A Remarkable new fern from Panama

Toward the last of February, 1911, in the course of fieldwork connected with the Smithsonian Biological Survey of the Panama Canal Zone, I accompanied Mr. Henry Pittier from the Canal Zone, where our work had been carried on up to that time, to Chiriqui, the westernmost province of Panama, and spent nearly all of March in collecting plants--mainly ferns and lower cryptogams--in the mountains north of David, the principal city of the province...(Document contains 10 pages)

The Fossil higher plants from the Canal Zone

Fossil flora described in the present report is too limited for purposes of exact correlation, which may be expected to be settled by the marine faunas present at most horizons in the Isthmian region. Accompanying table of distribution will show that from the oldest (Hohio) to the youngest (Gatun) plant-bearing formations there is no observable difference in floral facies. This so-called Oligocence series of formations does not represent any great interval of time. (39 page document)

The Effects of Grass Carp on Aquatic Plants, Plankton and Benthos in Ponds

The effects of the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella Val.)on aquatic plant biomass, water quality, phytoplankton, chlorophyll a, zooplankton and benthic fauna were investigated between May and September 2000 in earthen ponds at Cifteler- Sakaryabasi Aquaculture and Research Station. (PDF has 8 pages)

Carfentrazone-ethyl Pond Dissipation and Efficacy on Floating Plants

Carfentrazone-ethyl (CE) is a reduced risk herbicide that is currently being evaluated for the control of aquatic weeds. Greenhouse trials were conducted to determine efficacy of CE on water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms- Laub.), water lettuce ( Pistia stratiotes L.), salvinia ( Salvinia minima Baker) and landoltia (Landoltia punctata (G. Mey.) Les & D. J. Crawford ) . CE controlled water lettuce, water hyacinth and salvinia at rates less than the maximum proposed use rate of 224 g ha -1 . Water lettuce was the most susceptible to CE with an EC 90 of 26.9 and 33.0 g ha -1 in two separate trials. Water hyacinth EC 90 values were calculated to be 86.2 to 116.3 g ha -1 , and salvinia had a similar susceptibility to water hyacinth with an EC 90 of 79.1 g ha -1 . Landoltia was not adequately controlled at the rates evaluated. In addition, CE was applied to one-half of a 0.08 ha pond located in North Central, Florida to determine dissipation rates in water and hydrosoil when applied at an equivalent rate of 224 g ha -1 . The half-life of CE plus the primary metabolite, CE-chloropropionic acid, was calculated to be 83.0 h from the whole pond, and no residues were detected in water above the limit of quantification (5 μg L -1 ) 168 h after treatment. CE dissipated rapidly from the water column, did not occur in the sediment above the levels of quantification, and in greenhouse studies effectively controlled three species of aquatic weeds at relatively low rates.(PDF contains 6 pages.)

Factors to consider when using native biological control organisms to manage exotic plants

Biological control of exotic plant populations with native organisms appears to be increasing, even though its success to date has been limited. Although many researchers and managers feel that native organisms are easier to use and present less risk to the environment this may not be true. Developing a successful management program with a native insect is dependent on a number of critical factors that need to be considered. Information is needed on the feeding preference of the agent, agent effectiveness, environmental regulation of the agent, unique requirements of the agent, population maintenance of the agent, and time to desired impact. By understanding these factors, researchers and managers can develop a detailed protocol for using the native biological control agent for a specific target plant. . We found E. lecontei in 14 waterbodies, most of which were in eastern Washington. Only one lake with weevils was located in western Washington. Weevils were associated with both Eurasian ( Myriophyllum spicatum L.) and northern watermilfoil ( M. sibiricum K.). Waterbodies with E. lecontei had significantly higher ( P < 0.05) pH (8.7 ± 0.2) (mean ± 2SE), specific conductance (0.3 ± 0.08 mS cm -1 ) and total alkalinity (132.4 ± 30.8 mg CaCO 3 L -1 ). We also found that weevil presence was related to surface water temperature and waterbody location ( = 24.3, P ≤ 0.001) and of all the models tested, this model provided the best fit (Hosmer- Lemeshow goodness-of-fit = 4.0, P = 0.9). Our results suggest that in Washington State E. lecontei occurs primarily in eastern Washington in waterbodies with pH ≥ 8.2 and specific conductance ≥ 0.2 mS cm -1 . Furthermore, weevil distribution appears to be correlated with waterbody location (eastern versus western Washington) and surface water temperature.

Common Coastal Plants in Florida: a guide to planting and maintenance

(PDF has 125 pages.)

M/V CONNECTED Coral Reef Restoration Monitoring Report, Monitoring Events 2004-2005. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Monroe County, Florida

This document presents the results of the monitoring of a repaired coral reef injured by the M/V Connected vessel grounding incident of March 27, 2001. This grounding occurred in Florida state waters within the boundaries of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the State of Florida, (“State of Florida” or “state”) are the co-trustees for the natural resources within the FKNMS and, thus, are responsible for mediating the restoration of the damaged marine resources and monitoring the outcome of the restoration actions. The restoration monitoring program tracks patterns of biological recovery, determines the success of restoration measures, and assesses the resiliency to environmental and anthropogenic disturbances of the site over time. The monitoring program at the Connected site was to have included an assessment of the structural stability of installed restoration modules and biological condition of reattached corals performed on the following schedule: immediately (i.e., baseline), 1, 3, and 6 years after restoration and following a catastrophic event. Restoration of this site was completed on July 20, 2001. Due to unavoidable delays in the settlement of the case, the “baseline” monitoring event for this site occurred in July 2004. The catastrophic monitoring event occurred on August 31, 2004, some 2 ½ weeks after the passage of Hurricane Charley which passed nearby, almost directly over the Dry Tortugas. In September 2005, the year one monitoring event occurred shortly after the passage of Hurricane Katrina, some 70 km to the NW. This report presents the results of all three monitoring events. (PDF contains 37 pages.)

Studies of the effects from extracts from two local plants (Tephrosia vogelii and Parkia clappertoniana) on Clarias gariepinus (Tengels)

Studies were carried out using 96hr static toxicity bioassay to determine the effect of lethal concentrations of extracts from two local plants Tephrosia vogelii and Parkia clappertoniana which are known fish poison, on a species of mud fish. Clarias gariepinus Phytochemical analysis of the plant extracts was done and the extract from T. vogelii was found to contain alkaloids, tannins and flavonoids, while the extract from P. clappertoniana was formed to contain alkaloids tannins and saponins. Experimental fish were exposed to test water separately polluted by varying concentrations of extraction of both plant species ranging from 0.50mgl super(-1), 1.50mgl super(-1), 2.50mgl super(-1), 3.0mgl super(-1), 5.00mgl super(-1), 10.00mgl super(-1) in the case of T. vogelii and 5.00mgl super(-1), 7.50mgl super(-1), 10.00mgl super(-1), 15.00mgl super(-1), 20.00mgl super(-1) and 30.00mgl super(-1) in the case of P. clappertaniana. Behavioural hispathological and heamatological examinations were made. Both plant extracts were found to have lethal effects at the higher concentrations, affecting the gills and the central nervous system as well as having a depressive effect on the total count and increasing platelet and white blood cell count. Symptoms of toxicosis observed include, initial inactivation agitated swimming, tumbling movement air gulping, increased opercular beat and period of quiescence/knockdown before death. Marked differences were also observed in the hematological and histopathological analysis of poisoned fish. Lower concentrations of the extracts had sub lethal effects on the fish, which manifested as zigzag movement air gulping increased opercular movement etc. None of these effects were observed in the control experiment

Temporary ponds in the UK; a critical biodiversity resource for freshwater plants and animals

The importance of ponds for biodiversity in Britain has been demonstrated by a number of studies. However, most of the research and interest has been directed at permanent waterbodies, and temporary ponds have been largely neglected. In this article the author present some preliminary findings from a project which aims to fill some of the many gaps in our knowledge of temporary ponds in Britain. The project, which runs for three years until the end of 2001, aims specifically to investigate the ecology of temporary ponds in England and Wales by describing (i) their wetland plant and macroinvertebrate communities, (ii) their physico-chemical characteristics, and (iii) their value as a biodiversity resource. The article focuses on the assessment of temporary ponds as a biodiversity resource and briefly considers aspects of species richness, rarity and distinctiveness. Where possible, temporary ponds are compared with other waterbody types, mainly permanent ponds from the National Pond Survey (NPS), to give the results a broader context.

Ecology and management of water plants in lowland streams

A review article which discusses the ecology and management of common water plants in lowland streams, with an introduction containing a review of previous studies on the subject. The article covers the significance of seasonal growth, the significance of stand structure (particularly in relation to hydraulic resistence), an assessment of current river management, improvements to plant management techniques (in relation to cutting), and alternatives to the traditional techniques of river plant management. There are a number of accompanying figures.

A comparative study of consumption rates and preference for some species of aquatic plants by Tilapia rendalli

The daily consumption rates and preference of juvenile Tilapia rendalli for some macrophytes, Ceratophyllum demersum, Lagarosiphon major, Najas pectinatas and Valisneria aethiopica were determined. Fish were offered single macrophyte diets to determine daily consumption and a mixture of the 4 macrophytes in equal quantities to determine selection. Consumption rates were 821.50 mg, 829.05 mg, 940.00 mg and 2293.53 mg per fish per day, respectively. The differences in consumption rates were significant. Preference was shown for V.aethiopica, whilst C.demersum was least selected. Fish fed on single species lost weight whereas those fed on a variety of macrophytes gained in weight.