Issues#126 to #130 (February 1996)
ALPINE VEGETATION OF TRAIL RIDGE, ROCKY MOUNTAINS, COLORADO
From: Ingolf Kuehn <Ingolf.Kuehn@rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de>
Sampling of vegetation and environmental data on alpine tundra
of Trail Ridge, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado was
carried out in July and August, 1995, to answer the following
questions:
1. Are there correlations between plants (or plant communities)
and selected environmental factors (or factor-complexes)
such as altitude, aspect, inclination, temperature, soil
moisture and/or rockiness of the surface that may lead to a
better understanding of a species autecology or the
community's synecology?
2. Are there specific plant communities for specific environ-
mental types of vegetation?
3. Is there any pattern on species-diversity or species-area-
relationship of specific plant-communities or environmental
types of vegetation?
4. Comparing Modified-Whittaker-Plot-Samples on landscape
dimensions and Braun-Blanquet-Releves on community scale,
what will be the differences between plant composition,
plant diversity and community types?
5. Where are the limits of each method and which is the method
of choice for which kind of question?
The investigations were (as far as possible) restricted to mesic
tundra belonging to the class Elyno-Seslerietea BR.-BL. 1948
sensu Komarkova (1979). Eight "environmental types" (four car-
dinal directions, each at two elevations related to treeline at
the specific slope) were defined and four replicate sampling
locations for each environmental type were randomly selected
(thus 32 plots). At these locations vegetation sampling was done
with Modified-Whittaker-Plots (Stohlgren et al. 1995) with an
area of 10m x 25m. These plots contain ten 0.25m x 1 m and two
2.5m x 1m subplots, arranged systematically inside along the
perimeter of the plot, and one centre subplot (2.5m x 10m).
Percent cover of each species was recorded at the 0.25 sqm
subplots, presence/absence for all other plots (thus there are
only newly occurring species recorded for the big 250 sqm plot).
Within or very close to the randomly selected Modified-
Whittaker-Plots 2-4 subjectively selected Releves of 1 - 2 sqm
(cf. WILLARD 1979) were taken according to the rules of BRAUN-
BLANQUET (1964).
Furthermore, Elk feces were counted on 16 Modified-Whittaker-
Plots (2 of each environmental type) in the center-plot (2.5 x
10 m) to get an impression of grazing utilization of different
plots. On 8 Plots, representing the 8 environmental types, a
HOBO XT Temperature Logger was placed for a week in August,
logging temperature every 15 minutes. This data will be
referenced to the temperature-data sampled for long-term
ecological research program on Niwot Ridge (University of
Colorado, Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research). Soil-
moisture was measured with a TRASE SYSTEM TDR (Time-Delayed
Reflectometry) 6050XI. There were 10 measurements in each
Modified-Whittaker-Plot around the center-plot.
The data is now being evaluated, using Canonical-Correspondence-
Analysis (CANOCO, ter Braak 1987-1992). This analysis will be
run for species data and for plot data in order to see
autecological and synecological correlations. The data of both
methods will be proceeded to the rules of Braun-Blanquet-
Tablework (Braun-Blanquet 1964) to receive vegetation units
("plant communities"), supported by the program COENOS
(microcomputer version of Ceska & Roemer 1971). Species-area-
curves will be computed for each of the Modified-Whittaker-Plots
as well as for the average of vegetation types and environmental
types and the results will be compared.
I am very thankful to the following persons who supported my
work: Dr. Tom Stohlgren, National Biological Service, Colorado
State University, Ft. Collins, Colorado, and his team as well as
Richard Bachand, National Biological Service, Rocky Mountain
National Park, Estes Park, Colorado, and his team, who gave
scientific support and equipment. Therese Johnson, National Park
Service, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Colorado,
helped me with research permission and housing.
References
ter Braak, C. J. F. 1987-1992. CANOCO - a FORTRAN program for
Canonical Community Ordination. Ithaca (New York): Microcom-
puter Power, 95 p.
Braun-Blanquet, J. 1964. Pflanzensoziologie ed. 3. Berlin, Wien,
New York: Springer.
Ceska, A. & H. Roemer 1971. A computer program for identifying
species-releve groups in vegetation studies. Vegetatio 23:
255-277.
Komarkova, V. 1979. Alpine Vegetation of the Indian Peaks Area,
Front Range, Colorado Rocky Mountains. Flora et Vegetatio
Mundi 7. Vaduz: Cramer, 591 p.
Stohlgren, T.J., M.B. Falkner & L.D. Schell. 1995. A Modified-
Whittaker nested vegetation sampling method. Vegetatio 117:
113-121.
Willard, B. 1979: Plant Sociology of Alpine Tundra, Trail Ridge,
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Quarterly of the
Colorado School of Mines 74(4): 119 p.
(BEN # 126 10-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
VEGETATION LISTSERV ESTABLISHED
From: Marilyn Walker <mwalker@taimyr.colorado.edu>
re-posted from ECOLOG-L <ECOLOG-L@UMDD.UMD.EDU>
A new mailing list has been established for discussion of
vegetation science. It will also be used for distribution of
IAVS-NA and ESA Vegetation Section newsletters. To subscribe,
send an email message to:
listproc@lists.colorado.edu
with the text:
subscribe vegetation Your Name
This list is for discussion of issues in the field of vegetation
science. Examples of appropriate subject matter would be jobs
for vegetation scientists, announcements of meetings, discussion
of techniques and approaches for sampling and analysis, requests
for information, etc. It is sponsored by the North American
Section of the International Association for Vegetation Science.
Anyone who is a list subscriber may post to the list. There is
no moderation, but posting of inappropriate material may result
in revocation of subscription.
If you have any questions, please ask Marilyn Walker
<mwalker@taimyr.colorado.edu>
(BEN # 126 10-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
THE HISTORY OF EXPLORATION OF THE VASCULAR FLORA OF CANADA
Pringle, J.S. 1995. The history of the exploration of the vas-
cular flora of Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 109 (No.3):
291-356.
Dr. Pringle's excellent article describes the history of botani-
cal collecting in Canada from Taddaeus Haenke in the West and
the Moravian missionaries in the East to (almost) the present
time. The paper also lists the main collectors of vascular
plants (with some notable omissions in the British Columbia
botany - e.g., C.F. Newcombe) and the herbaria where their
collections are housed. Two other articles in the same issue by
the same author describe the history of the botanical explora-
tions of Greenland and Saint-Pierre et Miquelon.
(BEN # 126 10-February-1996)
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WHO IS WHO IN CANADIAN BOTANY: GUIDE TO BOTANISTS AND LITERATURE
Canadian Biodiversity: a Guide to Botanical Specialists and
Literature by E. Small, J. Cayouette, B. Brookes, and W.
Wojtas. 1995. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. [Electronic
publication on diskettes and on World Wide Web.]
This bilingual format (English/French) work lists over 300
living (and a few recently deceased) Canadian botanists, par-
ticularly systematists, phytogeographers, ecologists, foresters,
agronomists, and germplasm specialists, and provides complete
citation details of over 15,000 of their publications and
reports related to biodiversity of vascular plants and
bryophytes. Most of the information was furnished by the
biodiversity specialists themselves. Addresses, telephone num-
bers, fax and E-mail information are also provided. An appendix
lists recent key publications on Canadian biodiversity. A second
appendix fully spells out journal titles, which are standardly
abbreviated in the text. At least half of the listings are not
retrievable from other available bibliographic databases. For
example, based on the first 1500 citations (i.e. ca. 10% of the
entire database) 61.0% of the citations included were not
present in AGRICOLA (for 1970-1995), one of the best available
biological databases for North American biodiversity.
Three hundred sets of the diskettes (3.5") version were
produced. This comes with Acrobat Reader , a user-friendly
retrieval software system that facilitates rapid location of
individuals and words. The system is for computers with Windows
. About 5 MB of storage are needed. The entire text (over 1,000
pages), can be printed out. Printed copies of the text are
deposited in the Ottawa library of Agriculture Canada, and in
other selected Canadian libraries.
This work is available on the following web page:
http://www.cciw.ca/eman-temp/scientists.html
(BEN # 126 10-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
NORTHWEST NATIVE PLANT IDENTIFICATION VIDEOTAPE
From: "Clayton J. Antieau" <antieau@coopext.cahe.wsu.edu>
originally on pacific-biosnet@listproc.wsu.edu
As residents of the Pacific Northwest, we have inherited an
abundance of damaged and disturbed natural places: streams and
rivers, wetlands, and forests--areas that should provide
wildlife and fish habitat, desirable water quality, recreation,
and a sense of home. The ability to identify the native plants
that grow (or could grow) in those places is essential to res-
toration efforts in those habitats.
As part of its mandate to address such needs, and with the
assistance of a $5,000 grant from the King County Surface Water
Management Division, the Washington Native Plant Society under-
took the development of a professionally produced videotape
describing the basic field identification of approximately 23
trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials native to riparian and
wetland habitats in lowland western Washington, northwestern
Oregon, and southwestern British Columbia. All these species are
useful in restoration projects in those habitats. It is hoped
this video effort will encourage more citizens of our region to
become involved in the enjoyment and study of native Northwest
plants, and in the restoration and care of the habitats they
create.
This 30-minute VHS videotape is appropriate for older children
and adults with little or no botanical experience. The videotape
features western Washington habitats and an introduction from
Dr. Arthur R. Kruckeberg, Professor Emeritus of Botany, Univer-
sity of Washington. Loaner copies of the videotape are available
through the King County Surface Water Management Division in
Seattle for the cost of mailing (for details contact Polly
Freeman 206-296-8359), or through the Washington Native Plant
Society for the cost of mailing ($3.00, pre-paid, check payable
to Clayton Antieau, WNPS, 1108 Northwest 80th Street, Seattle,
WA 98117-4134), or call Clayton Antieau (206-784-1138;
antieau@wsu.edu) to make other arrangements.
(BEN # 126 10-February-1996)
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VICTORIA - BOTANY NIGHT - FEBRUARY 20
Tuesday, February 20, 1996 - Botany Night: Andy MacKinnon +
Marvin Eng: "Old Forests of Coastal British Columbia." - Swan
Lake Nature House, 7:30 p.m.
(BEN # 127 17-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
NATIVE VEGETATION SYMPOSIUM - UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA - MARCH 9
Saturday, March 9, 1996 - Native Vegetation Symposium University
of Victoria, Elliot Lecture Wing, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
You are cordially invited to the third annual Native Vegetation
Symposium being held on March 9, 1996, at the University of
Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia. The Native Vegetation
Committee of VIPIRG (Vancouver Island Public Interest Research
Group), which is putting on the event, is dedicated to identify-
ing issues relating to native vegetation. Our main aims include
education and conservation. Funds raised from the symposium will
be used for continued upkeep of the UVic Native Plant Garden
along with other committee activities.
The aim of the symposium is to expand people's knowledge about
native vegetation issues (see below). Other events include tours
of the Native Plant Garden, lunch time theater and art, book and
plant sales, displays by local organizations, and a raffle
offering great prizes.
Admission is $8 for students, seniors and unwaged, $10 for
others. Tickets can be obtained in advance by contacting Brenda
Costanzo at the UVic Herbarium (604) 721-7097. As well, we have
group rates for ten or more people ($5 each). The symposium is
being held in the lecture wing of the Elliott building and will
run from 9am to 5pm. Please bring your own mug for refreshments.
We hope to see you there!
Speakers will include: Hans Roemer (Rare Plants of B.C.),
Neville Winchester (Canopy Research), Willie McGillivray
(Wildlife Habitat Creation), Greg Allen (Garry Oak Pollen of
Heal Lake), Nancy Turner (Ethnobotany), Allison McCutcheon
(Medicinal Native Plants), Penny Kerrigan et al. (First Nations'
Perspective), Jeff Ward & Joel Ussery (CRD Green Spaces
Strategy), Adolf Ceska (Rare Aquatic Plants), B.C. Native Plant
Council Meeting, Brenda Constanzo (Native Plants in Garden), and
Paul Allison (Holistic Approach to Native Plants).
If you need further info you can contact Jenny (604-744-1710),
Brenda (721-7097), or Hana (727-3539), or you can also use the
following e-mail address: pcallison@thegarden.org
(BEN # 127 17-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
NEW SPECIAL FEATURE PROTECTED AREAS ON VANCOUVER ISLAND
From: Kerry Joy <KJOY@galaxy.gov.bc.ca> and
Hans Roemer <HROEMER@galaxy.gov.bc.ca>
The establishment of 35 new small protected areas on Vancouver
Island brings the protected area, parks and ecological reserves,
total to 13% of the Island's total area. This objective was
established in the June 1994 "Vancouver Island Land Use Plan"
which was designed to protect the Island's natural environments.
The 1994 plan established 23 large and representative protected
areas ranging in size from the 600 ha Davie River area of old
growth forest to the 10,600 ha Nahwitti-Shushartie at Vancouver
Island's northerly tip which protected a portion of the Nahwitti
Lowland.
The new areas range in size from the 2 ha Hudson Rocks, a na-
tionally significant pelagic cormorant breeding colony, to the
3,000 ha Quadra Island Main Lakes chain noted for its scenic,
recreational, and fisheries values. These areas total 11,857 ha
and represent special feature provincial parks and ecological
reserve candidates. Some private lands are included in the 35
areas which will require purchase or land exchange negotiations.
The selection of these areas resulted from wide public and
institutional input including First Nations concerns, naturalist
groups, individuals and key provincial and federal government
staff. This process resulted in some 300 suggestions totaling
35,000 ha and 78 highly valued areas. The 11,770 ha ceiling
caused further study with a final selection of the 35 Crown and
private land areas.
What is in it from the botanist's perspective? Just like the
1994 set of large, representative areas, all these new areas
contain some undisturbed ecological and botanical features of
interest, most of them still to be discovered and described by
botanists. So only some highlights can be mentioned for some
areas where we do know them:
Comox Lake Bluffs - Botrychium simplex, Polystichum imbricans
Klanawa River - BC's only extensive stands of Oxalis oregana
Ladysmith Bog - Utricularia gibba
San Juan Estuary - Only locality of Mimulus dentatus in Canada
Woodley Range - Lotus pinnatus, Aster curtus, Isoetes nuttallii
Somass River Estuary (...if negotiations are successful)
- Sidalcea hendersonii, host of rare mudflat plants
Somenos Garry Oaks (also under negotiations) - Viola praemorsa
Niagara Creek (under negotiations) - old growth Douglas-fir
Botanists familiar with some of these sites may wonder why they
have received park status and why those with important botanical
features have not become ecological reserves. The answer is that
the present action is intended to secure the land base and that
ecological reserve status is still considered as a future option
for several of the sites.
Even botanists can't have everything: Some precious spring
ephemerals at Koksilah River, Canada's only Euonymus occiden-
talis at Tsolum River, and the unique diversity of wetland
plants at Moran Lake go without protection, to name only a few.
(BEN # 127 17-February-1996)
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CAVE FOSSILS OF PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND, ALASKA ARCHIPELAGO
From: "Timothy H. Heaton" <theaton@sunflowr.usd.edu>
originally on SITKA <sitka@sunflowr.usd.edu>
I just received a 1983 article by Knut Fladmark via ILL where he
states:
North of the Queen Charlotte Islands, the Alexander Ar-
chipelago of Alaska represents a troublesome gap in
Quaternary environmental data. ... it is likely that the
outer headlands and slopes of Chichagof, Baranof, and
Prince of Wales Island remained unglaciated, although
possibly separated by ice lobes reaching the Pacific ...
I'm happy to announce, Knut, that the gap you spoke of is now
being filled and that your claim of coastal refugia appears
vindicated!
My work in SE Alaska began when an old friend of mine (Kevin
Allred of Haines AK), while exploring caves in the extensive
karstlands of Prince of Wales Island, began discovering exten-
sive fossil deposits--primarily ancient bear dens. Two caves
have been fully excavated so far: El Capitan Cave (near a bay in
a glacial valley) and Bumper Cave (subalpine). Both caves con-
tain remains of postglacial brown bears (which were previously
thought never to have reached the southern Alexander
Archipelago), and two other species recovered are caribou and
red fox (which no longer inhabit the archipelago or the adjacent
mainland). Radiocarbon ages range from 12,300 to 7,000 YBP and
show that the glaciers melted earlier than previously thought.
El Capitan Cave and other coastal caves also contain black bear,
otter, and fish (otter scat) remains.
The most exciting cave to date is On Your Knees Cave where
remains of a 17,500 YBP seal, a 35,000 YBP brown bear, and a
42,000 YBP black bear have been found. This cave (on the extreme
northern tip of POWI) seems to have remained ice-free throughout
the glacial peak, and it shows that brown bears have a long
history in the archipelago. At the same time that we discovered
these fossils, Gerald Shields and his student Sandra Talbot in
Fairbanks were doing a DNA study and finding that the living
brown bears of the northern archipelago (ABC Islands) are
genetically distinct from all other populations and are more
closely related to polar bears than to their mainland con-
specifics! Gerald can post the details. The combined evidence
suggests that brown bears have had a long-term coastal refugium
in SE Alaska and are not postglacial immigrants.
On Your Knees Cave will be a primary focus next summer. We will
also be excavating a cave where Joe Cook found a marmot tooth
that is beyond radiocarbon age and and another cave where we
found a bone spear point associated with two 8,600 YBP black
bears. I want to acknowledge my two primary excavation partners,
Fred Grady and Dave Love, two very supportive Forest Service
scientists who live on POWI, Jim Baichtal and Terry Fifield, and
the current leader of the Tongass Caves Project, Steve Lewis,
all of whom are here on the list.
The need for interdisciplinary research has become increasingly
apparent. Lab researchers in radiocarbon dating, stable
isotopes, ichthyology, and palynology have provided crucial
information. Archaeologists such as Jim Dixon who are looking
for glacial-age human remains in the archipelago are very inter-
ested in our findings, and the need for cooperation there is
obvious. More troubling is our lack of knowledge concerning
patterns of glaciation and sea level changes--the very things
that would help us find potential refugia and ancient coastal
caves. As I mentioned earlier, the Canadians working in B.C. are
way ahead of those of us doing research in SE Alaska, so a forum
for discussion will be most beneficial. I'm delighted to see so
many top-notch Canadian Quaternary scientists on the list as
well as landmark researchers of the north Pacific Coast such as
Cal Heusser. The interest among coastal researchers in
Washington and Oregon is also encouraging.
(BEN # 127 17-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
SITKA DISCUSSION LIST
From: listproc@sunbird.usd.edu
SITKA is the short name for the Northwest Coast Researchers
List. This list is devoted to interdisciplinary discussion of
glacial and postglacial events along the northern Pacific coast
of North America. Researchers doing work in this area as well as
interested persons are welcome to participate.
To subscribe to this list, send the command
SUBSCRIBE SITKA First_name Last_name in the body of an e-mail
message to <LISTPROC@SUNBIRD.USD.EDU>. To post messages to the
list, send them to <SITKA@SUNBIRD.USD.EDU>.
Topics of interest (non-inclusive):
-Extent and timing of the last glacial maximum
-Timing and pattern of deglaciation along the Pacific coast
-Sea level changes after glacial melt and isostatic rebound
-Unglaciated coastal refugia during glacial maxima
-Post-glacial colonization by marine and terrestrial species
-Possible refugium/corridors for early humans
Your comments and suggestions are welcome. Feel free to contact
the list owner, Timothy H. Heaton <theaton@sunbird.usd.edu>, at
any time.
(BEN # 127 17-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
ECOLOGY, ETHNOBOTANY, VARIATION OF ERYTHRONIUM GRANDIFLORUM
Dawn Loewen is a University of Victoria student who started her
M.Sc. work on Glacier Lily, Erythronium grandiflorum. Please,
send her a message, if you know interesting stands of this
plant, or anything else that could help her in her work.
Her address is Dawn Loewen <DCL@UVIC.CA>
(BEN # 127 17-February-1996)
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ANNOUNCING ARCHAEOBOTANY LIST
From: Sarah Mason <sarah.mason@UCL.AC.UK>
The aim of this list is to facilitate communication through the
exchange of information on meetings, conferences, bibliog-
raphies, publications, reference collections and botanical and
ethnographic data relevant to the analysis of archaeological
plant macro-remains.This group could also exchange ideas about
various aspects of archaeobotany such as problems of
methodology,identification, presentation and interpretation.
To subscribe send the following command:
subscribe archaeobotany First_name Last_name
to:
listproc@eng-h.gov.uk
(BEN # 127 17-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
TRIMBLE ENSIGN GPS ON SALE
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca>
Cansel Ltd. Burnaby, B.C. offers the Trimble Ensign GPS units
for incredibly low price: $ 595.00 (Canadian $$$, + GST + PST,
where applicable). The units are brand new and the offer is good
while the supply lasts. The company has a toll number: 800-661-
8342 (ask for Randy) or it can be reached by FAX at 604-299-
1998. I have been using the Trimble Ensign GPS locator since
1994 and I have been very satisfied with its performance. Using
this locator you will know your location within 30 to 100 m even
if you are lost! :-)
(BEN # 127 17-February-1996)
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MELINDA F. DENTON MEMORIAL LECTURE - SEATTLE - MARCH 5, 1996
Prof. Warren Herb Wagner, Jr. : Ferns of Hawaii. Tuesday,
March 5, 1996, 7:00 p.m. 220 Kane Hall, The University of
Washington, Seattle. - Admission complimentary.
The Second Annual Melinda F. Denton Memorial Lecture is spon-
sored by the Department of Botany, University of Washington and
the Center for Urban Horticulture, and the Melinda Denton
Memorial Fund.
(BEN # 128 24-February-1996)
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INTRODUCED BOG PLANTS, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - UPDATE
From: Frank Lomer, Honourary Research Associate, UBC Herbarium,
Vancouver, B.C. c/o <ubc@unixg.ubc.ca>
The following is an update of "Introduced Bog Plants Around
Vancouver", BEN # 104 - July 2, 1995.
Azolla caroliniana Willd. I have now seen this aquatic plant
from numerous places, especially around the extensive cran-
berry fields on the northeast corner of Lulu Island, Rich-
mond. This species can be invasive. One large slough in
Richmond (6m x 0.5km) was completely covered by a mat 1cm
thick. The plants themselves were in turn covered by aphids.
Also collected in a ditch at 10480 59th Ave., Delta. (Lomer #
95-222) I have seen A. caroliniana sold in a few garden
centers and this may be the source of our introductions.
Cyperus erythrorhizos Muhl. - I mentioned that the introduced
population at Richland Farms, 19611 Westminster Highway,
Richmond, may be extirpated, but it is still abundant in
cranberry fields about 1km west of where I found the original
population.
Cyperus retrorsus Chapm. - A single plant, 1 meter tall, was
growing along the edge of a hog fuel track skirting the
perimeter of a large cranberry field. C. retrorsus is native
to the eastern U.S. and perhaps has not been collected in
Canada before. Collected from Richland Farms, Richmond on
September 28, 1995. (Lomer # 95-197)
Juncus canadensis Gay - I have found two new populations of this
species. It grows at Burnaby Lake and along the edge of a
tidal marsh, Pitt River, Port Coquitlam, 1km north of Pitt
River Bridge. (Lomer # 95-201)
Juncus pelocarpus Meyer - Since I wrote the original article, I
have found two new populations of this species. It is abun-
dant and widespread in Burns Bog, Delta and in a gravel pit
at 200th St.and 36th Ave. in Langley.
Muhlenbergia uniflora (Muhl.) Fern. - This distinctive clumped
grass with a diffuse purplish panicle is native to N.E. U.S.
and S.E. Canada. Collected in a weedy plot in a cranberry
field north of the Richmond Freeway about 1km east of No.8
Road, Richland Farms, Lulu Island, Richmond. Despite the
name, the plants I saw mostly had 2 florets. More than 50
clumps were seen in a field with Cyperus erythrorhizos
(abundant), Hypericum boreale, and Lindernia anagallidea
(few). (Lomer # 95-195, 95-241)
Scirpus atrovirens var. georgianus (Harper) Fern. - Collected on
June 23, 1995 on boggy shore of Burnaby Lake, 4km. east of
Vancouver (Lomer # 95-131), growing with Juncus canadensis
and Glyceria canadensis. A few days after I collected this
plant, the area was covered with gravel and this population
seems to be extirpated.
(BEN # 128 24-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
A NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE ARCTIC
Pielou, C.E. 1994. A naturalist's guide to the Arctic. Univer-
sity of Chicago Press, Chicago. 327 p. ISBN 0-226-66814-2
[softcover] Price: CND $29.95
When we visited Dr. Chris Pielou in their new home on Denman
Island quite a few years ago, she told us that her book on "The
world of northern evergreens" had just appeared and that she was
writing another book on natural history. She would not reveal
what it was about, but our good mutual friend told us (about two
hours later) that the book was to be on the Holocene history of
North America ("After the Ice Age" - published in 1991).
Chris Pielou was an eminent mathematical ecologist and she has
tried all her life to compress Nature into the bold print of
matrix algebra. In her books such as "Mathematical ecology" (two
editions), "The interpretation of ecological data...", "Popula-
tion and community ecology" - just to name a few, you easily
find sections which you cannot read unless you have a degree in
mathematics. You had to wonder, how the author saw the forest,
ecosystem, ecology, or a dandelion. Has she ever noticed them?
Open the "Naturalist's guide to the Arctic" and you will know
the answer. No bold matrix algebra, but a nice description on
how the Arctic works. You will learn about astronomy, climate,
geology, the ocean, plants and animals and all the interactions
and causal relationships that you have to know in order to
understand this particular biome. Everything is written in the
nice, clear style and all the stories are fascinating. I was
looking for the name of an artist who drew the nice pictures
(ranging from the Arctic landscapes, through plants, birds, and
mammals to the Cariboo Warble Fly) before I noticed that the
book was "illustrated with more than 400 of the author's draw-
ings and maps."
Congratulation, Chris!
P.S. - Richard, can you tell us what is Chris working on now?
(BEN # 128 24-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
APOTHEOSIS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Mackenzie, Ian. 1995. Ancient landscapes of British Columbia.
Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton. 128 p. ISBN 1-55105-043-9
[softcover] CND $24.95
"British Columbia is a beautiful place," told us the clerk of
the Canadian Embassy in Prague in 1969 after she stamped the
Canadian visa into our Czech passports. We understood what she
meant when we arrived to British Columbia few days later. Ian
Mackenzie's book is an extraordinary document of this extraordi-
nary province. It is the result of a six-year pilgrimage: Ian
Mackenzie has journeyed on foot and horseback, by canoe and
kayak, by air, river and ocean, to the most remote corners of
every region.
The photographs (we are told that they were selected from about
30,000 images) are overwhelming. I have not been able to read
the text - whenever I opened the book I had to look at the
photographs and I slipped into daydreaming about those sacred
places. From a short biography we learn that the author has a
Master degree in linguistics and speaks and read eleven
languages. In addition to his gift to communicate through his
photographs.
The book is a "pictorial geography of British Columbia." The
biogeoclimatic map at the end of the book will give you not only
the distribution of our biogeoclimatic zones, but also refers to
pictures taken in the respective zones. In the text, paragraphs
printed in bold italics summarize the characteristics of each
biogeoclimatic zone. Great idea ! By the way, when Prof.
Vladimir Krajina introduced the term "biogeoclimatic zone" even
many professional people laughed to the seemingly useless tongue
twister he had created. Twenty or thirty years later this term
is a part of a picture book directed to a very wide audience and
nobody worries that the average reader would not understand the
concept of BIOGEOCLIMATIC zones.
The Lone Pine Publishing did an excellent job and produced a
remarkable publication. The Lone Pine Publishing have their
offices in Edmonton - Lone Pine Publishing's phone number is 1-
800-661-9017.
(BEN # 128 24-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
FOOD PLANTS OF COASTAL FIRST PEOPLES
Turner, Nancy J. 1995. Food plants of coastal First Peoples.
Royal British Columbia Museum Handbook, UBC Press & Royal
B.C. Museum, Vancouver-Victoria. 164 p. ISBN 0-7748-0533-1
[softcover] Price: CND $24.95
This is the second edition of Nancy Turner's 1975 handbook on
ethnobotany of British Columbia. The original edition has been
expanded and updated, with more colour photographs and with the
most recent additional literature references.
(BEN # 128 24-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
LOOKING FOR THE LAWS OF NATURE
For the April 1st issue of BEN I would like to compile a collec-
tion of known and unknown biological laws and postulates.
E.g.:
Klinger's law: Peatbogs always start being formed on the leeward
side of water bodies.
Ferdinand Kokoschka's principle: No excrement can be bigger than
the organism that produced it.
Please, send me your favourites: aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
(BEN # 128 24-February-1996)
------------------------------------------
NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA - INAUGURAL MEETING
Friday March 15, 1996 9:30 - 4:30
Abbotsford Agriculture Centre
1767 Angus Campbell Road
Abbotsford, B.C.
The formation of this group is perceived to be developmental and
consensus driven, thus there is a reluctance to outline a struc-
tured agenda. ... Please come with an open mind and a plenitude
of ideas and commitment. ...
Phone to Diane Gertzen (604-930-3309, fax 604-775-1288) for more
information [or registration?].
(BEN # 129 11-March-1996)
------------------------------------------
DAVID LYALL (1817-1895)
From: Dr. W.A. Weber <weberw@spot.colorado.edu>
I don't know whether you know more about Lyall than this, but I
had a request from a lady in Evergreen who has a friend by the
name of Lyall, and wonders whether David Lyall was an ancestor.
I was able to dig up this wonderful obituary by Hooker and
wonder whether you would like to send it out in the newsletter.
In the American books on our botanical history he is simply not
mentioned except in the introduction to Piper's Flora of
Washington. I think field botanists in America need to know more
about this fellow.
The following is the obituary of David Lyall published by J. D.
Hooker in J. Bot. 33: 209-211. 1895.
David Lyall was born in Kinkairdineshire, June 1st, 1817, and
after a long period of active service as a medical officer and
naturalist in the Royal Navy, he retired in 1873, and died at
Cheltenham, March 2nd, 1895, with the rank of Deputy Inspector-
General of Hospitals and Fleets and a Good-Service Pension. Dr.
Lyall received his medical education at Aberdeen where he had
his M.D. degree, having previously been admitted a Licentiate of
the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. As was not unfre-
quently the case with young Aberdonian medical men, he sought to
improve his medical knowledge, and threw himself early on his
own resources, by undertaking a journey to Greenland as surgeon
to a whaling ship; and this no doubt led to his being selected,
immediately after entering the Royal Navy in 1839, for service
under Sir James Ross in the expedition being fitted out for a
scientific voyage to the Antarctic Regions. He was appointed
Assistant-Surgeon of H.M.S. 'Terror' (the consort of H.M.S.
'Erebus') under Commander Crozier, to which duties Sir James
(the Captain) Ross added those of forming botanical collections.
During the voyage which did not return to England till late in
1842, his conduct was officially reported to the Admiralty as
"meriting the highest commendations." The writer of this notice
was a brother officer of Dr. Lyall's during that expedition (an
intercourse that led to a life-long friendship) and has added
his tribute to the value of his services in the following pas-
sages: "To him were due many of the botanical results of the
Expedition" (Fl. Antarctica vol. 1, p. xii). "He formed a most
important herbarium amounting to no less than 1500 species." He
also, during the five winter months of 1842, when the ships
remained in Berkeley Sound, made a "beautiful collection of
interesting Algae", which formed "an important addition to
Antarctic Botany" (op. cit., part 11, 215). On this expedition
was found, in Kerguelen Island, the remarkable plant named by
the writer Lyallia [kerguelensis, Caryophyllaceae].
Shortly after the return of the Antarctic Expedition, Dr. Lyall
was appointed to the Mediterranean, where he served in several
commissions as Assistant Surgeon till 1847, when he was
promoted, and at the recommendation of Sir William Hooker, was
selected as Surgeon and Naturalist to accompany Capt. Stokes in
H.M.S. 'Acheron' on the survey of the coast of New Zealand.
Here, devoting himself to the collection of the lower orders of
plants especially, he amassed the most beautiful and extensive
herbarium in these branches of botany which had ever been found
in the islands, besides making considerable discoveries in
phaenogamous plants, and collecting some of that had been pre-
viously gathered by Banks and Solander. Among one of his many
important discoveries in this survey were that of the monarch of
all buttercups, the gigantic white-flowered Ranunculus Lyallii,
the only known species with peltate leaves, the "water-lily" of
the New Zealand shepherds.
In 1852, Dr. Lyall was appointed Surgeon and Naturalist to the
'Assistance', one of the squadron sent out to the Arctic Regions
under the commander of Sir E. Belcher, in search of Sir John
Franklin. When in this service he received an acting order as
lieutenant in command of one of the sledges employed in the
search, and further, as senior medical officer of the expedi-
tion, he was appointed Superintending Surgeon of the 'North
Star', when the crews of the 'Assistance' and 'Pioneer'
retreated to that ship. During this Arctic Expedition Dr. Lyall
made good collections at every point visited, from Disko to
Polar Islands. A list of these is published in the Journal of
the Linnean Society. It contains about ninety phaenogams and
vascular cryptogams and a large number of musci, etc. Exclusive
of Greenland, this is by far the largest herbarium ever formed
in the American Polar Islands, and exceeds the sum of those of
all previous expeditions in the same regions; but, as was to
have been expected, no novelties rewarded his labours. On his
return he was appointed to the 'Pembroke', Capt. Seymour, under
whom he served throughout the Baltic Campaign of 1855 [Crimean
War], and was present at the bombardment of Sveaborg [Suomen-
linna, then in Russian hands].
After a short period of home service in the 'Royal William' at
Devonport, Dr. Lyall was commissioned as Surgeon and Naturalist
to H.M.'s surveying ship 'Plumper' and afterwards to the
'Hecate', under Captain (now Admiral Sir George) Richards,
employed in the delimitation of the sea boundary between Great
Britain and the United States in the Pacific Ocean. From this
his services (in 1858) were transferred to the Land Boundary
Commission, under Col. Sir John Hawkins, R.E., which he accom-
panied in its survey of the boundary line between British Colum-
bia and the United States possessions, from the Gulf of Georgia
to the summit of the Rocky Mountains. From this exploration Dr.
Lyall brought home a magnificent herbarium, one of such impor-
tance that, at the earnest representation of Sir William Hooker,
he was borne on the books of H.M.S. 'Fisguard' at Woolwich as
Staff Surgeon, a vicarious appointment that allowed of his
residing at Kew for the purpose of arranging, reporting on, and
distributing his collections. The results are published in a
valuable contribution to the Linnean Society* which contains an
account of the regions traversed, from the sea to 8,000 feet
alt. of the Rocky Mountains, where the various zones of vegeta-
tion in British Columbia are for the first time indicated and
scientifically portrayed. Immediately after the conclusion of
his labours at Kew, Dr. Lyall was appointed Surgeon to Pembroke
Dockyard, at that time a permanency, and when the regulations
affecting this branch of the service (the dockyard) were changed
in 1868, he accepted home appointment to H.M.S. 'Trincomalee'
and 'Daedalus' consecutively till 1873, when he retired. Lat-
terly he resided at Cheltenham, where shortly before his death
he met with an accident, the breaking of an arm, from which he
never wholly recovered.
Dr. Lyall's only other published contribution to science was a
paper on the habits of a remarkable New Zealand bird, the
Kakapo, Strigops habroptilus**. He married in 1866 to Miss F.A.
Rowe, daughter of Dr. Rowe of Haverfordwest, by whom he had
three children who survived him. He was elected a Fellow of the
Linnean Society in November, 1862.
* Account of the botanical collections made by David Lyall,
R.N., M.D., F.L.S. Journal of the Linnean Society vii (1863):
124-147.
** Proc. Zoological Society xx (1852): 31-33.
(BEN # 129 11-March-1996)
------------------------------------------
TWO CULTURES
From: Loren Russell, Corvallis, OR <loren@PEAK.ORG>
originally posted on Alpine-L the Electronic Rock Garden
Society <ALPINE-L@HEARN.NIC.SURFNET.NL>
A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to go over a thesis
proposal for a graduate student in forest resources. Her inter-
est is in the way reproductive systems of various native forest
herbs determine their response/recolonization following fire,
logging, or other disturbance.
What was striking to me was her comment that faculty have been
advising students away from studies of herbaceous plants because
"you can't grow them." It seems that some previous local work
with the likes of trilliums, erythronium, baneberry, asarum, and
such failed becasue they don't behave like douglas-fir. And so
this was seen as a death trap for theses! [I was consulted via
"buzz" from a workshop I presented for the local Native Plant
Society last spring.]
I pulled out my usual resources -- Deno (1993), back issues of
the AGS and NARGS bulletins -- totally unknown to local fores-
ters (and botanists). Betsy's thesis proposal seems now to be
going through. Grey literature or not, the thesis advisor [him-
self a backyard nurseryman] was persuaded that "the little green
things" will germinate.
Another example of the isolation of scientists from our culture
was work, also at Oregon State University, on the reproductive
biology of the Umpqua population of Kalmiopsis leachiana (soon
to be K. fragrans, I understand). One of the students complained
that they had transplanted, with great care, a number of Kal-
miopsis, and that all of them promptly died. I told him: "Of
course, and why didn't you take cuttings?" Never heard of such a
thing. And hadn't seen even one of the many horticultural publi-
cations on this species (and this population).
Ref.: Deno, N.C. 1993. Seed germination theory and practice. 2nd
Edition. 242 p. Published and distributed by the author [Dr.
Norman C. Deno, 139 Lenor Drive, State College, PA 16801,
USA].
(BEN # 129 11-March-1996)
------------------------------------------
MYCOLOGICAL WEB PAGE UPDATE
From: Tom Volk <tjvolk@facstaff.wisc.edu>
originally posted on bionet.mycology
I have just updated my Mycology web page, whichh can be found at
the following URL:
http://www.wisc.edu/botany/fungi/volkmyco.html
Improvements include moving most of the inline images to other
pages, so the first page will load faster. There is a link to
over 800 of my images of fungi (currently under major reor-
ganization and revision) at a University of Wisconsin Gopher
site. There are descriptions and pictures of the fungi we work
on at the Forest Products Lab here in Madison, including a new
key to North American Armillaria species, including in-line
images. There are some miscellaneous in-line images of some
other fungi. There is also a bit of information about the Wis-
consin Mycological Society.
(BEN # 129 11-March-1996)
------------------------------------------
ONLINE MYCOLOGY NEWSLETTER ANNOUNCEMENT
From: Roy Reehil <reehil@servtech.com>
originally on bionet.mycology
I would like to share the address of our electronic club
newsletter with any interested mycologists. Included are stories
of local and national interest, a laugh, and a recipe now and
then. Link to NAMA/NEMF 96 Foray home page (new). Created by
Dave Fischer, VP of NEMF and organizer of last years NEMF foray.
Includes registration info, costs, faculty and location descrip-
tion.
Roy Reehil
Editor, Central New York Mycological Society Newsletter
http://www.servtech.com/public/reehil/cnyms.htm
(BEN # 129 11-March-1996)
------------------------------------------
BOTANICAL EVENTS IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA
March 19 (tonight): Botany Night of the Victoria Natural History
Society. Matt Fairbarns will talk on plants of SE Australia.
Swan Lake Nature House, 7:30 p.m.
March 21: Native Plants Study Group of the Victoria Horticul-
tural Society. Dr. Nancy Turner will give a talk on Eth-
nobotany of the Pacific Coast. University of Victoria,
Clearihue Building A 215, 7:00 pm.
March 22: UVIC Biology Seminar. Dr. Ken Marr will talk on
"Natural history of the Hawaiian Islands and recent sys-
tematic studies of Hawaiian plants." Cunningham Building Room
146, 3:00 p.m.
(BEN # 130 19-March-1996)
------------------------------------------
INAUGURAL MEETING: NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
The inaugural meeting of the Native Plant Society of British
Columbia took place in Abbotsford on March 15, 1995. About fifty
people interested in native plants met and discussed the mission
statement and goals of the Society. A steering committee was
selected and its members should come back to the broad forum
with more definite picture of the organization. As many of you
will remember, the efforts of establishing the Native Plant
Society of British Columbia are not new, but this is first
really constructive step in this direction. Please contact me,
if you are interested in this organization. - Adolf Ceska
<aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca>
(BEN # 130 19-March-1996)
------------------------------------------
REPLY: TWO CULTURES - SCIENTISTS AND PLANT CULTIVATION
From: Robert Meinke <meinker@ava.bcc.orst.edu>
When we have propagated rare species for use in our research
here at Oregon State we've had excellent results -- contrary to
the implication in your message, we do know something about the
literature and techniques relating to native plant cultivation.
The fact of the matter is we've never tried to propagate Kal-
miopsis as part of our studies, as you stated. If we did, we
would indeed use cuttings (yes, we have heard of the practice!),
since the plants grow out of cliffs or bedrock and transplanting
is not feasible -- perhaps you didn't know this? I'm also very
aware of the horticultural literature available re: Kalmiopsis
(again, contrary to your assertion), and would make use of it if
it were actually pertinent to our work. However, as all of our
reproductive studies were accomplished in the field, this is
irrelevant. Out of curiosity, I've quizzed those in my lab
who've worked on this project (none are students, by the way),
and no one remembers speaking with you (or even knowing who you
are). I guess you must be getting your information second-hand
-- try checking with the source the next time you use someone
else's research to illustrate a point.
Robert J. Meinke, Assistant Professor and Program Leader (Plant
Conservation Biology), Department of Botany & Plant Pathology
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-2902 Phone:
(541)737-2317
[When I posted Loren Russell's article on BEN, I knew that his
accusations about the mass destruction of rare Oregon endemic
was very serious. I should have checked what had really hap-
pened, but I did not. The two cultures do exist, but there are
important bridges between them - I can name a number of profes-
sional botanists who are avid gardeners and usually a great
asset to their garden-only oriented counterparts. - Adolf Ceska]
(BEN # 130 19-March-1996)
------------------------------------------
FOUR NEW SPECIES OF ARABIS (BRASSICACEAEA) DESCRIBED FROM CANADA
Mulligan, G.A. 1995. Synopsis of the genus Arabis (Brassicaceae)
in Canada, Alaska and Greenland. Rhodora 97: 109-163.
This taxonomic treatment of Arabis recognizes 30 species. A
comprehensive key is provided for these species and 8 varieties.
Four new species are described: A. boivinii, A. calderi, A.
codyi, and A. murrayi. In addition, many other taxa are recorded
for the first time for this area. Cytological studies available
for 45 North American and Greenland species of Arabis are sum-
marized and discussed.
[In BEN # 108, July 31, 1995, George Douglas reported three of
the Mulligan's newly described species of Arabis as new for
British Columbia.]
(BEN # 130 19-March-1996)
------------------------------------------
BRYOPHYTES ON THE WEB - I
From: Barbara Crandall-Stotler <crandall@science.siu.edu>
originally posted on bryonet-l <bryonet-l@mtu.edu>
We have just posted a WebSite called Bryophytes at the address
http://www.science.siu.edu/bryophytes/
This will accommodate the data of an on-going monograph of the
Fossombroniineae, but will also have some general information
about bryophytes. We will add text and photos to the page at
regular intervals. It is still in its "infancy," but it is a
start.
(BEN # 130 19-March-1996)
------------------------------------------
BRYOPHYTES ON THE WEB - II
From: vespirus@violet.berkeley.edu
I have been adding all sites I've come across to a list at:
http://ucmp1.berkeley.edu/collections/otherbot.html
This is primarily for on-line collections (and is not restricted
to bryophytes), but the list also includes some keys, floras,
checklists, and image collections. I have been hoping to create
a more comprehensive page specifically for bryophytes, and would
appreciate any sites that people send to me. I haven't found
many bryophyte-related sites out there.
(BEN # 130 19-March-1996)
------------------------------------------