In our efforts to protect the native mosaics of wetland plants and animals we value, we often have to deal with the monocultures of the non-native giant reed grass or Phragmites that threaten them. Here is an organization, Phragwrites, that decided to put the invasive to good use as they work to prevent its spread. Is the pen mightier than the herbicide? CLICK HERE for their website.
Pens made from Phragmites
Central New York ecosystems and community trees will be devastated by the advance of emerald ash borer through the region. Below is a workshop that will be staged by New York Releaf in Cortland to prepare people for the coming changes. People interested in the Flora of New York should also be prepared for changes that will take place in plant communities throughout the state. Unlike the chestnut and elm losses of the past, the experts say that ash will be completely eliminated because the insects also feed on small trees. Read more about its effects in New York at the NY Invasive Species Researh Institute website. CLICK HERE. Click on the photo below for a larger image of the workshop flier.
The NYFA board and friends of former board member Bob Ingalls were saddended by the news of his passing last week. Bob was a great plant enthusiast and supporter of the flora of New York. He contributed a great deal to the advancement of NYFA and was eager to help anyone learn about the flora, especially the sedges. He once said that one day he decided he was going to learn all the plants in New York. He wanted to start out with the most difficult plants and so he chose the sedges, becoming a real expert in the group.
The following remembrance is from the President of RPI, Dr. Jackson:
It is with great sadness and deep regret that I announce the recent passing of Dr. Robert P. Ingalls, the executive officer of the Computer Science Department at Rensselaer and a respected teacher of many computer science courses. Dr. Ingalls passed away late last week.
After a distinguished career in developmental psychology, Dr. Ingalls’ interests turned to computer science in the mid-1980s. He earned his master’s degree in computer science here in 1986, and joined the Computer Science Department that same year as director of operations, eventually rising to serve in the role of executive officer.
Dr. Ingalls earned his bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology from Williams College in 1967, and went on to earn his master’s degree from the University of Connecticut in 1968. He earned his Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Connecticut in 1972.
Dr. Ingalls was the author of a number of books on developmental psychology, including “Mental Retardation: The Changing Outlook.” He taught psychology at the California State College at Chico, and here in Troy at Russell Sage College, before joining the New York State Council on Children and Families.
After he came to Troy, Dr. Ingalls continued his lifelong interest in natural history. He was an accomplished field botanist, and an observer and advocate for the ecology of Rensselaer County. He served as a member and officer of the Rensselaer Land Trust and acted as a steward for the Nature Conservancy. Dr. Ingalls’ interests were many and diverse, and his enthusiasm engaged all who knew him.
There will be a memorial service for Dr. Ingalls at the Chapel and Cultural Center, 2125 Burdett Avenue in Troy, on Saturday, December 4, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a reception in The Great Room at the Heffner
Alumni House.
Bob Ingalls, Frank Knight and Steve Young at Valcour Island 2006
From NYFA board member Anna Stalter: A very creative and aesthetically pleasing use of invasive plants! Click on the following link:
Lists recently posted include these lists from St. Lawrence and Jefferson Counties by Anne Johnson:
Payne Lake
Grass Lake
Butterfield Lake
Sylvia Lake
In addition to these are lists from the Moose River Plains by the Keelans and Oakwood Cemetery in Troy by Warren Broderick.
Click the Google map of plant lists in the links section on the right side of the page.
The report indicates that nearly one third of New York’s forests may not
have sufficient regeneration to replace the forest in the future. This will have a profound influence on the wildlife that depend upon these forests. Timber companies will also be affected as they rely on high quality commercial tree species like sugar maple and white oak to meet sustainable timber harvesting goals. For a link to the full report CLICK HERE.
Is this the cause of lower forest regeneration?
All of these relate to our native flora. Click for a larger image.
At the October board meeting for the New York Flora Association a new slate of officers was elected. They are:
President – David Werier, Botanist, Ithaca
Vice President – Steve Young, Botanist, New York Natural Heritage Program
Secretary – Anna Stalter, Botanist, Cornell University
Treasurer – Kim Smith, Botanist, New York Natural Heritage Program and State Parks
Two new members also joined the board:
Eric Lamont -Botanist, Long Island
Aissa Feldmann – Ecologist, New York Natural Heritage Program
Long Island Botanical Society Newsletter Fall 2010
A Dodonaea-like Capsule from the Upper Cretaceous of Long Island – Andy Greller
Plant Sightings – Eric Lamont
Request for Seed Collection Assistance for the Long Island Native Grass Initiative – Polly Weigand
Upcoming Programs
November 9 – Dave Taft on Discovering and Documenting Orchids.
December 14 – Members Night
To join the Society and obtain more details go to: www.libotanical.org
Finger Lakes Native Plant Society Newsletter Fall 2010
Finger Lakes Lichens – Robert Dirig
Seeking Individuals to Assist with the Plant Society Website.
Name That Plant Contest.
Chicory with White Flowers – Tom Kozlowski
Pokeweed – Gin Mistry
Upcoming Programs
November 14 – Fall tree identification – Anna Stalter
November 18 – fungi and wildflowers – Kathie Hodge
January 19 – bird friendly gardening – Marie Read
February 16 – origins of American ethnobotanical medicine – Elroy Rodriguez
To join the Society and obtain more details go to: www.fingerlakesnativeplantsociety
Torrey Botanical Society Annual Lecture Series
Fall 2010 and Spring 2011
October, December, March, and April lectures will be presented at the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall,
The New York Botanical Garden,
200th Street and Kazimiroff Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458
November and May lectures will be presented at the Auditorium at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225
Lectures are free and open to the public
Mammals and plants on three continents: ecological niche modeling of species distributions for studies of evolutionary ecology, climate change, and invasive species
Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 6:30 PM
Presented by Robert P. Anderson, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, City College of the City University of New York (CCNY/CUNY)
Abstract:
Coupled with a great increase in the online availability of species occurrence records and environmental data, recent theoretical and computational advances now allow ecological niche modeling of species geographic distributions using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Such models hold wide application across ecology, evolutionary biology, biogeography, and conservation, including studies of the effects of climatic and other environmental changes. Although free, user-friendly software is available over the internet, production of realistic niche models requires substantial knowledge of the study species and of the principles of model evaluation. I present an overview of these developments, using examples from my research on mammals and plants. Specific study groups include purple loosestrife in the Great Plains, legumes in the Guiana Shield, rodents and tenrecs in Madagascar, and rodents in the sky islands of northern Venezuela.
Seed Banking in New York: A Biological Savings Account\
Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 6:30 PM
Presented by Tim Chambers and Heather Liljengren, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation’s Greenbelt Native Plant Center
Abstract:
Did you know that there is a global bank of seeds being saved around the world to protect plant species? The Greenbelt Native Plant Center, along with Brooklyn Botanic Garden, have contributed 75 native plant species from our region to the Millennium Seed Bank Project, an initiative led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which has been called a Noah’s ark for Earth’s flora. The Native Plant Center and BBG are founding partners of the Seeds of Success program, which aims to preserve seed of the flora of the United States and develop native plant materials from regional and local seed resources. The Native Plant Center currently maintains its own seed bank and is working with BBG to develop a mid-Atlantic regional seed bank to help others conserve their local flora.
To stock seed banks, botanists collect samples from native wild populations. Each collection is processed, individually packaged, and deposited in the bank, similar to a giant walk-in cooler. These collections have the potential to survive storage for hundreds of years. The seeds can then be used to stem the effects of such conditions as habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, and biological invasion, now and into the future.
The role of field work in modern systematics; planes, trains and automobiles (plus other modes of transportation) in search of neotropical Melastomataceae
Tuesday, December 7, 2010, 6:30 PM
Presented by Fabian Michelangeli, Assistant Curator, Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden
Abstract:
Modern systematics relies on several tools not available only a few decades ago, such as DNA sequencing and powerful computing. Thus, many evolutionary biologists have focused their research in the laboratory, trying to take advantage of these developments in order to answer questions that we could not address in the past. During this talk I will show, using systematics work on the Melastomataceae (meadow beauties and princess flowers) as an example, how field work is still necessary to carry out modern systematics. Some unforeseen lines of research have developed from actual observations of the plants in the field, which has opened completely new lines of research in this group of plants.
Capturing Today’s Botanical Treasures: An Artistic Journey with Orchids and Other Threatened Plants
Sunday, March 6, 2011, 1:00 PM (Annual Banquet)
Presented by Carol Woodin, Botanical Artist and Exhibitions Coordinator, American Society of Botanical Artists
Abstract: TBA
Tiger nuts and velcro plants: a walk through the relationships, biogeography and remarkable diversity of sedges (family Cyperaceae)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 6:30 PM
Presented by Julian R. Starr, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, and Research Scientist, Canadian Museum of Nature
Abstract:
The Cyperaceae or sedge family is a truly remarkable group characterised by its exceptional diversity (ca. 5000 spp.), varied habitats (deserts to rain forests), unusual chromosomes (holocentric) and diverse biogeographical patterns. Distributed across every continent except Antarctica, sedges represent nearly 3% of the native vascular flora of North America, north of Mexico, and in some regions, such as the Arctic, they are the dominant component in terms of species diversity and biomass. In addition, approximately 10% of sedge species are of either direct (e.g., medicines, crops) or indirect (e.g., weeds) economic importance to humanity, and yet sedges are largely unknown to the general public, and they are frequently mistaken for other plants such as rushes or grasses, even by professionals. In this talk we will learn about the fascinating biology of the sedge family and how to recognise them in nature. In addition, we will learn about recent advances in our understanding of their relationships, evolution, and diversity through the application of new genetic techniques such as DNA sequencing and barcoding. Recent collecting trips to the Arctic, the Rocky Mountains, and the most southerly reaches of South America (Tierra del Fuego), will highlight the beginning of our research on the biogeography and taxonomy of arctic-alpine and bipolar species complexes including the discovery of hidden diversity in this poorly known, but remarkable family of plants.
Trouble in Paradise: Are We Losing Our Native Bees?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 6:30 PM
Presented by Stephen Buchmann, entomologist, International Coordinator of The Pollinator Partnership and co-author of The Forgotten Pollinators
This lecture is presented in collaboration with NYC Wildflower Week (nycwildflowerweek.org)
Abstract:
Dr. Stephen Buchmann, co-author of “The Forgotten Pollinators,” twelve other books and more than 170 scientific publications, presents an illustrated talk showcasing North American native bee diversity, along with threats to bees and other pollinators. The amazing ways bees make a living, from carpenters to masons to social parasite free-loaders will be examined along with their fantastic mutualistic dances with flowering plants. Learn about flowers that produce resins, oils and perfumes besides ordinary pollen and nectar floral rewards. See the world’s smallest bee (under 2mm) from the Sonoran desert. Stephen will also update us on the current situation plaguing honey bees, Colony Collapse Disorder, and steps the Pollinator Partnership (www.pollinator.org) is taking to alleviate it and help beekeepers. Declines in several U.S. bumble bee species will be examined. Its not all doom and gloom, as he suggests simple things to do, steps we can all take in our backyards, gardens and schools to help native bees and other pollinating animals. You can become a bee rancher, a pollinator landlord! Several of Dr. Buchmann’s books may be available for purchase and signing after his talk.
Susan K. Pell, Ph.D.
Corresponding Secretary and Program Chair
Torrey Botanical Society
New York Flora Association Blog 