DOCSLIB.ORG

Prairie Restoration Technical Guides

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Optimal Collection Period Seed Ripening Period EARLY SEASON NATIVE FORBS May June July August September EARLY SEASON NATIVE FORBS May June July August SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 Caltha palustris Marsh marigold LATE SEASON NATIVE FORBS August September October November SEED COLLECTING Prairie smoke SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 FROM Antennaria neglecta Pussytoes Stachys palustris Woundwort Castilleja coccinea Indian paintbrush Vicia americana Vetch False dandelion Rudbeckia hirta Black-eyed Susan TALLGRASS PRAIRIES Saxifraga pensylvanica Swamp saxifrage Lobelia spicata Spiked lobelia Senecio aureus Golden ragwort Iris shrevei Sisyrinchium campestre Blue-eyed grass Hypoxis hirsuta Yellow star grass Rosa carolina Pasture rose Content by Greg Houseal Pedicularis canadensis Lousewort Oxypolis rigidior Cowbane PRAIRIE RESTORATION SERIES V Prairie violet Vernonia fasciculata Ironweed Cardamine bulbosa Spring cress Veronicastrum virginicum Culver's root Allium canadense Wild garlic Heliopsis helianthoides Seed of many native species are now Lithospermum canescens Hoary puccoon L Narrow-leaved loosestrife commercially1 available for prairie Phlox maculata Marsh phlox Lythrum alatum Winged loosestrife Phlox pilosa Prairie phlox reconstructions, large or small. Yet many Ceanothus americana New Jersey tea Anemone canadensis Canada anemone Eupatorium maculatum Spotted Joe Pye people have an interest in collecting Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata Self heal Thalictrum dasycarpum Purple meadow rue and growing native species for butterfly Zigadenus elegans White camass Pycnanthemum pilosum Hairy mtn. mint Dodecatheon media Shooting star gardens, backyard and schoolyard wildlife Campanula aparinoides Lobelia cardinalis Car habitat, and prairie restorations. Seed Lilium philadelphicum Wood lily Oxalis violacea Violet wood sorrel collecting is satisfying and rewarding, a Comandra umbellata Bastar Zizia aurea Golden alexanders TOTAL EARLY SEASON FORB SPECIES POTENTIALLY RIPE 23 10 12 99 11 34 61 2 Silphium laciniatum Compass plant great volunteer activity for introducing Eryngium yuccifolium Rattlesnake master people to prairies, and a good way to Allium cernuum Prairie onion EARLY SEASON NATIVE FORBS May June July August September October collect seed for local prairie restorations. SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 Asclepias tuberosa NATIVE GRASSES June July August September October November Lobelia siphilitica Great blue lobelia SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 Hierochloe odorata Sweet grass Silphium integrifolium Rosinweed Which species? Heterostipa spartea Porcupine grass Pycnanthemum tenuifolium Slender mtn. mint Sphenopholis obtusata Prairie wedgegrass Lysimachia ciliata Fringed loosestrife Any species can be collected by hand, but Calamagrostis canadensis Blue joint grass Asclepias incarnata Koeleria macrantha June Grass hand collecting is particularly useful in Echinacea pallida Glyceria striata Fowl manna grass collecting seed of native species which: Agropyron trachycaulum Slender wheat grass Amorpha canescens Lead plant Bouteloua curtipendula Sideoats grama Rudbeckia subtomentosa Elymus canadensis Canada wildrye » occur on specific sites that may be Pycnanthemum virginianum Common mtn. mint Schizachyrium scoparium Little bluestem inaccessible to machine harvest. Spartina pectinata Prairie cord grass Coreopsis palmata Prairie coreopsis Panicum virgatum Switchgrass Anemone cylindrica Thimbleweed » are very low- or high-growing species or Sorghastrum nutans Indiangrass Ratibida pinnata Sporobolus heterolepis Prairie dropseed Pedicularis lanceolata Swamp lousewort early- or late-ripening species Andropogon gerardii Big bluestem grass Eupatorium perfoliatum Common boneset Sporobolus compositus Tall dropseed » occur as uncommon or patchy species Muhlenbergia racemosa Upland wild timothy Potentilla arguta Prairie cinquefoil Elymus virginicus Virginia wildrye Oligoneuron rigidum Rigid goldenrod in native prairie. Cinna arundinacea Woodland reedgrass Lilium michiganense Michigan lily TOTAL GRASS SPECIES POTENTIALLY RIPE 12533 189118 51 Liatris pycnostachya Prairie blazingstar » have explosive seed dispersal mecha- Symphyotrichum sericeum Silky aster nisms (phlox, violets) EARLY SEASON NATIVE FORBS May June July August September SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 Symphyotrichum oolentagniense Skyblue aster NATIVE LEGUMES July August September October November Symphyotrichum laeve Smooth blue aster Equipment Needed SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 Monar Wild bergamot Lathyrus venosus Veiny pea Verbena stricta Hoary vervain Lathyrus palustris Marsh vetchling Leather work Durable, light Appropriate Astragalus canadensis Canada milkvetch Symphyotrichum novae-angliae New England aster gloves weight tubs of clothing — sturdy Desmodium illinoense Illinois tick trefoil Prenanthes racemosa Rattlesnake root various sizes footwear, long Desmodium canadense Showy tick trefoil Oligoneuron riddellii Riddell's goldenrod Dalea purpureum Purple prairie clover Good quality pants, hat, extra Artemisia ludoviciana Prairie sage Lespedeza capitata Roundhead bushclover pruning shears Clothe or paper water Dalea candida White prairie clover Symphyotrichum praealtum Willowleaf aster or heavy-duty bags of various Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea Cream wild indigo Parthenium integrifolium Wild quinine scissors sizes Binoculars for Baptisia alba var. macrophylla White wild indigo Liatris aspera Rough blazingstar scouting TOTAL LEGUME SPECIES POTENTIALLY RIPE 11 25687631 Anemone virginiana Virginia anemone Large plastic Backpack for Coreopsis tripteris Tall coreopsis unbreakable carrying extra Willing EARLY SEASON NATIVE FORBS May June July combs bags companions! Solidago missouriensis Missouri goldenrod SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 Solidago nemoralis Gray goldenrod NATIVE SEDGES May June July SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 1-10 10-20 20-30 Solidago speciosa Showy goldenrod Carex annectans Yellow foxsedge Euthamia graminifolia Grass-leaved goldenrod Carex interior Prairie star sedge Gentiana andrewsii Bottle gentian Carex stricta Tussock sedge TOTAL LATE SEASON FORB SPECIES POTENTIALLY RIPE 4612 32 41 47 45 34 19 41 Carex meadii Mead's sedge Carex bicknelli Prairie sedge Carex brevior Plains oval sedge An illustrated guide to Iowa prairie plants. Christiansen P, and M. Muller. Carex gravida Heavy sedge 1999. University of Iowa Press. Iowa City, Iowa. 237p. Carex molesta Troublesome sedge Tallgrass Restoration Handbook. Packard S, and C. Mutel. 1997. Island Carex vulpinoidea Brown fox sedge Press. Washington, D.C. 463p Funded By Carex pellita Woolly sedge Carex bebbii Bebb's sedge Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers. TOTAL SEDGE SPECIES POTENTIALLY RIPE 38872 Ladd, D. and F. Oberle. 1995. Published in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy. Falcon Press Publishing Co., Inc. Helena-Billings, MT. To request copies, or for more information, contact Greg Houseal at The Prairie Garden: 70 native plants you can grow in town or country. 319.273.3005 or email [email protected] Smith R, and B. Smith. 1980. University of Wisconsin Press. Madison, Wisconsin. 219p. Tallgrass Prairie Center, University of Northern Iowa Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie, the Upper Midwest. Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0294 Runkel, S. and D. Roosa. 1989. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA. tallgrassprairiecenter.org — 2015 Tallgrass Prairie Center Seed Collecting Guide – March 2008, GH Where to Collect? When to Collect? Obtain permission from the landowner or Seed ripening and timing of harvest varies by species, proper land management agency prior to environmental conditions, and regional adaptation of collecting. Many areas have been planted plants. Most species ripen gradually, so not all seed will to native species (reconstructed prairies). be at the same stage of maturity at any given time. Seed Planted prairies provide important wildlife, maturity usually progresses from top to bottom of the soil and water quality benefits. They have seed head in grasses and many forbs species. However far fewer species than remnant prairies, some ripen from the bottom up, as in the blazingstars. Remnant prairies provide genetically and often the original source of seed for adapted seed for restoring prairies for Mature seeds are usually quickly dispersed either by the planting has not been recorded or is future generations of Iowans! gravity, wind, water, or animals, so it’s important not to unknown. If seed source is important for delay collecting. your project, collect from planted prairies Are There Negative Impacts to The tables illustrate approximate seed maturity times only if you know the original source of the Collecting from Remnants? for selected tallgrass prairie species in Iowa. Cold, moist seed and it meets your restoration goals. Most prairie species are perennial, meaning their conditions will delay seed maturity; while hot,
Recommended publications
  • The Gigas Effect: a Reliable Predictor of Ploidy? Case Studies in Oxalis

    The Gigas Effect: a Reliable Predictor of Ploidy? Case Studies in Oxalis

    The gigas effect: A reliable predictor of ploidy? Case studies in Oxalis by Frederik Willem Becker Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Science at Stellenbosch University Supervisors: Prof. Léanne L.Dreyer, Dr. Kenneth C. Oberlander, Dr. Pavel Trávníček March 2021 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. March 2021 …………………………. ………………… F.W. Becker Date Copyright © 2021 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved i Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract Whole Genome Duplication (WGD), or polyploidy is an important evolutionary process, but literature is divided over its long-term evolutionary potential to generate diversity and lead to lineage divergence. WGD often causes major phenotypic changes in polyploids, of which the most prominent is the Gigas effect. The Gigas effect refers to the enlargement of plant cells due to their increased amount of DNA, causing plant organs to enlarge as well. This enlargement has been associated with fitness advantages in polyploids, enabling them to successfully establish and persist, eventually causing speciation. Using Oxalis as a study system, I examine whether Oxalis polyploids exhibit the Gigas effect using 24 species across the genus from the Oxalis living research collection at the Stellenbosch University Botanical Gardens, Stellenbosch.
  • Cherchez Le Musk' by Liz Druitt, Washington, TX

    Cherchez Le Musk' by Liz Druitt, Washington, TX

    Bulletin of the Magnolia grandiflora Southern Garden The Laurel Tree of Carolina Catesby's Natural History, 1743 History Society Vol. X No.3 Spring 1994 Cherchez le Musk' by Liz Druitt, Washington, TX T he most exciting rose rescue story in recent years is the case of Rosa moschata, the true old autumn-blooming `Musk Rose'. R. moschata is one of the parents of the most important American rose class, the Noisettes, which originated from a cross between this rose and the `Old Blush' China rose in Charleston, South Carolina, in about 1811 . It fell out of commerce both in America and England in the late 1880s because of a confusion of identity with another rose. The `Musk Rose' is presumably a species rose, though it has never been reliably documented in the wild . It must have been an early garden favorite, however, because it is described in all its late-flowering, musky-scented glory in a number of early botanists' works . John Gerard's Herball of 1597 and John Parkinson's Paradisi in sole, Paradisus terrestris of 1629 both include it, and Johann Herrmann gives so clear a botanical description of it in his 1762 `Dissertation' that the `Musk Rose's' full Latin name is designated as R. moschata Herrmann, though the date of introduction is still kept at the traditional mid- 1500s. This true form of R. moschata has small white flowers, single or double, borne usually in corymbs of seven Photo courtesy of I blossoms. These have a clean, musky fragrance said to be produced Ruth C.
  • Working List of Prairie Restricted (Specialist) Insects in Wisconsin (11/26/2015)

    Working List of Prairie Restricted (Specialist) Insects in Wisconsin (11/26/2015)

    Working List of Prairie Restricted (Specialist) Insects in Wisconsin (11/26/2015) By Richard Henderson Research Ecologist, WI DNR Bureau of Science Services Summary This is a preliminary list of insects that are either well known, or likely, to be closely associated with Wisconsin’s original native prairie. These species are mostly dependent upon remnants of original prairie, or plantings/restorations of prairie where their hosts have been re-established (see discussion below), and thus are rarely found outside of these settings. The list also includes some species tied to native ecosystems that grade into prairie, such as savannas, sand barrens, fens, sedge meadow, and shallow marsh. The list is annotated with known host(s) of each insect, and the likelihood of its presence in the state (see key at end of list for specifics). This working list is a byproduct of a prairie invertebrate study I coordinated from1995-2005 that covered 6 Midwestern states and included 14 cooperators. The project surveyed insects on prairie remnants and investigated the effects of fire on those insects. It was funded in part by a series of grants from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. So far, the list has 475 species. However, this is a partial list at best, representing approximately only ¼ of the prairie-specialist insects likely present in the region (see discussion below). Significant input to this list is needed, as there are major taxa groups missing or greatly under represented. Such absence is not necessarily due to few or no prairie-specialists in those groups, but due more to lack of knowledge about life histories (at least published knowledge), unsettled taxonomy, and lack of taxonomic specialists currently working in those groups.
  • 1 Sex Ratio and Spatial Distribution of Male and Female Antennaria Dioica

    1 Sex Ratio and Spatial Distribution of Male and Female Antennaria Dioica

    Sex ratio and spatial distribution of male and female Antennaria dioica (Asteraceae) plants Sandra Varga* and Minna-Maarit Kytöviita Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FIN- 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland E-mail addresses: [email protected] and [email protected] (S. Varga), minna- [email protected] (M.-M. Kytöviita) *Author for correspondence: Sandra Varga Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä FIN-40014 Jyväskylä Finland Email: [email protected] and [email protected] Phone: +358 14 260 2304 Fax: +358 14 260 2321 1 Abstract Sex ratio, sex spatial distribution and sexual dimorphism in reproduction and arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation were investigated in the dioecious clonal plant Antennaria dioica (Asteraceae). Plants were monitored for five consecutive years in six study plots in Oulanka, northern Finland. Sex ratio, spatial distribution of sexes, flowering frequency, number of floral shoots and the number and weight of inflorescences were recorded. In addition, intensity of mycorrhizal fungi in the roots was assessed. Both sexes flowered each year with a similar frequency, but the overall genet sex ratio was strongly female-biased. The bivariate Ripley’s analysis of the sex distribution showed that within most plots sexes were randomly distributed except for one plot. Sexual dimorphism was expressed as larger floral and inflorescence production and heavier inflorescences in males. In addition, the roots of both sexes were colonised to a similar extent by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The female sex-biased flowering ratios reported are not consistent among years and cannot be explained in terms of spatial segregation of the sexes or sex lability.
  • Fdn22 Northern Dry-Bedrock Pine (Oak) Woodland *Spinulose Shield Fern Or Glandular Wood Fern ( Dryopteris Carthusiana Or D

    Fdn22 Northern Dry-Bedrock Pine (Oak) Woodland *Spinulose Shield Fern Or Glandular Wood Fern ( Dryopteris Carthusiana Or D

    FIRE-DEPENDENT FOREST/WOODLAND SYSTEM FDn22 Northern Floristic Region Northern Dry-Bedrock Pine (Oak) Woodland Dry pine or oak woodlands on shallow, excessively drained, loamy soils on bedrock ridges and hillsides or on rock ledges and terraces adjacent to rivers. Crown and surface fires were common historically. Vegetation Structure & Composition Description is based on summary of vegetation data from 47 plots (relevés). Ground-layer cover of forbs and grami- noids typically ranges from 25-75%. The most common vascular plants are Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis), large-leaved aster (Aster macrophyllus), poverty grass (Danthonia spicata), wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), and bracken (Pteridium aqui- linum). Lichen- and moss-covered bedrock and boulders typically make up at least 25% of the ground layer. Shrub layer is typically dominated by deciduous species, usually with patchy to interrupted cover (25-75%). Lowbush blue- berry (Vaccinium angustifolium), juneberries (Amelanchier spp.), red maple saplings, and bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) are the most common species in the shrub layer. Subcanopy is usually absent, but when present, red maple and paper birch are frequent components. Canopy is composed of conifers, hardwoods, or conifers mixed with hardwoods, and is usually patchy (25-50% cover), with openings in areas of exposed bedrock or boulders. Red pine and white pine are dominant on many sites. On other sites, jack pine or northern pin oak are dominant. In mixed forests, conifers often form a supercanopy above hardwood species. Paper birch is often present in the hardwood canopy. Landscape Setting & Soils Glacially scoured bedrock—Common. Landscape is hummocky to rugged. Parent material is non-calcareous drift, usually less than 20in (50cm) deep over bedrock.
  • Tritrophic Interactions and Reproductive Fitness of the Prairie Perennial Silphium Laciniatum Gillette (Asteraceae)

    Tritrophic Interactions and Reproductive Fitness of the Prairie Perennial Silphium Laciniatum Gillette (Asteraceae)

    PLANTÐINSECT INTERACTIONS Tritrophic Interactions and Reproductive Fitness of the Prairie Perennial Silphium laciniatum Gillette (Asteraceae) 1 2 JOHN F. TOOKER AND LAWRENCE M. HANKS Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 Environ. Entomol. 35(2): 537Ð545 (2006) ABSTRACT Recent studies have revealed that natural enemies can inßuence reproductive success of plants by eliminating their herbivores, thereby reducing damage to photosynthetic or reproductive tissues. Some plant species apparently have evolved “indirect defenses” in response to such top-down selective pressures, producing volatile compounds that are used as cues by natural enemies searching for their herbivorous hosts. The research summarized in this article evaluates the potential for such top-down inßuences on plant Þtness in an endemic prairie system and the role of plant volatiles in location of hosts by parasitoids. The study system was comprised of the prairie perennial Silphium laciniatum L. (Asteraceae), the gall wasp Antistrophus rufus Gillette (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), and its parasitoid Eurytoma lutea Bugbee (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae). In common garden experiments, we assessed the impact of gall wasp herbivory on growth and reproduction of S. laciniatum and the mediating inßuence of the parasitoid using three treatments: plants caged with gall wasps, plants caged with gall wasps and parasitoids, and control plants caged without gall wasps. Despite technical difÞculties in excluding wild gall wasps and parasitoids, plants caged with gall wasps ßowered later than control plants and had reduced reproductive output, producing shorter ßowering stems and fewer and smaller seeds of lower viability. The parasitoid apparently “rescued” plant reproduction by killing gall wasp larvae, resulting in larger seeds that were more likely to germinate.
  • Oxalis Violacea L. Violet Wood-Sorrel

    Oxalis Violacea L. Violet Wood-Sorrel

    New England Plant Conservation Program Oxalis violacea L. Violet Wood-Sorrel Conservation and Research Plan for New England Prepared by: Thomas Mione Professor Central Connecticut State University For: New England Wild Flower Society 180 Hemenway Road Framingham, MA 01701 508/877-7630 e-mail: [email protected] • website: www.newfs.org Approved, Regional Advisory Council, December 2002 1 SUMMARY Violet Wood-Sorrel (Oxalis violacea L., Oxalidaceae) is a low-growing herbaceous, self-incompatible perennial that produces violet flowers in May, June and again in September. Reproduction is both sexual (with pollination mostly by bees), and asexual (by way of runners). The species is widely distributed in the United States but is rare in New England. Oxalis violacea is an obligate outcrosser: the species is distylous, meaning that there are two flower morphs (pin and thrum), with a given plant producing one morph, not both. Pin flowers are more common than thrum flowers. In New England, the habitat varies from dry to moist, and for populations to remain vigorous forest canopies must remain partially open. Succession, the growth of plants leading to shading, is a factor contributing to decline of O. violacea in New England, as are invasive species and habitat fragmentation. Fire benefits this species, in part by removing competitors. Human consumption of the leaves has been reported. Oxalis violacea has a Global Status Rank of G5, indicating that it is demonstrably widespread, abundant and secure. In Massachusetts, it is ranked as Threatened; five occurrences are current (in four towns among three counties) and 10 are historic. In Connecticut, it is listed as a species of Special Concern; 10 occurrences are current (in ten towns among six counties) and 19 are historic.
  • Vegetative Growth and Organogenesis 555

    Vegetative Growth and Organogenesis 555

    Vegetative Growth 19 and Organogenesis lthough embryogenesis and seedling establishment play criti- A cal roles in establishing the basic polarity and growth axes of the plant, many other aspects of plant form reflect developmental processes that occur after seedling establishment. For most plants, shoot architecture depends critically on the regulated production of determinate lateral organs, such as leaves, as well as the regulated formation and outgrowth of indeterminate branch systems. Root systems, though typically hidden from view, have comparable levels of complexity that result from the regulated formation and out- growth of indeterminate lateral roots (see Chapter 18). In addition, secondary growth is the defining feature of the vegetative growth of woody perennials, providing the structural support that enables trees to attain great heights. In this chapter we will consider the molecular mechanisms that underpin these growth patterns. Like embryogenesis, vegetative organogenesis and secondary growth rely on local differences in the interactions and regulatory feedback among hormones, which trigger complex programs of gene expres- sion that drive specific aspects of organ development. Leaf Development Morphologically, the leaf is the most variable of all the plant organs. The collective term for any type of leaf on a plant, including struc- tures that evolved from leaves, is phyllome. Phyllomes include the photosynthetic foliage leaves (what we usually mean by “leaves”), protective bud scales, bracts (leaves associated with inflorescences, or flowers), and floral organs. In angiosperms, the main part of the foliage leaf is expanded into a flattened structure, the blade, or lamina. The appearance of a flat lamina in seed plants in the middle to late Devonian was a key event in leaf evolution.
  • Morphological & Physiological Leaf Adaptations

    Morphological & Physiological Leaf Adaptations

    MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL LEAF ADAPTATIONS TO SEASONAL AND DIURNAL ABIOTIC STRESS FOR TWO BARRIER ISLAND SAND DUNE SPECIES By HEATHER M. JOESTING A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the Department of Biology August 2009 Winston-Salem, NC Approved by: William K. Smith, Ph.D., Advisor Examining Committee: Miles R. Silman, Ph.D. Ronald V. Dimock, Jr., Ph.D. Kathleen A. Kron, Ph.D. Tara L. Greaver, Ph.D. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to first thank my parents, Mel Pitts and Dale Joesting, for their love and support for the past decade of my college adventures as well as in all the decisions I have made for the last 31 years. I would also like to thank my wonderful supportive significant other Matt Marenberg for being my rock through the entire dissertation process and my research assistant during long hot days at the beach. I would also like to acknowledge my grandfather Elden Lee Pitts who instilled the love of science and nature in my mother and I and whose stubborn and inquisitive mind I’ve inherited. Without the love and support of these people, I would never have made it this far. I would also like to thank my advisor William K. Smith for all the guidance he has given me during this dissertation research, for always being available to answer any question I had, no matter how trivial, and for giving me the opportunity to conduct research in a habitat so near and dear to my heart.
  • Switchgrass – Reprinted from Friends of Hagerman NWR Weekly Blog, December 14, 2017 (Written by Linn Cates)

    Switchgrass – Reprinted from Friends of Hagerman NWR Weekly Blog, December 14, 2017 (Written by Linn Cates)

    Switchgrass – Reprinted from Friends of Hagerman NWR Weekly Blog, December 14, 2017 (Written by Linn Cates) Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, is a fast-growing, tall, warm weather perennial grass. It forms large, open, feathery looking, finely textured seed heads that transform it from a pleasing, but plainer look, (while the nearby spring and summer flowers demand the limelight) to an impressive, dressy fall showing. This continues, though somewhat subdued, right through the winter, until mid-spring when things warm up and a whole new chorus of green leaves emerge from the switchgrass crown to begin the show anew. Native to the North American prairie, switchgrass’s large range is east of the Rocky Mountains (south of latitude 55°N,) from Canada south through the United States and into Mexico. In Texas, it grows in all regions (below left in Comfort, TX) but is rare in the Trans-Pecos area of west Texas. In our part of Texas, North Central, you can see it at Clymer Meadow (above right), a large prairie remnant nearby in Hunt County, in native haying meadows near St. Jo in Montague County, at Austin College’s Sneed property in Grayson County, and at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge among other places. But you could see it easily and up close by driving out to Hagerman NWR Visitor Center and taking a look in the Butterfly Garden right behind the parking area. You won’t miss it; one of the garden’s switchgrass specimens (below) has a plaque hanging in front of it, identifying it as “Switchgrass, Plant of the Month.” The repertoire of this performer, Panicum virgatum, is extensive.
  • The Vascular Flora of Rarău Massif (Eastern Carpathians, Romania). Note Ii

    The Vascular Flora of Rarău Massif (Eastern Carpathians, Romania). Note Ii

    Memoirs of the Scientific Sections of the Romanian Academy Tome XXXVI, 2013 BIOLOGY THE VASCULAR FLORA OF RARĂU MASSIF (EASTERN CARPATHIANS, ROMANIA). NOTE II ADRIAN OPREA1 and CULIŢĂ SÎRBU2 1 “Anastasie Fătu” Botanical Garden, Str. Dumbrava Roşie, nr. 7-9, 700522–Iaşi, Romania 2 University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Iaşi, Faculty of Agriculture, Str. Mihail Sadoveanu, nr. 3, 700490–Iaşi, Romania Corresponding author: [email protected] This second part of the paper about the vascular flora of Rarău Massif listed approximately half of the whole number of the species registered by the authors in their field trips or already included in literature on the same area. Other taxa have been added to the initial list of plants, so that, the total number of taxa registered by the authors in Rarău Massif amount to 1443 taxa (1133 species and 310 subspecies, varieties and forms). There was signaled out the alien taxa on the surveyed area (18 species) and those dubious presence of some taxa for the same area (17 species). Also, there were listed all the vascular plants, protected by various laws or regulations, both internal or international, existing in Rarău (i.e. 189 taxa). Finally, there has been assessed the degree of wild flora conservation, using several indicators introduced in literature by Nowak, as they are: conservation indicator (C), threat conservation indicator) (CK), sozophytisation indicator (W), and conservation effectiveness indicator (E). Key words: Vascular flora, Rarău Massif, Romania, conservation indicators. 1. INTRODUCTION A comprehensive analysis of Rarău flora, in terms of plant diversity, taxonomic structure, biological, ecological and phytogeographic characteristics, as well as in terms of the richness in endemics, relict or threatened plant species was published in our previous note (see Oprea & Sîrbu 2012).
  • Aullwood's Prairie Plants

    Aullwood's Prairie Plants

    Aullwood's Prairie Plants Taxonomy and nomenclature generally follow: Gleason, H.A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second ed. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, N.Y. 910 pp. Based on a list compiled by Jeff Knoop, 1981; revised November 1997. 29 Families, 104 Species (98 Native Species, 6 Non-Native Species) Angiosperms Dicotyledons Ranunculaceae - Buttercup Family Anemone canadensis - Canada Anemone Anemone virginiana - Thimble Flower Fagaceae - Oak Family Quercus macrocarpa - Bur Oak Caryophyllaceae - Pink Family Silene noctiflora - Night Flowering Catchfly* Dianthus armeria - Deptford Pink* Lychnis alba - White Campion* (not in Gleason and Cronquist) Clusiaceae - St. John's Wort Family Hypericum perforatum - Common St. John's Wort* Hypericum punctatum - Spotted St. John's Wort Primulaceae - Ebony Family Dodecatheon media - Shooting Star Mimosacea Mimosa Family Desmanthus illinoensis - Prairie Mimosa Caesalpiniaceae Caesalpinia Family Chaemaecrista fasiculata - Partridge Pea Fabaceae - Pea Family Baptisia bracteata - Creamy False Indigo Baptisia tinctoria - False Wild Indigo+ Baptisia leucantha (alba?) - White False Indigo Lupinus perennis - Wild Lupine Desmodium illinoense - Illinois Tick Trefoil Desmodium canescens - Hoary Tick Trefoil Lespedeza virginica - Slender-leaved Bush Clover Lespedeza capitata - Round-headed Bush Clover Amorpha canescens - Lead Plant Dacea purpureum - Purple Prairie Clover Dacea candidum - White Prairie Clover Amphicarpa bracteata