Volume 78 - Issue 3 (Sept 2013)

Southern Appalachian Celebration: In Praise of Ancient Mountains, Old-Growth Forests, & Wilderness, by James Valentine and Chris Bolgiano is, in short, a beautiful book. Turning the pages of this large-format, coffee table-style book, the reader is treated to James Valentine’s stunning photographs, which capture the beauty and uniqueness of the landscapes and ecology of southern Appalachia. Chris Bolgiano’s text, while spare, provides considerable information that is both interesting and accurate. Valentine’s photographs and Bolgiano’s text present some of the most scenic and biologically significant places across the region, drawing from the Appalachian portions of Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and especially North Carolina.

ABSTRACT Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) alters the physiology, growth, and development of plants. These changes in plant functioning are likely to impact the relationship between some plant pathogens and their hosts. This study examined the interactive effects of elevated [CO2] and the economically important, xylem-limited bacterial pathogen Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. on the physiology and growth of Quercus rubra L. (red oak) seedlings. We hypothesized that growth at elevated [CO2] would ameliorate the negative consequences of infection on Q. rubra growth and physiology. Oak seedlings were inoculated with a natural strain of X. fastidiosa and grown under ‘‘ambient’’ (400 ppm) and ‘‘elevated’’ (1,000 ppm) [CO2] for 24 wk. Gas exchange, plant growth, and biomass allocation were measured to determine if elevated [CO2] alleviated the severity of X. fastidiosa–induced water stress. Xylella fastidiosa infection decreased photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration, as well as leaf area and total biomass.

Harperella nodosa Rose (APIACEAE)— McCurtain County: Lower Mountain Fork River. Growing along a muddy riverbank. Associates: Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich. (some plants were growing among the cypress knees), Calamovilfa arcuata K.E. Rogers, Carex glaucescens Elliott, Commelina virginica L., Gratiola brevifolia Raf., Xyris jupicai Rich., Justicia americana (L.) Vahl, Mikania scandens (L.) Willd., Lobelia cardinalis L., Hydrocotyle verticillata Thunb., Rhynchospora caduca Elliott, and Vernonia lettermannii Engelm. ex A. Gray

ABSTRACT A 3-yr study was conducted to determine effects from cutting shrubs that were shading a population of Xyris tennesseensis Kral inhabiting a calcareous seepage fen of the Ridge and Valley Ecoregion. Shrubs were cut to ground level on small plots and Xyris flowering, ramet numbers (a ramet is defined as a leaf-producing stem) and seedling numbers were monitored during three post-treatment seasons. Floral visitation was also documented to determine if shrub cutting increased the likelihood of floral visits by insects that might pollinate flowers. In addition, the seed bank of the site was described and quantified. Shrub cutting significantly increased flowering of Xyris on the site, but only for the first two seasons: by the third season flowering declined, likely caused by competition from other herbaceous species responding to the increased light levels. Shrub cutting also significantly increased seedling production, but no significant increase in the number of Xyris

A floristic survey of Crowders Mountain State Park, located in Gaston and Cleveland Counties in North Carolina, was conducted from 2010–2011 to document prairie-relict species. In addition, 1-m2 quadrats (n ¼ 200) were sampled from four remnant power line rights-ofway/ roadside prairie communities in the park to assess community structure. Cover and frequency values were assessed for species within the quadrats and species were also placed into guild groupings. A total of 143 prairie-relict species from 37 plant families were identified for the entire park, 69 (48%) of which were also found in the sampled quadrats. Eighty-three (58%) species were previously undocumented for the park. Summer forbs represented the largest guild at 66 (46%) with several rare and uncommon species for North Carolina, including the North Carolina Rare Symphyotrichum georgianum (Georgia aster) and Echinacea purpurea (eastern purple coneflower). The communities had a combined Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI) of 48.8

ABSTRACT We examined canopy gaps on the 3,100 ha West Virginia University Research Forest (WVURF), a 70–80 year-old, second-growth, Appalachian hardwood forest near Morgantown, West Virginia. The objectives of this study were: (a) to describe gap characteristics (size, age, fraction, regeneration and gap-makers) of the forest as a whole, and (b) to assess whether gap characteristics varied by slope position (cove, midslope, ridge), slope aspect (NE, NW, SE, SW), and forest type (cove hardwood, mesic oak, xeric oak). Sixty transects were established, with a total length of 22,043 m. Eighty canopy gaps were identified. Average gap size was 98.6 (–134.17) m2. Gap age ranged from 2–29 years old with a mean age of 16.4 (–6.3) yrs. Overall, 2.7% of the forest was composed of gaps. There were no differences in gap size by aspect or slope position. Cove hardwoods had larger gap sizes than mesic and xeric oak forests. There

Dr. Stewart A. Ware, Emeritus Professor of Biology at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, received the Elizabeth Ann Bartholomew Award on April 12th at the annual meeting of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society (SABS) held in Charleston, West Virginia. This annual award honors the memory of Elizabeth Ann Bartholomew’s untiring and unselfish service to SABS, professional botanists, students and the public. The highest honor given by the Society, this award is presented to individuals who have distinguished themselves in professional and public service that advances our knowledge of the world of plants and their scientific, cultural, and aesthetic values. Stewart Ware is a native of southeastern Mississippi and a 1960 graduate of Stringer High School. In 1964 he received a B. S. in Biology from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was mentored by plant ecologist Dr. Donald Caplenor. He received his Ph.D. in biology