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Results for “Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society”

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12 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1996

Ecology and pathology of European chestnut (Castanea sativa) in the deciduous forests of the Caucasus Mountains in southern Russia

Chestnut-dominated forests of the Caucasus Mountain area of Russia are very similar to former chestnut-dominated forests in eastern North America. The distribution, pathology, and reproductive status of European chestnut ( Castanea sativa ) in the Caucasus are described and compared to that of American chestnut ( C. dentata ). Chestnut forests are distributed continuously along the southern slope of the Caucasus mountains near the Black Sea, and are found in isolated populations on the north side of the Caucasus, at elevations ranging from 200 to 1300 meters. Chestnut blight was apparently introduced into the region after 1880 and continues to destroy chestnut forests today. Chestnut in the Caucasus is also infected by several other fungal and bacterial parasites and the joint infection of blight and bacteria may be especially dangerous for chestnut trees. Chestnut-dominated forests comprise only a few percent of total forest cover in the Caucasus Biosphere Preserve, and usually occur in mountain valleys or coves with deep brown soil. The age structure and reproductive status of chestnut in the Caucasus was investigated on six study plots in the Caucasus Biosphere Forest Preserve near the upper altitudinal limit of chestnut. Although chestnut is at least 70 percent of the overstory on these sites, there are very few trees less than 50 years old, and very few recent seedlings on any of the plots. Most large chestnut trees appear to have originated as basal spouts from previously established stems. Although chestnut seed production appears adequate, we suspect that competition with shrubs and other tree seedlings, and predation by herbivores and rodents, now prevent the establishment and survival of chestnut seedlings in the Biosphere Preserve.

Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society↗
USGS2001

Dieback and episodic mortality of Cercidium microphyllum (foothill paloverde), a dominant Sonoran Desert tree

Past and current dieback of Cercidium microphyllum , a dominant, drought-deciduous tree in the Sonoran Desert, was investigated at Tumamoc Hill, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Logistic regression predicted that the odds of a Cercidium plant being alive should decrease with increasing circumference, association with the columnar cactus Carnegiea gigantea, and occurrence on steep slopes. Slope azimuth, parasitization by Phoradendron californicum , and distance to nearest Cercidium within 5 m did not significantly affect the odds of survival. Carnegiea was a source of background mortality rather than a primary cause of dieback. Of the >1,000 living and dead plants sampled, 7.7% had died within the past 5 to 7 years. An additional 12.8% died in the more distant past. Diebacks tended to occur during severe deficits in annual, especially summer, rain. More than half of the dead plants in the sample were ≥ 50 cm in girth. In current and past diebacks on Tumamoc Hill, it seems likely that severe drought interacted with natural senescence of an aging population, weakening large, old trees and hastening their deaths.

Arizona↗
USGS2004

Red spruce dynamics in an old southern Appalachian forest

By the late 1980s the composition and structure of forest stands in the southern Appalachian spruce-fir zone were altered by insect infestations to Fraser fir. The response of red spruce, the sole remaining coniferous forest dominant, to this disturbance was followed over twenty years (1983-2003) in an old spruce-fir forest at Mt. Collins, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Although diameter growth of canopy red spruce (>30 cm dbh) at six plot sites was considerable (mean 10-yr increment 2.1 cm; 1993-2003), red spruce mortality increased sharply (mean 4% yr-1; 1993-2003). Wind-related mortality of canopy red spruce was substantial after the loss of Fraser fir from the canopy circa 1985 (>70% of the dead spruce had broken or uprooted boles; 1983-2003). Wind damage to red spruce was observed at most plot sites, but it was most pronounced on exposed topographic positions, where canopy gap expansion was extensive. The elevated mortality of red spruce at Mt. Collins was not associated with reduced diameter growth. Altered canopy structure has left large red spruce vulnerable to high winds. With the loss of canopy fir and the subsequent increase in mortality of canopy spruce, total live basal area has declined to about half of its pre-disturbance level.

North Carolina, Tennessee↗
USGS2007

Distinguishing native (Celastrus scandens L.) and invasive (C. orbiculatus Thunb.) bittersweet species using morphological characteristics

Celastrus orbiculatus is an invasive liana in the Eastern United States. Its native congener, C. scandens , is less common and declining in the Northeast. The correct identification of these two species is often difficult because of their similar vegetative characteristics. Using morphological characteristics of both species growing naturally along a sand dune/forest ecotone, we built models for use in discriminating between the species, given a suite of leaf and fruit traits. We confirmed that the two species can be discriminated effectively using fruit characters, notably fruit volume and seed number. Several leaf traits, such as length-to-width ratio and leaf apex length can also discriminate between the species, but without the same predictive reliability of fruit traits. In addition, we determined that at leaf out in the spring the leaves of the two species were folded differently in the bud allowing them to be successfully discriminated in the early spring. Land managers could use this information to differentiate between the two species in the field and thereby control for the invasive C. orbiculatus , while preserving remaining populations of C. scandens .

Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society↗
USGS2011

Are temperate mature forests buffered from invasive lianas?

Mature and old-growth forests are often thought to be buffered against invasive species due to low levels of light and infrequent disturbance. Lianas (woody vines) and other climbing plants are also known to exhibit lower densities in older forests. As part of a larger survey of the lianas of the southern Lake Michigan region in mature and old-growth forests, the level of infestation by invasive lianas was evaluated. The only invasive liana detected in these surveys was Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. (Celastraceae). Although this species had only attached to trees and reached the canopy in a few instances, it was present in 30% of transects surveyed, mostly as a component of the ground layer. Transects with C. orbiculatus had higher levels of soil potassium and higher liana richness than transects without. In contrast, transects with the native C. scandens had higher pH, sand content, and soil magnesium and lower organic matter compared to transects where it was absent. Celastrus orbiculatus appears to be a generalist liana since it often occurs with native lianas. Celastrus orbiculatus poses a substantial threat to mature forests as it will persist in the understory until a canopy gap or other disturbance provides the light and supports necessary for it to ascend to the canopy and damage tree species. As a result, these forests should be monitored by land managers so that C. orbiculatus eradication can occur while invasions are at low densities and restricted to the ground layer.

Indiana;Michigan;Illinois↗
USGS2005

Water dispersal of vegetative bulbils of the invasive exotic Dioscorea oppositifolia L. in southern Illinois

Riparian corridors promote dispersal of several species of exotic invasives worldwide. Dispersal plays a role in the colonization of exotic invasive species into new areas and this study was conducted to determine if the invasiveness of Dioscorea oppositifolia L. (Chinese yam) is facilitated by secondary dispersal of vegetative diaspores (bulbils) by water. Since seed production of this plant has not been observed in the United States, bulbils represent the only means of dispersal to new habitats. Dispersal was monitored by placing aquatic traps, tethered bulbils, and painted bulbil caches in a tributary of Drury Creek, Giant City State Park, Illinois. Results indicate that high-energy flow in the creek accelerated secondary dispersal of bulbils downstream and onto the floodplain. The longest recorded dispersal distance was 206.2 m downstream. Dispersal distance of tethered bulbils was not related to rainfall or flow velocity in the creek; however the total number of bulbils trapped was positively related to flow velocity. We conclude that secondary dispersal by water in streams can facilitate dispersal of vegetative bulbils of this exotic species.

Illinois↗
USGS2005

El Niño and displays of spring-flowering annuals in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts

Although popular and scientific literature frequently assumes a strong connection between El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and good displays of spring-flowering annuals in the southwestern United States, such assumptions are based on anecdotal, short-term evidence. The goals of this study were to identify good wildflower years as objectively as possible, to assess the correlation between El Niño and good displays of spring-flowering annuals, and to examine the influence of rainfall amounts on good wildflower years. The terms “good displays” and “good wildflower years” refer to times or places when populations of showy spring-flowering annuals (often called winter annuals) are abundant, robust, and diverse. In the deserts of southeastern California and southern Arizona, good wildflower years occurred about once every 5 to 7 years in the 20th century. The connection between good wildflower years and traditionally defined El Niño episodes was weak, but when El Niño was redefined in a phenologically meaningful way as any calendar year in which the average Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) between July and December was negative, 21 of 27 good wildflower years in the combined deserts were associated with El Niño. Good wildflower years were 3.6 times more likely after redefined El Niño years than after other years. Rain in the months before good wildflower years was at least 30% greater than the long-term average in the Mojave Desert and at least 50% greater in the Sonoran Desert. A diverse flora of spring-flowering annuals occurred in the region during the late Wisconsin and early Holocene, which was a period of wetter, milder winters and cooler summers. Perhaps some species of spring-flowering annuals persist today in the arid southwestern United States only because frequent El Niño conditions recreate the cool, moist conditions of the late Pleistocene.

Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society↗
USGS2005

Effects of drought on shrub survival and longevity in the northern Sonoran Desert

Effects of drought on shrub survival and longevity in the northern Sonoran Desert. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 132: 421–431. 2005.—Permanent vegetation plots in the northern Sonoran Desert, USA, provided an opportunity to assess the effects of recent drought on desert shrubs and to examine survival in relation to rainfall variability during the past 76 years. Survival and maximum longevity of six species were determined for eight intercensus periods between 1928 and 2004. Average annual survival was Ambrosia deltoidea , 0.9167 ± 0.0415; Encelia farinosa , 0.7952 ± 0.0926; Janusia gracilis , 0.9334 ± 0.0247; Krameria grayi , 0.9702 ± 0.0270; Larrea tridentata , 0.9861 ± 0.0174; and Lycium berlandieri , 0.9910 ± 0.0077. The longest-lived species were Larrea , Lycium , and Krameria , with average maximum life spans of 330, 211, and 184 years. Janusia , Ambrosia , and Encelia were much shorter lived, with average maximum longevity of 53, 40, and 16 years. Winter rain equalled or exceeded 90% of the long-term average accumulation except during 1948 to 1959 (65% of average) and from 2001 to 2003 (49% of average). Summer rain did not drop below 90% of the average accumulation in any period. The 1950s drought caused modest declines in survival of Ambrosia , Encelia , Janusia , Krameria , and Lycium . The effects of the recent drought were much more pronounced, resulting in sharp declines in survival and maximum longevity of Ambrosia , Encelia , Krameria , and Larrea , and modest declines for Lycium . Despite heightened mortality during the recent severe drought, 72% of the deaths observed between 1928 and 2004 occurred during periods of average or better-than-average rain, providing support for the idea that demography of shrubs in arid regions is influenced by continuous as well as episodic processes.

Arizona↗
USGS2005

Assessing the competitive ability of Japanese stilt grass, Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus

Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass) is an invasive grass in the eastern half of the United States which can form dense monocultures in forest understories, displacing native species. Although the loss of native species has been observed in the field, the actual competitive ability of this grass has not been examined. Microstegium vimineum was grown under controlled environment, greenhouse conditions in competition with Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum (annual rye grass) and Muhlenbergia mexicana (Mexican muhly) in varying density ratios in full and low light treatments. Microstegium vimineum had a greater aboveground biomass, relative growth rate, and reproductive output than both competitors in both light treatments. The high competitive ability of Microstegium vimineum , especially in low light conditions, reflects its highly aggressive nature in forested or other landscapes of eastern North America.

Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society↗
USGS2006

Groundlayer vegetation gradients across oak woodland canopy gaps

Frequency of groundlayer plants was measured across oak woodland canopy gaps at three sites in northwest Indiana to examine how vegetation varied with gap size, direction along the gap edge, and microhabitat. Microhabitats were defined as under the canopy adjacent to the gap, along the gap edge, and within the gap. Gap-sites consisted of gaps plus adjacent tree canopy. Gaps were classified as small (16 ± 1 m 2 ), medium (97 ± 8), and large (310 ± 32). Neither richness nor diversity differed among microhabitats, gap sizes, or edges. Similarity between microhabitats wthin a gap-site increased as the distance between plots decreased and as the difference in PAR decreased, the latter explaining twice the variation in percent dissimilarity compared to Mg concentration, A horizon depth, and litter cover. Diervilla lonicera , Frageria virginiana , Helianthus divaricatus , Polygonatum pubescens , Quercus velutina , Smilacena stellata , and Tradescantia ohiensis decreased, while Tephrosia virginiana and legumes increased in frequency, from canopy to gap, and C 4 grasses peaked at the gap edge, independent of gap size. Additional species frequency varied across the microhabitat gradient within specific sites. Sorghastrum nutans was three times more frequent in gaps at large sites than elsewhere. The vegetation in medium-sized gap-sites was more variable than within small and large gap-sites, suggesting greater environmental heterogeneity at that scale. Within gap-sites, vegetation was more heterogeneous within edges and canopies than in gaps. Edges were more similar in composition to gaps than to canopy groundlayer within gap-sites. Few species varied significantly in frequency around the gap edge. The oak woodland groundlayer on sandy substrates can be characterized as a mosaic of forb dominated vegetation that varies across light gradients associated with canopy gaps, transitioning to islands of grassland vegetation when gaps exceed 160 m 2 .

Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society↗
USGS2006

Response of Tridens flavus (L.) A. S. Hitchc. to soil nutrients and disturbance in an early successional old field

Soil nutrients and disturbance are two of the main abiotic factors that influence plant dominance (canopy cover), density, and fecundity in early successional old field plant communities. The manner in which the dominant species in old field successional systems respond to the interaction of nutrients and disturbance is poorly known. We examined the dominance, density of flowering tillers, and reproductive output of Tridens flavus , a perennial, warm-season bunchgrass that is important in old field succession, to varying soil nutrient and disturbance regimes. We tested the hypothesis that the interaction between nutrients and disturbance would influence the performance (cover, density, fecundity) of T. flavus . To test this hypothesis, we subjected 25 m 2 experimental plots to various combinations of fertilizer and mowing treatments for eight years after initially plowing the field. The performance of T. flavus was measured by estimating percent cover for 8 years (1996–2003) and both density of flowering tillers and reproductive output (panicle length and number of branches per panicle) for three years (2001–2003). The pattern of canopy cover of T. flavus over the first eight years of succession varied over time depending on mowing regime. Dominance was significantly higher in plots that were fertilized only in years one and five than in annually fertilized and unfertilized control plots. The length of panicles and density of flowering tillers were both significantly greater in annually mowed plots than in unmowed plots. In the absence of mowing in particular, T. flavus became overtopped by woody species and declined in this old field community. Therefore, disturbances such as mowing and fertilization may be important in maintaining grasses such as Tridens flavus in old fields.

Illinois↗
USGS2003

Plants of the Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

A new survey of the Big Cypress National Preserve shows that the vascular flora consists of 145 families and 851 species. Of these, 72 are listed by the State of Florida as endangered or threatened plants, while many others are on the margins of their ranges. The survey also shows 158 species of exotic plants within the Preserve, some of which imperil native species by competing with them. Finally, we compare the flora of the Big Cypress National Preserve with those of the nearby Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve and the Everglades National Park. Although Big Cypress is less than half the size of Everglades National Park, it has 90% of the native species richness (693 vs. 772).

Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society↗