Conservation of the Dune Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri), a Federally Threatened Dune Endemic

Conservation of the Dune Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri), a Federally Threatened Dune Endemic PDF Author: Tara L. Suring
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Conservation of the Dune Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri), a Federally Threatened Dune Endemic

Conservation of the Dune Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri), a Federally Threatened Dune Endemic PDF Author: Tara L. Suring
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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The Population Status of the Federally Threatened Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri) in the Grand Sable Dunes at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan

The Population Status of the Federally Threatened Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri) in the Grand Sable Dunes at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan PDF Author: Kimberly Sue Danielson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cirsium
Languages : en
Pages : 59

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Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri), a federally threatened species, is a colonizing species endemic to the beaches and dunes of the western Great Lakes. The only occurrence of C. pitcheri on the south shore of Lake Superior is in the Grand Sable Dunes, a perched dunes system, at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan. This research focused on the population status, including the distribution, total population estimates, associated ecological communities, and conservation threats to C. pitcheri in the Grand Sable Dunes. I found that C. pitcheri was distributed throughout the dunes in a variety of habitats and the main populations of C. pitcheri occurred in distinct groups midway between the dune bluff and the forest. Total population size estimates indicate that the population may be one of the largest populations for the species. On a broad scale, C. pitcheri was associated with early to mid successional communities characterized by 50-70% bare sand cover. Schizachyrium scoparium can be considered an indicator species for C. pitcheri. Seedling densities were lowest in late successional communities. On a finer scale, C. pitcheri was associated with moderate (6-10 degree) windward west-facing slopes, reflecting sand movement patterns caused by prevailing W-NW winds. Areas where C. pitcheri co-occurs with the invasive species, Centaurea stoebe, should be a high priority for invasive species management. Dune stabilization due to recent climate change trends may fragment current C. pitcheri populations and reduced suitable habitat.

THE ANTAGONISTIC AND MUTUALISTIC PLANT-INSECT INTERACTIONS OF PITCHER'S THISTLE (CIRSIUM PITCHERI [TORR. EX EAT.] TORR. & A. GRAY, ASTERACEAE), A FEDERALLY THREATENED GREAT LAKES DUNE AND COBBLE SHORE ENDEMIC PLANT.

THE ANTAGONISTIC AND MUTUALISTIC PLANT-INSECT INTERACTIONS OF PITCHER'S THISTLE (CIRSIUM PITCHERI [TORR. EX EAT.] TORR. & A. GRAY, ASTERACEAE), A FEDERALLY THREATENED GREAT LAKES DUNE AND COBBLE SHORE ENDEMIC PLANT. PDF Author: Jaclyn N Inkster
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 77

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Biological control is one of the tools used for integrated pest management of invasive plant species but it is not without risks to native plants. I researched the non-target impacts of the biological control agent, the seed head weevil Larinus planus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on the Great Lakes dune and cobble shore endemic threatened thistle, Cirsium pitcheri (Asteraceae). Pitcher's thistle is an herbaceous perennial monocarpic plant with no means of vegetative reproduction, relying solely on seed set for population persistence. The seed head weevil is univoltine and lays eggs in thistle heads. The developing larva chews the ovules or seeds before emerging as an adult to overwinter in leaf litter. I repeatedly surveyed Pitcher's thistle plants from three populations in northern lower Michigan for impacts. The insect oviposits on thistle heads from mid-June to early July, before C. pitcheri flowering. Heads that received oviposition were on average 12-14 mm in diameter. Approximately 32% of the 1,695 heads surveyed had oviposition. A subset of dissected heads had 56% weevil egg mortality. With weevil survival, the number of filled seeds was reduced by 62%. A generalized linear mixed binary logistic model reported date of oviposition and size of heads as significant predictors of oviposition on heads. I tested the effectiveness of an organic insect deterrent, Surround[registered] WP, in reducing impacts on C. pitcheri. The kaolin clay is mixed in water and then applied to the plant create a protective film after drying. I first needed to confirm that kaolin clay did not negatively impact pollinator visits, which are important for seed set. To test this, I performed simultaneous 10 min observations on kaolin clay treated plants and untreated plants. Kaolin clay did not deter insect visits, affect species richness of visiting insects or change the length of the visit. To test the effectiveness in deterring the weevil I applied either kaolin clay or a water control to pairs of heads at Petoskey State Park. The clay-treated heads had significantly fewer oviposition holes, and were less likely to have oviposition holes at all. There was no significant difference in the mean number of chewed seeds between treatments; however, there were significantly more filled seeds in heads treated with kaolin clay than in water-treated heads. I recommend the application of kaolin clay to reproductive Pitcher's thistle plants mid-June to early July every 3-7 days on heads not yet flowering. Reduction of impact from Larinus planus is critical for conservation of this species and may also be important for the entire network of insect flower visitors in the dune ecosystem. Pitcher's thistle flowers from late-June to early August. Many species of insect from several taxonomic orders visit Pitcher's thistle flower heads indicating a generalist pollination syndrome. Generalist plants are often important floral resources that maintain plant-pollinator network structure, potentially as keystone species. I hypothesized that Pitcher's thistle is an important floral resource for the flower-visiting insects during its flowering period. To test this hypothesis I performed insect visitor observations on all the insect pollinated plants in randomly selected plots in the dunes of Sturgeon Bay, Wilderness State Park, MI. C. pitcheri received more visits and had more visitor species than any other plant in the network by a large margin. I used R Bipartite package to calculate species-level network metrics such as species strength and weighted connectedness and betweenness. I consistently found Pitcher's thistle to have the highest scores. The index d' rated Pitcher's thistle as the most generalized, i.e., received the most insect visitors. C. pitcheri also had a disproportionate effect on the flower-visiting insect fauna, relative to the abundance of its floral resources (number of open flowers, number of plants observed). Other plants in plant-pollinator networks have been shown to be important, perhaps keystone species, using this technique of species-level network metrics. Pitcher's thistle is an important species for the plant-insect network of the dune ecosystem. Insects and the flowering plants they visit and should be prioritized for conservation.

Disturbance Dynamics of Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri) Populations in Great Lakes Sand Dune Landscapes

Disturbance Dynamics of Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri) Populations in Great Lakes Sand Dune Landscapes PDF Author: A. Kathryn McEachern
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cirsium pitcheri
Languages : en
Pages : 472

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Seed Dormancy of Pitcher's Thistle, a Threatened Species of Lake Huron Sand Dunes

Seed Dormancy of Pitcher's Thistle, a Threatened Species of Lake Huron Sand Dunes PDF Author:
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Dune Thistle

Dune Thistle PDF Author: David Kopitzke
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cirsium
Languages : en
Pages : 1

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Monitoring Protocol for Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri) and Dune Grasslands

Monitoring Protocol for Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri) and Dune Grasslands PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cirsium
Languages : en
Pages : 29

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Population Viability in Plants

Population Viability in Plants PDF Author: Christy A. Brigham
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3662093898
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 370

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Providing a quantitative assessment of threatened plant populations, that holds for varying management scenarios, has become an essential part of conservation planning. Here, renowned plant ecologists provide information on: major threats to plants, when and where to conduct a plant viability assessment (PVA), what type of PVA to conduct, what alternative options to PVA are available, what information is required for which kind of viability assessment, what attributes of the population in question should be considered, and what the limits of the PVA would be. As such, this volume can be used as a training tool for the environmental manager or a teaching aid for reviewing the current state of knowledge on plant population viability.

Population Demography and Seed and Seeding Ecology of the Great Lakes Endemic, Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri, Asteraceae)

Population Demography and Seed and Seeding Ecology of the Great Lakes Endemic, Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri, Asteraceae) PDF Author: Samara I. Hamze
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cirsium
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, General Management Plan, Wilderness Study

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, General Management Plan, Wilderness Study PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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