Gene flow risk assessment in centres of crop origin and diversity

Poster presented at Plant Biology & Botany Join Congress. Chicago (USA), 7-11 Jul 200

Fourteen degrees of latitude and a continent apart: comparison of lichen activity over two years at continental and maritime Antarctic sites

There are marked declines in precipitation, mean temperatures and the number of lichen species with increasing latitude in Antarctica. However, it is not known which factors are the predominant controllers of biodiversity changes. Results are presented from over two years of almost continuous monitoring of both microclimate and activity in lichens at Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, 62°S, and Botany Bay, Ross Sea region, 77°S. Lichen activity was evident over a much longer period at Livingston Island, (3694 versus 897 hours) and could occur in any month whereas it was almost completely confined to the period November–February at Botany Bay. Mean air temperatures were much lower at Botany Bay (-18° compared to -1.5°C at Livingston Island), but the temperatures at which the lichens were active were almost identical at around 2°C at both sites. When the lichens were active incident light at Botany Bay was very much higher. The differences are related to the availability of meltwater which only occurs at times of high light and warm temperatures at Botany Bay. Temperature as a direct effect does not seem to explain the differences in biodiversity between the sites, but an indirect effect through active hours is much more probable. In addition there are negative effects of stresses such as high light and extreme winter cold at Botany Bay

“Flower of Aristolochia gigas var. sturtevantii used as a hat by a native of British Guiana” – a photograph from Everard im Thurn at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, holds a small but valuable and unstudied collection of photographs by Everard im Thurn (1852–1932) who contributed to botany, with specimens and publications, and to anthropology, publishing works that highlight his interest in photography.FCT (SFRH/BD/45965/2008, Portugal) e AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council, U

An overview on (mathematical) plant growth modelling and applications

Plants are very complex systems. If agronomic plants, like rice, maize or corn, are essential to provide food or other kind of goods, trees are also essential to preserve the carbon balance, or even to absorb carbon surplus. Despite the great importance of plants, only a small number of modellers, and applied mathematicians are involved in the modelling, the development of mathematical tools, the simulation of plant growth, and, in general, in problems related to Agronomy or Forestry. In fact, the amount of knowledges necessary to understand how a plant is growing is huge and only a multidisciplinary approach can be used to overcome the encountered di_culties. Phenomena are so complex, that even botanist, agronomists and foresters still debate how to handle them e_ciently in plant growth models, and, more important, what are the essential ingredients to take into account to obtain a realistic modeling. Indeed, if we know very precisely what is going on in photosynthesis, transpiration processes,..., we didn't yet succeed in the development of macroscopic laws, like in Physics or in Mechanics. Plant growth modelling is not only challenging from the scienti_c point of view, but is also crucial for real applications, like, for instance, improving crop yields, developing biological tools against Pest attacks, studying the impact of climate change, time evolution of rain forests,.... Thus not only plant growth modeling is challenging but its interactions with the environment too. Up to now people have used di_erent modeling for plant growth, like empirical models, geometric models, process-based models or functional and structural plant models [7].... AMAP laboratory (BotAny and coMputationAl Plant architecture) is a place where Botany, Ecophysiology, Plant Architecture, Applied Mathematics, and Computer Science are deeply connected [1]. AMAP has become World leader in Botany, in Plant Architecture [3], and, based on biological knowledges, has developed several Simulation tools, like AMAPsim: (see [2] for an overview) 1 The aim of this lecture is to show the diversity of the problems encountered in the area of plant growth modeling, through an overview on di_erent ongoing studies in AMAP. After a brief recall on some "basic" knowledges' in Botany and in Ecophysiology, I will present di_erent problems related to plant growth, root growth [4, 5], biomechanics [6], ecology, ... using discrete or continuous models. The wide diversity of problems encountered leads to very interresting mathematical problems, that deserve theoretical and numerical investigations. CIRAD is an International Centre of Agronomic Research for Developing Countries. It is based in Montpellier (France). About 800 researchers, around the world, are working in life sciences, social sciences and engineering sciences, applied to agriculture, food and rural territories. (Texte intégral

Wild Flowers of the United States: Volume 1, The North-Eastern States (in two parts). Harold William Rickett. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1966. x, 559 pp. $39.50.

Excerpt: Many entomologists are faced with the problem of identifying a plant that an insect has been gathering nectar from, feeding on, or pollinating. Unless he is armed with a working knowledge of botany, and can handle the cumbersome keys in our modern floras, h e must resort to a specialist or a picture book

Editorial : ten years of Tropical Bryology

The first issue of Tropical Bryology was published ten years ago in 1989. Only quite rarely is a new bryological journal founded, and it is a risk to introduce a new journal to those already established. There are examples (e.g., Acta Bryolichenolica Asiatica, Cryptogamic Botany) of other such attempts that have failed. However, the plan to edit a new journal was based on several new ideas

University of Arkansas at Monticello\u27s 1985 Summer Science Institute: A Report and an Opinion

The University of Arkansas at Monticello\u27s 1985 Summer Science Institute was created to improve competence in science among on-the-job upper elementary school teachers (grades 4-6) in southeast Arkansas. Students received three weeks of solid introductory coursework in botany, chemistry, and geology. However, deficiencies in public school science education are extensive and deeply rooted and will not be seriously addressed by anything less than radical changes in teacher training and certification policies

Botany

Botany is situated on the northern shores of Botany Bay in the south-eastern suburbs of Sydney, 10 kilometres south of Sydney's central business district. The presence of water, whether fresh or salt, is so inextricably bound to the history of Botany that the two are almost synonymous.In modern terms, the area is also strongly associated with various industries, aeroplanes, major arterial roads and seaports. For these reasons it is often regarded as the 'gateway' to Sydney, yet it is also much maligned and often overlooked, as people quickly pass through on their way to other destinations around the country or across the world. Still it is steeped in history of national significance with a large record of 'firsts' to its credit