Topic
Aplectrum
About: Aplectrum is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2 publications have been published within this topic. The topic is also known as: Aplectrum hyemale & putty-root.
Papers
12 Jul 2016
TL;DR: This research proposes to study puttyroot and cranefly orchids in the Coleman Boundary of Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina during early winter to determine the extent that their habitats overlap.
Abstract: Puttyroot orchid ( Aplectrum hyemale ) and cranefly orchid ( Tipularia discolor ) are two wintergreen species found across much of the eastern United States. Like other wintergreens, both species have a unique phenology. In the winter, when the canopy is clear of deciduous leaves, they unfurl a single leaf and photosyntehsize with little competition. By spring, the leaves die back and a single flowering stalk emerges in summer. There have been marked declines of both orchids across their northern range, yet both seem to be thriving in the southern Appalachians. Due to conservation pressures in northern states, most published studies on both species have focused on this region; subsequently, little is known about their habitat in the southern Appalachians. The purpose of my research is to investigate the abundance and habitat requirements of these two species in order to contribute to their conservation in the southern mountains. I propose to study puttyroot and cranefly orchids in the Coleman Boundary of Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina during early winter. I will collect data on population size, light levels, leaf chlorophyll, number of flowering stems, surrounding vegetation, slope aspect, and soil characteristics to determine the extent that their habitats overlap.
TL;DR: This study examines the relative abundance of A. hyemale and T. discolor in western North Carolina and quantifies habitat characteristics and levels of leaf chlorophyll for each species to support differences in photosynthetic strategies, or reflect differences in leaf size and morphology.
Abstract: Aplectrum hyemale and Tipularia discolor are wintergreen orchids native to the eastern and central United States. Each produces a single leaf in late fall that persists through the winter and senesces in early spring. Both species occur in scattered patches in the understory of deciduous forests, and although they overlap in range and often co-occur in the landscape, their habitat and photosynthetic potential have not been compared directly. In this study we examine the relative abundance of A. hyemale and T. discolor in western North Carolina and quantify habitat characteristics and levels of leaf chlorophyll for each species. We conducted broad-scale surveys (walkabouts) of seven sites in Pisgah National Forest during the winter and collected habitat data in 26 patches of each species in one mesic forest. Both species shared similar habitat attributes at this site (plants located ∼ 2 m from overstory trees of similar diameter in ∼ 45% sunlight). However, across all sites, T. discolor was three times more abundant than A. hyemale, more likely to occur in large patches (> 20 plants), and more consistently distributed across a range of slope aspects. In contrast, A. hyemale occurred most often on slopes facing 91–180°, and at elevations > 750 m. Whereas A. hyemale was most often associated with Liriodendron tulipifera overstory trees, T. discolor was often in close proximity to Quercus spp. as well as L. tulipifera. Leaf chlorophyll was twice as high in A. hyemale, which could support differences in photosynthetic strategies, or reflect differences in leaf size and morphology.
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |