How to Create a Moist Chamber Culture to View the Biodiversity Growing on Live Tree Bark
You don’t need to be a professional to do this experiment. Our own researchers in the Fungi, Myxomycetes, and Trees Research Program use this same
You don’t need to be a professional to do this experiment. Our own researchers in the Fungi, Myxomycetes, and Trees Research Program use this same
The urban environment is an ecosystem in itself. With this living roof, BRIT is bringing a functional, native Texas ecosystem back into the built environment. Rather than just looking for plants that can survive in hot environments, BRIT asked the question, “What are the environmental parameters of a roof and what are its analog and native environs?”
Byerley Best, B. and R.K. Swadek. 2019. Plant cover & diversity on a young prairie-style green roof relative to slope position & planting assemblage. Poster presentation at Botany 2019, annual conference of the Botanical Society of America, 27-31 Jul 2019, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
The region where the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains meet the Amazonian lowlands harbors one of the greatest concentrations of biological diversity on Earth. Thousands of species and many complex tropical ecosystems exist along an altitudinal gradient from 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) in the Andes to 200 meters (650 feet) in the Amazonian lowlands.
The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area spans two ecoregions, the Cross Timbers and the Northern Blackland Prairie (Gould et al. 1960). The Blackland Prairie begins on the eastern side of the metroplex in Hunt, Kaufman, and Ellis counties, includes most to all of Collin and Dallas counties, and the eastern edges of Denton, Tarrant, and Johnson counties (Gould et al. 1960).
The purpose of the prairie on the BRIT Landscape is to provide the public a glimpse of the aesthetics of natural or native landscapes, reduce BRIT’s demand for water resources, be a valuable source for research into restoration of prairies in urban environments, and provide a model for habitat restoration and ecological connectivity. The culture of the region arose in the context of prairies.
Pediomelum reverchonii (S. Watson) Rydb. (Fabaceae) or Reverchon’s scurfpea, is a bushy-branched perennial forb growing to 120 cm in height (Diggs et al. 1999). Flowers are purple, 10 to 15 mm long. Inflorescences are arranged in a loose spike-like raceme with three to seven flowers each at the ends of stems. Pediomelum reverchonii often co-occurs with other similar members of the genus, including P. linearifolium, P. cuspidatum, and P. cyphocalyx.
Pediomelum cyphocalyx (A.Gray) Rydb. (Fabaceae) is a perennial herb with a tuberous root up to 2 cm in diameter. It grows to a height of up to 1 m, with stems usually solitary, erect, and simple or sparingly branched above (Rydberg 1919, Diggs et al. 1999). It can be distinguished from the other species in the genus within the region by the presence of cauline leaves, dense, many-flowered spike-like inflorescence, peduncles exceeding the subtending petioles, and linear-lanceolate or narrowly oblong-lanceolate leaflets (Diggs et al. 1999).
This project involves conducting a detailed biodiversity assessment to be used for the development and implementation of a natural resource management plan for the 33 acres of undeveloped land included in the 147-acre campus of All Saints’ Episcopal School (ASES) in Fort Worth, Texas. The property also includes a 12-acre natural area with a wetland, riparian area, native grassland, orchard, and vegetable garden.
Isoetes butleri is a fern ally that grows in limestone outcrops across most of the Eastern United States. The species was known to occur in a few sites in Texas but was unknown in north central Texas. BRIT botanists discovered the species in the limestone prairies of north central Texas, where it appears to be very common, with 125 populations. The species is a common member of limestone glade seep communities. It can be seen in shallow soil overtop of limestone bedrock in areas where seasonal seepage keeps the ground wet during the spring.
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We respectfully acknowledge that the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is located on traditional lands of Indigenous Peoples. We honor the ancestry, heritage, and gifts of all Indigenous Peoples who were sustained by these lands and give thanks to them. We are grateful that these lands continue to provide enrichment for many people today. [More…]
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