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299. The yearly subscription rate of $15 is included in the membership dues of the Botanical Society of America, Inc. Periodical postage paid at St. Louis, MO and additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Address Editorial Matters (only) to: Botanical Society of America Marshall D. Sundberg, Editor Business Office Dept. Biol. Sci., Emporia State Univ. P.O. Box 299 1200 Commercial St. St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 Emporia, KS 66801-5057 E-mail: [email protected] Phone 620-341-5605 E-mail: [email protected] 130 Plant Science Bulletin 54(4) 2008 Land cover of Pakistan’s vegetation. Olive green (dk NOAA satellite image of Pakistan outlining various gray) is shrubland, brown (darkest) is dry and provincial borders in white (courtesy of FAO Forestry) irrigated cropland, turquoise is mixed and barren tundra, yellow (lightest) is barren (Courtesy of FAO) mass. The mountains in the western and northern mm in certain areas. areas uplifted during the late Tertiary and early Quaternary. During that time the present-day plains The climate is considerably influenced by monsoon were still under sea. The plains came into existence winds that come from the south-east in summer as a result of gradual accumulation of silt brought and by cyclonic disturbances that originate in the down by rivers during the upper Tertiary period. Mediterranean Sea during winter. About 70 percent of the average precipitation is received from June to Climatically the country can be divided into arid September. The difference in temperature between (largest part), sub arid (secondary) and humid area the seasons is relatively high. Most of the hilly area (smallest) (5”-10”- over 50” rainfall in the north). The is denuded and has little soil left. Sub-mountainous mean monthly temperature in summer in plains is plateaus and the adjoining plains have well drained 37.7oC (100oF). The extreme maximum temperature alluvial soils and part of the corresponding rises above 47.2o C. In northern and north western