PhD student Stephen Via wins 1st place!

Stephen Via won 1st place for best student presentation at the International Phytotechnologies Conference! He presented his work titled "Physiological and morphological responses to explosives contamination across plant functional groups”.  Additionally, Stephen was awarded travel grants through the conference and VCU graduate school.  Congratulations, Stephen, for your significant accomplishments! This is excellent recognition for you, CPEL, and the Integrative Life Sciences program at VCU. We are all very proud of you!
 

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The fatal flowers of Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum)

Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum); Durham Co, NC (9/14/15)

I find Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) to be one of our most interesting natives.  Perhaps this is because I often root for the underdog, and so many gardeners, farmers, and even "conservationists" despise thistles. Hopefully their aversion may change if they come to understand the wildlife uses of native thistles and more particularly the benefits for native bees and butterflies. A fairly impressive, preliminary list of these has been documented using Tall Thistle, including over 20 native bees and nearly as many butterflies (1)

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe) visiting Tall Thistle; Durham Co, NC (9/14/15)

Tall Thistle occurs widely across the eastern US, from the prairie regions eastward, but is largely absent from the southeastern coastal plain. In North Carolina it has been reported mainly from western Piedmont and mountain counties; Durham County appears to be the easternmost location in the state.

Predominately white flowering Cirsium altissimum with a scattering of pink flowers  (Durham Co, NC - 9/14/15)

The majority of plants I have seen in North Carolina flower white, with a lesser intermixing of pink flowers (elsewhere in the range flowers seem to be more typically pink or purple and less commonly white). Tall Thistle is "monocarpic" meaning individual plants die shortly after flowering and setting seed (the classic case of monocarpism is the Century Plant). Cirsium altissimum is sometimes listed as biennial, but one group of authors (2) documented individual plants taking up to 4 years to emerge from young rosettes (such as the one shown below) into flowering stems.

Densely pubescent leaves of C. altissimum

In comparison to most thistle species, Cirsium altissimum has relatively soft and prickle-free leaves. Lower leaf surfaces are covered with dense white pubescence and stems are obviously hairy to the naked eye. Large leaves, a foot or more long, may develop on heavily shaded plants (see below). Some flowering stems exceed 10' in height and most produce multiple blooms.

Large shade leaves of C. altissimum, almost free of thorns

The large natural range of Tall Thistle and frequent occurrence in many regions suggest this is not, generally, a species whose survival we would need to be overly concerned about. HOWEVER, in a strange twist of fate, Tall Thistle may now be threatened by efforts in Midwestern prairie regions to eliminate truly problematic and invasive thistle species. A "bio-control" agent (weevil) deliberately introduced to control non-native thistles actually uses Tall Thistle "as frequently and intensively as it uses the targeted, exotic host plant" (3).

Cirsium altissimum seems to thrive only in relatively open habitats.  Ironically, the site where Tall Thistle occurs in Durham Co, NC also happens to be both nutrient rich and moist, creating growing conditions very conducive to dense woody plant growth. This apparent conundrum seems to suggest, at least in our area, that Tall Thistle requires regular disturbance and is likely another in the growing list of fire benefiting species. In fact, the currently large Durham population only appeared after burning. Thus far, we have been able to keep a portion of the site open with a combination of prescribed fire, selective chainsaw removal of trees, and invasive plant control.

Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) flowering in open, "savanna"; Durham Co, NC (9/25/15)

References:
(1) http://illinoiswildflowers.info/flower_insects/plants/tall_thistle.htm
(2) http://www.esajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1890/ES11-00096.1
(3) http://www.researchgate.net/publication/26278359

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Mountain Bog Recovery & Expansion

Bog edge, before thinning (June 2015)

Bog edge, after thinning (July 2015)

The above images were taken near the perimeter of a so-called "mountain bog" in western North Carolina.  The first image shows the conditions before active restoration, the second image shows the same locale after clearing dense rhododendron invasion.  The only evident trees in the initial image are red maple and a lone pitch pine (Pinus rigida). After clearing the dense brush, a number of previously hidden stems of Pitch Pine in the heart of the wetland become apparent. The images also document (especially the second one) a small tributary creek feeding into the site from a black plastic culvert. Hugging the margin of this tributary (just past the lone pitch pine) is a grove of pitcher plants (see image below). 

Numerous pitcher plants (Sarracenia jonesii) hiding in this dense herbaceous foliage

At one time other rare plants were apparently present here when the creek was able to fan out gradually across the area, and the site was more open. However, years ago a road was constructed through the edge of the wetland. Several feet of fill material buried portions of the wetland, and altered the hydrology in some subtle and not so subtle ways (plans are in the works to remove the offending road section and culvert in hopes of restoring more natural water flows and reopening original wetland surface area for bog plants, stay tuned!). The dense thicket of shrubs that developed along the altered stream course excluded nearly all ground layer plant diversity directly underneath. In addition, the thick wall of green created both a sun and rain shadow across the nearby pitcher plants (these pitchers thrive in open sun, in saturated soils).   

Bog edge, before Rhododendron removal (June 2015)

Bog edge, after Rhododendron removal (July 2015) 

Numerous studies have shown that canopy vegetation can intercept and effectively remove up to 50% of seasonal or annual rainfall (Carlyle-Moses and Gash 2011, Forest Hydrology and Biochemistry). In contrast to deciduous plants, the evergreen rhododendrons continue to intercept rainfall all year long. At this site, the result could be losses of as much as 30" of water recharge per year! By removing the wall of rhododendrons we hope to create more open, sunlit conditions and add water back into the wetland system.  

Pile of Rhododendron previously removed from interior and margins of bog

We have been working on this restoration for several years, having been slowed mainly by lack of funding and resources to complete the task; the Friends of Plant Conservation (www.ncplantfriends.org) has recently established a means by which people can support this effort. 

Mountain Bog interior conditions in 2011, before restoration, note forked pine tree

Mountain bog conditions in 2014 after interior brush removal, note forked pine

Elsewhere on this blog I have discussed a few of the rare plants whose populations have begun to rebound due, in part, to these restoration efforts.  Won't you help this progress continue?

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Ornithology for the people - Florence Merriam Bailey

By Jessie Reese

           Florence Merriam Bailey was a pioneering naturalist best known as a celebrated field guide author and for her extensive observational field studies of birds. She was born in 1863 and developed an early interest in natural history and ornithology, which became her life’s pursuit. As a community organizer and environmental advocate, she helped form several chapters of the fledgling Audubon Society and led classes in ornithology there.

 

 

She began observational studies of birds near her hometown in New York and her undergraduate institution, Smith College. In contrast to traditional ornithology at the time, where the standard was to shoot the bird first, then identify it using taxonomic key, Florence refused to kill birds, even if it meant letting one go unidentified. She authored her first field guide in 1899, Birds Through an Opera Glass, which focused on bird identification in the field for amateurs.

 

 

After living in Western North America and publishing several more identification guides, Florence moved back east and met and married Vernon Bailey, a naturalist and colleague of her brother, both of whom worked for the U.S. Biological Survey. They traveled and worked together throughout Western North America, though sources report that he “collected and studied” while she merely “observed”.

 

 

 

However, Florence consistently published her observations in peer reviewed journals and authored several more books, while her husband authored mostly government technical reports. Florence was recognized throughout her lifetime by such achievements as being the first female elected fellow of the American Ornithologist’s Union (AOU) and the first female awarded the AOU’s Brewster Memorial Award for her work Birds of New Mexico. However, it is likely that Florence encountered significant bias early in her career, at a time when male ornithologists opposed the growing popularity of birdwatching, in part because many field guide authors, birdwatching enthusiasts, and Audubon supporters were women. Florence also was severely underrepresented in Who’s Who in America, where she was listed simply as the “brother of C. Hart Merriam” (then the Chief Naturalist at the U.S. Biological Survey) and as being “interested in ornithology”. Interested though she was, a proper citation would include the fact that her first book was the first modern field guide of its kind, that she authored over 100 publications, and helped lead American ornithology away from collection towards the modern observational study.

 

 

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Pioneering herpetologist - Doris Mable Cochran

By Logan McDonald

Doris Mable Cochran was an American herpetologist born in 1898.  Before she formally began her collegiate education she was already working at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  She published over 90 taxonomic publications and devoted over 20 years of studies in the West Indies. Cochran established herself in the herpetology community and was well respected by those in her field for her knowledge and experience.  For example, she was the 2^nd elected distinguished fellow of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists and served as its secretary. 

Despite her contributions to the field, she experienced injustice within the Smithsonian.  This was focused around her title and pay grade- which did not reflect her level of experience.  Her supervisor, Waldo Schmitt advocated on behalf of Cochran.  Yet, individuals such as Remington Kellogg within the Smithsonian, were adamant in opposing her efforts for recognition.  Cochran retired before being properly acknowledged as a full Curator and died shortly thereafter.  Despite her lack of recognition from the Smithsonian, Cochran was acknowledged by her peers with several neo-tropical frog species named after her.

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My New Star Wars Science Fiction Channel: Please Help Me Spread the Word

My New Star Wars Science Fiction Channel: 

Please Help Me Spread the Word

Gardening isnt my only hobby. I enjoy science fiction and the world of collectables. I just started a new channel and really need help getting people to check it out. I plan to do a lot of unboxing of all the new Stars Wars collectables. Lots of Legos and all the new stuff. The videos will be short and to the point like my Garden Channel.

Direct Link to My New YouTube Channel: Scifi Collector Reviews

The videos below are examples of the channel and you can subscribe or share the channel from there. I really appreciate the help.

Thanks So Much!

Gary

Direct Link to My New YouTube Channel: Scifi Collector Reviews

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Glaze-on studio sunday

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Bluehearts

American Bluehearts (Buchnera americana) @ Taberville Prairie, Missouri (8-19-15)

I came across a few individuals of American Bluehearts (Buchnera americana) during recent explorations of the tallgrass prairie. According to Bruce Sorrie and Alan Weakley I was in the "heart of the range" for the species. Back home in North Carolina American Bluehearts is considered an endangered species and is believed to have been lost from nearly every location from which it has been documented. This made finding a few plants feel even more special even if they aren't so rare out in Missouri.  

Savanna Bluehearts (Buchnera floridana); Boiling Spring Lakes Plant Conservation Preserve, Brunswick Co, North Carolina (6-03-15)

Bluehearts was perhaps first documented in Carolina by Reverend Moses Ashley Curtis. In his "Catalogue of the Indigenous and Naturalized Plants of the State" (published in 1867 at the "N.C. Institution for the Deaf, and Dumb and the Blind"), Curtis provided no clues about the abundance of American Bluehearts but listed it only in the "Mid. and Up. Districts", regions most often referred to as the Piedmont and Mountains today. We now recognize an additional Buchnera species found in the coastal plain region as well, Savanna Bluehearts (Buchnera floridana) (see image above).  In contrast with American Bluehearts, Savanna Bluehearts characteristically has fewer and more compact flowers (although taxonomic treatments by Bruce Sorrie emphasize leaf characters to distinguish the two). There are some indications that Savanna Bluehearts may be pretty rare in North Carolina (although comprehensive data are lacking since it is not currently tracked by our Heritage Program). 

Buchnera sp. perhaps intermediate in some characters between B. americana and B. floridana?
St. Marks NWR, Northern Florida (7-05-14)

Savanna Bluehearts don't seem to occur further north than North Carolina, but rather extend southward across parts of the southeastern coastal plain, and may not extend beyond the coastal plain. American Bluehearts is primarily centered in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri with spotty occurrences elsewhere, including into the northeast and to the edge of Lake Huron.  The ranges of the two species may overlap, but the extent to which this happens, especially the mid-south and parts of the southeast, remain unclear (at least to me) (see image above). Part of the reason the distribution and status of both species is uncertain is due to the fact that the two names are considered synonymous in many areas. For example, NatureServe lumps them together and therefore believes the combined entity is perhaps globally secure.  However, American Bluehearts have apparently been extirpated from several states and are considered quite rare or vulnerable in a significant number of others. If the populations consisting of Savanna Bluehearts were seperated from the tally, both species could turn out to be important elements of conservation concern.  

American Bluehearts amidst dense grass cover in tallgrass prairie remnant @ Taberville Prairie, Missouri

In the so-called heart of the American Bluehearts range, where I observed it, the species was found in "tallgrass prairie". Today, there are mere remnants of this once vast ecosystem that the US Fish & Wildlife Service (http://www.fws.gov/midwest/ecosystemconservation/tallgrass_prairie.html) believes has become "functionally non-existent over the last 150 years".   In my recent forays in Missouri prairies, I encountered American Bluehearts only in 2/20 + remnants visited and found < 5 individuals at each (although my observations were not systematic or comprehensive).  Savanna Bluehearts seems to have occupied longleaf pine savannas which could be considered ecologically analagous to tallgrass prairie, and has suffered a similar fate. Importantly both habitats were once subject to frequently recurring fires that likely benefit both Buchnera species.  A large part of the conservation challenge ahead will be to ensure that sufficient high-quality habitat remnants of both ecosystem are protected from ongoing threats and are adequately fire managed.   

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Pioneering woman ecologist - Edith Schwartz Clements

Post by Julie Charbonnier

If you’re an ecologist, you likely have heard of Dr. Frederic Clements, the botanist who forged the theory of plant succession, paving the way for the field of plant ecology. But did you know his wife, Edith Schwartz Clements was a major contributor to his success?

 

Edith was the first woman to earn a PhD  at the University of Nebraska in 1904. Her dissertation, available here, is a detailed account of the internal morphology of nearly 300 plants. Her work details how environmental variation influences leaf structure and has some interesting theoretical insights on phenotypic plasticity. The couple married and quickly became a dynamic force in ecology, traveling the country collecting data and founding an ecological laboratory in Colorado.
 
Edith describes herself as facilitator to Frederic’s research , a field assistant, a translator and a typist. In her memoir “Adventures in ecology: half a million miles: from mud to macadam” her passion and relentless enthusiasm leap from the pages. She indeed did drive nearly 600,000 miles around the country, allowing Frederic to explore and observe various plant communities. These trips would eventually coalesce into his theoretical work on plant succession.

 

Edith began drawing and painting the plants the couples encountered in the field. At the time, plant identification keys did not have illustrations and drawings of nature were largely artistic representations. Edith’s scientific knowledge and artistic skills captured plants in a new way: her drawings were both beautiful andscientifically accurate. Her drawings were eventually published in the couple’s guidebooks, and caught the attention of National Geographic. Edith also spoke several languages and later translated the guidebooks and many of Frederic’s manuscripts. She was a master of combining her unique skills sets to advance her husband’s work.

 

Edith’s contributions to her husband’s work deserves recognition, but in the early 1900’s, a woman having her own professional research career in ecology would likely have been impossible. Her lifelong dedication to her husband’s research and her own work as as scientific illustrator deserves recognition.

 

 

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Women in Ecology

This is the topic of my graduate seminar course this semester.  We started the course by reading Jean Langenheim's "Address of the Past President: Davis, California August 1988: The Path and Progress of American Women Ecologists".  It is a great introduction to the history of women in ecology (even if plant biased) and provides great examples of the non-traditional paths women have forged for themselves.  Jean Langenheim's work to highlight the importance of women in ecology is remarkable and important to all women ecologists today.  The questions and discussion that arose after reading this seminal paper do not reflect criticism of her efforts, rather questions and issues that still remain. 

17 years later, there is a real interest to create a network of women in ecology as many women feel alone in a field that has made leaps and bounds to be inclusive, especially compared to other scientific disciplines.  After reading the speech, numerous questions arose. For example, what was the social-economic status for these early women?  Is it harder for lower income women to pursue non-traditional paths?  The speech is heavily biased towards academia. What are the other ways to measure success in science and in life? How can this be quantified?

Ecology is an ideal field for non-traditional paths since you don't need a large budget to observe patterns and quantitatively assess measurements.  However, these non-traditional paths mean women had (have) less money for research (and thus, less money for students or post-docs) which may have kept women from achieving "award winning" ecological status.

The list of achievements (e.g. positions and awards) given in the address is remarkable, but today students want to hear more personal facts about people and highlights of their research.  In a recent workshop on women in ecology, several notable women introduced themselves and only one identified herself as a mother (which in fact almost all were).  These are important to the new generation of women in ecology because we want to feel a connection with the women who are in leadership now.  There is still the perception that there is a bias in the present towards unmarried, childless women in science as they will be more dedicated to their work. 

Regarding the balance of career and home life, we feel that the focus is heavily on motherhood and marriage.  However, attaining any kind of work-life balance requires an elaborate set of personal adaptations which should be learned and sustained with the help of mentors and other resources.  These should not be innate qualities women should be expected to possess.

Our class will explore many topics around women (and men) in ecology.  Topics of interest from the students include: How does the economic status add to the barriers women face in ecology? Do lower income women have a harder time succeeding as scientists? How do these issues influence men and other minority groups? How do LGBTQ issues influence the success of women and men in science?

Students think there is a lot of emphasis on how children influence women in science.  Women (and men) may want to invest time in other personal development or may have other family issues (i.e. caring for an elderly parent).  Just because a woman is childless does not mean she will not face significant work-life balance issues and have to make sacrifices.

As we go through the semester, we will first highlight various women in ecology (or related discipline), both historical and contemporary.  As these stories unfold, we will explore the different paths women take, the challenges each woman has faced, and what challenges still remain.  Through this process we will bring attention and find inspiration to move us towards an accepting, inclusive discipline where women and men feel valued and able to access the resources they need to be successful (in any definition of the word).

Reference:
Langenheim, J. 1988. Address of the Past President: Davis, California August 1988: The Path and Progress of American Women Ecologists. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 69: 184 - 197.

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Tallgrass Vignettes

Standing amidst this sward of tallgrass prairie in Southern Kansas one evening (08-22-15) brought this line from Willa Cather to mind: ".......I felt the grass was the country, as the water was the sea."

Sweet Coneflowers (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) @ Osage Prairie, Missouri (8-19-15)

Profusion of Flowering Spurge @ Linden's Prairie, Missouri (8-20-15)

A few stalks of flowering Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) stand above patches of Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) and a few other species @ Paintbrush Prairie, MO (8-16-15)


Stiff Sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus) patch @ Tallgrass Preserve, Kansas (8-16-15)

Big Bluestem flowering above Flowering Spurge, Rosinweed stem on the left @ Tallgrass Preserve, Kansas (8-16-15)

Ashy Sunflowers (Helianthus mollis) @ Paintbrush Prairie, Missouri (8-17-15)

Flowering assemblage with Blue Sage (Salvia azurea), Ironweed, and Goldenrods @ Taberville Prairie, Missouri (8-18-15)

Getting on to evening at Golden Prairie, Missouri (8-22-15)

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Special focus…

Special focus… I have been in my new studio for 3 weeks now and been productive for 2 weeks with a few throwing sessions. Getting into a new groove has not been without it's challenges. This space is quite intimidating and a challenge to make an impact on.
I thought about creating work flow spaces and economy of effort and for that very reason have placed my throwing station close to shelvage and wedging room which at the mo is the floor…

Down the track kilns will be wired and plumbed but for now I'm transporting wares to be fired, which also means driving like a granny ;) … my raku kiln will get cranked this week weather permitting and hopefully I'll stream that. stay in touch on periscope @angwalford, twitter @angwalford and instagram @angelawalford

shino noodle

I'm concentrating on a few wares like shino noodle bowls and servers and shortly the white range will get started again.  With the next few firings planned and exhibition works get finalised, there's a lovely project called the cup collaboration which I'm so looking forward to see what everyone has come up with! And the big clay day out is the end of this month too! So looking forward to that @ Flaxley this year sat 26 september midday til dark and no doubt a media production will happen too!

Anyhoo here's a small gallery of images from this week… happy days ;)

lil birdie

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