Botany

To determine the effect of snow accumulation on the vegetation around snow barriers

by Philip Southwood

This project was conducted on a snow barrier field next to one of the slopes at the village of Vent. The aim of this... more This project was conducted on a snow barrier field next to one of the slopes at the village of Vent. The aim of this project was to conduct research showing that there was a difference in the vegetation growth upslope and downslope of the snow barriers. Our hypothesis was to prove that there was a correlation between the vegetation growth and the amount of snow cover. There was a correlation between the vegetation growth and the amount of snow cover, but there was a few anomalies that could have had been affected by other factors influencing vegetation growth.

Roman Agriculture and Food Production

by Paul Roberts

The impact of waterfowl herbivory on plant standing crop: a meta-analysis

by Kevin Wood

Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Clarke, R.T., Daunt, F. & O'Hare, M.T. (2012). The impact of waterfowl herbivory on plant standing crop: a meta-analysis. Hydrobiologia, 686: 157-167.

Waterfowl can cause substantial reductions in plant standing crop, which may have ecological and economic... more Waterfowl can cause substantial reductions in plant standing crop, which may have ecological and economic consequences. However, what determines the magnitude of these reductions is not well understood. Using data from published studies, we derived the relationship between waterfowl density and reduction in plant standing crop. When waterfowl density was estimated as individuals ha−1 no significant relationship with reduction in plant standing crop was detected. However, when waterfowl density was estimated as kg ha−1 a significant, positive, linear relationship with reduction in plant standing crop was found. Whilst many previous studies have considered waterfowl species as homologous, despite large differences in body mass, our results suggest that species body mass is a key determinant of waterfowl impact on plant standing crop. To examine relative impacts of waterfowl groups based on species body mass, a measure of plant biomass reduction (R s) per bird per hectare was calculated for each group. Comparison of R s values indicated some differences in impact between different waterfowl groups, with swans having a greater per capita impact than smaller-bodied waterfowl groups. We present evidence that this difference is linked to disparities in individual body size and associated differences in intake rates, diet composition and energy requirements. Future research priorities are proposed, particularly the need for experiments that quantify the importance of factors that determine the magnitude of waterfowl impacts on plant standing crop.

Measuring submerged macrophyte standing crop in shallow rivers: a test of methodology

by Kevin Wood

Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Clarke, R.T., Daunt, F. & O'Hare, M.T. (in press). Measuring submerged macrophyte standing crop in shallow rivers: a test of methodology. Aquatic Botany

High natural variability in space and time can make accurate measurements of macrophyte standing crop difficult.... more High natural variability in space and time can make accurate measurements of macrophyte standing crop difficult. Accuracy of such measurements could be improved by quantifying the relationships between the different methods of measuring standing crop which are available to researchers. In this study we compare cover, volume, and biomass as measures of standing crop. Percentage cover, percentage volume, and dry weight biomass estimates were positively related (R2(adj) range = 54–96%), but these relationships were significantly different between sites, and to a lesser extent between months. Biomass was related (R2(adj) range = 18–73%) to stand height. Furthermore, cover, volume and biomass indicated different seasonal trends in standing crop at the two study sites. Our study presents a suite of standing crop measures that exhibit close congruence, can be measured efficiently and minimise destructive sampling in situ, attributes which will aid in the design and implementation of future macrophyte measurement protocols for shallow rivers.

Taxonomic Implications of Morphological Variation in Cercis canadensis (Fabaceae) from Mexico and Adjacent Parts of Texas

by Keith Larson

Fritsch, P. W., A. M. Schiller, and K. W. Larson. 2009. Taxonomic Implications of Morphological Variation in Cercis canadensis (Fabaceae) from Mexico and Adjacent Parts of Texas. Systematic Botany 34:510–520. doi: 10.1600/036364409789271254.

Taxonomic treatments recognize three varieties of Cercis canadensis: with variety canadensis , widespread throughout... more Taxonomic treatments recognize three varieties of Cercis canadensis: with variety canadensis , widespread throughout the eastern United States, and varieties texensis and mexicana , found east and west of the Pecos River in Texas, respectively. The distribution of Cercis continues southward into northeastern Mexico, but complex variation in leaf shape has confounded straightforward application of varietal names to the Mexican plants. To clarify the taxonomy of Cercis in Mexico, we conducted a morphometric analysis with 281 herbarium specimens, including a representative set of samples from Texas. Correlation and principal component analysis of 12 characters recovered two groups that correspond to the presence versus absence of branchlet pubescence. These groups are geographically distinct at the northern and southern extremes of the focus area but exhibit a large central region of overlap. No other discontinuities in character states were discovered to corroborate this division. Leaf shape varies continuously from ovate-acuminate at the northern and southern extremes to subreniform in the central region, suggesting clinal adaptation to the mesic versus xeric environments in which the plants occur. Based on our data, we apply the varietal epithets mexicana and, provisionally, texensis to Mexican C. canadensis with pubescent and glabrous branchlets, respectively, the latter based on geographic proximity to plants in Texas in the absence of definitive evidence on the phenotypic distinction between varieties canadensis and texensis.

Blechnum brasiliense Desv.(Pteridophyta, Blechnaceae): estrutura populacional e desenvolvimento da fase esporofítica

by Ismael Franz

Natural Hybridization of the Louisiana Iris

by DARLA JORDAN MILLER

BIOL/BOTANY. J. Herrington; A student attempt to simplify a complex scientific article: “Transmission ratio distortion results in asymmetric introgression in Louisiana Iris”, published by Tang et al. BMC Plant Biology 2010, 10:48. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2229/10/48. Researchers named for this article are: Shunxue Tang, Rebecca A Okashah, Steven J Knapp, Michael L Arnold, Noland H Martin.

Tools for Reordering: Commonplacing and the Space of Words in Linnaeus's Philosophia Botanica, Intellectual History Review, 20 (2010), 227-252

by Matthew Daniel Eddy

Author: Matthew Daniel Eddy

Recent studies on commonplacing have shown that it flourished as an important information management tool and, in some... more Recent studies on commonplacing have shown that it flourished as an important information management tool and, in some cases, it functioned as a method (methodus) that facilitated the ordering of natural history systems. In what follows in this essay, I wish to extend this point by examining the role played by heads in the work of Carolus Linnaeus (Carl von Linné). I address two core questions. First, what were the economies of attention that guided his commonplacing techniques? Second, what type of impact did his note-taking skills have upon the way that he spatially arranged information in texts? Whereas intellectual historians sometimes tend to focus on the role that he played as the unique originator of modern botanical and zoological classification systems, I approach his work merely as one example in a long tradition of commonplacing and graphic design that originated in the Renaissance, but which had become an indispensable organisational tool used to create knowledge systems in the leading research centres of Enlightenment Europe.

Physico-thermal properties of spinifex resin bio-polymer

by Lynley Wallis

Co-authored with Subrata Mondal, Paul Memmott and Darren Martin; published in Materials Chemistry and Physics 133(2/3):692-699.

The traditional preparation of spinifex resin for use as an adhesive by Indigenous Australians involves the... more The traditional preparation of spinifex resin for use as an adhesive by Indigenous Australians involves the application of limited heat as a source of energy for processing though overheating may cause permanent degradation of the material. This paper investigates the physico-thermal properties of spinifex resin and its traditional manufactured composite materials to manipulate morphologies and properties during handling and performance. The pure resin was found to display a low glass transition temperature (Tg), and the Tg was found to increase when it was heat-treated due to the thermally induced reaction of resin functional groups. The glass transition temperature further increased when soil minerals were incorporated within the resin matrix according to the conventional theory of hindrance of molecular motion of the polymer chains. The pure resin (metabolic compounds) contained some inorganic elements (Al, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ca, etc.) because of the micro-nutrients taken up by spinifex plants during their life span. Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the pure resin displayed the lowest thermal stability. However, the thermal stability improved for resin samples that had been extracted by solvent and subsequently heat treated. This enhanced thermal stability was most likely due to the thermally induced reaction of resin functional groups to form a crosslinked network structure.

The History of an Unfinished Project: The Dictionary “Russian Botanists” by Sergey Yu. Lipshits

by Anastasia Fedotova

Botanicheskiy zhurnal. 2012. Vol 97. № 3. P. 381-398. In Russian

The biographical and bibliographical dictionary ¨Russian botanists¨ by Sergey Yu. Lipshits was a unique bibliographic... more The biographical and bibliographical dictionary ¨Russian botanists¨ by Sergey Yu. Lipshits was a unique bibliographic project; it remains an essential guidebook for historians of biology in Russia. It contains biographical and full bibliographical entries for all botanists and other scholars engaged in botanical research in Russia in the 18th – mid-20th centuries. What makes the dictionary an invaluable resource for the history of botany (both social history and history of ideas) is the fact that it contains data not only on the leading scientists but on minor figures as well, even if the entries provide only a brief biographical account and a short outline of academic activities. However, only the first four volumes of the dictionary (up to the letter K) came out of print, and a few copies of the proofs for the fifth volume (the letters L-M) have been preserved. In this paper author made an attempt to describe on the basis of archival and published materials the sequence of the work progress, the difficulties that encountered S.Yu. Lipchitz and MOIP in process of publication, and how the publication was stopped by Department for Agitation and Propaganda of TsK VKP(b).

Galler-induced reduction of shoot growth and fruit production in the shrub Colliguaja integerrima (Euphorbiaceae)

by Rodrigo Medel

Gonzales, W.L., P.P. Caballero & R. Medel. 2005. Galler-induced reduction of shoot growth and fruit production in the shrub Colliguaja integerrima (Euphorbiaceae). Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 78: 393-399.

We evaluated experimentally the effect of a gall-maker insect on vegetative and reproductive traits of the shrub... more We evaluated experimentally the effect of a gall-maker insect on vegetative and reproductive traits of the shrub Colliguaja integerrima (Euphorbiaceae). We performed two experiments: (1) a chemical (insecticide) exclusion to prevent gall formation, and (2) a mechanical removal of new galls at the early stage to prevent gall growth. In the study area, galled shrubs were common (77 %). Because the pattern of insect attack may
influence plant fitness, the distribution of egg clusters deposited by the galler and the number of galls among shrubs were also evaluated. Fruit production was inversely associated with the number of galls, but did not correlate with shrub height, shrub cover, and number of shoots. Ungalled shoots were longer than galled shoots after 12 months initiated the experiment. Chemical exclusion produced a delayed positive effect on plant reproduction. Fruit production was higher in experimental than control branches after 24 months. Mechanical removal of galls increased fruit production in comparison to control branches in the next reproductive season. These results indicate that the galler reduces shoot growth, and has a delayed detrimental impact on fruit production of C. integerrima. Because the chance of finding new galls was higher on the previously infected shrubs, it is possible that reinfection processes account for the cumulative negative effects of the bud-galling insect on plant fitness.

Indigenous and modern biomaterials derived from Triodia (spinifex) grasslands in Australia.

by Lynley Wallis

Co-published with Gamage, H., S. Mondal, L.A. Wallis, P. Memmott, D. Martin, B. Wright and S Schmidt in the 'Australian Journal of Botany' (accepted for publication 14 December 2011).

Plant-derived fibres and resins can provide biomaterials with environmental, health and financial benefits. Australian... more Plant-derived fibres and resins can provide biomaterials with environmental, health and financial benefits. Australian arid zone grasses have not been explored as sources of modern biomaterials including building materials. Triodia grasslands are a dominant vegetation type in the arid and semi-arid regions of Australia covering a third of the continent. Of the 69 identified Triodia species, 26 produce resin from specialised cells in the outer leaf epidermis. In Aboriginal culture, Triodia biomass and resin were valued for their usefulness in cladding shelters and as a hafting agent. Since European settlement, Triodia grasslands have been used for cattle grazing and burning is a common occurrence to improve pasture value and prevent large scale fires. Although Triodia grasslands are relatively stable to fires, more frequent and large scale fires impact on other fire sensitive woody and herbaceous species associated with Triodia and invasion of exotic weeds resulting in localised changes in vegetation structure and composition. The extent and change occurring in Triodia grasslands as a result of altered land use practices, fire regimes and changing climate warrant careful consideration of their future. The extent and change occurring in Triodia grasslands as a result of altered land use practices, fire regimes, and changing climate warrant careful consideration of their future management. Localised harvesting of Triodia grasslands could have environmental benefits and provide much needed biomaterials for desert living. Research is underway to evaluate the material properties of Triodia biomass and resin in the context of Indigenous and western scientific knowledge. Here, we review uses of Triodia and highlight research needs if sustainable harvesting is to be considered.

The International Code for Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants – a significant rewrite of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature

by Karthick Balasubramanian

Karthick, B. and WIlliams, D.M., 2012. The International Code for Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants – a significant rewrite of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. Current Science. 102 (4) 551-552

A" stop-press" announcement. Damage caused by a widely used herbarium mounting technique

by Inger Marie Egenberg

The Vegetation of Socorro Island, Mexico

by Juan Martínez-Gómez

Boletín de la Sociedad Botánica de México. 84: 13-23. 2009.

Based on physiognomic criteria and a cluster analysis based on 90 plots (14 in prairie and grassland, 35 in shrubs, 38... more Based on physiognomic criteria and a cluster analysis based on 90 plots (14 in prairie and grassland, 35 in shrubs, 38 in forest and 3 in secondary vegetation) we classifi ed the vegetation of Socorro Island. In addition to coastal halophytes, we found evidence supporting eight primary vegetation types: Conocarpus shrubby vegetation, grassland, prairie, Croton masonii shrubby vegetation, Pteridium-Dodonaea shrub, tropical dry forest, tropical rain forest and lower montane cloud forest. Prairie and grassland associations are clearly associated with altitude. Depending on the dominant tree species, three different units could be identifi ed within the tropical rain forest of the island. Our analysis resolved differences with previous classifi cations of the vegetation on Socorro Island and indicated that some shrubby vegetation, sometimes considered as a different vegetation type, represented instead early succession stages of the lower montane cloud forest. The classifi cation presented constitutes a tool to aid future studies of the flora and fauna of this insular region.

Climatic Response of Oak Species across an Environmental Gradient in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA

by Saskia van de Gevel

The Red List of Endemic Trees & Shrubs of Ethiopia and Eritrea

by Jose Luis Vivero

The Author of the “Flora Rossica” Addressing the Authors of the “Flora of the USSR”

by Anastasia Fedotova

Studies in the History of Biology. 2012. Vol. 4. No 1. In Russian

The first publication of a comic speech given by Sergei Yu. Lipshits who impersonated a 19th century botanist Carl... more The first publication of a comic speech given by Sergei Yu. Lipshits who impersonated a 19th century botanist Carl Ledebour, the author of ‘Flora Rossica’, 1842-1853, at a banquet that celebrated the publication of the last volume of the ‘Flora of the USSR’ (Leningrad, May 1964).

Cuticle morphology of Australasian Sapindaceae

by Mike Pole

POLE, M. 2010. Cuticle morphology of Australasian Sapindaceae. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 164, 264–292.

The Sapindaceae is one of the important plant families in the warmer and particularly drier Australasian rainforests... more The Sapindaceae is one of the important plant families in the warmer and particularly drier Australasian rainforests but also has representatives in more arid regions. The leaf cuticle of a representative selection of Australasian Sapindaceae species is illustrated with transmitted light and scanning electron microscopy. The family exhibits a diverse range of characters with no one feature being diagnostic. Four basic stomatal types can be recognised, but these grade between each other. Trichomes, glands and papillae are often present. A brief description of the epidermis of all genera in Australasian is given and character combinations discussed which may allow identification of these in the fossil record. A rich cuticular fossil record in the Early Miocene of New Zealand includes Alectryon and members of Tribe Cupanieae.

A Bán-halom komplex tájökológiai és paleotalajtani felmérése – Survey of the biotical and abiotical landscape factors of the Bán-halom kurgan and its surrounding territory

by Ákos Pető

Barczi, A. - Tóth, Cs. - Tóth, A. - Pető, Á., 2009. A Bán-halom komplex tájökológiai és paleotalajtani felmérése. Tájökológiai Lapok [Hungarian Journal of Landscape Ecology] 7(1): 191-208. (in Hungarian with English abstract)