Wayside aster research summary PowerPoint BLM 2012

Ecology and Evolution of<br />

<strong>Wayside</strong> Aster<br />

Tom Kaye and Denise Giles‐Johnson<br />

Institute for Applied Ecology

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Ecology and Evolution of<br />

<strong>Wayside</strong> Aster<br />

2002‐<strong>2012</strong>…<br />

• Canopy thinning<br />

• Fire (prescribed)<br />

• Population augmentation or introduction<br />

– Effects of simulated herbivory<br />

– Factors affecting seedling establishment<br />

• Evolutionary relationships

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<strong>Wayside</strong> <strong>aster</strong> ‐ distribution

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Typical flowering plant Forest habitat

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Effects of forest thinning<br />

• Aster growth, reproduction, survival<br />

• Associated habitat changes<br />

• Invasive weed risks

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Closed canopy forest habitat (average = 96% canopy closure)

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Suppressed plant

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Clearcut, Gowdyville Rd

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•17 sites in Linn and Lane<br />

County<br />

•6 sites received thinning<br />

treatment (red)

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Data:<br />

• Aster plant size and<br />

reproduction<br />

• Associated plant<br />

abundance<br />

• Light availability<br />

(canopy)<br />

• Herbivory

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Tagged plant

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Data collection, Weiss Road

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Data collection: measuring plant height

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Average solar radiation<br />

increased from 4% to 15%<br />

after treatment<br />

Effects of thinning

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Number of plants remained stable<br />

Plants became larger after thinning<br />

Plants flowered more after thinning<br />

Number of Plants<br />

15 20 25 30 35<br />

30 35 40 45 50 55<br />

Plant Height (cm)<br />

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14<br />

Number of Capitula<br />

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010<br />

Thinned<br />

Control<br />

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010<br />

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

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Proportion dead<br />

0.00 0.10 0.20<br />

Mortality<br />

Before<br />

After<br />

Control Thinned<br />

Plant mortality was higher in control than thinned plots<br />

after treatment.

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Community responses<br />

• Thinning resulted in an<br />

increase in native forbs<br />

(15% to 25%) and some<br />

shrubs.<br />

• Native grasses<br />

increased (1% to 5%)<br />

• Small increases in<br />

weeds:<br />

– St John’s wort<br />

– Blackberry spp.<br />

– Tansy ragwort<br />

– False‐brome (hand<br />

pulled)<br />

NMDS2<br />

-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6<br />

3<br />

2<br />

1<br />

Community Composition<br />

13<br />

12<br />

6<br />

8<br />

19<br />

11<br />

7<br />

5<br />

10<br />

16<br />

-0.5 0.0 0.5<br />

NMDS1<br />

9<br />

4<br />

14<br />

15<br />

18<br />

Control<br />

Thinned

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Summary‐ Effects of Canopy Thinning<br />

• Plants were larger and had more flowers in<br />

thinned plots<br />

• Mortality was lower in thinned plots<br />

• Cover of native forbs and native grasses<br />

increased in thinned plots<br />

• (Invasive species increased slightly)

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Effects of fire

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Four years after burning (2002‐2006)<br />

Control (thinned, not burned) Burned (thinned and burned)

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Burning at Weiss Road<br />

• Plants recovered in both burn types<br />

• Invasive grasses increased in swamper burns

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Propagation and introduction<br />

• Propagation techniques<br />

• Transplanting<br />

• Seeding<br />

– Factors that affect seedling establishment<br />

– Light availability, litter/moss vs. bare soil

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Greenhouse propagation

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• Seeds germinate<br />

after 3 months of<br />

cold.<br />

• Or, if seed coat<br />

removed, 2 weeks

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Simulated herbivory<br />

• Clipping reduced<br />

flower production<br />

• Fertilizer increased<br />

plant size<br />

• Deer lower<br />

population viability

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Observation: Seedlings occur on exposed soil

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Seeded –bare soil<br />

Transplants<br />

Seeded

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First year seedling Second year seedling<br />

Long Hill site

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Number of transplants/plot<br />

0 1 2 3 4<br />

Transplanting and seeding<br />

2002 2004 2006 2008 2010<br />

Year<br />

Number of transplants<br />

per plot 2002‐2010.<br />

Number of Plants<br />

0 1 2 3 4<br />

2002 2004 2006 2008 2010<br />

Year<br />

no scrape<br />

scrape<br />

Seedling establishment<br />

2002‐2010.

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Conclusions<br />

• Seeds can be germinated and grown<br />

• Transplants and seeds can establish new<br />

plants<br />

– Both work, transplanting may be more efficient<br />

• Deer browse is a threat to population growth.

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Evolution ‐ Taxonomy<br />

• Aster Eucephalus<br />

– Rayless <strong>aster</strong>s<br />

– Aster vialis Eucephalus vialis<br />

• Related species:<br />

– E. vialis<br />

– E. tomentellus (=A. brickellioides)<br />

– E. glabratus (=A. siskiyouensis)<br />

– E. breweri (intergrades with tomentellus and<br />

glabratus)

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Rayless Eucephalus

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• Objective:<br />

Evolution ‐ Taxonomy<br />

– Resolve taxonomic boundaries to determine<br />

conservation status

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Variation in DNA<br />

sequences (based on<br />

1198 base pairs of<br />

combined ITS and ETS<br />

regions) obtained from<br />

Eucephalus vialis and<br />

related species. The<br />

network connects<br />

sequences of greatest<br />

similarity; each<br />

connecting line<br />

represents a single base<br />

substitution.<br />

Genetic results<br />

Group 1<br />

sequences<br />

Group 2<br />

sequences<br />

Josephine Co.<br />

I<br />

H<br />

J<br />

F E G<br />

C B<br />

A D<br />

L<br />

P<br />

N<br />

K<br />

O<br />

Q<br />

M<br />

R<br />

Lane Co.,<br />

Douglas Co.,<br />

Josephine Co. (N)<br />

Jackson Co.,<br />

Josephine Co.<br />

Jackson Co.

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vialis<br />

tomentellus<br />

glabratus<br />

breweri

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Lane<br />

Douglas<br />

Jackson<br />

Josephine<br />

Curry<br />

California

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Rayless Eucephalus

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But wait, there’s more

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Conclusions<br />

• Plants identified as Eucephalus vialis are genetically differentiated in<br />

the northern and southern parts of their range.<br />

• All E. vialis populations in Lane and Douglas Counties appear to be<br />

genetically very uniform, with a small number of closely related<br />

genetic variants.<br />

• Group 1 sequences are allied to ITS and ETS sequences from E.<br />

ledophyllus.<br />

• Group 2 sequences reported here are similar to ITS and ETS<br />

sequences from E. breweri and E. engelmannii.<br />

• mixtures of Group 1 and Group 2 sequences in the Josephine and<br />

Jackson Co. populations sampled for this study suggests that these<br />

southern populations have been strongly influenced by<br />

hybridization, most likely with E. breweri. This is probably true of E.<br />

tomentellus as well.

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Overall conclusions<br />

• Thinning can promote growth and flowering in<br />

wayside <strong>aster</strong>.<br />

– Need to revisit sites to search for young plants.<br />

• The species tolerates fire.<br />

• Small populations can be augmented, and new<br />

populations can improve connectivity.<br />

• E. vialis occurs in Lane and Douglas Counties only.<br />

Southern populations are hybrids or other taxa.<br />

– Need to understand relationship to rayed Eucephalus.

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Acknowledgments<br />

• IAE: Jen Cramer, Carolyn Menke, Burl Martin,<br />

Rob Massatti, Ian Pfingsten, Rachel Newton,<br />

Amy Young, Amanda Stanley, Andrea Thorpe,<br />

many interns!<br />

• <strong>BLM</strong>: Nancy Sawtelle, Cheshire Mayrsohn,<br />

Molly Widmer<br />

• USFS: Wayne Rolle, Maureen Jules