GH301 .A78 v. 57 no. 1 Jan £010 SOUTHEASTERN BIOLOGY Volume 57 January, 2010 Number 1 ASB ASB ASB ASB 7iST Annual Meeting April 7-10, 2010 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, North Carolina, and University of North Carolina Asheville, North Carolina ASB ASB ASB ASB See Page 1 and Consult Website http://www.asb.appstate.edu/ ASB Entrance to the University The Official Publication of The Association of Southeastern Biologists http://www.asb.appstate.edu/ SOUTHEASTERN BIOLOGY (ISSN 1533-8436) SOUTHEASTERN BIOLOGY (ISSN 1533-8436) is published quarterly in January, April, July, and October by the Association of Southeastern Biologists, Inc., Carolina Biological Supply Co., 2700 York Road, Burlington, NC 27215. Periodicals postage paid at Burlington, NC, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: please send address changes to the SOUTHEASTERN BIOLOGY business manager, Tim Atkinson, Carolina Biological Supply Co., 2700 York Road, Burlington, NC 27215. ASB members receive the SOUTHEASTERN BIOLOGY as part of their membership dues. For non-members, the cost is $15.00 per issue. All contributions, inquiries about missing numbers and other matters should be addressed to the Print Editor. News items should be sent to the News Editor. Send books to be reviewed to the Book Review Editor. Printed by Allen Press, 810 East 10th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044. Print Editor . James D. Caponetti, Division of Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0830; (865) 974-6841; FAX (865) 974-4057; jcaponet@utk.edu. Associate Editor . Nicole T. Welch, Dept. Sciences & Math., Mississippi Univ. for Women, 1100 College St., MUW-1 00, Columbus, MS 39701 ; (662) 329-7243; FAX (662) 329-7238; nwelch@as.muw.edu. Web Editor . Dennis C. Haney, Department of Biology, Furman University, Greenville, SC 29613-0418; (864) 294-2050; FAX (864) 294-2058; dennis.haney@furman.edu. Business Manager . Tim Atkinson, Carolina Biological Supply Co., 2700 York Road, Burlington, NC 27215; (336) 538-6224; tim.atkinson@carolina.com. News Editor . Ricky Fiorillo, Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209; (318) 342-1797; FAX (318) 342-3312; fiorillo@ulm.edu. Book Review Editor . Melissa Pilgrim, Department of Biology, University of South Carolina Upstate, Spartanburg, SC 29303; (864) 503-5781; mpilgrim@uscupstate.edu. Book Rev. Assoc. Eds.... Christopher G. Brown, Dept, of Biology, Shorter College, Rome, GA 30161; (706) 233-7265; cbrown@shorter.edu. Jennifer R. Ellis, Dept, of Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences Bldg., University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602; (706) 583-5510; jrellis@plantbio.uga.edu Meetings Coordinator . Scott Jewell, P.O. Box 1088, Mebane, NC 27302; Office (336)421-0034; FAX (336)421-3425; Cell (336) 213-7373; a2zconvention@yahoo.com. ASB Officers President . Patricia B. Cox, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive-WT 1 1C, Knoxville, TN 37902; (865) 632-3609; FAX (865) 632-4223; pbcox@tva.gov. Vice President . A. Floyd Scott, Biology Department, Austin Peay State University, P.O. Box 4718, Clarksville, TN 37044; (931 ) 221-7781 ; FAX (931) 221-6372; scotta@apsu.edu. Past President . Thomas R. Wentworth, Department of Plant Biology, Box 7612, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7612; (919) 515-2168; FAX (919) 515-3436; tom_wentworth@ncsu.edu. Secretary . Nicole T. Welch, Dept. Sciences & Math., Mississippi Univ. for Women, 1100 College St., MUW-1 00, Columbus, MS 39701 ; (662) 329-7243; FAX (662) 329-7238; nwelch@as.muw.edu. Treasurer . Tim Atkinson, Carolina Biological Supply Co., 2700 York Road, Burlington, NC 27215; (336) 538-6224; tim.atkinson@carolina.com. Membership Officer . Terry D. Richardson, Department of Biology, Box 5048, University of North Alabama, Florence, AL 35632; (256) 765-4429; Cell (256) 443-9165; FAX (256) 765-4430; tdrichardson@una.edu. Database Manager . Deborah Atkinson, Office of Continuing Education, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, CB#8165, 400 Roberson Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8165; (919) 843-6892; FAX (919) 966-5692; datkinso@email.unc.edu. Archivist . John Herr, Dept, of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208; (803) 777-8110; FAX (803) 777-4002; herr@biol.sc.edu. Executive Committee Members-at-Large 2010: Cathryn H. Greenberg, USDA Forest Service, 1577 Brevard Road, Asheville, NC 28806; (828)667-5261, ext. 118; FAX (828) 667-9097; kgreenberg@fs.fed.us. Douglas A. Rayner, Department of Biology, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC 29303; (864) 597-4624; raynerda@wofford.edu. 201 1 : Ronald V. Dimock, Jr., Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27106; (336) 758- 5567; FAX (336) 758-6008; dimock@wfu.edu. Randall L. Small, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996- 1610; (865) 974-6207; FAX (865) 974-3067; rsmall@utk.edu. 2012: George R. Cline, Biology Department, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL 36265-1602; (256) 782- 5798; FAX (256) 782-5587; gcline@jsu.edu Joey Shaw, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN 37403; (423) 425-4341; FAX (423) 425-2285; Joey-Shaw@utc.edu. Purpose The purpose of this association shall be to promote the advancement of biology as a science by encouraging research, the imparting of knowledge, the application of knowledge to the solution of biological problems, and the preservation of biological resources. The ASB has representation in Section G Committee of the AAAS. Varying types of membership are available to individuals and institutions. See inside back cover. Time and Place of Future Meetings 2010 April 7-10: Co-hosted by Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina, and its Southern Appalachian Biodiversity and Ecology Center, and the University of North Carolina, Asheville, North Carolina. Meeting site is the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Asheville, North Carolina. 201 1 April 13-16: Hosted by the University of Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama. Meeting site is the Von Braun Convention Center adjacent to the Embassy Suites Hotel, Huntsville, Alabama. 2012 Athens, GA. 2013 West Virginia. 2010 Meeting Information 1 Western Carolina University and University of North Carolina Asheville are proud to host the 71st Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists April 7-10, 2010, Asheville, NC Crowne Plaza Resort * This four-day event brings together approximately 800 biologists from across the southeastern United States. The meeting features a distinguished plenary speaker, special symposia, field trips, oral and poster presentations, workshops, networking and social events, and more. The Annual Meeting provides you with the exclusive opportunity to showcase your products and/or services to this large and important audience of faculty, students, researchers, conservation workers, military and government personnel, and business professionals with a common interest in biological issues. Interests are diverse, and range from genetics and molecular biology, to physiology and population biology, to community and ecosystem ecology and systematics. About ASB: The Association of Southeastern Biologists (ASB) was established in 1937 by biologists concerned with the quality of biological research in the southeastern United States. Today, ASB is the largest regional biology association in the country, and is committed to the advancement of biology as a science by the promotion of science education, research, and the application of scientific knowledge to human problems. ASB Web Site: Many thanks to Dr. Dennis Haney, Furman University for maintaining ASB’s web site. Please visit our new and exciting web site: www.asb.appstate.edu. Many new features have been added, register on-line for our Annual Meeting, view photos, inquire about career opportunities and more. 2 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC (WCU) Often called “the Cullowhee experiment,” Western Carolina University was founded in 1889 as a semi-public high school to bring higher education and career opportunities to the western region of North Carolina. In 1967 the institution was designated a regional university by the North Carolina General Assembly, and, in 1972, WCU became a member of the University of North Carolina system. Today, the Department of Biology offers two undergraduate degree options, the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Science in Education, and three graduate degree options: Master of Science, Master of Arts in Teaching, and Master of Arts in Education. The department’s Southern Appalachian Biodiversity and Ecology Center and affiliations with The Helen Patton Environmental Research Center and Highlands Biological Station promote education, research, and outreach focused on the ecology and biotic diversity of the Southern Appalachian Region. An herbarium with more than 25,000 specimens; biotechnology laboratories; affiliations with other WCU programs, including Forensic Science, Environmental Science, and Natural Resource Conservation and Management; and cooperative education and internships provide opportunities for focused or wide-ranging study in Biology. Adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains, WCU has a commitment to the rich traditions of the Appalachian and Cherokee cultures. Its Mountain Heritage Center, Cherokee Center, and Craft Revival Project reflect this influence. The university’s mission is focused on quality education and preparation for responsible citizenship in a changing world. WCU now provides an education to students from 38 states and 32 countries. Academic programs include the nation’s highest-ranked entrepreneurship and project management programs, a national award-winning teacher education program, a criminal justice program used as a model for North Carolina’s accreditation program, and the nation’s first accredited four-year emergency medical care program. In 2005, the Millenial Initiative doubled the size of the campus and established an enterprise zone for educational opportunities and economic development. This year, the U.S. News & World Report guide to “America’s Best Colleges” ranked WCU among the top 10 public universities in the South that offer master’s degrees, and the Corporation for National and Community Service named Western Carolina to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for “exemplary commitment to service and civic engagement.” To top off the list of honors, the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band was named recipient of the Sudler Trophy, the ‘Heisman Trophy’ of university marching bands. “The Cullowhee experiment” has grown to become a major cultural, scientific, and educational force in the region and the state — and we’re still growing. University of North Carolina Asheville, Asheville, NC (UNCA) Welcome to the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and to the kind of education that changes lives and inspires others to do the same. As the only designated liberal arts institution in the 16-campus University of North Carolina system, we serve students who are prepared for academic challenges by offering an intellectually rigorous education that builds critical thinking and workforce skills. Students with a broad range of interests can select from 30 majors at UNC 2010 Meeting Information 3 Asheville, where they’ll get a private school education at a public school price. Our students develop a strong sense of social responsibility through service learning and volunteer activities. They take part in learning far beyond the traditional classroom with internships, study abroad and diverse cultural opportunities. UNO Asheville gets high marks for educational innovation from U.S. News & World Report and is ranked among the best liberal arts colleges nationally. Located in a vibrant community, the culturally rich city of Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains, UNC Asheville has more than 3,400 students, and 341 full- and part-time faculty. The university is committed to serving the people of North Carolina and to building strong partnerships with our community that will enrich the quality of life of our region. The Biology Department has 12 full and part-time faculty members and over 100 majors seeking degrees with concentrations in Biological Education, Cellular and Molecular Biology and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. The Department is housed in the new Zeis Science and Multimedia Building. With state of the art laboratories and an ideal outdoor classroom with the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains, students and Faculty are actively involved in research with undergraduate students in fields ranging from the cellular to ecosystem level. Asheville , North Carolina , It's so easy to get stuck in a rut. We're all so busy, there are two things we need and cherish that are hard to squeeze into our hectic schedules: a healthy lifestyle and a vacation. Now you can multitask with an active getaway to Asheville, offering numerous ways to get active while having a unique vacation and educational experience at the Annual ASB Meeting. In Asheville, being active and healthy isn't a dreaded chore but is an indulgent pleasure. Instead of walking a treadmill like a hamster in a wheel, hike in the mountains or stroll around Asheville's funky downtown. Instead of bland diet frozen dinners, eat gourmet organic and vegetarian cuisine that tastes downright divine. Asheville is the place where being active is just an easy and natural part of the memorable vacation experience. Asheville is that type of unique, special place that lingers sweetly in your mind and memories for years to come. The city's rich architectural legacy with its mix of Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Neoclassical styles is the perfect retro-urban backdrop to the edgy energy that emanates from the locally owned-shops and art galleries, distinctive restaurants and exciting entertainment venues. Known as an art colony, a healing resort and a home to notable luminaries, statesmen and bohemians, Asheville is one of the most welcoming, vibrant cities in America. A bastion of cutting-edge art and technology in the Blue Ridge, the city also prides itself on its fascinating Appalachian past and celebrates this culture with annual events. While many cities underwent major overhauls in past decades, Asheville's historic and architecturally diverse downtown remains beautifully preserved. You will have an unforgettable experience in Asheville at the Annual ASB Meeting April 7-10, 2010. Don’t miss it! 4 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 ASB-2010 Tentative Schedule DAY/TIME EVENT Wednesday, April 7 8:00 am-8:00 pm 8:00 am-8:00 pm 9:00 am-4:00 pm 12 noon-2 pm 1:00-7:30 1 :30-5:30 pm 1:30-5:30 pm 2:00-5:00 pm 5:30-7:30 pm 7:30-9:00 pm 9:00-10:30 pm Registration Open Cyber Cafe Open Exhibitor Move-In Exhibitor Pizza Party (Exhibitors Only) Field Trips ASB Executive Committee Meeting SABS Council Meeting SSP Executive Committee Meeting SSP Presidential Symposium ASB Plenary Session: Dr. David Wagner, University of Connecticut, The Spring Caterpillar Fauna of the Appalachians with Ecological, Behavioral, and Evolutionary Vignettes of Southeastern Species.’ Welcome Reception Thursday, April 8 7:00 am-5:00 pm 7:00-8:30 am 8:00 am-5:00 pm 8:00 am-5:00 pm 8:00-9:00 am 8:10-12:10 pm 8:15-10:00 am 9:00 am-4:00 pm 10:00-1 T.00 am 10:00-10:30 am 10:30-12:00 pm 12:00-1:30 pm 12:00-1:30 pm 12:00-1:30 pm 1:30-3:00 pm 1:30-5:00 pm 2:30-3:30 pm 3:00-3:30 pm 3:30-5:15 pm 4:00-5:00 pm 6:00-11:00 pm Power Point Preview & Technology Check ASB Past Presidents' Breakfast Exhibits Open Registration Open ASB Posters I: Setup Symposium: “Early Successional Habitats and the Sustainability of Age Class Diversity of Eastern Upland Flardwood Forest: What, Why, Where, and Flow?” Paper Presentations ASB Posters I: On Exhibit ASB Posters I: Presenters (odd numbered posters) must be present Break: Visit Exhibits & Posters Paper Presentations Lunch (Individuals & Organizations) Human Diversity Luncheon and Workshop SWS South Atlantic Chapter Luncheon Paper Presentations Symposium: “Early Successional Habitats and the Sustainability of Age Class Diversity of Eastern Upland Hardwood Forest: What, Why, Where, and How?” ASB Posters I: Presenters (even numbered posters) must be present Break: Visit Exhibits & Posters Paper Presentations ASB Posters I: Poster Removal Thursday Night Social 2010 Meeting Information 5 Friday, April 9 7:00 am-4:00 pm Power Point Preview and Technology Check 7:00-8:30 am SABS/BSA Breakfast 7:30-8:30 am ASB Patrons and Exhibitors Breakfast 7:30-8:45 am 333 Poster Setup 8:00-9:00 am ASB Posters II: Setup 8:00 am-2:00 pm Exhibits Open 8:15-10:00 am Paper Presentations 8:30-9:00 am 333 Officers Meeting 9:00-10:00 am 333 Judges Meeting 9:00 am-4:00 pm ASB Posters II: On Exhibit 9:00-10:00 am SHC Executive Board Meeting 10:00-1 1:00 am 333 Business Meeting 10:00 am-12:00 pm 333 Poster Presentations 10:00-11:00 am ASB Posters II: Presenters (odd numbered posters) must be present 10:00-10:30 am Break: Visit Exhibits & Posters 10:30-1 1 :15 am Paper Presentations 11:15 am-12:15 pm ASB Business Meeting 12:15-1:45 pm Lunch (Individuals & Organizations) 12:15-1:45 pm ES/VSE Luncheon 12:15-1:45 pm Education Committee Luncheon and Workshop 2:00-4:00 pm Exhibitor Move-Out 1:45-4:45 pm Symposium: “Conservation in Western North Carolina” 2:30-3:30 pm ASB Posters II: Presenters (even numbered posters) must be present 3:00-3:30 pm Break: Visit Exhibits & Posters 3:30-4:00 pm ASB Posters II: Poster Removal 5:30-6:00 pm SHC Business Meeting 6:00-7:00 pm Friday Night Social 7:00-10:00 pm Awards’ Banquet: Presentation and Announcement of Awards Saturday, April 10 7:30-11:30 am ASB Executive Committee Breakfast Meeting 9:00 am- 1:00 pm Field Trips cs 6 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Plenary Speaker Dr. David L. Wagner Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut The Spring Caterpillar Fauna of the Appalachians with Ecological, Behavioral, and Evolutionary Vignettes of Southeastern Species The Plenary Speaker for the 2010 annual meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists in Asheville, NC is Dr. David L. Wagner, Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut’s main campus in Storrs. With a B.S. degree from Colorado State University and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Wagner’s areas of research focus on the biosystematics of lepidopterans and conservation of invertebrates. He is the author or coauthor of several books, scores of refereed journal articles, and four on-line insect identification guides. His most recently submitted book, Rare, Declining, and Poorly Known Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) of Forests and Woodlands in the Eastern United States, is scheduled for printing in 2010, and he is nearing completion on a caterpillar guide to over 750 species of eastern owlets (Noctuidae). His book Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History (2005, Princeton University Press) is in its fifth printing. Recent awards for his work include the National Outdoor Book Award for Best Nature Guidebook and UConn’s David Blick Science Education Award. Most of Dr. Wagner’s work has been conducted in the woodlands of eastern North America, but he spent nearly a decade studying the moths of La Selva Biological Station in northeastern Costa Rica. More recently, he has started projects in Ecuador. Outside the sphere of the Lepidoptera, Dr. Wagner chairs Connecticut’s Advisory Committee on Endangered Invertebrates and is serving on boards for The Connecticut Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Organization of Tropical States, and is Co-Director of the University of Connecticut's Center for Conservation and Biodiversity. He was very active in the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and served on the Discover Life Board for many years. We welcome Dr. Wagner to the 71st Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists. 2010 Meeting Information 7 Dr. David L. Wagner 8 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Hotel Information 2010 ASB Attendee & Exhibitor Group Discount Hotels Rates, Links & Addresses Note: All conference events will be held at the Crowne Plaza. *To Make a Reservation: Call the toll free number 800-733-3211 and tell the reservations person that you want the special group rate for ASB or The Association of Southeastern Biologists* *lf you wish to reserve a Villa, you must call the local number 828-254-3211 and ask for in-house reservations. Please tell the reservations person that you want the special group rate for ASB or The Association of Southeastern Biologists.* Headquarters Hotel Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort One Resort Drive www.ashevillecp.com Asheville, NC 28806 Phone: 800-733-321 1 Crowne Plaza Room Type & Rates: To view maps of downtown Asheville, pictures of the Crowne Plaza and other Crowne Plaza amenities, please go to: www.ashevillecp.com. Run of the House I, 2, 3, or 4 persons--$1 12.00 King Executive 1, 2, 3, or 4 persons--$149.00 Villa Studio — Large enough for one or two people 1 or 2 persons--$1 1 9.00 Villa One Bedroom — Large enough for one or two people but more spacious than the studio villa. 1 or 2 persons--$149.00 Villa Two — Large enough for 1-4 people, very spacious 1, 2, 3, or 4 persons--$1 69.00 2010 Meeting Information 9 2010 ASB Attendee & Exhibitor Group Discount Hotels Rates, Links & Addresses (Continued) Overflow Hotel: Four Points by Sheraton Location: Four Points by Sheraton is located in the heart of downtown Asheville and only one mile to the Crowne Plaza. Shuttle Service is provided throughout the conference. Note: All conference events will be held at the Crowne Plaza. Shuttle Service: Shuttle service will be provided to/from the Headquarters Hotel beginning early afternoon on Wednesday 4/7/10 and ending late on Friday 4/9/10. You will park your car in the free parking lot and ride the shuttles during the Annual Meeting. Shuttle Service will depart to/from the Four Points by Sheraton every 30 minutes. A shuttle service schedule will be published in the “Schedule-At-A-Glance” that can be picked up at the Registration Desk. Best of Both Worlds. Four Points by Sheraton Asheville Downtown offers the convenience of a great downtown location while being nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains. Step out the door and into a unique world of shops, restaurants, art galleries, and more. Simple Pleasures. Slip into your Four Points by Sheraton Four Comfort Bed and watch an in-room movie on the 32" LCD flat screen TV. Sample one of the many beers offered with our Best Brews(SM) or catch up on some reading over a hot & fresh cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee. We are also proud to be a 100% non-smoking hotel. For animal lovers, we offer pet-friendly rooms for a fee. Work or Play. We’re ready to make your visit as perfect as can be. Find everything from free Wi-Fi with printing options to an onsite business center and 24-hour fitness center. We also give you free passes to the local YMCA, which is just one block away. Note: All conference events will be held at the Crowne Plaza. *To Make a Reservation at the Four Points by Sheraton: Call 828-253-1851 and tell the reservations person that you want the special group rate for The Association of Southeastern Biologists* Four Points by Sheraton Room Type & Rates: To view maps of downtown Asheville, pictures of the Four Points by Sheraton and other Four Points by Sheraton amenities please go to: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/ property/overview/index. html?propertylD=3063 Four Points by Sheraton 22 Woodfin Street Asheville, NC 28801 Phone: 828-253-1851 10 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE CROWNE PLAZA Address: One Resort Drive Phone: (828) 254-3211 Asheville, NC 28806 Note: Our street name has recently changed from Holiday Inn Drive to Resort Drive. We have submitted this change to the online map companies and the GPS software providers. Until they update their records, you will need to use One Holiday Inn Drive to locate our property. From South (Asheville Regional Airport; Greenville/Spartanburg, SC; Columbia, SC): • Travel West on 1-26 • Follow signs for 1-240 to Asheville • Merge into the left lane and take exit 3A • This will merge you onto Patton Ave. • At the 2nd light make a right onto Regent Park Blvd (between Denny’s and Pizza Hut) • The road will bear right and our entrance will be immediately on the left (before entering Sam’s Club parking lot) • Follow our road past our golf course to the main entrance From West (Knoxville, TN): • Travel East on 1-40 • Follow signs for 1-240 East towards Asheville (left exit) • Merge into the left lane and take exit 3A • This will merge you onto Patton Ave. • At the 2nd light make a right onto Regent Park Blvd (between Denny’s and Pizza Hut) • The road will bear right and our entrance will be immediately on the left (before entering Sam’s Club parking lot) • Follow our road past our golf course to the main entrance From East (Hickory, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh, NC): • Travel West on 1-40 • Take exit 53-B onto 1-240 West towards downtown Asheville • As you cross the “French Broad River Bridge” merge into the far right lane, marked as an “Exit Only” for Exit 3-B (labeled Westgate and Resort Dr) • Merge into the right lane as you pass the Westgate Shopping Center • Our driveway is IMMEDIATELY as you round the curve to your right From North (Johnson City, TN): • Travel South on Hwy 19/23 (also known as 1-26 East) • Merge onto 1-240 West • Stay in the right lane as you merge, marked as an “Exit Only” for Exit 3-B (labeled Westgate and Resort Dr) • Merge into the right lane as you pass the Westgate Shopping Center • Our driveway is IMMEDIATELY as you round the curve to your right 2010 Meeting Information 11 ASB 2010 Field Trips Asheville, North Carolina, is cradled in a lush green bowl anchored by 5,721 -foot Mount Pisgah and surrounded on all sides by the Appalachian Mountains. Wednesday afternoon, April 7, and Saturday, April 10, field trips will highlight the “Appalachian Spring.” Trips are from several hours to a half-day in length and will involve caravans. All trips will begin from the check-in area at the conference site in Asheville at the start time listed. Trip end times are the times you could expect to be back in Asheville. One-way participation (without a return to Asheville) is OK. Meals and snacks will be on your own; bring whatever food and water you will need. Field trip updates and contact information can be found at the 2010 meeting link (http://www.asb.appstate.edu/meeting.php) on the ASB website or directly at http://paws.wcu.edu/gadkison/asb2010/. 1. Botanical Diversity Field Trip, The Botanical Gardens at Asheville. Wednesday, time TBA. Trip Leader: Jay Krancheck. Strolling through this collection of plants native to the Southern Appalachian Mountains, you will learn about this area’s natural history, floras, and community delineation, and visit examples of some unique natural communities including a rock outcrop and bog. 2. Cataloochee Valley Elk Viewing, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC. Wednesday, 4:00-7:30 pm. Trip Leader: Joe Yarkovich, NPS. Elk once roamed the southern Appalachian Mountains until they were eliminated from the region by over-hunting and loss of habitat. The experimental release of elk into Great Smoky Mountains National Park began in 2001. During this trip, you will hear a presentation on the elk reintroduction, as well as black bear management, and wild hog control in the park. Binoculars for elk viewing recommended. Maximum of 20 participants. 3. Ecology and Management of Southern Appalachian Hardwood Forest: A Research Perspective, Bent Creek Experimental Forest, Asheville, NC. Wednesday, 1:00-5:00 pm. Trip leaders: Cathryn Greenberg, Henry McNab, Tara Keyser, David Loftis. Participants will get an overview of the ecology of southern Appalachian hardwood forest ecosystems and learn about the research program in ecology and silviculture at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. The group will learn how forest composition changes over moisture and fertility gradients. They will also view a demonstration of different forest management practices and learn how each affects forest regeneration, wildlife, and forest food resources such as fleshy fruit and hard mast. 4. Birding at Beaverlake Bird Sanctuary, Asheville, NC. Saturday, 7:30 am- 11:30 am. Trip Leader: Marilyn Westphal, Kitty Reynolds, UNCA. Owned and operated by the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society, Beaverlake was scheduled to be a strip mall until the local Audubon chapter and nearby homeowners bought the property and turned it into a bird sanctuary. We will look for early spring migrants, including the white-throated sparrow and yellow-throated warbler. Easy, level walking. Comfortable shoes and binoculars are strongly recommended. Maximum of 20 participants. 12 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 5. Management and Science in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC. Saturday, 8:30 am-2:30 pm. Trip leaders: Paul Super & Joseph Yarkovich, NPS. Starting at Cataloochee Valley and heading to Purchase Knob, this trip will include searching for some of the 31 species of salamander found in the Smokies and discussions of research in the Smokies and wildlife management practices in the park. Comfortable walking shoes and binoculars recommended. Maximum of 20 participants. 6. Early Spring Herping at Sandy Bottom Wetlands, Asheville, NC. Saturday, 8:00 am-12:00 pm. Trip leader: Jim Petranka, UNCA. Sandy Bottom is a small floodplain wetlands complex that supports an exceptionally high diversity of amphibians. We will search the site for herps that include the four-toed salamander, mud salamander, mole salamander, and bog turtle. We will also search aquatic habitats for amphibian eggs and larvae. Maximum of 20 participants. 7. Balsam Crest, Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville south to Balsam Gap. Saturday, 8:30 am-2:30 pm. Trip leader: Dan Pittillo. This driving/hiking tour will take us along the Blue Ridge Parkway as it crosses the crest of the Balsams between Asheville at NC 191 and Balsam Gap. Flatlanders will appreciate the montane climate and elevation impacts on weather (be sure to dress for cold temperatures). We will stop to view plant communities and breathtaking vistas, hiking at Flat Laurel Gap Paleoecological site, Black Balsam Knob grass & heath bald (discussing burn history), and Red Bank Cove, a rich cove forest where early spring ephemerals may be spotted. Maximum of 15 participants. 8. Don't Fall off the Outcrop! Jackson & Macon counties. Saturday, 8:00 am- 2:30 pm. Trip leader: Gary Wein. We will visit several high-elevation rock outcrops such as Cedar Cliffs, Laurel Knob, Satulah Mountain, and Little Scaly Mountain. Plant communities include acidic and mafic rock outcrops, heath balds, and a 390 year old dwarf montane white oak forest. Come prepared for stunning views and a discussion of the state of conservation in western North Carolina! 9. Kituhwa & Cowee Historical Cherokee Mound and Town Sites, Bryson City & Franklin, NC. Saturday, 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Trip Leaders: Jane Eastman, David Cozzo, Tom Belt, WCU. We will visit two sites that are very significant places in Cherokee culture and history: Kituhwa, the Mother Town, and Cowee, a large and important eighteenth-century economic and diplomatic center. Tour leaders will provide perspectives on the cultural, archaeological, and ethnobiological aspects of these two former Cherokee town sites. Van transportation limited to 15 people. 2010 Meeting Information 13 Symposia Symposium: Early Successional Habitats and the Sustainability of Age Class Diversity of Eastern Upland Hardwood Forest: What, Why, Where, and How? (Thursday session) Description: This symposium addresses a rising concern among natural resource professionals about decline of the many plant and animal species associated with early-successional habitats within the southeastern upland hardwood forest region, including the Southern Appalachians. This topic is directly related to the meeting theme “Appalachian Spring,” as the decline of early successional habitat and associated species will change the Southern Appalachian landscape, including landscape structure, dynamics, and patterns of species diversity. The symposium will address questions sparked by the decline of early successional habitat, such as: What was the historic distribution, scale, and forest structure of natural disturbances that give rise to early successional habitats? Is natural disturbance enough to maintain these habitats, or should it be augmented through forest management activities? How much early successional habitat is needed at a landscape scale? How big should patches of early successional habitat be? What is the tradeoff between fragmentation and habitat connectivity? What plant and animal species require early successional habitat? How does the creation of young habitat affect species that require mature forest? How does the distribution of early successional habitat affect the distribution and populations of rare plants and animals, or the spread of non¬ native invasive species? How does the species composition and structure of forests change over time as patches of early successional habitat mature? Can a diversity of age classes be sustained over time? How does carbon storage and sequestration differ among different forest age classes? And, what is the future of forest type and age class diversity in the eastern upland hardwood region? Organizers: Cathryn H. Greenberg, Bent Creek Experimental Forest, and Beverly Collins, Western Carolina University Speakers and Titles: The Speaker Schedule and Presentation titles are available on the ASB meeting website. Symposium: Conservation in western North Carolina. (Friday afternoon session) Description: This symposium brings together information on the current status of land and natural resource conservation in the Southern Appalachian region. Representatives from conservation groups and NC state conservation programs will present information on conservation approaches and the status of target organisms. Five presentations will focus on conservation strategies across a range of conservation strategies systems, from state programs to protect water resources, significant habitats and plant populations, to wildlife. Other talks will 14 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 focus on how development impacts on natural habitats can be mitigated. Finally, two presentations will focus on two of the region’s endangered species - the Carolina northern flying squirrel and the green salamander - as case-studies for conservation. The Southern Appalachian region within western North Carolina not only contains some of the oldest mountains in the world, but also exhibits some of the highest levels of biological diversity in North America. However, the juxtaposition of several major cities in the region and the area’s attraction as a location for second homes threatens this biological diversity. This symposium explores the question ‘Are there successful strategies for conservation?’ that contribute to maintaining the high biodiversity of an Appalachian Spring. Organizer: Gary Wein, Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust Speakers and Titles: The Speaker Schedule and Presentation titles are available on the ASB meeting website. Commercial Workshops Commercial workshops will also be available for all registered attendees! These workshops presented by exhibitors will allow you to learn about the latest tips from the experts. The fee for each workshop will be $10 each, and you may register to attend one or more workshops during the Annual ASB Meeting. To register, and to read about the workshop descriptions, go to www.asb.appstate.edu and click on Attendee Registration & Information. Space is limited and you must pre-register for the commercial workshops, so don’t delay! All workshops will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Silent Auction ASB will again hold a silent auction next to the exhibitors. All of the proceeds will go towards supporting student travel to the annual meeting. Last year’s Silent Auction was a huge success. Come look at the items up for bid and help support our presenting students. Social Events Wednesday night mixer: Immediately following the Plenary Session, there will be a social mixer with hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and live music. The mixer is a long tradition at ASB meetings and is a great time to renew old acquaintances and make new ones. Be sure to sign up for this FREE event on the registration form. Thursday night social: “APPALACHIAN FLING” The Thursday night ASB social has always been a highlight of our annual meetings. The event has a longstanding tradition of great music, dancing and 2010 Meeting Information 15 entertainment. This year’s Appalachian Fling will be held in the center of downtown Asheville and will feature live music by Bear Down Easy and by the ‘explosively hot’ Firecracker Jazz Band. The venue offers a large dance floor and spacious dining areas with access to some of the finest specialty beers and microbrews in the country. The second floor, with a balcony overlooking the mountains of Asheville, offers a view and a spot for conversation. Want to dance, or have some conversation without the loud noise of the band? This unique venue is the place for you! Dance the night away or sit back and relax... it’s up to you! Friday night Awards Banquet: The culmination of the annual meeting is the ASB Awards Banquet, where we honor the accomplishments of members and students. Delicious beef, chicken and vegetarian options are available. Following dinner, awards will be presented. Remember that long speeches are no longer a part of the banquet. (A reminder: those competing for ASB awards must register for and be present at the banquet in order to receive the award.) Activities for Guests Attendees and family members will find many interesting places to visit in the Asheville area. The Asheville Chamber of Commerce (www.asheville chamber.org/index.asp) and the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (www.exploreasheville.com/index.aspx) provide a wealth of information for planning your visit. Downtown Asheville offers eclectic shopping at Grove Arcade, numerous galleries, and local institutions like Mast General Store; restaurants and cafes that feature local produce; live music; beer from local breweries, and attractions such as Pack Place Education, Arts and Science Center and Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site. Nearby historic sites include Biltmore and the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. You might visit Black Mountain Center for the Arts or travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Folk Art Center at Milepost 382. Chimney Rock State Park, Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina Arboretum, and the Cradle of Forestry offer outdoor fun. Families can take a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, try whitewater rafting, or go trekking with a llama. Look for the Local Activities table at the meeting or visit the 2010 meeting links (on the ASB website http://www.asb.appstate.edu/meeting.php or directly at http://paws.wcu.edu/ gadkison/asb2010/), for more ideas or to sign up for an organized Asheville adventure like those listed here: French Broad River Canoe Trip, Asheville, NC. Saturday, 8:00 am-12:00 pm. Outfitted by the Asheville Outdoor Center (http://www.paddlewithus.com). Cost: $22.00-30.00. This self-guided, 3-hour, 7-mile river trip is an excellent beginner trip suitable for families and children. Carving its way through the Biltmore Estate Property, with great views of the house and some of the oldest mountains on earth, this quiet, scenic float trip features small waves and easy current and has all the variety for a fun filled day on the river. The river otter, soft-shell turtle, pileated wood pecker, Carolina wren and great blue heron are all likely to be seen when floating this relaxing trip on the French Broad River. 16 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 French Broad Whitewater Rafting, Madison County, A/C. Saturday, time TBA. Guided by French Broad Rafting Expeditions (http://www. french broadrafting.com/). Cost: $36.90-42.30. Experience the exciting adventure of whitewater rapids and enjoy the natural beauty of the Pisgah National Forest as an experienced river guide takes you down the French Broad River on a memorable rafting journey. This trip is a 5-mile, 2-3 hour trip containing class l-lll rapids. No rafting experience necessary; children must be 8 or older. Conference Badges You will receive your meeting badges when you arrive in Asheville. Simply proceed to the Registration Area in the Crowne Plaza to receive your badge. Family members of conference participants should ask for guest conference badges at the registration desk. YOU MUST WEAR YOUR BADGE TO ALL FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING SOCIAL EVENTS! Sponsorships/Industry Partners A wide selection of special sponsorships will be available to our Industry Partners. Please view the sponsorships on our web site: www.asb.appstate.edu. For additional information you may call or e-mail our Meetings Coordinator, Scott Jewell, office: 336 421-0034, cell 336 213-7373, A2ZConvention@yahoo.com. Advertising The ASB is now offering advertising space in one or more issues of our quarterly publication, Southeastern Biology. Advertisers may also purchase space in our final on-site program, The ASB Schedule-At-A-Glance. Please view pricing structure, specifications and deadline scheduling on our web site: www.asb. appstate.edu. For additional information you may call or e-mail our Meetings Coordinator, Scott Jewell, office: 336 421-0034, cell 336 213-7373, A2ZConvention@yahoo.com. Registration Information We encourage everyone to register early and save money. ASB offers 3 options for registration: 1) On-line @ www.asb.appstate.edu; 2) US Mail sent to A2Z Convention Services, PO Box 1088 Mebane, NC 27302;3) Fax directly to A2Z Convention Services 336-421-3425. Details of the options follow the registration form. 2010 Meeting Information 17 The 71st Annual Meeting The Association of Southeastern Biologists April 7-10, 2010 Asheville, NC For Assistance with Registration, please contact A2Z Convention Services Phone: 336-421-0034 Fax: 336-421-3425 BASIC Attendee Registration (Pre-Registration Deadline is 3/01/10) PLEASE CHECK (download and print) the ASB web site, www.asb.appstate.edu for the most current attendee registration form that includes workshops, field trips, past president’s breakfast, special luncheon & special sessions. Note: To register for the meeting as an ASB member, your membership dues must be up to date. If you need to join or renew, you must either pay your dues online www.asb.appstate.edu (click on Annual Meeting) (instantly updated) or mail your check to the ASB treasurer at least three weeks before you register online. For membership questions, contact the ASB treasurer, Tim Atkinson (Tim.Atkinson@carolina.com; phone 336/538- 6224). ONE FORM PER ATTENDEE PLEASE. *First Name _ Middle Name _ *Last Name *lnstitution/Organization *Address 1 Address 2 *City *State *Postal Code *Phone Fax Country Cell Phone **Attendee’s E-Mail Address 18 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 ‘Indicates a required field, “You must provide an e-mail address to receive an immediate confirmation of your registration. Each registrant must have his/her own e-mail address! Please do not use the same e-mail address for multiple registrants. □ Faculty □ Graduate □ Undergraduate □ Other _ Affiliations: ASB ESA BBB SABS SWS BSA (Check all that apply) _ SHC _ SSP _ SEMS _ SE ASIH_ NABT Pre-Registration Standard On Site ASB Regular Member $190.00 $220.00 $235.00 ASB Student Member $ 95.00 $110.00 $130.00 ASB Non-Member $220.00 $255.00 $270.00 ASB Non-Member Student $120.00 $140.00 $155.00 (Pre-Registration Deadline is 3/01/10) Social Events (Please check all events you plan to attend; see Program for details) Wednesday evening Wine and Cheese, Post-plenary Session w/Cash Bar _ tickets x $00.00 = $ _ Thursday Night Social — “Appalachian Fling . ” Regular & Student Tickets _ tickets x $35.00 = $ _ Regular Friday evening ASB Awards Banquet* _ tickets x $45.00 = $ _ Please indicate: _ Beef _ Chicken _ Vegetarian Student Friday evening ASB Awards Banquet* _ tickets x $25.00 = $ _ Please indicate: _ Beef _ Chicken _ Vegetarian ‘Reminder: You must purchase a ticket and attend the banquet to be eligible for an ASB Award Grand Total $ 2010 Meeting Information 19 Registration & Payment Information: (3 Options) For Assistance with Registration, please contact A2Z Convention Services 336-421-0034 Option A: Register Online with Credit Card Register on-line at www.asb.appstate.edu for secure online credit card payment. You must provide an e-mail address to receive an immediate confirmation of your registration. Option B: Fax Your Form with Credit Card Fax your completed registration form along with your credit card information to the ASB Conference Registration Manager at A2Z Convention Services: Fax # 336/421-3425. You must provide an e-mail address to receive an immediate confirmation of your registration. Option C: Mail Your Form with a Check Mail your completed registration form and your check to ASB, c/o A2Z Convention Services, PO Box 1088, Mebane, NC 27302. Please make your check payable to: The Association of Southeastern Biologists. You must provide an e-mail address to receive an immediate confirmation of your registration. Visa MasterCard Discover AMEX CC# _ Exp _/_ 3 digit security code on back of card _ Name As It Appears On Card _ Credit Card Billing Address *Last Name _ *First Name _ ‘Institution/Organization _ * Address _ *Line 2 _ *City _ *State _ ‘Postal Code _ ‘Phone _ _ Cancellation policy: A full refund will be issued (less a $25 handling fee) if ASB is notified in writing at the above address on or before January 15, 2010. After January 15, 2010, no refund will be granted. Requests must be postmarked by January 15, 2010 to receive a refund. Office Use Only Paid with check # _ on Date _ Rec’d by: _ Paid with credit card # _ on Date: _ Rec’d by _ Confirmation Sent via: e-mail US Mail on 20 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 71st Annual ASB Meeting Invitation to Exhibit and Present Workshops, Industry Partners and Advertising Asheville, North Carolina Crowne Plaza April 7-10, 2010 This four-day event brings together approximately 1,000 biologists from across the southeastern United States. The meeting features a distinguished plenary speaker, special symposia, field trips, oral and poster presentations, workshops, networking and social events, and more. The Annual Meeting provides you with the exclusive opportunity to showcase your products and/or services to this large and important audience of faculty, students, researchers, conservation workers, military and government personnel, and business professionals with a common interest in biological issues. Interests are diverse, but range from genetics and molecular biology, to physiology and population biology, to community and ecosystem ecology. About ASB The Association of Southeastern Biologists (ASB) was established in 1937 by biologists concerned with the quality of biological research in the southeastern United States. Today, ASB is the largest regional biology association in the country, and is committed to the advancement of biology as a science by the promotion of science education, research, and the application of scientific knowledge to human problems. 2010 Exhibitor Benefits ASB is committed to maximizing your exposure and has scheduled a number of special events in the Exhibitor Showcase. The ASB Annual Conference allows for exposure to over 800 attendees dedicated to the advancement of biology. -Poster Sessions Research posters will be displayed in the Exhibit Hall throughout the conference. ASB poster sessions are heavily attended. Exhibitors receive added exposure from this well attended event throughout the conference. 2010 Meeting Information 21 -Posters & Pastries Attendees will view posters while enjoying AM & PM coffee breaks in the Exhibit Hall on Thursday & Friday. Refreshment area is located in the back of the Exhibit Hall for maximum traffic flow. -Commercial Workshops Exhibitors may target attendees who participate in a 50-minute commercial workshop presented by the exhibitor at no additional charge. -Signage Special Exhibit Hall signage recognizing exhibitor participation. -Networking at Social Events Wed Night Welcome Reception, Thursday Night Social, Friday Night Banquet. Take advantage of getting to know attendees during these informal marketing events. -Year-Round Advertising & Marketing Opportunities ASB provides a hot link to your company for each qualifying Exhibitor. The link will. remain on the ASB web site throughout the year for your convenience. 22 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Explanation of Exhibiting Options at the Annual Association of Southeastern Biologists Asheville, NC 3 Options Option A: Regular Exhibitor (Located In the Exhibit Hall) Exhibitor Package: Each $975 booth consists of (1) 10’ x 10’ booth, 8’ back drape, 3’ side drapes, (1) 8’ X 24” white covered table with skirting, 2 chairs and 1 wastebasket, security services, hot link from ASB Web Site, 2 tickets to Thurs Night Social-“Appalachian Fling”, AM & PM breaks, Exhibitor Pizza Party during installation, exhibit hall signage, booth identification sign, recognition announcements and one 50-minute commercial workshop with full payment of booth, 2 complimentary badges for employees only (additional badges are $1 30/person), 25 word description will appear in the final show program, Private Exhibitor-Only Lounge, 2 tickets to the Patrons & Exhibitors Breakfast. Option B: Table Top Exhibit (Located Outside the Exhibit Hall in the Pre- Function Area) Each $375 table top booth consists of one 6’ X 24” white covered draped table, 1 folding chair, 1 ticket to Thurs Night Social-“Appalachian Fling”, AM & PM breaks, Exhibitor Pizza Party during installation, exhibit hall signage, 1 complimentary badge for employee only (additional badges are $1 30/person), 25 word description will appear in the final show program. Private Exhibitor-Only Lounge, 2 tickets to the Patrons & Exhibitors Breakfast. Backdrops (of any type) are not permitted in this area. Option C: Publishers Book Exhibit ($150 per title) Attention Publishers & Authors !!! Can’t make it to the meeting this year? No problem.... Each title is displayed in the Exhibit Hall in the ASB Publishers Book Exhibit Booth. Provide one copy of your publication and up to 500 copies of your accompanying literature. ASB will provide one 8” X 10” tabletop sign to announce your publication and display all 3 throughout the entire convention. (Your publication will not be returned.) 2010 Meeting Information 23 ASB Asheville-April 7-10, 2010 Exhibit Hall Hours Wednesday, April 7th 9am - 4pm Exhibitor Move-In 12noon-2pm Exhibitor Pizza Party 6:00pm -10 pm ASB Welcome Reception-Western Carolina University & University of North Carolina-Asheville Exhibit Hall is NOT Open, All exhibitors are invited and welcomed to attend the plenary session and welcome reception. Exhibitors who wish to sell items at this event will be provided a table in the reception area. Thursday, April 8th 8am - 5:00pm Exhibits Open Friday, April 9th 8am-2:00pm Exhibits Open 2pm-4pm Exhibitor Move-Out In recognition of your support of ASB, all Exhibitors are welcomed to attend the Free Exhibitors and Patrons Breakfast. A separate letter of invitation will be mailed to you in early 2010. 24 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 ASB Annual Meeting 7-10 April 2010 Crowne Plaza Expo Center Asheville, NC 309 307 305 303 301 308 306 304 302 300 209 207 205 203 201 208 206 204 202 200 109 107 105 103 101 108 106 104 102 100 Silent Auction Area ~1 l: . ; . : . i. Break Area Cyber Cafe Poster Sessions Poster Sessions xy Exhibit Hall Entrance Patio Area 2010 Meeting Information 25 ASB 2010 Hotel Information • Please use the ASB approved hotel. • ASB will receive exclusive benefits for using the ASB sponsored hotel. • Experience comfortable convenience! • Park your car at the Crowne Plaza and leave it until the end of the convention. • AH conference events will be held at the Crowne Plaza. • ASB is renting the entire property during our Annual Meeting! ASB has secured the following hotel at a discounted rate for exhibitors and attendees. Please remember to ask for the special ASB discounted rate when making reservations. The following hotels are providing additional services to accommodate ASB. Please make your reservations as soon as possible. The Crowne Plaza is our Headquarters Hotel and has been secured for Exhibitors and ASB attendees. There is NO daily parking fee at the Crowne Plaza or the Four Points by Sheraton for personal vehicles and vans. Please make your reservations as soon as possible. Please visit their web sites for directions to their property or use your “lady in the box” (GPS). THE LAST DAY TO RESERVE A ROOM AT THE DISCOUNTED RATE IS MIDNIGHT 3/5/2010. About the Headquarters Hotel: Crowne Plaza Note: All conference events will be held at the Crowne Plaza. Escape to the beautiful Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort-Asheville located in the Blue Ridge Mountains and only one mile from downtown Asheville. Enjoy rooms with private balconies and views of the golf course. The resort is just 15 miles away from the Asheville Regional Airport and within minutes away of many attractions such as the Biltmore, Blue Ridge Parkway, Whitewater Rafting and the NC Arboretum just to name a few. The scenic mountain trails in our area offer some of the best mountain biking and hiking in the region. Enjoy our recreational facilities and tee off on our 9-hole golf course (re-opened in June 2009 after extensive renovations). Challenge your friends to a tennis match on our 4 indoor hard or 10 outdoor clay courts, or enjoy swimming in our heated pool (open mid May-mid Oct.). 26 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 The Crowne Plaza Tennis and Golf Resort-Asheville offers rooms featuring Sleep Advantage Bedding and sleep amenities providing you with a perfect night's sleep. Also offered is complimentary high-speed wireless Internet in all our guest rooms and meeting space. We are The Place to Meet in Asheville. The resort offers more than 34,000 square feet of flexible meeting space (16,600 square feet Expo Center was complete in March 2009). Because of our attention to detail, groups choose to host their events with us year after year. The staff prides themselves on delivering the Crowne Plaza brand promise. To view maps of downtown Asheville, pictures of the hotel and other hotel amenities please go to: www.ashevillecp.com. The Moore Building where the Health Sciences are housed at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina. 2010 Meeting Information 27 2010 ASB Attendee & Exhibitor Group Discount Hotels Rates, Links & Addresses Note: All conference events will be held at the Crowne Plaza. *To Make a Reservation: Call the toll free number 800-733-3211 and tell the reservations person that you want the special group rate for ASB or The Association of Southeastern Biologists* *lf you wish to reserve a Villa, you must call the local number 828-254-3211 and ask for in-house reservations. Please tell the reservations person that you want the special group rate for ASB or The Association of Southeastern Biologists.* Headquarters Hotel Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort One Resort Drive www.ashevillecp.com Asheville, NC 28806 Phone: 800-733-321 1 Crowne Plaza Room Type & Rates: To view maps of downtown Asheville, pictures of the Crowne Plaza and other Crowne Plaza amenities please go to: www.ashevillecp.com. Run of the House King Executive I, 2, 3, or 4 persons-$1 12.00 1, 2, 3, or 4 persons-$149.00 Villa Studio-Large Enough for one or two people 1 or 2 persons-$1 19.00 Villa One Bedroom-Large Enough for one or two people but more spacious than the studio villa. 1 or 2 persons-$149.00 Villa Two-Large Enough for 1-4 people, very spacious 1 , 2, 3, or 4 persons-$1 69.00 28 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 2010 ASB Attendee & Exhibitor Group Discount Hotels Rates, Links & Addresses (Continued) Overflow Hotel : Four Points by Sheraton Location: In the heart of downtown Asheville and only one mile to the Crowne Plaza. Shuttle Service provided throughout the conference. Note: All conference events will be held at the Crowne Plaza. Shuttle Service: Shuttle service will be provided to/from the Headquarters Hotel beginning early afternoon on Wednesday 4/7/10 and ending late on Friday 4/9/10. You will park your car in the free parking lot and ride the shuttles during the Annual Meeting. Shuttle Service will depart to/from the Four Points by Sheraton every 30 minutes. A shuttle service schedule will be published in the “Schedule-At-A-Glance” that can be picked up at the Registration Desk. Best of Both Worlds. Four Points by Sheraton Asheville Downtown offers the convenience of a great downtown location while being nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains. Step out the door and into a unique world of shops, restaurants, art galleries, and more. Simple Pleasures. Slip into your Four Points by Sheraton Four Comfort Bed and watch an in-room movie on the 32" LCD flat screen TV. Sample one of the many beers offered with our Best Brews(SM) or catch up on some reading over a hot & fresh cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee. We are also proud to be a 100% non-smoking hotel. For animal lovers, we offer pet-friendly rooms for a fee. Work or Play. We’re ready to make your visit as perfect as can be. Find everything from free Wi-Fi with printing options to an onsite business center and 24-hour fitness center. We also give you free passes to the local YMCA, which is just one block away. Note: All conference events will be held at the Crowne Plaza. *To Make a Reservation at the Four Points by Sheraton: Call 828-253-1851 and tell the reservations person that you want the special group rate for The Association of Southeastern Biologists* Four Points by Sheraton Room Type & Rates: To view maps of downtown Asheville, pictures of the Four Points by Sheraton and other Four Points by Sheraton amenities please go to: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/ property/overview/index. html?propertylD=3063 Four Points by Sheraton 22 Woodfin Street Asheville, NC 28801 http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/overview/index.html7property ID=3063 Phone: 828-253-1851 2010 Meeting Information 29 Silent Auction _ Yes, I would like to contribute to the Silent Auction to help with student travel to the Annual Meeting. (100% of all proceeds to benefit student travel.) Partial List of Items Donated at the 2009 Annual Meeting. Dissection Set Charts Corporate Gift Certificates Wine Gift Basket Frog Model Educational Charts Dinner for Two Microscope Two Nights Hotel Accommodations Books Description of item(s) to be donated: Please check appropriate option: _ Please contact me at the convention to pick up donation. _ I will mail donation to Scott Jewell, ASB Meeting Planner, before March 15, 2010. Signature Date phone Title e-mail Return form by March 15, 2010 to: Scott Jewell, ASB Meeting Planner, PO Box 1088, Mebane, NC 27302; A2Zconvention@yahoo.com, 336/213-7373 cell, 336/421-0034 office, 336/421-3425 fax. 30 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Exhibitor Booth Registration Form 2010 Association of Southeastern Biologists April 7-10, 2010 Asheville, NC Crowne Plaza Exhibitor Package: Each $975 booth consists of (1) 10’ x 10’ booth, 8’ back drape, 3’ side drapes, (1) 6’ X 24” white covered table with skirting, 2 folding chairs and 1 wastebasket, security services, hot link from ASB Web Site, 2 Tickets to Thurs Night Social -“Appalachian Fling” , AM & PM breaks, Exhibitor Pizza Party during installation, exhibit hall signage, booth identification sign, recognition announcements and one 50-minute commercial workshop with full payment of booth only (workshop form must be submitted by Nov 30, 2009), 2 complimentary badges for employees only (additional badges are $1 30/person), 25 word description will appear in the final show program (The exhibit hall is carpeted). Company/Organization _ (Please list company name as you wish it to appear on printed materials) Representative (The person who will receive the Exhibitor Service Kit): If you need additional Service Kits, please e-mail: A2ZConvention@yahoo.com Email Address: _ Contact Address: Telephone: _ Fax: _ Web Site:(Hot Link from ASB Web Site) _ 25 Word Workshop Description: Please submit description via e-mail to A2ZConvention@vahoo.com (Description will appear in Final Show Program of Southeastern Biology) 2010 Meeting Information 31 Qty Item Amount Patron Member Booth included 1st Booth $975 Each Additional Booth $500 Pre-Function Area Table Top Display (No backdrop Allowed) $375 Publishers Book Exhibit $ 150/title Yes, 1 would like an AD in Southeastern Biology, Final On Site Program (circle choice) , 14 page=$250, 14 page=$375, full page= (Patron Included) $500 Total Amount Enclosed $ Requested Booth Number (see Floor plan): 1st choice 2nd choice 3rd choice Hold Harmless Clause: The Exhibitor assumes all responsibility and liability for losses, damages and claims arising out of injury to the exhibitor’s display, equipment and other property brought upon the premises of the convention facilities and shall indemnify and hold harmless the association agents, servants and employees as well as the ASB organization from any losses, damages and claims. Upon acceptance by ASB, this signed application and Exhibitor Contract form becomes the contract for booth rental for the 2010 ASB Annual Convention. Exhibitor’s will be notified of their acceptance by letter no later than 15 Dec 09. Refund Policy: 50% on or before 15 Dec 09, 0% on or after 16 Dec 09. Signature Date Title e-mail Return Form with Check by November 30, 2009 to: Scott Jewell, ASB Meeting Planner, PO Box 1088, Mebane, NC 27302; A2Zconvention@yahoo.com, 336/213-7373 cell, 336/421-0034 office, 336/421-3425 fax. Early Bird Discount: $100 off the $975 booth, if payment and application received prior to Nov. 15, 2009 *Exhibitor Service Kits to be mailed by 1 March 2010. 32 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Commercial Workshop Form 2010 Association of Southeastern Biologists April 7-10, 2010 Asheville, NC Workshop Description: All commercial workshops will be conducted during the meeting on a first-come first-served basis. Classroom style seating will be provided at no additional charge to the presenter. Each classroom will be set for a minimum of 50 participants. A screen will be provided for each room. LCD projectors and laptops will not be provided. One workshop per application please. Please complete the entire form! Company/Organization _ (Please list company name as you wish it to appear on printed materials) Presenter _ Email Address: _ Contact Address: _ Telephone: _ Fax: Web site: _ Workshop Title: _ 50-Word Workshop Description: _ (Description will appear in Final Program of Southeastern Biology) 2010 Meeting Information 33 Please indicate which time slot you prefer below: Pre-Conference Workshop: Wed 4pm-5:30pm _ Thurs 8:30am-10am _ Thurs 10:30am-12noon _ Thurs 1:30pm-3pm _ Thurs 3:30pm-5pm _ Fri 8:30am-10am _ Deadline for workshop submission is 30 November 2009. Hold Harmless Clause The workshop presenter assumes all responsibility and liability for losses, damages and claims arising out of injury to the presenter’s display, equipment and other property brought upon the premises of the convention facilities and shall indemnify and hold harmless the association agents, servants and employees as well as the ASB organization from any losses, damages and claims. Upon acceptance by ASB, this signed application and Workshop Contract form becomes the contract for the 2010 ASB Annual Convention. Workshop presenter will be notified of their acceptance by letter no later than 1 5 Dec 2010. Signature Date Return form by November 30, 2009 to: Scott Jewell, ASB Meeting Coordinator, PO Box 1088, Mebane, NC 27302; A2ZConvention@yahoo.com, 336/213-7373 cell, 336/421-0034 office, 336/421-3425 fax.c# , Tv f The Student Media Center at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC. 34 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Advertising with the Association of Southeastern Biologists Reach Your Target Audience and Promote your Products and Services Throughout the Year!! Advertise in Southeastern Biology. Advertise in Southeastern Biology and reach over 1 ,500 members from 40 states and 13 countries. ASB publishes 4 issues of Southeastern Biology per year and an On-Site Program for the Annual Meeting. Choose one or both opportunities to increase your marketing exposure. Promote your products and services throughout the year! % Page 1 V2” X 1 ” V2 Page 3” X 2” Full Page 71// X 4 3/4” _ Yes, I would like an AD in all 4 issues of Southeastern Biology (circle choice) - % page = $200, y2 page = $325, full page = $425 _ AD in Final On Site Program (circle choice) % page = $175, !4 page = $225, full page = $275 *AII ads are black and white and must be submitted in jpg. Signature Date Phone Title E-mail _ _ Visa _ MasterCard _ Discover CC# _ Exp / 3-digit code on back of credit card _ / / Name As It Appears On Card _ Credit Card Billing Address *Last Name _* *First Name _ ‘Company/Organization _ ‘Address _ ‘Line 2 _ ‘City _ ‘State _ ‘Postal Code _ ‘Phone _ Return Form with Check or Credit Card Information to: Scott Jewell, ASB Meeting Planner, PO Box 1088, Mebane, NC 27302; A2Zconvention@yahoo.com, 336/213-7373 cell, 336/421-0034 office, 336/421-3425 fax. _ Office Use Only Paid with check # _ on Date _ Rec’d by: _ Paid with credit card # _ on Date: _ Rec’d by _ Confirmation Sent on Date: _ via 2010 Meeting Information 35 Industry Partners Form 2010 Association of Southeastern Biologists April 7-10, 2010 Asheville, NC Crowne Plaza Yes, I Would Like To Partner With ASB And Participate In the Industry Partners Program!! Company/Organization _ (Please list company name as you wish it to appear on printed materials) Representative: _ Email Address: _ Contact Address: Telephone: _ Fax: _ ‘Special Recognition at Thurs Night Social, Friday Night Banquet, signage at the Convention Center and a listing in Final Show Program of Southeastern Biology ! Qty Item Amount Wed Night Cash Bar (4 Opportunities) Coffee Breaks (8 Opportunities) Thurs Night Social (4 Opportunities) Fri Night Banquet Cash Bar Yes I wish to present a workshop 24 Hour Exhibit Hall Security ASB Executive Committee Breakfast $500/opportunity $500/opportunity $900/opportunity $850 See Workshop Form $1,000 $350 Yes, I would like to Donate an Item to the Silent Auction to help with Student T ravel ASB Web Site Hot Link to Your Company (12 months) $375 Yes, I would like an AD in all 4, 2010 issues of Southeastern Biology (circle choice) % page=$200, V2 page=$325, full page=$425 AD in Final On Site Program (circle choice) % page=$175, !4 page=$225, full page=$275 Industry Partners Total $ Signature Date Title e-mail Return Form with Check by 1 January 2010 to: Scott Jewell, ASB Meeting Planner, PO Box 1088, Mebane, NC 27302; A2Zconvention@yahoo.com, 336/213-7373 cell, 336/421-0034 office, 336/421- 3425 fax. 36 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Exhibit Hall Badge Form 2010 Association of Southeastern Biologists April 7-10, 2010 Asheville, NC Crowne Plaza FAX This Completed Form Before 3/01/10 To Scott Jewell, ASB Meeting Planner FAX #336/421-3425 Company/Organization _ Name City_ State 1. _ 2. Additional Badges $1 30/each Name_ City_ State 1. _ 2. _ 3. _ 4. Note: Each Company receives two complimentary exhibit hall passes per 10’ X 10’ or tabletop booth payment. Badges are to be used for company employees only. Partnering companies must pay $130 to register for the ASB Conference. BADGES MUST BE WORN TO BE ADMITTED INTO ALL FUNCTIONS!!! 2010 Meeting Information 37 Description Amount Exhibiting Full Booth $ _ Exhibiting Table Top $ _ Publishers Book Exhibit $ _ Advertising $ _ Industry Partners $ _ Mail or Fax Your Forms Fax or mail your completed registration form along with your credit card information or check to: Scott Jewell, ASB Meeting Planner, PO Box 1088, Mebane, NC 27302; A2Zconvention@vahoo.com, 336/213-7373 cell, 336/421- 0034 office, 336/421-3425 fax. Visa MasterCard Discover CC# _ Exp _/_ Name As It Appears On Card _ Credit Card Billing Address *Last Name _ *First Name _ *Company/Organization _ * Address _ *Line 2 _ *City _ *State _ *Postal Code *Phone Office Use Only Paid with check # _ on Date _ Rec’d by: _ Paid with credit card # _ on Date: _ Rec’d by Confirmation Sent on Date: via 38 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 LOCAL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE 71st ANNUAL MEETING WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY AND UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA ASHEVILLE Local Arrangements Co-Chairs: Beverly Collins collinsb@email.wcu.edu (828) 227-3663 Jonathan Horton jhorton@unca.edu (828) 232-5152 Program Committee: Laura DeWald (828) 227-2478 ldewald@wcu.edu Jennifer Rhode jrhode@unca.edu (828) 251-6232 Field Trips: Kathy Mathews kmathews@email.wcu.edu (828) 227-3659 Chris Nicolay cnicolay@unca.edu (828) 232-5149 Social Events: Sean O’Connell soconnell@email.wcu.edu (828) 227-2203 Jonathan Horton jhorton@unca.edu (828) 232-5152 Volunteer Coordinators: Anjana Sharma asharma@email.wcu.edu (828) 227-7244 Jennifer Rhode jrhode@unca.edu (828)251-6232 Tri-Beta Coordinators: Robert Carter rcarter@jsu.edu (256)782-5144 Audiovisual Coordinator: Greg Adkison gadkison@email.wcu.edu (828) 227-3655 Tim Forrest tforrest@unca.edu (828) 232-5150 Silent Auction: Sean O’Connell soconnell@email.wcu.edu (828) 227-2203 Meetings Coordinator: Scott Jewell a2zconvention@yahoo.com (336)421-0034 The Meetings Coordinator handles Commercial Exhibits & Workshops, Registration, Hotel Accommodations, and Transportation. c g 2010 Meeting Information 39 Affiliate Societies Meeting with ASB April 7-10, 2010 The following affiliate societies will be in attendance at the 2010 Annual Meeting. We anticipate an excellent diversity of paper and poster presentations. The societies and their contacts are listed below. Beta Beta Beta Southeastern District I Dr. Virginia Martin Queens College of Charlotte 1900 Selwyn Avenue Charlotte, NC 28274 (704) 337-2261 e-mail: martinv@rex.queens.edu Beta Beta Beta Southeastern District II Dr. Christi Magrath Dept, of Biological & Env. Sci. Troy University Troy, AL 36082 (334)670-3622 e-mail: cmagrath@troy.edu Botanical Society of America Southeastern Section Dr. Lytton John Musselman Mary Payne Hogan Professor of Botany and Chair Department of Biological Sciences 110 Mills Godwin Building/45th St Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 23529-0266 (757) 683 3595; Fax: (757) 683 5283 e-mail: lmusselm@odu.edu http://web.odu.edu/lmusselman Ecological Society of America Southeastern Chapter Dr. Joel Gramling Department of Biology 171 Moultrie Street The Citadel Charleston, SC 29409 (843)953-6459; Fax (843)953-7264 E-mail: joel.gramling@citadel.edu Society of Herbarium Curators Dr. John Nelson Department of Biological Science University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 (803)777-8196 e-mail: nelson@biol.sc.edu Society of Wetland Scientists South Atlantic Chapter Dr. Dianna Hogan U.S. Geological Survey 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MSN 521 Reston, VA 20192 (703) 648-7240; Fax: (703) 648-4603 e-mail: dhogan@usgs.gov Southern Appalachian Botanical Society Dr. Conley K. McMullen Department of Biology James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA 22807 (540)568-3805; Fax: (540)568-3333 e-mail: mcmullck@jmu.edu 03 40 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Special Reminders from the Print Editor ASB BANQUET ATTENDANCE Please keep in mind that recipients of ASB awards must be present at the annual ASB banquet to receive the award. Therefore, all applicants for ASB awards must attend the banquet to insure the presence of the winners. MEMBERSHIP UPDATE Please make sure your membership status is up-to-date amply before the deadline for abstract submission and for annual meeting registration. Please be aware that mailing a check or money order for membership renewal to the treasurer and then trying to register online or by mail for the annual meeting on the same day does not work. Moreover, trying to pay for membership renewal online in tandem with registering for the annual meeting online does not work well either. EXTRA ABSTRACT SUBMISSION Besides sending abstracts of papers and posters to the Program Committee by January 4, 2010, anyone wishing to be considered for an award must send an abstract to the respective award committee chairperson in order to be considered. An abstract must be sent to the chairperson by January 4, 2010. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING ORAL PRESENTATIONS AND PREPARING POSTERS Complete and final PowerPoint (2003 preferred) presentations must be submitted ONLINE (http://www.asb.appstate.edu/) to the audiovisual coordinator to be received by April 2, 2010. On-line submission will begin February 1. Presenters should bring a backup copy on a USB memory drive. Poster space is 46” x 46”. Bring your own pins or Velcro. For questions contact Dr. Greg Adkison, Department of Biology, Western Carolina University, email: gadkison@email.wcu.edu, 828-227-3655 or Dr. Beverly Collins, Department of Biology, Western Carolina University, email: collinsb@email.wcu.edu, 828-227-3663.03 Proposed Budget for 2010 41 ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEASTERN BIOLOGISTS 2009 PROPOSED BUDGET FY 1 JANUARY— 31 DECEMBER 2010 I. BEGINNING BALANCE $0 II. RECEIPTS Southeastern Biology Receipts Membership Dues $23,000 Enrichment Fund Receipts Contributions $2,000 ASB Annual Meeting Receipts III. TOTAL RECEIPTS & BEGINNING BALANCE IV. DISBURSEMENTS $169,400 $23,000 $2,000 $144,400 $169,400 Southeastern Biology Expenses Publication SE Biology 57(1 ) SE Biology 57(2) SE Biology 57(3) SE Biology 57(4) Office Expenses Web Site -$20,750 -$4,700 -$4,700 -$6,500 -$4,850 -$2,000 -$2,100 Enrichment Fund Expenses Outstanding Biology Teacher -$750 ASB Annual Meeting Expenses -$24,850 -$750 -$143,800 V. TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS -$169,400 VI. ENDING BALANCE $0 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 CN Advertisement CO Sit c/o iiii O 3ST3 II G Nt1 |CN 18 O ■* oo zoo lac.® Ail JUj^u 44 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEASTERN BIOLOGISTS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING WEDNESDAY, 1 APRIL 2009 BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA ATTENDANCE: 17 individuals attended the meeting NAME Tom Wentworth Patricia Cox Elaine Davis Mike Dennis Nicole Turrill Welch Tim Atkinson Don Roush Doug Rayner Katie Greenberg Ron Dimock Randy Small Wayne Van Devender John Herr James Caponetti Terry Richardson Christi Magrath Wayne Morris 1. Call to Order CAPACITY President President-Elect Vice President Past President Secretary Treasurer EC Member-at-Large EC Member-at-Large EC Member-at-Large EC Member-at-Large EC Member-at-Large EC Member-at-Large Archivist Print Editor Membership Officer Chair, Cell Studies Microbiology Award Committee; Beta Beta Beta Chair, Graduate Student Support Awards Committee President Tom Wentworth called the meeting to order at 1:30 pm and welcomed everyone to Birmingham, Alabama, and thanked us for our service to the Association in the past year. 2. Approval of Minutes Motion 1. It was moved that the 6 September 2008 Executive Committee Meeting minutes be approved. The motion was made by Terry Richardson and seconded by Don Roush. The motion passed. 3. Officer Reports President - Tom Wentworth shared his activities of the past year, most notably coordinating the theme of the 2009 Annual Meeting celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection, writing “The View from Here” articles for the October 2008 and April 2009 issues of Southeastern Biology, and working with the Conservation and Resolutions Committees to develop a Resolution of Support for the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council’s position on Executive Committee Meeting 45 recognizing the need for more awareness and actions regarding invasive plants in Tennessee, and coordinating a membership-wide vote on this Resolution of Support. As Secretary, I also would like to add that Tom spent much time organizing many aspects of Association Business. President Elect - Patricia Cox invited Dr. Andrew Berry of Harvard University to be the plenary speaker for the 2009 Annual Meeting. Dr. Berry is a world- renowned evolutionary biologist and lectures widely to both academic and popular audiences. Dr. Berry accepted the invitation and will present “ Darwin’s Third Century: A Return to Natural History’ on the evening of April 1, 2009. Pat also has communicated with Tom Wentworth frequently to ensure a smooth transition to her Presidency, the first two-year term in Association history. Vice President - Elaine Davis worked with a professional graphic designer to develop and distribute a poster and flyer for the 2009 Annual Meeting. She also invited Patrons and Exhibitors to the Patron’s Breakfast to be held at this year’s Annual Meeting, and approximately 15 Exhibitors are planning to attend. Past President - Mike Dennis completed a variety of tasks this year, some required of the Past President (serving as Chair of the Resolutions Committee and Past President’s Council, Chair of the Nominating Committee, and arranging the Past President’s Breakfast at the Annual Meeting) and others not, and quite innovative (organized a Leadership Workshop for the 2009 meeting to attract members to leadership roles in the Association, and arranged for the design and sponsorship of President and Past President pins). Mike also published his past President’s address “Science, Politics, Religion... and Critical Thinking" in the October 2008 issue of Southeastern Biology and secured a donor to match funds, up to $5,000, contributed or raised by Past Presidents to the Enrichment Fund. Secretary - Nicole Turrill Welch worked closely with Tom Wentworth to prepare agendas for 2008 and 2009 meetings of the Executive Committee and the Association, as well as minutes of those meetings. She also prepared certificates and letters of appreciation for outgoing members of the Executive Committee, Committee Chairs, and significant committee members. Treasurer/Finance Committee - Tim Atkinson reported that the Enrichment Fund received contributions of $6,975 this year, two of which were $3,000 donations and the remaining donations combined totaled only $975. Tim is optimistic regarding Mike Dennis’ challenge to the Past Presidents to contribute to the Enrichment Fund, which will be matched by an anonymous donor up to $5,000. The Fund posted a loss of 19.4% for the year due to the troubles with the Stock Market, leaving a balance of $41,931, a net decrease of $3,118. Tom Wentworth commented that the Association needs a champion to spearhead fundraising for the Enrichment Fund. John Herr commented that converting the Fund to an endowment could increase donations, but Tim Atkinson explained that doing so would legally limit our flexibility to spend the money in a variety of ways. 46 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Tim Atkinson also shared that printing costs increased in 2008-2009 with the publication of the Schedule at a Glance for the 2009 Annual Meeting. Requests for reimbursements from members of the Executive Committee increased this year compared to last, most likely due to the difficulties of the economy. Website costs also increased this year due to expenses of creating and maintaining the membership database. Creation of this database permits online payments for dues, meeting registrations, etc., and, therefore, is well worth its cost in the end. Jim Caponetti asked for clarification as to where payments for advertisements are accounted for in the budget. Tim accounts for that income in Exhibits, but will move it to the SEB section in future reports. 4. Other Organizational Reports Archivist - John Herr made one trip to the Hargrett Library at the University of Georgia to deposit archived items. He made a second trip in January 2009 in order to begin preparing “A Brief History of the Association of Southeastern Biologists,” to be completed by the 2012 Annual Meeting, the 75th anniversary of the Association. John also put in place a procedure by which designated members of the Executive Committee could gain access to archives in his office at the University of South Carolina in the event that he become incapacitated. Database Manager - Tim Atkinson shared that Debbie Atkinson has been very helpful to Scott Jewell to establish the membership database. Terry Richardson explained that the Database Manager no longer has to submit formal reports since she sends the information to the Membership Officer. Enrichment Fund Board Chair - Bonnie Kelley did the research to find the name of the Alabama Outstanding Biology Teacher, as recognized by NABT. Meetings Coordinator - See 2009 Local Arrangements Committee Report. Membership Officer - Terry Richardson shared that eight members of the Association passed away in 2008-2009: William Ray Bowen, James Dent, Walter Herndon, Perry Holt, Mark MacKenzie, Larry Wimer, Carroll Wood, and Cyrus Wymer Wiser. He also acknowledged that nine members seek Emeritus Status: Less Brown, Carolyn Dial, Steve Dial, John P. Harley, Dennis D. Horn, Frances E. Nussbaum, Ellen W. McLaughlin, Henry W. Robinson, and Janice C. Swab. Terry reported that our total membership as of March 10, 2009 (1252 total members) falls 123 members short of the 2008 total membership (1375). The greatest decline was seen in student memberships. Terry reported that the membership over the last five years seems to be fluctuating between 1250-1600 total members. Motion 2. Terry Richardson moved that the members seeking Emeritus status listed above be presented to the membership at the Business Meeting. The motion carried unanimously. Print Editor Report - Jim Caponetti thanked many members of the Association who contributed articles, in particular Harold W. Keller, and photographs to the Executive Committee Meeting 47 2008 Volume of Southeastern Biology. He also acknowledged that the number of advertisements in the journal has increased, thanks to the efforts of Scott Jewell, Meetings Coordinator. Book Review Editor - Debby Moore conveyed through Don Roush that she no longer wishes to be book editor. Don Roush and Jim Caponetti asked Tim Atkinson to solicit the membership for potential book reviewers and reviews of books. They also encouraged the incoming Chair of the Publications Committee, Katie Greenberg, to organize and encourage book reviews. Web Editor - Dennis Haney worked closely with Amanda Myrick, web designer, to update and maintain the Association website. News Editor - Ricky Fiorillo communicated that the number of new items published in Southeastern Biology increased this year, most likely in response to his email solicitations. He noted that the majority of new items were submitted for publication in the October issue. 5. Affiliate Representative Reports Beta Beta Beta - Don Roush is now the National President of Beta Beta Beta and Christi Magrath has assumed the duties of SE District II. The number of Beta Beta Beta papers and posters is down at this year’s Annual Meeting, at least one-third compared to past years, due to the loss of travel funds for regional university undergraduate students and faculty. OLD BUSINESS 6. Recognizing the NABT Outstanding Biology Teacher Award Winner from the Annual Meeting Host State - Tom Wentworth outlined the varied process of recognizing the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) Outstanding Biology Teacher (OBT) passed to him from Kim Marie Tolson, Past President 2007-2008. As it stands, the Enrichment Fund Chair contacts NABT to obtain the name of the OBT from the host state of the Annual Meeting. John Herr shared amended wording of existing committee duties in the Bylaws, specifically the Education Committee and Enrichment Fund Board, to firmly assign duties for recognizing the OBT. Emphasis of this process will be added to the Leadership Guide as well. Motion 3. John Herr moved that the following language be added to the Bylaws. Terry Richardson seconded the motion. Article VII, Section 2, C - The Education Committee shall explore ways and means by which the Association might contribute to improved biological education at all levels. The committee shall assume the responsibility for identifying an outstanding teacher to receive the ASB Outstanding Biology Teacher Award... Amendment Motion 3. Terry Richardson edited the language of Motion 3 to the following. Don Roush seconded the amendment. The amendment carried. 48 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Article VII, Section 2, C - The Education Committee shall explore ways and means by which the Association might contribute to improved biological education at all levels. The committee shall have the responsibility for identifying an outstanding teacher to receive the ASB Outstanding Biology Teacher Award... Hearing no further discussion, a vote was called and the motion carried. Motion 4. John Herr moved that the following amendment to the Bylaws be made. Don Roush seconded the motion. The motion passed. Article IX, Section 8. The Enrichment Fund Board shall assign funds to specific projects and causes mandated by the Executive Committee as well as those designated by donors. 7. Amendment to Bylaws - Tom Wentworth proposed a change to the Bylaws to permit the Executive Committee to alter the dues structures. This change would have to be presented to the membership for a vote. Discussion followed and Pat Cox proposed conducting membership votes via email or the Internet, rather than waiting until the next Annual Business Meeting, to speed the action of such issues. Terry Richardson expanded on Pat’s comments with information on Survey Monkey and its ability to conduct such communication and votes efficiently. Wayne Van Devender shared concern of the lack of discussion in online formats. A straw vote showed support of this proposed change. 8. Guidelines for Workshops and Symposia - In response to issues encountered with 2009 Symposia, Tom Wentworth proposed modifications to the Call for Workshop and Symposium Proposals, published annually in Southeastern Biology. Specifically, the changes address the responsibility of the workshop and symposia proposers to fully fund the event beyond funds offered by the Executive Committee, if any. Mike Dennis added that workshop and symposia proposers must be available the day of the Interim Executive Committee Meeting, either in person or via telephone, to answer questions regarding their proposal. 9. Approach to Selecting Venues for Annual Meeting and Establishing Local Arrangement Committees - See Place of Meeting Committee Report 10. Proposed Leadership Guide Updates - Discussion moved to April 4, 2009 Meeting of the Executive Committee. 11. Procedures for Endorsements or Resolutions - Tom Wentworth initiated a discussion of our current procedures for requested formal endorsements or resolutions. Two solicitations this year, one from the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council and the other from National Center for Science Education, prompted the concerns expressed. John Herr explained that Article VI, Section 1 of the Bylaws states “ the Executive Committee shall be in charge of the affairs of the Association and shall direct the Executive Committee Meeting 49 expenditure of the Association’s funds." He interprets this as the Executive Committee has the right to respond quickly to requests for support. However, endorsements requiring Resolutions would go through the set Resolution process. Motion 5. Tim Atkinson moved and Pat Cox seconded that we accept our Parliamentarian’s interpretation of the Executive Committee’s right and privilege to handling these matters. The motion carried. NEW BUSINESS 12. Web Editor and Print Editor Reappointments Motion 6. Don Roush moved that Dennis Haney be reappointed as Web Editor. Terry Richardson seconded and the motion carried. Motion 7. Don Roush moved that Jim Caponetti be reappointed as Print Editor. Ron Dimock seconded and the motion carried. 13. Proposed Changes to Bylaws Motion 8. John Herr moved that the following amendment to Article VII, Section 2K of the Bylaws be made. Terry Richardson seconded. The motion was approved. Article VII, Section 2K - The Place of Meeting Committee shall recommend to the Executive Committee the locations for each Annual Meeting and shall actively seek potential host institutions throughout the southeastern States. The committee shall consist of four members. Three members shall be appointed for terms of 3 years, with a member appointed annually and serving as Chair in the third year. The Meetings Coordinator shall serve as the fourth member ex officio. 14. Streamlining Paperwork and Processes - Discussion moved to April 4, 2009 Meeting of the Executive Committee. 15. Maintaining and Increasing the Association of Southeastern Biologist’s Appeal - Randy Small initiated a discussion about increasing awareness of the Association of Southeastern Biologists and attendance of the Annual Meetings. He stressed that the Annual Meeting is the only benefit of belonging to the Association, whereas other competing associations offer journals in which to publish at reduced rates, greater visibility, and funding opportunities. The Executive Committee must work to improve the perception of the Association of Southeastern Biologists to its current and perspective members, as well as graduate and tenure and promotion committees, in order to guarantee its continued success. 16. John Herr Lifetime Achievement Award - Discussion moved to April 4, 2009 Meeting of the Executive Committee. 50 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 17. Committee Reports AIBS Council - Representative Geraldine Twitty conveyed information regarding the 2009 AIBS Annual Meeting, May 18-1 9th in Arlington, Virginia. She reported that AIBS is very active in seeking to improve introductory biology instruction through various faculty interventions, in keeping with its 2009 Year of Science theme “ Explore , Empower , and Engage.” Lastly, Geraldine shared that AIBS is now using the social networking sites, Facebook and Linkedln, to foster communication between its members. NSCA - Representative Alexander Krings shared highlights from the joint meeting of the Natural Science Collections Alliance and Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, May 13-17, 2008. He also included noteworthy items from the NCSA President’s Report, including lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., and concerns that future funding for maintaining collections must be sought from means other than the National Science Foundation and similar federal sources. He suggested that the Association consider this problem and potential solutions. Committee for Human Diversity - no report Conservation Committee - Chair Danny Gustafson reported that this committee expanded the list of qualified consultants that can speak on environmental and conservation issues to 35 members representing 1 1 states and all areas of environmental and conservation expertise. He encouraged the Executive Committee to post this list on the Association website. Additionally, the committee organized a membership-wide vote, resulting in support of the Resolution of Support for the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council statement on exotic species. Related to this issue, Danny and the committee members sought position statements from the Ecological Society of America and Botanical Society of America on exotic and invasive species, and received feedback from the Ecological Society of America. Education Committee - Committee Chair Dennis Haney shared news of the workshop “ Teaching Evolution in the Biology Classroom: Strategies and Challenges" to be held at the 2009 Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 2nd, with a full capacity of 30 participants. Enrichment Fund - See Treasurer’s Report. Finance Committee - See Treasurer’s Report. Graduate Student Support Award Committee - Michael Wayne Morris, Chair, reported that 26 graduate students applied for travel support to attend the 2009 Annual Meeting. The total of their requests was $9,227.45. The full amount requested was funded by combining the $4,000 allocated to this award with $5,227.45 from the Association revenue, including all funds raised by the Silent Auction. He also shared that the issue of covering Student Registration Costs for future Annual Meetings was raised by the Committee and should be considered by the Executive Committee. It was the opinion of the Executive Committee that Executive Committee Meeting 51 student registration costs not be covered at this time, simply to maintain a larger number of smaller awards, versus a smaller number of larger awards. Further discussion was tabled. Membership Benefits Committee - Committee Chair Terry Richardson reported that this committee met twice in 2008-2009 and is preparing a survey for the membership to identify programs and benefits that may enhance the perceived value of membership. Terry shared the rough draft of the survey and asked the Executive Committee to review and comment on the survey before May 15, 2009. The Committee hopes to distribute the survey to the membership via Survey Monkey by June 1, 2009. Meritorious Teaching Award Committee - Ron Dimock, Chair, reported that only one new nomination was submitted for the 2009 Award. After reviewing many Association documents regarding this award, and after discussing the issue with President Tom Wentworth, Ron elected to forward to the committee 4 nominations for consideration for 2009; the one new one, the one for whom a nominator had made a request and who incidentally had ranked 2nd in 2008, and the candidates ranked 3rd and 4lh in 2008, although neither had been asked to be reconsidered by a nominator. The winner will be announced at the Banquet Friday, April 3, 2009. Nominating Committee - Chair Michael Dennis shared that the Committee secured nominees for the offices of Vice President (two nominees - A. Floyd Scott and David Whetstone) and Members-At-Large (four nominees - George Cline, Beverly Collins, Danny Gustafson, and Joey Shaw). The election of officers will occur during the Annual Business Meeting and be announced at the Banquet, Friday, April 3, 2009. Past Presidents’ Council - See Past President’s Report Patron Member & Exhibitor Committee - Robert Wayne Van Devender, Chair, communicated with VWR, International and Olympus Microscopes about becoming exhibitors at ASB, and their representatives were interested in doing so. He also personally thanked all of the Exhibitors at the 2008 Annual Meeting. Place of Meeting Committee - Chair Patricia Cox and committee members have plans and venues in place for the 2010 (Asheville, NC), 2011 (Huntsville, AL), and 2012 (Athens, GA) Annual Meetings. They have received several offers to host future Annual Meetings from cities and universities throughout the Mid- Atlantic, Mid-South and Coastal regions of the Southeast. After much discussion, the Committee proposes- • In an effort to keep meeting prices lower than the National average, we would like to submit to the Executive Committee a “new” model for ASB meeting Site Selections. • In this new model, we would rotate around (3-4) selected strategically located and reasonably priced venues, then choose one of the “off’ rotation sites in the 3rd or 4th year. 52 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 • This model would allow us the ability to negotiate with the Rotational Venues to assure a better value and also give us the flexibility to have the meeting in other geographic locations around the ASB “service” area. The committee also revised the description of their duties for the Leadership Guide. The specific language proposed by committee member John Herr may be seen in the full committee report. Under this model, the Local Arrangements Committee would provide helpers, including people for Registration, Exhibitors, media relations, and technology support. The 2013 Annual Meeting would be the first meeting to fall under these proposed ideas. Tom Wentworth charged the Place of Meeting Committee to finalize their proposed changes and bring it to the Interim Executive Committee Meeting in September 2009 for consideration. Poster Award Committee - no report Publications Committee - no report Research Awards - Senior Committee - Hank Stevens, Chair, explained that the committee received two valid submissions for the Senior Research Award, from which a winner was selected based on the quality and depth of the research. The winner will be announced at the Banquet Friday, April 3rd. One submission was from a Postdoctoral Researcher who (1) had not updated their membership status above the level of Student, and (2) included some of their Ph.D. research in the manuscript. These points raised several questions regarding qualifications of nominees, and the committee submitted a new award description for publication in Southeastern Biology. A copy of this new description is available in the full committee report. Research Awards - Student Committee - Chair Tom Pauley conveyed that nine papers were received for consideration, seven for the student research award, one for the aquatic award, and one for both awards. The winner will be announced at the Banquet, Friday, April 3rd. Research Awards - Microbiology Committee - Christi Magrath, Chair, explained that the committee received three abstracts of student paper presentations to consider for the 2009 Award. The committee will select a winner who will be announced at the Banquet, Friday, April 3rd. It was verified that this award is now funded by the Association. Resolutions Committee - Mike Dennis, Chair, reported that a Resolution of Support for Invasive Weed Awareness Week in Tennessee was prepared, as was a Resolution of Appreciation for the 2009 Local Arrangements Committee. Motion 9. Mike Dennis moved that the Resolution of Appreciation for the 2009 Local Arrangement Committee be approved. The motion carried. Executive Committee Meeting 53 Local Arrangements Committee 2009 - At the time of this meeting, before on-site registration had begun, there were 574 registrants with 203 papers and 160 posters to be presented at the meeting. Beta Beta Beta planned to present an additional 31 posters. Two hundred people had purchased tickets for the Banquet, and 356 people planned on attending the Thursday Night Social. Field trips registrations were light. The thirty-five Exhibitors spaces had sold out. Tom Wentworth thanked George Cline, Ken Marion and Scott Jewell for their hard work. Local Arrangements Committee 2010 - Discussion moved to April 4, 2009 Meeting of the Executive Committee 18. Announcements - There were no announcements. 19. Adjournment There being no further business, President Tom Wentworth thanked everyone for coming and adjourned the meeting at 5:54 pm. Respectfully submitted, Nicole Turrill Welch, Secretary 28 April 2009 The library at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. 54 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEASTERN BIOLOGISTS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING SATURDAY, 4 APRIL 2009 BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA ATTENDANCE: 16 individuals attended the meeting NAME Patricia Cox Tom Wentworth Nicole Turrill Welch Tim Atkinson Don Roush Doug Rayner Ron Dimock Randy Small Joey Shaw George Cline John Herr James Caponetti Scott Jewell Ginger Bayless Beverly Collins Zack Murrell 1. Call to Order CAPACITY President Past President Secretary Treasurer Beta Beta Beta EC Member-at-Large EC Member-at-Large EC Member-at-Large EC Member-at-Large EC Member-at-Large, 2009 LAC Archivist Print Editor Meetings Coordinator Meetings Planner 2010 LAC SERNEC President Patricia Cox called the meeting to order at 8:01 a.m., welcomed the new Executive Committee members, and thanked everyone for attending the meeting. OLD BUSINESS 2. Streamlining Paperwork and Processes Secretary Nicole Turrill Welch explained that committee portfolios were outdated and, indeed, had outlived their usefulness thanks to the thoroughness of the Leadership Guide. Others agreed and it was decided that the portfolios would no longer be maintained. Discussion of the importance of the Leadership Guide followed and it was decided that the Past President assumes the duties of maintaining the Leadership Guide. The Secretary also announced that a 150- word Executive Summary section will be added to the annual reports submitted by Officers, Committee Chairs, and Affiliate Representatives. Each Executive Summary will be entered into the Minutes to summarize each report. 3. Maintaining and Increasing the Association of Southeastern Biologist’s Appeal The Executive Committee continued its discussion from 1 April 2009 on the importance of maintaining and increasing the Association’s membership. Discussion stressed the importance and timeliness of the work being conducted Executive Committee Meeting 55 by the Membership Benefits Committee. Two other lines of discussion followed. The first explored generating or releasing funds to offer members reduced page charges in Southeastern Naturalist. President Patricia Cox asked the Publications Committee to investigate the Association’s relationship with Southeastern Naturalist and to determine their receptiveness to the idea of reduced page charges. The second line of discussion proposed that the Association of Southeastern Biologists serve as an umbrella organization to bring regional affiliate societies to a single, interdisciplinary annual meeting. Past President Tom Wentworth suggested that a committee be formed to communicate with, and invite, current and new affiliate groups to our Annual Meetings. Scott Jewell, Meetings Coordinator, explained that the earliest new affiliate meetings could be added to the Annual Meeting is 2013, as contracts set in terms of approximate attendance are in place for 2010, 2011, and 2012. George Cline, Co-Chair of the 2009 Local Arrangements Committee, shared that adding more people to the Annual Meeting will require more concurrent sessions and, perhaps, a longer meeting. 4. John Herr Lifetime Achievement Award Motion 1 . Tom Wentworth moved to form a committee to establish guidelines and processes for this award. The motion was seconded and carried. 5. Continuation of the Place of Meeting Committee Report John Herr, Chair of the Place of Meeting Committee, explained that the Committee is looking at possible locations for the 2013 meeting, including the sponsoring or host institution. He reminded us that under the new Place of Meeting Committee guidelines and processes, the Committee itself has the power to find appropriate venues. NEW BUSINESS 6. 2009 Local Arrangements Committee Report Co-Chair of the 2009 Local Arrangements Committee, George Cline, and Meetings Coordinator, Scott Jewell, reported that 730 people attended the Annual Meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. Of those, over 400 individuals enjoyed the Thursday Night Social and 225 attended the Banquet. While there was good participation in the field trips, Scott Jewell suggested that field trips be better described and advertised in the future. George Cline shared two problems encountered with the online registration and abstract/presentation system. First, students signed up for every award, even if they were not eligible. To this, Past President Tom Wentworth suggested that the award list be programmed as roll¬ overs, or links, that thoroughly describe each award. Second, difficulties were encountered with online presentation submission. These inconveniences will be corrected for the 2010 submission system. 7. 2010 Local Arrangements Committee Report Beverly Collins, Co-Chair of the 2010 Local Arrangements Committee, described venues and events that have been planned for the meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, and asked Scott Jewell, Meetings Coordinator, and Jim Caponetti, Print 56 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Editor, for a list of deadlines. She also inquired about the number of symposia that the Association can support. 8. Formation of a Standing Committee for Bioinformatics Zack Murrell explained that SERNEC (Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections) wants to provide an accessible database to integrate and share related molecular, organismal, and ecological lines of research. He indicated that informatics is a commonality of the members of the Association of Southeastern Biologists, as the Association is a wide-ranging collection of experts. He requested that we form a committee of representatives to investigate how the Association could contribute to SERNEC’s organization and over-sight of this database. The Executive Committee agreed to consider the idea. 9. Formation of a Standing Program Committee Motion 2. Randy Small moved for the formation of a standing Program Committee. Ron Dimock seconded and the motion carried. The committee will organize the program for the 201 1 meeting. 10. Other Bylaws Changes John Herr, Archivist, encouraged that the description of the Program Committee be settled by the September 2009 Interim Meeting and entered into the Bylaws. 11. Report from the Leadership Workshop President Patricia Cox shared information gained from the Leadership Workshop held during the 2009 Annual Meeting. Participants in the Workshop asked for mentoring systems for new faculty, including explanations of events, benefits, and student awards, and new members, including a buddy system for first time attendees of an Annual Meeting. The Leadership Workshop will be held at the 2010 Annual Meeting, better advertised, and directed to new faculty and attendees. 12. Announcements Patricia Cox announced that the Interim Meeting of the Executive Committee would occur September 18-19, 2009, in Huntsville, Alabama. 13. Adjournment Being no further business, Patricia Cox thanked everyone for coming and congratulated the 2009 Local Arrangements Committee on a very successful Annual Meeting. A motion to adjourn followed at approximately 10:30 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Nicole Turrill Welch, Secretary 4 May 2009 Advertisement fisf /> / v & BIOLOGY A biodiversity informatics software development company that specialized in online products and custom solutions for biological and natural history collections. * Interactive Web Applications * Digital Archiving of Specimen Sheets * Distribution Maps * Custom Software Solutions i ' e- COLLECTION Web Portal Software for Biological & Natural History Collections Search Specimen D8 Filters Family: Asteraceae Genus: Species: State: Parish/County: Locality: Collector: Catalog #: Catalog t Family Oenus Species 1 3 Family: Aster aceae (100 Specimens) 17429 Asteraceae Achillea millefolium 17430 im PH View Details 17431 17432 ITIS: Catalog of Life jm 17433 International Plant Names Index r 17434 GBIF 17435 im Flora of North America 17436 jm 17437 NatureServe im 17438 Tropicos im 17439 Google Images 15907 (folia PicSearch 27784 folia 13268 Printable Format ■ 13269 Asteraceae Ageratma altissima State Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana ParishACounty Locality Assumption Parish Paincourtville Bienville Parish unspecified East Baton Rouge Paris Baton Rouge East Baton Rouge Pans Plains East Feliciana Parish Clinton Lincoln Parish unspecified Morehouse Parish Bonita St Helena Parish Greensburg St. Helena Parish Greensburg St Helena Parish Greensburg Vernon Parish LeesviBe East Baton Rouge Pans Ben Hur Woods St Martin Parish Cypress Island Preserv Ascension Parish Brittany Ascension Parish New River SilverCollection is an interactive web portal for herbaria and other biological collections. It is a client-specific customized application for online access to specimen data. This application provides an interactive solution for curating, searching, and browsing your collection records. More info at: collection.SilverBiology.com www. SilverBiology. com contact@silverbiology. com 58 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Invited Research Paper Investigations of Structural and Developmental Variation in Angiosperms: The Art and Science of Focused Effort J. M. Herr, Jr. Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 "A hundred such slices (of ovules) as I have described may often be made and nothing seen, and perhaps the hundred and first will be so good as at once to complete the investigation." — Matthias Jakob Schleiden, 1849. Key words: Variation, microscopy clearing techniques, ovule evolution, seed plant megasporogenesis, female gametophyte development Often the approach to research by one engaged in science is strongly influenced by science heroes from the past and by the seizing of an intense, early focus on a single concept. From this principle, the author is not excepted. Daily thought drifts in some measure to the momentous tasks and accomplishments of three scientists whose lives are spread widely across the span of history: Jan Swammerdam (1637-1680) - unique application of microscopy to anatomical studies of insects; Giovanni Battista Amici (1786-1863) - inventor of the achromatic lens and discoverer of the pollen tube; and Wilhelm Hofmeister (1824-1877) - discoverer of the origin of the embryo in angiosperms. And, that single concept in demand of sharp focus is variation, expressed prominently or subtly but always significantly in the developmental processes and the form or structure thereby achieved in flowering plants. At the onset, an essay will be offered that explores a somewhat unique concept of variation and the demands it places on structural and developmental studies generally and specifically for angiosperms (Herr, 1967). And a second essay will summarize the influence of that singular concept on the author and especially on colleague investigators who took up the cause to meet its mandates (Herr, 2000). On the Nature of Variation For more than a score of years, the foremost trend in biology has been an emphatic search for unity in the structure and organization of life. This quest has produced definitive progress in many areas of investigation previously retarded by technical deficiencies and the consequential frustration of interest among investigators. Especially noteworthy are the achievements in fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms in gene action and of cell ultrastructure. Indeed, these achievements more than others have served to augment the claim and to intensify the search for unity in living things. The concept of unity in life is not an innovation of the modern era in biology. Rather, the principle of unity has been repeatedly (though often subtly) expressed throughout the course of biological history. It is an inherent feature in Invited Research Paper 59 the early pronouncements of the cell theory, in the first principles of Mendelian genetics, and in the initial concepts of organic evolution. Assuredly, however, the overwhelming diversity in life rather than unity has been more prominently enunciated and until the advent of recent trends has dominated the curiosity of biologists. In spite of this concentration of attention and the vast knowledge thereby gathered, a full understanding of variation in organisms has not been achieved. Many biologists would hasten to add that certainly the major contributions to an understanding of diversity belong to the past. The challenges today, the exciting new frontiers of knowledge lie with the search for the principles of unity. Recent history of biology appears certainly to substantiate this view. This essay is not presented as an argument for or against the recent trends in biology. In the present and future, as in the past, the challenging aspects of the science will be determined by the individual curiosity of the investigator. Research approaches will be “classical” or “modern” as they best serve the investigator’s interests, and they will raise new questions which in turn will chart and direct new pathways for the science. For the reader, this treatise should represent merely a presentation of new or seldom examined views on the nature of variation. Although consideration is limited to variation in the flowering plants, many of the principles treated have a wide application throughout the biota. The flowering plant especially fit the thesis proposed here because of its alternate, contrasting appearance in the life cycle as a complex sporophyte and as a reduced gametophyte. The wide variation among angiosperms is recognized and recorded as an expression of the sporophyte generation. Indeed, its structural diversity provides the fundamental bases for the distinctions and relationships of taxa. On the other hand, the simplicity of form featured by the gametophyte generation exhibits a rather narrow range of variation from the primitive Ranales throughout the entire complex of angiosperm families. The foregoing characterization of the sporophyte and gametophyte emanates from a widely held view of variation as a quantitative measure of distinction. By this consideration, variation is potentially greater among structurally complex entities than among those which are reduced. In other words, the potential latitude of total variation between comparable entities is directly proportional to their structural complexity. The quantitative aspect of variation has been widely applied in comparative morphology, and its value in the assessment of diversity in the highly complex structure of the sporophyte is unquestioned. As here defined, however, quantitative variation reaches a minimal expression in the reduced, simply organized morphology of the gametophyte. If diversity is expressed by the gametophyte generation, it assuredly cannot be detected as a strictly quantitative measure. Surely in this respect, the gametophyte generation throughout angiosperms displays marked uniformity and homogeneity of structure. That much of the consideration accorded to the gametophyte has emphasized the aspects of similarity is not unexpected in view of the traditional approach to variation as a quantitative measure. This emphasis is especially reflected in such published statements here paraphrased as, “Seventy percent of the angiosperms display the normal or Polygonum type female gametophyte..” or, “The species in question follows Polygonum type of development with usual 2, 4, and 8-nucleate stages followed by normal organization of the mature female gametophyte.” These statements are undeniably accurate and pronounce a correct assessment 60 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 of similarity in form indicated by the small measure of quantitative variation; i.e., the presence of only a few potentially variable features. Considered alone, however, the quantitative aspect of diversity offers but a circumscribed understanding of total variation, and a full comprehension must incorporate the qualitative features as well. The qualitative aspect of variation centers on the individual points of distinction which collectively compose the total latitude of difference between comparable morphological units. However, the aspect of quality is seldom accorded serious consideration and, in fact, is often rejected as a conjectural and arbitrary evaluation of the individual variables. Although in the assessment of quality, these specific variations are evaluated for their role in the expression of diversity, the evaluation is far from arbitrary. To the contrary, the quality of a specific variation, its magnitude as an expression of diversity, is determined by the level of structural complexity in the morphological units compared. As indicated earlier, in the appraisal of variation in two or more comparable morphological entities, the potential latitude of total diversity, quantitative variation, is directly proportional to the structural complexity of those entities. Qualitative variation, on the other hand, the magnitude of individual points of distinction, is inversely proportional to the structural complexity of the compared entities. Thus, the evaluation of quality, the assessment of magnitude, represents a mathematical rather than conjectural estimation of the significance of individual variables. This principle can be illustrated by a single variable repeated in three sets of morphological units with dissimilar levels of structural and organizational complexity. The variable selected originates from two alternative division planes of a single mitotic figure. Each of the three sets displaying this variable consists of two morphological units which may exhibit many other variables. Attention, however, should be focused only on the designated variable as it is displayed by a pair of leaf primordia (Fig. A), two female gametophytes approaching the 8- nucleate stage (Fig. B), and two female gametophytes approaching the 4- nucleate stage (Fig. C). Clearly, these sets of morphological units are cited in a decreasing order of structural complexity. That the magnitude of the variable increases in the, same order is equally clear. The variable shows its lowest magnitude in the leaf primordia where the greatest structural complexity provides potentially for the largest number of additional variables. Its quality, its effective significance in total variation would be diminished by the presence of these additional variables. On the other hand, the designated variable shows its highest magnitude in the pair of younger female gametophytes where the least structural complexity provides potentially for the smallest number of additional variables. Phylogeny, by either reduction or elaboration, establishes the level of structural complexity for a specific morphological unit. This level, thus recorded in the genes, is manifested gradually in the course of ontogeny to reach its maximal expression at maturity. Therefore, in accordance with the inverse relationship of magnitude to complexity, a specific variable appearing in two ontogenetic stages of the same structure will show a greater magnitude in the earlier stage. The female gametophytes in the cited illustration (Figs. B, C) exemplify this principle. Invited Research Paper 61 A B C Figs. A-C Single variation in mitotic division plane as expressed by three pairs of morphological units dissimilar in structural complexity. A 1, 2. Pair of leaf primordia with, enlarged figure of dividing cell from each apex. B 1, 2. Pair of megagametophytes approaching the 8-nucleate phase. C 1, 2. Pair of female gametophytes approaching the 4-nucleate phase. The distinction between quantitative and qualitative variation as related to structural complexity is the thesis of the foregoing discussion. Some of the expressions used, e.g., “morphological entity" or “morphological unit” are rather ungainly and could be tersely designated by the term morphon. “Morphon” carries a rather wide connotation to include the entire plant, sporophyte or gametophyte or any definitive part, sporangium, leaf, egg apparatus or pollen tube, at a specific level of ontogeny. Morpha of a kind or type, linked to the past through similar homologies, are subject to comparison and can be assessed for their differences and similarities. Thus, they provide the basis for comparative morphology. Schnarf (1929), in the most exhaustive analysis of embryological literature to appear in a single publication, has summarized the aspects of female gametophyte variation as it could be understood at that time. Maheshwari (1950) places special emphasis on the taxonomic significance of diversity in the female gametophyte. But, the question might be raised as to whether or not the prevalence of Polygonum type development among the vast majority of angiosperms, in both primitive and advanced families, precludes an expanded service for the female gametophyte in taxonomic considerations. The answer depends on the range of variation within Polygonum type development. Variations reported in innumerable studies of the Polygonum type female gametophyte might be viewed as minor departures from the typical pattern of development. On the other hand, if variation is assessed according to the propositions advanced here, such a view is not tenable. An appraisal which accounts qualitative as well as quantitative aspects of variation, reveals a wide range of diversity within the Polygonum type. For, small alterations in the developmental pattern constitute variations of high magnitude in light of the extremely low level of structural complexity. If validity is found in this thesis, if these propositions are further put into practice, then quite probably a more 62 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 comprehensive delimitation of generic, specific, and even individual distinctions in the angiosperm female gametophyte can be recognized. A revision of philosophy and approach is not, however, the only requisite. The analysis of variation will require amore exacting attention than often accorded and to some extent will require methods and techniques not yet devised. Studies of female gametophyte development should begin with ovule initiation and conclude with syngamy, for the ovule and female gametophyte show variable patterns of interrelationship important to the complete appraisal of diversity. Therefore, the achievement of a full perception of variation in Polygonum type development will require attention to the following features: • (a) OVULE INITIATION — Growth and development of the ovule primordium prior to the appearance of the archesporium. (b) ARCHESPORIUM — Number of archesporial cells separately differentiated; position in the primordium; extent of parietal tissue, if present; origin and number of sporogenous cells (origin by direct enlargement or division of the archesporial cell or cells); enlargement of the functional sporogenous cell; persistence or degree of degeneration of defunct sporogenous cells; correlative development of the nucellus (degrees of the tenuinucellate or crassinucellate condition). (c) MEGASPOROCYTE — Internal changes prior to meiosis (nuclear movement, degree of vacuolation); alteration of size or shape prior to meiosis. (d) MEIOSIS I — Location and orientation of the division figure; initiation of cytokinesis in relation to the nuclear division (concomitant with telophase or variously delayed). (e) DYAD — Size and shape of dyad cells; nuclear movement and degree of vacuolation prior to meiosis II. (f) MEIOSIS II — Relationship of the divisions in the dyad cells (synchronous or variously nonsynchronous); orientation of the division figures; relationship of cytokinesis to nuclear division. (g) TETRAD — Arrangement and relative initial size of megaspores; position of the functional spore; persistence and functional tendency in defunct spores; rates of disintegration in defunct spores. (h) FUNCTIONAL MEGASPORE — Initial and final size and shape; position of the nucleus; degree of vacuolation; placement and orientation of the mitotic figure. (i) 2-, 4- AND 8-NUCLEATE FEMALE GAMETOPHYTES — Initial and final size and shape; position of nuclei; size, shape, and distribution of vacuoles; degree of synchronism in the nuclear divisions; division planes of nuclei (orientation of the division figures in relation to one another and in relation to the overall symmetry of the ovule). (j) MATURE FEMALE GAMETOPHYTE — Initial and final size and shape; differentiation of the egg apparatus and antipodal (synchronous or nonsynchronous); structure of antipodals, synergids and egg (position of nuclei and vacuoles; initial and final size); behavior of synergids and antipodals (ephemeral, persistent in original form or persistent in variable degrees of disintegration); position of polar nuclei; fusion of polar nuclei (before or after sperm entry); orientation of the egg apparatus and antipodals in relation to the symmetry of the ovule. Each of these stages should be correlated with specific levels of ovule ontogeny and also should be evaluated for their duration and position within the Invited Research Paper 63 nucellus. The size range of the nuclei throughout the entire course of development provide an additional noteworthy feature. A comprehensive account of other embryological features that have taxonomic importance have also been presented (Herr, 1984). Existing methods and techniques do not provide an easy access to the study of all of these features. The determination of the precise orientation of the free nuclei, egg apparatus, and antipodals is especially difficult. Such spatial relationships can be discerned with accuracy only from median longitudinal sections of the ovule precisely through either the frontal or sagittal plane. The achievement of accuracy with uniformity and repetition awaits further technological advance. The Development of Clearing Techniques for Seed Plant Embryology Introduction — Throughout the twentieth century, most evidence for embryological development in seed plants has been obtained from paraffin or plastic microtome sections of ovules, stamens and seeds. The microtome was developed during the latter half of the nineteen century, but prior to its appearance, evidence was gathered from hand sections and cleared preparations. Investigators at that time usually did not mention their methods, and few described technique in detail. Schleiden (1849) provided a rare and complete account of a method for hand sectioning by attaching the material to the thumb-nail with saliva or oil and rocking a razor blade back and forth through it (Herr, 2000). The clearing of specimens for transmission microscopy was not seriously undertaken until 1841 with the introduction of aqueous calcium chloride by Professor P. Harting (according to Rooseboom, 1956), glycerine by Warington (1849), and glycerine jelly by Deane (1852). Essential oils, e.g., clove oil, were introduced in the late 1800's (e.g., Stieda, 1866) principally in conjunction with microtome sections. Clearing specifically for the study of fruits, ovules, and seeds was introduced by Gueguen (1898) who selected methyl salicylate as the clearing agent for its high index of refraction and applied it gradually in graded solutions in ethanol (Herr, 2000). A very similar technique was independently introduced by Crane (1978), modified by Stelly et al. (1984), and recommended by these investigators as an alternative to a complex mixture of agents, known as 472 clearing fluid, introduced by Herr (1971) with several modifications (Herr, 1974; 1992a). Both methyl salicylate and 4V2-type clearing fluids have been used extensively for embryological research, and other agents have been applied to a lesser extent (Crane and Carman, 1987). The utility of clearing over sectioning has not been fully explored largely because of the absence of persistence when initial trials fail. Often the difficulties encountered can be overcome by careful attention to essential steps in the procedure and to various modifications of documented value. The following account will first of all draw attention to common omissions of essential steps and then will explore certain applications which might lead to aspects of seed plant embryology heretofore not revealed by use of sectioning methods. These applications have been largely ignored and so far have been extended to only a few species. Procedural Errors — Floral material fixed in standard fixatives, such as Formalin-Propionic Acid-50% Ethanol (5:5:90) or the various CRAF fluids 64 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 (Johansen, 1940; Berlyn and Miksche, 1976), e.g., Randolph's modification of Navashin's fluid, often become light to dark brown during the fixation process or later in storage 70% ethanol. The coloration, caused either by the presence of phenolic compounds (notably tannins and tannin precursors) or by oxidative processes during fixation, greatly limits the use of clearing techniques for the study of ovule and female gametophyte development. These substances also interfere with the staining of sectioned tissue (Schmid, 1977). In many cases, the difficulties imposed by dark coloration on both sections and clearings can be eliminated by pretreatment of the material with Stockwell's solution (Johansen, 1940). Often the coloration can be removed from ovules by treating them for 10 to 20 hours as prescribed by Herr (1985) and Palser et al. (1989). The actual time of treatment must be determined by trial and error. Overtreatment renders ovules fragile and difficult to handle. Several modifications of the original 4 V2 clearing fluid (Herr, 1971) have been made with the addition of benzyl benzoate (BB-4V2) (Herr, 1974), or by substituting dibutyl phthalate for clove oil (Herr, 1989). A central guiding principle for the use of clearing techniques is that no method has universal application. New methods undoubtedly will appear in the future, and present methods will be further modified. Perhaps the most frequent cause of failure with any of the techniques mentioned is pressure on cleared ovules imposed by the cover glass. Pressure compacts the tissues and destroys the cleared image (Fig. 1). The effect, especially hazardous for ovules made fragile in 4V2-type fluids, can be corrected simply by raising the cover glass to a higher level above the specimen (Figs. 2, 3). Although methyl salicylate tends to harden ovules, the image is also destroyed when they are flattened by cover glass pressure for several hours (Young et al., 1979). Microscopists of the mid-19th century recognized the potential ill effects of the cover glass on specimens cleared and mounted in solutions of calcium chloride. Schleiden (1849) and Schacht (1853) glued paper strips of appropriate thickness to a slide and mounted a specimen between them in aqueous solutions of calcium chloride. Placed over the paper strips, the cover glass was raised slightly above the specimen. Early in the development of the 4% clearing technique, the need for support mounts to eliminate pressure on the ovules was recognized. Special slides, referred to as Raj slides (Fig. 6) and similar to those used by Schleiden and Schacht, were prepared by using permanently affixed cover glasses as the support mounts instead of paper strips (Herr, 1971; Smith, 1973). In rare cases, the ovules are small enough for the buoyancy of the fluid to float the cover glass above them so eliminating a need for support mounts. Unique Applications — Clearing techniques offer opportunities to obtain information either not available or very difficult to gather by other methods. In addition, the utility of other methods applied to embryological investigations can be greatly enhanced when used in conjunction with clearing techniques. Several examples of single or infrequent uses will be summarized here. A broader application of these methods should be of significant value in comparative embryological investigations. Invited Research Paper 65 Fig. 1-5. 1. Sagittal optical section of an ovule of Senna occidentalis. Phase contrast image of the mature female gametophyte obscured by cover glass pressure; only the polar nuclei (p) are visible. Bar = 0.02 mm. 2. Image much improved by elevating the cover glass above the specimen; synergids (s) and polar nuclei (p) visible. 3. Optical section of Fig. 2. observed with Nomarski interference optics. Bar = 0.02 mm. 4. Longitudinal section of the female gametophyte of Cunninghamia lanceolata 10pm thick, stained with safranin and fast green. Nuclei and vacuoles present in two of the four archegonia in this section. Bar = 0.1 mm. 5. Section 120 pm thick, cleared in BB-4% clearing fluid. Section of an archegonium in a focal plane selected to show the egg nucleus as a misshapened sphere above a vacuole and two neck cells (arrows). Bar = 0.02 mm. With the use of BB-41/2, definition of the cleared image of ovules examined with Nomarski interference optics is noticeably improved for many taxa. Two or three days after the application of this fluid, the sharp definition of cell contents begins to diminish. The effect is progressive, and within a week, the cell contents become optically homogenous. Concomitantly, the cell outlines and the surface topography of cell layers at any focal plane through the ovule are revealed as may be demonstrated in an optical median sagittal section of an ovule from Ludwigia hexapetala (Hook. & Arn.) Zardini, Gu & Raven (Herr, 1973). Pressure by rapid cell proliferation in the nucellus stretches the cells of the inner integument and obscures their anticlinal walls. The anticlinal walls in the outer 66 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 integument are better defined suggesting that the pressure exerted by the nucellus is partially absorbed by the inner integument. Another effect of growth pressure is the appearance of buckled cells in the nucellar hypodermis that are raised above the actual focal plane of the section (Fig. 10.). A central column derived by periclinal divisions in the epidermis is easily recognized apart from the adjacent periclinal files (Fig. 11.). No other method has yet been devised to examine the surface features of internal cell layers. Broadly applied, this technique would provide information not available by standard sectioning and clearing methods. New features would appear that would expand our understanding of ovule structure, tectonics, and development. Clearing techniques permit a much closer monitoring of ovule and female gametophyte development than can be reasonably accomplished by section methods. In addition, the examination of optical sections through ovules is accomplished more readily and with greater accuracy as to the relation of one section to another than is the examination of serial sections spread across a slide. Closer monitoring and the accurate assessment of section relationships extend investigations to developmental phenomena that are seldom visited and difficult to interpret. In the genus Ilex L., for example, the mature female gametophyte exhibits an important, uniform feature consistently observed in the largest subgenera, Euilex Loes. and Prinos (L.) Loes. (Herr, 1959). The mature stage is so oriented that the egg is positioned toward the side of the ovule adjacent to the funiculus, and the synergids are toward the opposite side from which the micropyle opens. This consistent orientation, first determined by an arduous examination of serial, frontal sections of a few ovules, was later confirmed through the examination of many ovules in cleared preparations. A uniform orientation, however, is not a feature of all taxa. In Wisteria sinensis Sweet, the arrangement of the egg and synergids with respect to the campylotropous ovule is variable (Rembert, 1967). In some cases, the egg is situated toward the funiculus with the synergids toward the opposite side as described for Ilex. This arrangement varies with a rotation through 180E, i.e., the egg apparatus may be situated with the synergids toward the funiculus and the egg toward the opposite side. Any orientation between these extremes may occur. Generally, an understanding of nuclear position and movement during female gametophyte development is readily achieved through the study of cleared preparations. Optical sagittal sections of the hemianatropous ovules of Oxalis corniculata L., reveal that the micropylar nuclei of the 4-nuclear female gametophyte initially lie side by side on the horizontal axis. The chalazal nuclei lie one above the other on the longitudinal axis (Herr, 1972). Before the divisions that produce the 8-nucleate stage, the micropylar nuclei shift their position to a longitudinal alignment by the downward movement of either nucleus (Fig. 7). Invited Research Paper 67 1 — ^ o> e) i \ f 6 - S 1 Fig. 6-9. 6. Side view of a Raj slide with support mounts thick enough to elevate the cover glass above specimens mounted in clearing fluid. 7. Micropylar nuclei of 4-nucleate female gametophyte of Oxalis corniculata aligned approximately on the transverse axis (left). Gradual chalazal shift of one nucleus (stippled) aligns the micropylar nuclei on the longitudinal axis. Bars = 0.03 mm. 8. Ovule of Senna occidentalis in an optical sagittal section to show a linear-oblique megaspore tetrad in the crassinucellate nucellus (see left ovule, Fig. 6). 9. Ovule of Fig. 8. shifted (see right ovule, Fig. 6.) for an optical transverse section at the level of the third micropylar megaspore. Lines ( — ■ — • — ) and ( - ) indicate respectively the distance (Fig. 8) through the nucellus to the focal plane of the optical transverse section and through the integuments and nucellus (Fig. 9.) to the focal plane of the optical sagittal section. Bar = 0.01 mm. Optical sections in cleared preparations have a distinct advantage over microtome sections in that the section plane is not permanent. The position of ovules observed in optical sagittal sections can be altered for study in the frontal or transverse planes by a slight shifting of the cover glass across its support mounts. By this procedure, for example, the megaspore tetrad in ovules of Senna occidentalis (L.) Link observed in sagittal sections can also be examined in optical cross sections (Figs. 8, 9). The figures cited shows that the third megaspore from the nucellar apex persists longer than the first two megaspores (sagittal section) and is of a hexagonal shape as viewed in cross section. A unique application of clearing techniques for the study of nuclear division in microspores illustrates the utility of optical sections in more than one plane. 68 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Division figures in microspores are often obscured by an early development of an opaque exine. In these cases, the exine may be removed by chemical treatment. The microspore of Michelia fuscata Blume during division of the nucleus has a relatively thin exine, and the division figure, therefore, can be observed in cleared preparations. Microspores in a single preparation show division figures oriented in longitudinal, transverse, and oblique optical sections, and the plane of sectioning for a specific microspore can be altered by a slight shifting of the cover glass as described (Fig. 12). The transverse section reveals 19 chromosomes which is the base number for Magnoliaceae. Fig. 10-12. 10. Surface aspect of cells in the lateral nucellus and integuments in the ovule of Ludwigia hexapetala at the 2-nucleate female gametophyte stage as viewed in optical sagittal section. Cells of the nucellar epidermis and inner integument (ii), under pressure of proliferating lateral nucellus, stretched and with obscure anticlinal walls. With pressure absorbed by the inner integument, anticlinal walls (small arrows) more distinct in the outer integument (oi). Nucellar hypodermis buckled (large arrow) by growth pressure of the lateral nucellus against the integuments. Vertical Bar = 0.03 mm. 11. Apex of the nucellus of Fig. 10. Periclinal files of cells in the lateral nucellus distinguishable from those of the central column. Anticlinal walls obscure in the inner epidermis of the inner integument (large arrow) and in the stretched nucellar epidermis as well. A portion of the nucellar hypodermis buckled. 12. Microspore of Michelia fuscata cleared in BB-4y2 clearing fluid. Nuclear division in progress. After the microspore was photographed to show a side view of the metaphase figure (right), it was rotated to show a polar view (left) and the 19 chromosomes of the haploid set, the base number for Magnoliaceae. Bar = 0.02 mm. Invited Research Paper 69 One of the most recent and major advances in microscopy is the development of the confocal laser microscope which departs significantly from the principles of traditional microscopy. In this system a laser beam penetrates the specimen at various focal planes. Flourescent light emitted from these optical sections provides image data which can be transferred to a computer for storage and display. Fredrikson et al. (1988) in their study of female gametophyte development in Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Vermin, offered a unique application of clearing technology in conjunction with this instrument. Fixed ovules placed in 4!4 clearing fluid as originally concocted (Herr, 1971) become completely translucent in a few minutes. At any focal plane, the ovules display an autofluorescence readily detected by the confocal system. Confocal scanning offers a better image quality than that afforded by traditional microscopy. There is less out-of-focus information in the scanning images than that associated with optical sections viewed with phase contrast or Nomarski interference microscopy. As in the other applications discussed, a shorten preparation time permitted a close monitoring of developmental features. They noted, for example, that growth of the pollen tube in the micropyle halts until the female gametophyte is mature. When the tube enters the female gametophyte, the tip swells near one of the synergids and then bursts, releasing its contents without first penetrating a synergid. This observation calls to question reports of the tube penetrating a synergid in other Orchidaceae (e.g., Hagerup, 1944). In another study, Fredrikson (1992) applied confocal microscopy to the study of female gametophyte development in Epipactis Zinn which comprises about 24 species. In Epipactis atrorubens Schult., E. helleborine (L.) Crantz, and E. palustris (L.) Crantz the megaspore tetrad is T-shaped, and the monosporic gametophyte follows Polygonum type development. Fredrikson concludes that reports of megaspore triads, bisporic and tetrasporic development, and female gametophytes with more or fewer than eight nuclei are misinterpretations of material prepared by paraffin-sectioning methods. Traditional paraffin-section methods can be simplified and made more effective through their application in conjunction with clearing techniques. In microtome sections 10 Fm or less, some key structures are often spread across several serial sections. Ordinarily, thick sections are too opaque to be useful in structural or developmental studies. However, Liang and Herr (1994) found that paraffin sections of ovules of Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook. 80-120 Fm thick and cleared in benzyl benzoate-4/4 clearing fluid to be adequate in all respects for study of the female gametophyte with phase contrast optics. The thick, cleared section offers an advantage over thin, stained ones in that many structural entities are contained within a single section and can be examined easily through a series of optical sections. The time required for clearing thick sections is much shorter than that required for making permanent stained preparations. (Fig. 4 cf Fig. 5). The Value of Numbers — As already noted, clearing techniques provide a means for collecting developmental data from a large number of ovules in far less time than required by other methods. The process permits confirmation of the developmental process through the repetition of examples as well as a close monitoring of changes within each stage. During his investigation of ovule and female gametophyte development in nine species of Spartina, Long (1992) kept a journal to mark the events in his study on specific days. On May 27, 1990, early in his study of Spartina pectinata Link, he recorded, "Removed 54 spikelets from 70 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 one spike plus two spikelets from a very young spike. Dissected the 56 spikelets to remove the pistils. Placed the 56 pistils into absolute ethanol. Placed the pistils on slides (two per slide) in 414 clearing fluid. This procedure required two hours I examined each ovule with phase contrast optics and recorded its stage of development. This procedure required 44 minutes. I observed two megasporocytes, one early megaspore tetrad, one tetrad with a chalazal functional megaspore, two 2-nucleate female gametophytes, twenty-one at the 4-nucleate stage, three at the 8-nucleate stage, eleven at the early mature stage with polar nuclei at opposite poles of the female gametophyte, and seven mature stages with polar nuclei in close contact. Female gametophyte development was aborted in eight of the ovules.” This information collected in 23A hours would have taken weeks or even longer to obtain by standard sectioning methods. Ultimately, his description for this species was based on a study of 282 ovules, each one sectioned optically in both the sagittal and frontal planes. In their study of Rhododendron nuttalliiT. W. Booth, Palser et al. (1989) were able to derive a correlated time sequence of male and female gametophyte development. The use of ovule-clearing techniques permitted a thorough investigation which would have been more difficult or virtually impossible with standard sectioning procedures. Their observations of over 35,000 ovules dramatically revealed the continuity of development and the wide range of stages in a single ovary of any age. This investigation is probably the first study to follow both male and female gametophyte development in one species at close time intervals. Smith (1973, 1975), Aulbach-Smith and Herr (1984), and George et al. (1979, 1988) have reported both quantitative and traditional qualitative studies of female gametophyte development based on examination of large numbers of ovules. In the quantitative investigations, a statistical analysis of size for the megasporocyte, functional megaspore, and the 2-, 4-, 8-nucleate, and mature stages was made from measurements of the length (a-aN), width (b-bN), width intercept (bN-o), and length intercept (aN-o) (Fig. 13). For each parameter, the range, mean, and 95% confidence interval were determined. 13 Fig. 13. Optical sagittal section of a cleared, crassinucellate ovule; funiculus (fn), outer integument (oi), inner integument (ii), and female gametophyte, length (a-a’), width (b-b’) and their intercepts (a’-o and b’-o). Invited Research Paper 71 Smith (1973, 1975) studied ovule and female gametophyte development in Cornus L. and found that the five species investigated are clearly separated on the basis of both qualitative and quantitative features. Moreover, these data clearly distinguish female gametophyte development in Cornus florida L. (subgenus Benthamidia Spach) from that of the other four species (subgenus Thelycrania (Dumort.) Fourr.) in support of removing C. florida from Cornus to the monotypic Cynoxylon floridium (L.) Raf. (Small, 1933). George et al. (1979, 1988) examined female gametophyte development in field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of Glycine max Merr. and Phaseolus aureus Roxb. Although these taxa show several qualitative features in common, marked differences have also been recorded. For example, in Glycine max, the micropylar and chalazal nuclei are perpendicular to the long axis of the early 4- nucleate female gametophyte and parallel to the long axis at the late 4-nucleate stage. An opposite arrangement occurs in Phaseolus aureus, i.e. , the nuclei are initially parallel to the long axis and later move to a perpendicular position. The quantitative analysis also reveals features that distinguish these taxa and the effect of environmental conditions as well. For example, the greatest advance in mean length occurs between the functional megaspore and 2- nucleate stage for Glycine in the greenhouse and Phaseolus in the field. However, for Phaseolus in the greenhouse and Glycine in the field, the increase occurs between the 2- and 4-nucleate stages. For other quantitative features as well, one genus resembles the other in the alternate environment. The qualitative data indicate that development in greenhouse and field conditions is rather uniform, but several quantitative differences of statistical significance indicate that embryological data, especially those of quantitative nature, should be collected from plants in their natural habitats. In their study of Eustachys petraea (Sw.) Desv. and E. glauca Chap., Aulbach-Smith and Herr (1984) noted several qualitative differences in female gametophyte development to include position of the polar nuclei and number of antipodals. In E. petraea, the polar nuclei migrate to the center of the gametophyte after differentiation of the antipodals which then divide to form a total of 12 cells prior to fertilization. Migration of the polar nuclei precedes differentiation of the antipodals in E. glauca, and only six antipodals are formed prior to fertilization. Quantitative distinctions were also recorded. T-tests for length measurements indicate that the functional megaspore and 2-nucleate female gametophyte are significantly longer in E. glauca than in E. petraea. No significant difference in length occurs at the 4-nucleate stage, and at the 8- nucleate stage, length in E. petraea surpasses that in E. glauca. This gap widens significantly at the mature stage. This study is the only one so far to include a comparison of nuclear volumes in the developing female gametophyte. The nuclear volumes were computed from the ellipsoid formula V = 4&3B(a/2 x b/2)[(a + b)/4] where a is the length of the nucleus and b is the width at a right angle to a. In the functional megaspore and 2-nucleate stage, nuclear volumes are significantly greater in E. glauca than in E. petraea but are similar in the two species at the 4-nucleate stage. However, size of the individual nuclei at this stage may be correlated with their fate. One of the chalazal nuclei, larger in E. petraea than in E. glauca, ultimately produces the nuclei for eight of the 12 antipodals in E. petraea. That these two species are closely related is indicated by their similarities in spikelet and inflorescence morphology. They are difficult to distinguish. Their spikelets are quite similar in size, shape, and coloration, and 72 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 they are only obscurely different in plant size and in number of spikes per culm. Indeed, if the differences in structural complexity of the sporophytes and gametophytes are considered (Herr, 1967), then the female gametophytes of these two species are clearly more distinctive than are their sporophytes. To reiterate once more, clearing techniques not only permit a monitoring of development in a large number of ovules, but also guarantee selection of a uniform section plane for the study of each one. Through movement of the cover glass on the support mounts oblique optical sections can be precisely adjusted to the sagittal or frontal planes. The studies presented here have been deemed "unusual" as they truly are, since the essential techniques required have found only limited use. The prospects for the future are indeed bright. With the inevitable improvement of clearing technology, perhaps throughout the 21st century similar investigations will be extended and more broadly applied so to bring about a much improved understanding of seed plant embryology. Often, investigators publish findings that they wish would be broadly noticed and accepted by the scientific community. Three such reports are summarized here. The Origin of the Ovule The key events in the origin of the ovule (Herr, 1995) significantly impact or challenge two evolutionary paradigms — first, the conclusion that evolution from a primitive to an advanced condition is irreversible, and second, that the origin of seed plants is polyphyletic. Key events support the alternatives that evolutionary changes are reversible, and that seed plants are monophyletic in origin. The Primitive Ovule — Consideration of ovule origin in the twentieth century has centered largely on Pteridospermophyta, which is generally accepted to include the oldest seed plants. De Haan (1920) made the first pronouncement of the telomic theory whereby the ovule evolved from a megasporangium borne terminally on a telome and surrounded by two or more sterile telomes. Reduction of the central telome placed the encircling telomes at the base of the megasporangium. Their subsequent fusion produced an integument. By the nuceiius modification concept, described by Andrews (1961), the integument in certain Pteridosperm orders was derived from the periphery of the nuceiius as earlier proposed by Walton (1953) on the basis of the presence of vascular tissue in the peripheral nuceiius. Camp and Hubbard (1963a, b) proposed the double integument theory by which Paleozoic ovules are regarded as having two adnate integuments derived from sterile dichotomous lateral branches (trusses) subtending a terminally borne megasporangium. The inner set fused with the nuceiius so that the ovules appear to have only one integument. They concluded that all ovules are homogous and have two integuments whether separate or fused. The only point of agreement is that the nuceiius is a megasporangium which retains a single megaspore and its endosporic female gametophyte. Indeed, after the event of heterospory, permanent retention of a single megaspore is considered the first requisite for the seed habit. Differences in these concepts center on the origin of the integument. Only the telomic and double integument theories approach a satisfactory explanation for the variety of constructs of the integument throughout seed plants, and according to both concepts, the Invited Research Paper 73 integument(s) evolved by the fusion of sterile telomes subtending the central megasporangium. The integument of the oldest ovules from the Upper Devonian shows structural features that also characterize the integuments of Lower Carboniferous ovules. The axes may be flared at the apex, a feature regarded as primitive, or incurving which is regarded as the initial step in the formation of the micropyle. The integumentary axes of Paleozoic ovules are protostelic as is typical for primitive stems. They may be distributed equally around the circumference of the nucellus in radiospermic ovules or platyspermic with two axes flanking the nucellus. Often the axes contain a protostelic vascular supply. The integument of some extant plants shows evidence for a telome origin. The nucellus of Gnetum is enclosed by three integuments, and the two lobed inner integuments suggest an origin by fusion of telome axes. The inner integument of the Magnolia ovule becomes lobed as the ovule matures, while those of Trifolium appear briefly at the tetrad stage. The first angiosperms with bitegmic ovules were derived from primitive, unitegmic gymnosperms. With phylogenetic advancement, the unitegmic condition returned in accordance with the double integument concept, and it might have occurred by a genetic mechanism proposed for the bell -3 mutant Arabidopsis. The bitegmic, tenuinucellate ovules of Arabidopsis thaliana in natural populations curve to anatropy, then campylotropy, and finally to amphitropy at maturity with vascular tissue is confined to the funiculus. With the mutation of a single, dominant homeotic gene to the recessive bell-3 allele, some primitive features reappear in the ovule phenotype. The outer integument develops as two (platyspermic form) or three columnar axes (radiospermic form) below the presumptive site of the missing inner integument. Vascular tissue extends into the basal portion of the nucellus, the sporangiophore, and into the integumentary axes. These features have been noted here for both Paleozoic and extant ovules. For primitive features, some not in evidence since the Lower Carboniferous Period, to appear suddenly with the mutation of a single homeotic gene suggests that the genes for primitive form were not lost in the course of ovule evolution. Rather, under the influence of the dominant allele, they were suppressed and probably redirected to physiological functions not evident in the morphological phenotype. A new concept proposed here runs counter to three major suppositions at the foundation of the telome concept: 1) the nucellus is a megasporangium; 2) the integument is derived from sterile telomes; and 3) retention of a single megaspore and its endsporic female gametophyte distinguishes the nucellus from other megasporangia and essentially defines the ovule. It will offer an alternative view that: 1) for all ovules, the nucellus is a sporangiophore of stem origin which bears a single, terminal megasporangium; 2) at least some of the fusing, integumentary telomes were fertile and retained a measure of fertility after the fusion; and 3) marked changes in the cellular environment and the nutrition of the retained megaspore define a unique heterospory for seed plants and represent the single most important and universally defining character of a true ovule. Structure of the nucellus — The term sporophyll is not descriptive in the literal sense. Throughout eusporangiate vascular plants, sporangia are not literally borne on leaves, but appear leaf-borne only when the sporangiophore is incorporated into the structure of the leaf. The megasporangium of Stauropteris, 74 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 a Lower Carboniferous pteridophyte, has a fertile portion and a sterile, vascularized basal portion. Only the apical spore-bearing portion constitutes the megasporangium, and it is sessile at the apex of a stem axis, the sporangiophore. Likewise, in the nucellus of seed plants only the hypodermal archesporium and its derivatives compose the megasporangium. In a crassinucellate nucellus, the archesporium produces a remnant sporangial wall, the parietal tissue, and one or more megasporocytes. The remainder of the nucellus is sporangiophore. In the tenuinucellate and pseudocrassinucellate types, the archesporium becomes a megasporocyte — a unicellular megasporangium. Periclinal divisions of the epidermis may extend the sporangiophore above the megasporangium. A primitive, multicellular archesporium may produce a megasporangium with abundant parietal tissue and several megasporocytes. Fertile integumentary telomes — By the telomic and double integument concepts, the integument was derived from sterile telomes. That some of the telome axes were fertile, however, is strongly suggested by the presence of sporogenous tissue in the integuments. Hypodermal archesporial cells sometimes appear in the integument of Limnanthes as the megasporocyte matures in the nucellus. In the Pinus sp. ovule, sporogenous cells sometimes appear near the flared apex of the integument, and in the integumentary axes of the bell-3 mutant. The unique megaspore of seed plants — Notwithstanding the oft stated definition of an ovule as an integumented megasporangium and the attention integument evolution has received, retention of one functional megaspore seemingly is regarded as the single most important requisite for the seed habit by many investigators Studies that provide insight into the mechanism of nutrient absorption and growth by spores disclose nothing that would distinguish retained megaspores of Selaginella from those of seed plants. That important distinction is found in the temporal relationship between two events: 1) nutrient absorption and growth; and 2) spore germination, i.e., development of the gametophyte. The megaspore of Selaginella, whether dispersed or retained, accumulates nutrients in an amount sufficient to produce a mature female gametophyte and embryo prior to the first division of its nucleus. All megaspores, except those of seed plants, follow this pattern and are here designated energy-storage megaspores. The energy required for endosporic development and maturation of the female gametophyte is endogenous, and none is acquired from the environment during the process. On the other hand, seed plant megaspores accumulate nutrients, grow, and initiate female gametophyte development concomitantly and are designated energy-transfer megaspores. The endosporic female gametophyte develops and matures with energy derived from the nucellus over the entire course of the process. The energy-storage megaspores of Selaginella attain nutrients from the disorganized collage of defunct, degenerating megasporocytes, the tapetum, and the inner layer of the sporangial wall. Energy-transfer megaspores are situated in a compact, metabolically active tissue, the nucellus, which at the tetrad stage derives energy itself from afar through the funiculus. This variation in the immediate environment of the two types of megaspores may account for the very significant distinction in their relationship to female gametophyte development. Invited Research Paper 75 Evidence favors derivation of the energy-transfer megaspore from the energy-storage type. Hypothetically the transition might have begun with a megasporangium, positioned at the apex of a vascularized sporangiophore (stem), and containing a single tetrahedral tetrad with one functional, energy- storage megaspore. Three major changes led to the gradual development of compact tissue around the megasporocyte and tetrad: 1) a shift of the superficial archesporium to the hypodermis; 2) growth of the megasporocyte and/or functional megaspore downward into the tissue of the sporangiophore; and 3) retention of defunct sporogenous tissue, tapetum, and/or the sporangial wall (parietal tissue) in a viable, healthy state. Development of a compact nucellus probably occurred as the period of nutrient accumulation in the functional megaspore lengthened toward establishment of the energy-transfer condition. In any case, these changes markedly altered the environment of the megasporocyte. On the Origin of Leaves: The Telome Theory Revised Abstract — According to the telome theory, leaves (megaphylls) originated from isotomous, cruciate branches of dichotomous shoot systems. Reduced growth in alternating branches of successive dichotomies, overtopping, formed lateral branch sets. The cruciate branches were reoriented to one plane (, planation ) followed by acropetal, lateral fusion ( syngenesis or webbing) to form flat, isotomously veined laminae. In this revision, overtopping established lateral indeterminate sets of isotomous, three-dimentionally disposed branches. Growth reduction basipetally transformed each set to a determinate system to form a new structure — the leaf. Change from three to two division planes in the apical cell of each initial lateral truss flattened the cylindrical branches ( fasciation ). Basipetal lamination occurred with a heterochronic shift in the timing of lobe initiation and duration of lobe growth. Planation followed rather than preceded this process, so to alter slightly the three-dimensional nature of the lamina. The Telome Theory Revised — As indeterminate shoots mature, growth gradually reduces and finally ceases acropetally. However, in the part of the shoot that is determinate (i.e., the leaf), growth reduction and cessation first occurs in the distal portion and proceeds basipetally. Basipetal reduction of growth is a common phenomenon for determinate leaves throughout vascular plant taxa. The phenomenon was elegantly shown by Donnelly, et al. (1997) in developing leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. transformed with the GUS gene inserted into the promoter of the cyclinlAT gene (cyclAT::GUS). GUS is expressed as a blue coloration uniformly distributed initially and disappearing basipetally as the leaves mature. Leaf evolution involved the imposition of a determinate growth pattern on a portion of the indeterminate shoot system. Overtopping — From an isotomous, three-dimensional shoot system, growth reduction in alternating branches of successive dichotomies established lateral, isotomous, three-dimensional, and indeterminate branch sets separated from one another on a pseudomonopodium. The cessation of growth in the terminal dichotomies and progressing basipetally established determinate branch systems, laterally placed on the main axis and comprising the most primitive expression of a new structure — the leaf. At this point the leaf consisting of the petiole (the initial lateral truss) and the lamina composed of a fixed number of cylindrical elements (Figs. 14A, 15A). 76 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Fig. 14A-F Leaf origin; basipetal lamination of three-dimensional, isotomously branched appendages on a shoot axis. A. Four dichotomous sets of cylindrical axes, a primitive leaf produced by overtopping. B. Fasciation of cylindrical axes above initial truss. C. Basipetal lamination by heterochrony, equalizing expansion of parent and sibling lobes. D. Lamination progressively increases. E. Lamination equal in the fourth and third sets; less complete respectively in the second and first bifurcations. F. Lamina partially planated; still three-dimensional (A,B. cf F.). Faciation — In each lateral system, the cylindrical axes above the initial truss were flattened by transformation of a tetrahedral apical cell to one with two cutting faces instead of three. Fasciation, not included in the original telome concept, is regarded here, with few exceptions, as prerequisite to lamination. Phylogenetically, fasciation probably appeared first in the ultimate telomes and progressed basipetally, and the elements of each lateral system would appear collectively as a deeply divided, dichotomously lobed, simple leaf. The lamina, however, would be unlike the leaf of any extant plant (Fig. 14B). The three- dimensional distribution of vascular traces in the megasporophylls of Cycadales suggest an absence of fasciation altogether. Basipetal Lamination — Lamination of separate lobes occurred basipetally by a heterochronic shift in timing of lobe initiation and duration of lobe growth. The shift first occurred when the distal lobes of the ultimate appendages (14B) were initiated early followed by growth slowed to the rate of lobes in the previous dichotomy, until it altogether ceased basipetally. The ultimate effect was equalized expansion of parent and sibling lobes. Phylogenetically, the heterochronic shift progressed basipetally to the proximal lobes of the lamina (Fig. 14C, cf Figs. 14D-F, 15B-D). In the ontogeny of any example type figured in this phylogenetic sequence (Fig. 15), lobe expansion decreases with each Invited Research Paper 77 succeeding dichotomy. Thus, lamination is least complete in the first dichotomy and most complete for the fourth set of bifurcations (Fig. 15B[a-d] - D[a-d]). With this mechanism in effect, planation of the three-dimensional axes would not have preceded lamination. Fig. 15A-D Ontogeny for phylogenetic stages in basipetal lamination of determinate isotomously lobed primitive shoot appendages. A(a-d). Rapid growth of sibling lobes diminishes with each succeeding dichotomy (Aa cf b,c,d). B(a-d). Initiation of lobes in each dichotomy early in the growth period of the previous bifurcation(Ba cf b,c,d). C(a-d). With greater decrease in lobe emergence with each succeeding dichotomy (Ca cf b,c,d); lamination proceeds basipetally. D(a-d). Maximal equalization of lobe growth (Da cf b,c,d). Basipetal lamination increases with each phylogenetic stage (A cf B,C,D). Planation — Several ontogenetic features support the contention that the partial flattening of the lamina as the axes (lobes) progressively occupied fewer geometric planes was the consequence of basipetal lamination. Vascular traces of the first and second dichotomies in the primary leaves of Woodwardia virginica are cruciate and those more distally placed are progressively less three- dimensional. The lamina becomes somewhat flattened but never fully planate; never quite two-dimensional. Greater the equalization of growth in parent and sibling lobes, greater is the tendency toward planation. That is, expansion of the 78 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 lobes in unison tends to compromise their original three-dimensional configuration. (See Herr, 1999.) New Uses for Calcium Chloride Solution as a Mounting Medium During the first half of the 19th century, microcopists searched for mounting media which would preserve whole mount and hand sectioned specimens on microscope slides. In 1841, Professor P. Harting of Utrecht introduced calcium chloride solution as a superior mountant (Rooseboom, 1956). The hydroscopic nature of calcium chloride negates the need for hermetically sealing the preparations, and specimens prepared in 1848 are still in good condition. Glycerin, introduced in 1849, and glycerin jelly in 1852 gradually replaced the calcium chloride mountant. In the report here, calcium chloride solution is shown to be useful as a clearing agent, as a medium for specifically staining lignified tissue, and as a superior mountant for sections and whole mounts of plant specimens. Fresh cross sections of stems ( Psilotum nudum) 120 pm thick were fixed in FPA50 (formalin: propionic acid: 50% ethanol, 5:5:90, v/v) for 24 hr and stored in 70% ethanol. The sections were transferred to water and then to 1% phloroglucin in 20% calcium chloride solution plus either hydrochloric, nitric, or lactic acid in the following ratios of phloroglucn-CaCI2 solution : acid; 25:4, 20:2, or 15:5. The sections were mounted on slides in the mixture or in fresh calcium chloride solution. A rapid reaction of the acid-phloroglucin with lignin produced a deep red color in tracheary elements and an orange-red color in sclerenchyma. In addition a new method was devised for specifically staining lignified tissues. When sections are stained in aqueous 0.05% toluidine blue O, then placed in 20% calcium chloride soludtion, all tissues destain except those with lignified or partially lignified cell walls. Thus, toluidine blue O applied as described becomes a reliable specific test for lignin comparable to the acid-phloroglucin test. Perhaps of greater importance is a scenario of events that should be more often visited, viz., the combination of past technologies with those of the present. Here, a 19th century mounting medium applied to stem sections stained with a 20th century dye produced a new test for lignin. (See Herr, 1992b) Acknowledgments For their continuing dedication to the exploration of structural and developmental variation in angiosperms, the author with special appreciation acknowledges the following colleagues whose investigations have been cited here: Cynthia A. Aulbach, Glenda P. George, Ralph A. George, Gerald W. Long, David H. Rembert, and Bruce B. Smith. 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Canadian Journal of Botany 57: 1668-1672. 82 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Thought-provoking educational modules and BRINGING AUTHENTIC INQUIRYTO SCIENCE INSTRUCTION professional development on: * Biotechnology * GIS and GPS * Image Analysis * Neuroscience * Environmental Science * Ocean Science * Environmental Health Science * Volumetric Image Analysis SCIENCE APPROACH (520)322-0118 www.science-approach.com 2009 Darwin Symposium Summary 83 A MEMORABLE ASB EVENT: ‘DARWIN 200’ SYMPOSIUM ROBERT Y. GEORGE Professor Emeritus and President, George Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability, 1730 Vanagrif Ct., Wake Forest, North Carolina 27587. INTRODUCTION According to darwinday.org, there were 720 events in 45 countries in 2009 to celebrate the life and the discoveries of Charles Darwin who was born 200 years ago on February 12, 1809. The Association of Southeastern Biologists (ASB) proudly hosted the ‘Darwin 200’ symposium on April 3, 2009 during its 70th annual meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. In my article on the history and purpose of the ‘ASB Darwin Bicentennial symposium’ in Vol. 50 No. 4 ‘Southeastern Biology’ in October 2009, I presented arguments to prove that Charles Darwin was really a genius and apostle of secular humanism. On Nov. 9, 2009 Thomas Woodward, the founder of the C.S. Lewis Society and the author of the 2009 book “Darwin Strikes Back: Defending the Science of Intelligent Design”, presented the “Darwin Lecture” to celebrate the Darwin Bicentennial event in the ‘Center for Faith and Culture’ in Wake Forest, North Carolina. I participated in the Wake Forest event and posed the question to Woodward: Why do you call Darwin “A GENTLEMAN NATURALIST”? His answer was that “Darwin discovered natural selection as early as 1844 when he wrote to his friend Joseph Hooker but only in 1857 he agreed to present his theory before the Linnaean Society in London, after Alfred Wallace discovered also the very same process ‘Natural Selection’. As a gentleman naturalist (Darwin never had formal academic training in biology), Darwin embraced Alfred Wallace and became co-discoverer of “natural selection theory”. Years ago, ASB hosted a symposium on “Intelligent Design” and also published the proceedings of the symposium in the ASB Bulletin. However, we do not intend to publish the proceedings of the symposium on ‘Darwin 200’ in Birmingham, Alabama, but an extended “summary statements” from all speakers are included in this article for the benefit of ASB members, particularly those who constituted the audience for this memorable ASB event on April 3, 2009. The goal of ‘ASB Darwin 200’ symposium is two-fold. With my co-organizer, Dr. Jim Costa, we felt the need, first for addressing the mechanism of evolution, as guided by the process of natural selection, and second for addressing with equal emphasis the question of taking action to protect the rapidly declining biodiversity, in an alarming planetary scale because of human exploitations of nature in the form of deforestation, excessive carbon dioxide emissions and pollution. The champion for conservation of nature, Prof. Edward O. Wilson of Harvard University himself, was there in Birmingham during the ASB Darwin Bicentennial symposium in Birmingham. Wilson’s remarks and his very presence made the ASB symposium really unique. I am pleased that I played a role in inviting Ed Wilson to his birthplace, Birmingham, Alabama, and thankful to him for working with me in the battle for protection of biodiversity, as exemplified in a 84 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 recent event we both co-chaired in Harvard University to save the newly discovered seamounts and deep-water coral ecosystems where biodiversity abounds! Prof. Bob George and Prof. Ed Wilson in front of Harvard Faculty Club. WELCOMING REMARKS BY PROF. JAMES COSTA My co-organizer, Prof. Bob George and I would like to thank the ASB leadership and conference organizers for their steadfast support for this symposium, and express our appreciation to our symposium participants — some of whom kindly stepped in to take part at short notice in the wake of untimely cancellations. In this double Darwin anniversary year, many of our institutions have been celebrating Darwin’s life and work, especially his grand vision for the ever- burgeoning Tree of Life, to cite Darwin’s own metaphor. Bob George and I thought that, in celebrating Darwin’s vision, we might also take the opportunity to step back and take stock of his Tree of Life — of the state of biodiversity and the planet’s ecological systems in the face of large-scale perturbation by human agency. “ Natural Selection: Past, Present, and Future" is thus an exploration of selection in several contexts — • the process as Darwin conceived it, & his vision for natural selection’s central role in generating biological diversity; • selection as it has played out in the history of life; 2009 Darwin Symposium Summary 85 • and selection as it is playing out today through anthropogenic influences that have a global reach in marine and terrestrial systems. “Natural Selection Past, Present, and Future” DARWIN BICENTENNIAL SYMPOSIUM Friday, April 3, 2009 • 1 :30 - 5:00 pm ASB Annual Meeting, Birmingham, Alabama Organizers and Moderators: Robert Y. George President, George Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability, & Professor of Marine Biology Emeritus, UNC-Wilmington James T. Costa Executive Director, Highland Biological Station & Professor of Biology, Western Carolina University 1 :30 Welcome and opening remarks - James T. Costa 1:35-2:00. James T. Costa (Highlands Biological Station & Western Carolina University) — Darwin evolving: Historical Perspectives on Natural Selection & Biodiversity 2:00 - 2:30. Andrew Berry (Harvard University) -- Gould's Rewind Rewound: Determinism & Contingency in the History of Life 2:30 - 3:00. Kenneth Sulak (University of Florida & US Geological Survey) — Darwin’s Fishes: Reflections from Daniel Pauly’s ‘Encyclopedia of Ichthyology, Ecology and Evolution” 3:00 - 3:30 COFFEE BREAK 3:30 - 4:00. Howard Neufeld (Appalachian State University) - The Forgotten Component of Global Climate Change: Air Pollution as a Driver of Plant Evolution 4:00 - 4:30. Conley K. McMullen (James Madison University) - Changes in the Islands that Changed the World: Galapagos Phytogeography and the Invasive Species Problem 4:30. Introduction and appreciation of E. O. Wilson. James T. Costa 4:30 - 5:00. Edward O. Wilson (Harvard University) — The Future TALK NO. 1 SUMMARY STATEMENT Darwin Evolving: A historical perspective on Darwin’s view of natural selection and ecology James T. Costa - Highlands Biological Station, 265 N. Sixth Street, Highlands, NC 28741 USA and Department of Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723 USA. 86 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 This first talk in the ASB Darwin Symposium is a look back at how Darwin developed his natural selection concept, how he envisioned this mechanism generating biological diversity, and his thinking on how natural selection operates in ecological systems. Darwin apparently became convinced of the reality of evolution - transmutation in the terminology of his day - in March 1837, some five months after returning from his Beagle voyage, as the remarkable nature of his fossil, bird, and other collections were impressed upon him by specialists. Once convinced of species change, Darwin immediately began pondering how this occurs; his notebooks reveal wide-ranging speculation, including blind alleys and false starts such as saltational change, or the idea that species have a more or less prescribed period of existence in geological time. The idea of a selection process stemmed from his reading and knowledge of agricultural breeding; leading breeders in 18th and 19th century England used such terms as “picking,” “choosing,” and “selection” to describe their art, and argued forcefully that “judicious selection” is the way breeds are improved, as opposed to mere crossing. Darwin owned and annotated breeding tracts, and consciously set about trying to discover a natural version of the agricultural breeders’ means of improvement. He hit upon the mechanism of natural selection in October 1838, upon reading Malthus’s 1798 Essay on the Principle of Population. He later wrote that Malthus had given him “a theory by which to work,” but the mechanism was incomplete for a long period. By the 1850s Darwin realized that natural selection must have both creative and destructive roles; the destructive, winnowing, aspect of selection is clear, but how does selection generate diversity? This came to him in the mid-1850s, and he called it his “Principle of Divergence.” In Darwin’s thinking selection acts such that species and varieties that compete least tend to persist - presaging modern competitive exclusion and niche partitioning theory. Selection thus enforces divergence, and iterated over time this process leads to a branching and re¬ branching pattern of lineages, or biological diversification. This amounts to an “ecological division of labor” whereby generation of diversity is linked to ecological productivity and species co-existence, an idea in part inspired by the “physiological division of labor” concept developed in 1827 by Henri Milne- Edwards (himself inspired by Adam Smith’s “invisible hand”). The idea that specialization and partitioning can lead to increased efficiency and stability became a central idea of Darwin’s, and he saw it behind a trend toward the evolution of sexes, the stable co-existence of diverse species in a limited area, and the Tree of Life itself. It also led Darwin to downplay the importance of isolation in speciation (despite the role that island endemism initially played in convincing him of transmutation), and to emphasize determinism via selection- honed competitiveness over chance in shaping biological communities, as reflected in his famous “entangled bank” metaphor. Darwin took a dispassionate view of competitive interactions, including the perturbation caused by species introductions and the role that humans play in this. He noted, for example, cases where island flora and fauna were “rapidly yielding before the advancing legions of plants and animals introduced from Europe,” and in fact took this as evidence for the superior action of selection in continental areas to increase competitiveness. Species displacement on a massive scale was also described by Darwin’s friend Joseph Dalton Hooker in his 1859 book On the Flora of Australia. Hooker seemed awed by the ease with 2009 Darwin Symposium Summary 87 which native species were displaced, noting how “intrusive” species established themselves with a power “the real nature of which... no conception has been formed by naturalists, and which has not even a name in the language of biology.” We now describe these as “invasives” or “aggressive exotics.” Since Darwin’s time ecologists have greatly refined our understanding of the structure of biological communities and the ecology of invasives, and natural selection remains an important component of ecological theory. Darwin did not romanticize nature, but I wonder, if he could witness the scale of ecological perturbation of the past century, if he would share our lament for the effect this has had on biological diversity. He recognized that humans and human agency are a part of the natural world; “Still,” he wrote in a letter to Hooker, “the question makes me giddy from its complication.” TALK NO. 2 SUMMARY STATEMENT Gould’s Rewind Rewound: Determinism & Contingency in the History of Life Andrew Berry — Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138. Stephen Jay Gould famously emphasized the contingent nature of the history of life on earth, invoking a thought experiment in which we "replay the tape of life", each time, Gould asserted, with very different outcomes. I take two different (and independent) approaches to investigate Gould's claim, paleontology and island biology. The fossil record provides clear evidence of occasional catastrophic events resulting in significant net loss of taxa. It is not clear whether or not these events are uniformly due to accelerations in extinction rates (i.e. should formally be termed mass extinction events) or are sometimes due to other factors, such as a decline in taxon origination rates. In some cases, likely causal factors have been identified, most notably a Caribbean extra-terrestrial bolide impact in the K/T event, but even here it is not certain that the impact alone was responsible for the extinction event. Volcanic activity in the Deccan Traps may also have been an important contributory factor. There is no general pattern: each peak in taxon loss appears to have been due to a unique confluence of various circumstances. Regardless of cause, however, it is apparent that these events have played a major role in restructuring the biosphere. The most cited example is the ecological release in favor of mammals following the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs. Molecular phylogenetic data now suggests that mammals had anyway diversified phylogenetically considerably during the Cretaceous but it is nevertheless clear from the fossil record that, post K/T, they underwent explosive adaptive radiation. Because these "extinction" events were unpredictable and each had one-of-a-kind biotic consequences -- it would not have been possible, a priori, to predict that mammals would survive the K/T event while non-avian dinosaurs did not — they argue strongly in favor of Gould's claim. The evidence from island biology, in contrast, is less supportive of Gould. Every newly formed oceanic island is an independent evolutionary experiment. What taxa successfully colonize an island is a function both of serendipity -- the freak storm that resulted in finch ancestors being blown out to the Galapagos -- and of deterministic biological factors, such as a taxon's trans-oceanic dispersal abilities 88 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 -- it is no accident that amphibia are under-represented on oceanic islands. The resulting mix of successful colonists is inevitably a structural departure from the ecosystem(s) from which the colonists were drawn. This mismatch between a somewhat-serendipitously-assembled island ecosystem and the equivalent ecosystem on the mainland is termed "disharmony." Island evolution is a response to disharmony. In a simple case, the adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches in the Galapagos was a response to the disharmonic absence of other passerines in the islands. On a grander scale, consider the absence of mammals in New Zealand, where a whole clade of flightless birds, the moas, evolved to occupy typical mammalian niches. Because of the crapshoot element of island colonization, each island can be regarded as a mini re-run of Gould's tape. Interestingly, the results are not as haphazard as Gould would suggest. First we see a number of convergent phenomena that occur on multiple islands: for example, the evolution of flightlessness in birds (presumably in response to the absence of terrestrial predators). Second, we see the convergent evolution of ecotypes. The New Zealand mammal/moa example makes the point: even though the taxa inhabiting particular ecological niches are very different, they carry out similar ecological roles. This phenomenon of convergent adaptive radiation is most readily seen in instances of related taxa colonizing independent islands -- see for example Caribbean Anolis lizards or cichlid fish in Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika -- but also occurs when, courtesy of the contingency of island colonization, very different taxa converge ecologically. The under-bark probing niche of woodpeckers is typically not occupied by woodpeckers on islands (partly because woodpeckers are generally poor dispersers) but we see the evolution of woodpecker surrogates on many different islands: the middle finger of the lemur, Daubentonia madagascariensis, is elongated to facilitate this behavior; the woodpecker finch, Camarhynchus pallidus, in the Galapagos uses a cactus thorn to the same end. In conclusion, Gould is about 50% right. The history of life is indeed contingent, but the structure of ecosystems demands that organisms evolve to fit a standard ecological template. TALK NO. 3 SUMMARY STATEMENT Reflections from Daniel Pauley’s ‘Darwin’s Fishes’: Charles Darwin and Edward O. Wilson as two Prophets Ken Sulak — Research Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Gainesville, FI 32601 Prof. Bob George conceived today’s ASB ‘Darwin 200’ symposium and graciously invited me to ply my undergraduate memories as former student in Prof. Edward O. Wilson’s introductory biology class in the Harvard University, 45 years ago.. The poetry and passion of his lectures, his deep knowledge of animal behavior, and the romance of his natural history vignettes from ants to antelopes in far away place were powerful magic for me and my fellow students. My challenge today is to briefly capture the philosophical importance and impact of Darwin and Wilson to modern biology, and to the evolutionary-basis of human behavior and society that has emerged from these powerful intellects working in tandem, a century apart. Daniel Pauley’s book “Darwin’s Fishes - An Encyclopedia of Ichthyology, Ecology and Evolution” serves as a jumping off 2009 Darwin Symposium Summary 89 point to explore the synergistic intellectual dynamic and impact of Darwin and Wilson. In his book, “The Creation - An Appeal to Save Life on Earth”, Wilson observed that: “Scientists by and large are too modest to be prophets. ” However, both Darwin and Wilson are at their core both modern-day secular prophets, whose revelations have fundamentally revised our understanding of nature, science, and mankind - and whose insights are now critical to social embracement of biodiversity and the preservation of the world’s biota. Darwin’s revelations sat aside the classical model of fixity and predetermination, as well as a subsequent revisionist creationism. Together, Darwin and Wilson have provided a holistic biological truth about the natural world, with mankind included in the evolutionary fold. Thus Wilson reveals that Homo sapiens, human behavior, and human society have also been anciently shaped by Darwinian natural selection, despite the cultural plasticity of human societies. Society at large was ready for Darwin’s revelation. A fundamental unifying truth about the biological universe and the history of life on Earth had been revealed and thereafter became a powerful and enduring force both in science and society. Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection simply explained too many things too well to be ignored or suppressed. Similarly, Wilson’s “ Sociobiology - The New Synthesis”, elegantly explained the underlying evolutionary basis of human social behavior. But, from the fierce social and intellectual backlash that they endured, both Darwin and Wilson discovered that revolutions are not bought cheaply. However, Wilson has not sought to directly pit science against religion. Instead, he has advanced neo-Darwinist scientific materialism as an “alternative mythology” that respects but challenges traditional religious myth. On the basis of overwhelming evidence, he argues the validity of evolutionary theory. In “The Creation”, he respectfully enjoins the religious community to engage in mutual stewardship of Earth’s great, but fragile, gift of biodiversity, now perilously threatened on all quarters by human civilization. Darwin’s contemporary Richard Owen, director of the British Museum, objected to Darwin that: “...Your book attempts to explain everything.” And, in large measure, it did, providing a grand synthesis in biology on a par with the subsequent grand unifying theory in physics. Never one to equivocate or mince words, Ernst Mayr, has even more emphatically written: ’’...the Darwinian revolution was the greatest of all intellectual revolutions in the history of mankind.” I second Mayr’s unequivocal pronouncement, and dub Darwin the first and most important secular prophet of the modern scientific age. His prophecy was that the origin and diversification of the earth’s diverse biota, and indeed all biological phenomena, could be rationally understood as an evolutionary process derived from natural laws. I dub E. O. Wilson, the most widely recognized and respected voice in contemporary biology, the second prophet of the Modern Synthesis of evolutionary understanding of the natural world, recognizing his extension of that Synthesis into multiple disciplines of biology, with poignant forward-looking philosophical insights into the deep relationship between man and the Earth’s biota, and near-future impacts of unconstrained human populations upon nature. A disciple of the Darwinian revolution, Wilson presents an intellect of equal power and insight, yielding revelations of great significance in several distinct scientific disciplines. Thus, in 1989, the fellows of the Animal 90 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Behavior Society rated hisl 975 magnus opus “Sociobiology”, controversial at the time of its publication, the most important book on animal behavior ever published, exceeding only Darwin’s 1872 “The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.” In his books “The Creation”, and “The Future of Life”, both directed at a general audience, Wilson eloquently makes the case for a deep evolutionary bond between human society and nature, while advancing a dire prophecy for the world’s rapidly declining biodiversity, with humanity facing a much impoverished biosphere in the near future. But, he optimistically argues that love of nature is a fundamental human attribute, and that it is not too late to ply this attribute to rescue the Earth’s biodiversity. Thus, despite his disclaimer about scientists as unlikely prophets in “The Creation”, Wilson’s language in that same book-length sermon speaks otherwise, in advancing this proscription for a unified vision of the natural world: "... it will be necessary to find common ground on which the powerful forces of religion and science can be joined. The best place to start is the stewardship of life. Obviously, neither religion nor science has addressed this great issue effectively.... “...I’ve not tried to water down in any way the fundamental difference between science and mainstream religion concerning the origin of life. God made the Creation, you say. This truth is plainly stated in Holy Scripture. Twenty-five centuries of theology and much of Western civilization have been built upon it. But no, I say, respectfully. Life is self- assembled by random mutation and natural selection of the codifying molecules. As radical as such an explanation may seem, it is supported by an overwhelming body of interlocking evidence. It might yet prove wrong, but year by year that seems less probable. And, it raises this theological question: “Would God have been so deceptive as to salt the earth with so much misleading evidence?” If we admit the existence of a Creator, then we might surmise that he would be profoundly dismayed by what mankind has done with his creation, and that a new set of prophets of powerful and persuasive intellect were needed, and were dispatched to shake up the establishment, revolutionize our understanding of his natural laws, and to preserve was has been created. In honoring today the revolutionary insights and proscriptions of Charles Darwin and Edward O. Wilson for science and society, one could simply paraphrase Professor Wilson to pose this question: “ Would God have been so deceptive as to salt the earth with two such profound modern-day prophets without great purpose in doing so?” TALK NO. 4 SUMMARY STATEMENT The Forgotten Component of Global Climate Change: Air Pollution as a Driver of Evolution Howard S. Neufeld - Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC In this talk, I emphasize that air pollution, both natural and anthropogenically derived, acts as a selective agent on plants. The End Permian extinction 253 mya stands out as a potential example of natural pollution acting as a selective agent. Massive volcanic activity at that time in the Siberian Traps in Asia produced massive amounts of organohalogens that depleted stratospheric ozone so extensively that dangerously high levels of UV-B radiation penetrated to the earth’s surface. The global presence of fossilized mutated conifer spores at this 2009 Darwin Symposium Summary 91 time, as noted by Professor Henk Visscher at the University of Utrecht, strongly backs such a scenario. Further support comes from the modern presence of mutated spores in the Antarctic thought to have been caused by the high UV-B levels there, which in turn, occur because anthropogenically derived chlorofluorocarbon compounds have destroyed the stratospheric ozone layer over that continent. Moving up to modern times, plants growing near active volcanoes on the Big Island in Hawaii’s have evolved resistance to high levels of sulfur dioxide (S02). Much of this resistance comes from greater stomatal closure by insensitive plants, thereby limiting the uptake of S02. S02 pollution can also result from anthropogenic sources, such as coal-fired power plants. George Taylor studied the responses of Carolina geranium ( Geranium carolinianum) to S02 emissions from the Yates Power Plant in western Georgia. He found that in just 30 years, plants were able to evolve tolerance to S02. Populations growing close to the power plant had few to no sensitive individuals while populations that grew farther away did, suggesting selection by S02 against sensitive individuals. Interestingly, the mechanisms by which these plants dealt with high S02 differed from those in Hawaii. These latter plants evolved resistance to S02 by closing their stomata, allowing them to avoid pollution stress, while insensitive plants in Georgia failed to show any such response. Instead, insensitive plants evolved a biochemical tolerance to S02 which allowed them to detoxify the pollutant more efficiently than could sensitive plants. However, there is no free lunch, either in the business world or the natural world. The evolution of S02 tolerance by geraniums apparently comes at a cost of reduced photosynthesis. In the absence of S02, sensitive plants have higher rates of photosynthesis than tolerant plants, whereas this is reversed in areas with high S02. In pollution-free situations, sensitive individuals out-compete tolerant individuals, thereby maintaining themselves in the population. However, under S02 stress, these same individuals are selected against, leaving only tolerant plants. As noted by Louis Pitelka, this difference between sensitive and tolerant individuals in the resources available for reproduction and growth under pristine conditions can be considered the “cost’ of evolving air pollution tolerance. Nowadays, such dramatic instances of anthropogenic S02 pollution are rare because the Clean Air Act has been spectacularly successful. Levels of S02 have dropped by nearly 76% since their peak in 1970, and almost no counties in the United States are out of compliance anymore. But tropospheric ozone (03) is another matter! Although it protects against excess ultra-violet radiation when in the stratosphere, its presence close to the ground (troposphere) is cause for great concern due to its very high phytotoxicity. In the Smokies, Lara Souza showed that -25% of tall milkweed ( Asclepias exaltata) plants were less sensitive than others growing in the same population. The basis for this difference in sensitivity was biochemical, not stomatal: less sensitive individuals had higher extra-cellular levels of the potent anti-oxidant ascorbate (Vitamin C), which protected them against 03 stress. Heagle and associates in North Carolina, exposed white clover ( Trifolium repens) plants for two years to 03 ranging from 59% of ambient, to nearly two times ambient (1 .95x). Then, these same plants were exposed to 200 ppb 03 and 92 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 a frequency distribution of the percent leaf area injured plotted. Plants grown in high 03 had fewer sensitive individuals than those grown in low 03, suggesting a strong selective impact of the 03. This remains one of the best studies showing 03 alone acting as a selective agent. In England, Alan Davison and his associates followed changes in 03 sensitivity in populations of the common weed, Plantago major. Sensitive phenotypes were eliminated from a field site after just one season of high 03 exposure. Later, after collecting individuals from all across Europe, they found a significant, positive linear relationship between 03 exposure in their native habitat and resistance to 03, suggesting selection against sensitive populations in areas with chronically high 03. However, these were correlative studies only and not definitive proof of cause and effect solely by 03. These same researchers also exposed Plantago populations with high and low sensitivities to controlled amounts of 03 and after exposure, selected only the most resistant or most sensitive to inbreed to produce the next generation. After only four generations they found that increased sensitivity, but not decreased sensitivity, could be selected for in the tolerant population, while the reverse was true for the sensitive population. This not only showed the selective power of 03> but also that its impact depended on the prior 03 history of the population. Molecular biology shows promise for furthering our understanding of differential 03 sensitivity in plants. A meta-analysis showed 03 induced high rates of evolution in plants compared to other selective agents, and that morphological traits tended to evolve faster than physiological traits. When stressed by ozone, plants that were less sensitive unregulated defensive genes sooner than more sensitive genotypes, suggesting that differential sensitivity among individual plants had a molecular basis for its expression. Lastly, the figure below suggests a model for pollution driven evolution in plants. Stochastic fluctuations in pollutant stress (chronic/acute) bring about decreases and increases in selective power, respectively, which in turn, serve to maintain genotypic diversity in natural populations. A Model for Pollution Driven Plant Evolution Acute Str Years Reduction in % of Sensitive Genotypes Reduction in % of Tolerant Genotypes Plant Populations with Genetic Variation in Sensitivity to Stress 4 Reduced Population Genetic Variation and Increased Susceptibility of Species to Other Stresses « Chronic Stress Years Diversion of Resources to Homeostatic Repair Mechanisms; Altered Carbon Allocation I Low Stress Years Tolerant Genotypes Unableto Compete in Absence of Stress Restoration of I Continued GenotypicVariability Low Stress due to Immigration and Years Sexual Reproduction 2009 Darwin Symposium Summary 93 TALK NO. 5 SUMMARY STATEMENT Changes in the Islands that Changed the World: Galapagos Phytogeography and the Invasive Species Problem Conley K. McMullen -- Department of Biology, MSC 7801, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807 The Galapagos archipelago (13 major islands and 100+ smaller islands), located west of mainland Ecuador, is comprised of dry, tropical islands, most of which are less than two million years old. First mention of these islands was made in 1535 by Tomas de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama. After happening upon the archipelago, Berlanga’s official report emphasized the giant tortoises, seals, iguanas, and tame birds encountered, as well as the extreme lack of suitable agricultural land. This report no doubt benefited the archipelago in the long term, as few persons desired to visit such an inhospitable spot. In fact, for the next 300 years, visitors to the islands consisted primarily of whalers, pirates, sealers, and military personnel making brief stopovers to look for supplies. Rarely were visits made for the purpose of satisfying scientific curiosity. This changed dramatically on 15 September 1835, when Charles Darwin entered Galapagos waters aboard H.M.S. Beagle. During the next five weeks, Darwin visited four islands and made 209 plant collections. Almost 75% of these were new records for the archipelago, although Darwin was not initially aware of this. After visiting San Cristobal Island and botanizing to the best of his abilities, Darwin lamented that he had collected so few plants, and suggested that those he saw appeared rather wretched. However, time and the influence of botanist Joseph D. Hooker appear to have stimulated Darwin's interest in the flora, as he later admitted that Galapagos botany was just as interesting as its zoology! And, Darwin’s discussions with Hooker helped him realize that the Galapagos flora was undoubtedly linked to western America. For example, he was keenly aware that the endemic species of prickly pear cacti were related to those found in mainland South America. Darwin was also intrigued by the fact that several of the islands possessed their own unique species within a particular genus (e.g. Alternanthera, Lecocarpus, Opuntia, Scalesia). Indeed, Darwin’s post-voyage writings show a growing interest in the then relatively new field of plant geography (phytogeography). Currently, the Galapagos angiosperm flora numbers 238 endemics, 314 natives, and 825 exotics. And, it turns out that Hooker and Darwin were correct that most of the endemics and natives did in fact originate in western South America! Methods of long-distance dispersal to the archipelago included internal and external transport by birds (60%), wind (30%), and oceanic drift (10%). Once one or more individuals of a species became established, reproduction was required for long-term survival. Studies have shown that, compared to the mainland, there is a paucity of insect pollinators in the archipelago (e.g. a single native bee species). As a result of this dearth in pollinators, the majority of endemic and native angiosperms that have become established are self¬ compatible. In fact, most also show the ability to set fruit via autonomous autogamy, that is, no pollinator needed! The flowering plants that successfully became established now inhabit one of three ecological zones (coastal, arid lowlands, moist uplands). As mentioned above, the largest group of flowering plants is now comprised of exotics, those plants brought to the islands by humans, either accidentally or on purpose (agriculture, landscaping). And, some 94 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 of these exotics are rather aggressive invasive plants. Among the worst are Cinchona pubescens (Rubiaceae), Lantana camara (Verbenaceae), Pennisetum purpureum (Poaceae), and Rubus niveus (Rosaceae). Introduced animals, including goats, cattle, and pigs also threaten the vegetation. Currently, among endemic plant species, 10% are critically endangered, 15% are endangered, and 40% are vulnerable. Despite the various problems caused by invasive species, there are several reasons for hope. A quarantine program is now in place to assist in stopping the arrival of new introduced plants and animals. Eradication projects are showing great promise, as goats and pigs have been exterminated from some islands, and a few of the worst invasive plants are now controlled to an extent. Another problem, the cottony-cushion scale insect has been successfully addressed via biological control. Finally, new attitudes are being fostered among inhabitants of the archipelago (recycling, conservation classes, endemic and native plant gardens, invasive plant and animal control). All in all, Darwin would undoubtedly be surprised at how well known the Galapagos have become, and hopefully pleased to see all that’s being done to preserve that ecosystem. CONCLUDING REMARKS: “THE FUTURE” Prof. Edward O. Wilson wrote a letter to Henry Thoreau, the author of “Walden Pond”, as a ‘prologue’ in his book on “The Future of Life”, published at the dawn of the 21st century in 2002, after the 9/11 episode that shocked the entire world and put mankind in misery. Wilson was optimistic in his letter to Thoreau to save the life on earth, as evident from his following statements: “Now in closing this letter, I am forced to report bad news. The natural world in the year 2001 is everywhere disappearing before our eyes, cut to pieces, mowed down, plowed under, gobbled up and replaced by human artifacts”. “Species of plants and animals are disappearing more than hundred times faster than before coming of humanity, and as many as half maybe gone by the end of this century. An Armageddon is approaching at the beginning of the third millennium”. “The race is between the technoscientific forces that are destroying the living environment and those that can be harnessed to save it. We are inside the bottle neck of overpopulation and wasteful consumption. If the race is won, humanity can emerge in far better condition than it entered, and with most diversity of life still in tact”. APPENDIX A LETTER FROM BOB GEORGE TO CHARLES DARWIN Charles: I hope you do not mind that I address you by first name. When you sailed around the world making great discoveries aboard HMS Beagle in the 1830s, there were millions of sea-turtles, swimming elegantly in the seas on their migratory journeys to their breeding grounds. Much to your regret and ours as 2009 Darwin Symposium Summary 95 well, these creatures are now declared as “endangered” and may even go extinct. Likewise, the ocean was loaded with billfish, sharks, tuna and swordfishes, the apex predatory species in the seas’ food chain but today these creatures are also dwindling because of over-fishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (lUUU-Fishing). What should we do to protect the biodiversity of the land and marine ecosystems? Mr. Darwin, in the last paragraph of your famous book “The Origin of Species”, published 150 years ago, you elegantly and emphatically wrote: “While this planet has gone cycling on according to the law of gravity (which another genius like you and my most favorite 20th century physicist Albert Einstein researched upon during his illustrious life with extraordinary devotion as you pursued your career discovering the greatest biological process called “Natural Selection”, the very mechanism of evolution of new species) from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and wonderful have been and are being evolved”. We are witnessing today the sad demise of these beautiful and wonderful species of both plants and animals because of human mismanagement and poor environmental stewardship. We now realize that human-induced climate change is this century’s challenge for both scientists and policy makers. We hope, as eminent naturalist E. O. Wilson appealed in his 2006 book ‘CREATION’, theologians and scientists will work together “to save life on earth”. Yours affectionately, Robert Y. George Ph.D. 96 SE Biology , Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Includes detailed illustrations ot taxonomic features, color pho¬ tographs of living specimens, and maps indicating distribution throughout the state Illustrated. S27.50 PAPER LSU PRESS Available at bookstores or online at uwiv. feu. edu/lsupress All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) Gatlinburg, Tennessee ATBI is an organization devoted to surveying all life in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. More information about the ATBI and Discovery Life in America (DLIA) may be obtained from the Executive Director, Todd Witcher, by e-mail todd@dlia.org. The website is http://www.discoverlifeinamerica.org or at http://www.dlia.org. The mailing address is Discover Life in America, 1314 Cherokee Orchard Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738-3627. The telephone number is (865) 430-4752. Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition (SAFC) Asheville, North Carolina As stated in their newsletter Across Our Mountains , SAFC is an organization dedicated to “working together to protect and restore southern Appalachian forests.” More information about SAFC may be obtained from their web site at http://www.safc.org, and by e-mail at safc@safc.org. The mailing address is Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, 46 Haywood Street, Suite 323, Asheville, North Carolina 28801-2838. The telephone number is (828) 252-9223. on Southeastern Naturalist Information 97 ASB and the Southeastern Naturalist ...! A shared tradition of natural history scholarship. Southeastern Naturalist Volume 8 2009 Number 3 NOW! Online supplementary' files possible! Publish your large maps, data tables, audio and video files, and even powerpoint files! Southeastern Naturalist ♦ The latest regional natural history research. ♦ NOW! Free online access for SENA subscribers to both the Southeastern Naturalist and its co-published journal North¬ eastern Naturalist at www.eaglehill.us. ♦ Notes section presenting brief but interesting and significant field observations. ♦ Concise reviews of new and notable books. ♦ Over 750 pages per year. For more information about subscriptions or submissions, visit us at: www.eaglehill.us/sena 98 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Southeastern Naturalist Volume 8 2009 Number 3 RESEARCH ARTICLES Temporal Variation of a Small-mammal Community at a Wetland Restoration Site in 381 Arkansas Tiffany A. Whitsitt and Philip A. Tappe Luring Small Mammals: A Lev els-of-organi/ation Perspective 387 Luis R. Rodas. Chad A. Jennison. Daniel B. Hall, and Gary W. Barrett Nutria Survivorship, Movement Patterns, and Home Ranges 399 Lauren E. Nolfo-Clements Surv ival and Habitat Use of Eeral Hogs in Missivsippi 411 Robert Hayes. Sam Riffell. Richard Minnis. and Brad Holder Use of Forest Edges by Free-ranging Cats and Dogs in an Urban Forest Fragment 427 Britni K. Marks and R. Scot Duncan Mud Track Plots: An Economical, Noninvasive Mammal Survey Technique 437 Ross R. Conover and Eric T. Linder Composition, Structure, and Dynamics of a Mature, Untnanaged, Pine-dominated 445 Old-field Stand in Southeastern Arkansas Don C. Bragg and Eric Heitzmafl Ozone-Induced Stipple on Plants in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina 471 Donald D. Davis Life History and Ecology of Cambarus lialli ( Hobbs) 479 Susan Dennard. James T. Peterson, and Edwin S. Hawthorne Abundance and Distribution of Larval and Juvenile Fundulus heteroclitus in 495 Northeast Florida Marshes Stacy N. Galleher, lara Gonzalez. Matthew R. Gilg. and Kelly J. Smith Vegetation Effects on Fish Distribution in Impounded Salt Marshes 503 Eric D. Stolen. Jaime A. Collazo, and H. Franklin Percival Influence of Microstegium vimineum Presence on Insect Abundance in Hardwood Forests 515 Jordan M. Marshall and David S. Buckley Fish Assemblage of a Cypress Wetland w ithin an Urban Landscape 527 Lucas J. Driver, Ginny L.. Adams, and S. Reid Adams Stopover-site Fidelity at a Near-coastal Banding Site in Georgia 537 Scott G. Somershoe, Don G. Cohrs. and Doris A. Cohrs Notes on Breeding Sharp-shinned Haw ks and Cooper’s Haw ks in Barnw ell County, 547 South Carolina Mark Vukovich and John C. Kilgo Eastern Kingsnake {lAimpropeltis getula getula) Home Ranges Exhibit Limited Overlap 553 David A. Steen and Lora L. Smith NOTES Range Extension of a Nonindigenous Midge, Polypedilum nubifer ( Diptcra: Chironomidae), 559 in North America Gregory S. Wallace. William R. Mabee, and Matthew D. Combes Observations tin the Nesting Ecology of the Mississippi Mud Turtle, Kinosternon subrubrum 563 hippocrepis Gray Noah J. Anderson and Brian D. Horne NOTEWORTHY BOOKS 566 Publication Date: September 30. 2009 Pruned on Recycled Pipn CO CtJ 05 4-5 o ■D 4-> CO c c .55 0 u ^ -a co £ To c QL CL D < £ to o5 S c u ^ 0 .c 4-> 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 £_ 0 T3 C 0 T3 C .05 0 0 x 0 - ^5 co 0 3 o £ W 0 a *= >> 0 o XI 0 0^ “ - 0 ^ I I 5 ■§ E <- a Id o 0 fe I 0 (U 0 a .o _c .4-5 4-5 0 l ^ c 45 -a 0 4-5 0X0 X c 0 Q 0 *3 0 0 X E cn 2 ? o 0 E o G t. Q- o x $ u 2 D 0 r~ x O 0 o cd c cn 0 0 o c 0 a 05 m I 4-> 0 x 0 0 co X X o C_ CO 0 cn 0 c_ c_ o >- cn _o o QJ CD 05 c c x o CD 4-5 £ co 0 3 2 ;§ a ra cn > QJ 0 £5 0 C .9- 0 o a ? • -2 • 3 I F 0£2i p □ (J 03 > 0 0 a b ° < ^ m Ld a A 0) Q- 0 LJ -J tr 3 u x h o: s of z g 1 a 9: cn U) i h tr (f) -5 o 5 * ° o “ p; is H! E E o 0 cn c ro CJ o 0 • to cn E uj $ o E 05 4-5 0 0 0 0 C- 0 ■s! 2 0 QJ c c X c §2 o o O CL E O i a g ai 0 ai 0 43 .« 2 X X g e c- g> £ I X o 0 £3 I - U x 0 (J S U- 0 c_ tn _3 o K= X c 0 o 05 cn 2 0 3- W? § * £4- c. x o c £ 0 0 o CD 0 cr < 3 Id “ 0) Id c 0 i tr 3 • o 0 0 > 0) E 0 X to -2 jg co > 0 0 0 0 c .2 C 4-5 k QJ o 7 X X 2 c 0 0 -s 0 3 X C 0 0 0 o 'c 3 o ID 0 X c 0 X 03 X X c 0 c_ 3 c .as 3 b X E 0 = X V b QJ •e £ 0 o X X m 8 SJ Q*~ X 0 a <"2 1 CT 0 £ 0 -§, £ cr -f a uj i s z5 S Z C T D cr 0 lL in -3 0- 0 T M CD < 0 o o LU X n o c_ o 0 E « o i 2 3 0 c 05 2 0 o □ 1 QJ 0 0 ° o’ CL CD x X g 0 E 3 3 c .9 o 3 § ? S X ^ 0 5 C_ P s x "2 C 0 =) 0 DIG I § 3 £ Q: 0 u 0 >. K 5) p: S 1 id £ U. 0 jr t! 5 o -j 1 0 p: fi P in | J 2GS N. SIXTH ST. HIGHLANDS, NC 28741 WWW.WCU.EDU/HBS HBS@EMAIL.WCU.EDU (828)526-2602 100 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 Obituary Joseph Vincent “Vince” Nabholz 1945-2008 With deep regret, I must inform you that our friend and colleague Vince Nabholz died over the weekend, February 23, 2008. Please keep Vince and his family (wife Sue and daughters Karen and Pam) in your thoughts. There will be a memorial service this evening and we understand that the funeral service and burial will occur in Vince's hometown of Memphis. Vince was born in Memphis, Tennessee on November 2, 1945, and died at age 62 in Woodbridge, Virginia. Vince was a longstanding member of OPPT, having started work in the office in 1979. Vince worked in RAD as an expert environmental toxicologist and (Q)SAR analyst. Vince chaired Structure Activity Team meetings for perhaps the last 20 years, participated in the New Chemicals Focus Meeting, and prepared many of the ecotox PMN assessments. In this role he went beyond his areas of formal training and become expert in preparing an integrated SAT assessment of fate, health and ecotox endpoints and then, after exposure information was discussed in the Focus Meeting, contributed to developing the risk conclusions for the new chemical. Vince and his colleagues developed many of the ecotox QSARs that are relied on in new chemicals, DfE, and other reviews by OPPT, US industry, and countries around the world (Canada, EU, Japan, China, etc). He was the principal author of the ECOSAR computer program to estimate aquatic toxicity which is one of the 3 key assessment dimensions in the PBT (Persistence Bioaccumulation Toxicity) Profiler, one of the most frequently used QSAR tools of all time. Vince was well known and highly regarded around the world for his QSAR expertise and he frequently participated in international meetings or training on QSAR methods or new chemicals review. He was well known and respected by industry for his strong, clear conclusions. At the same time, industry frequently would disagree with his conclusions. Vince, after listening to their points, would explain why his conclusion was the stronger and best supported line of reasoning, and, regardless, he would tell them to run a well-conducted study and we'll use that to sort the issue out. He would then offer to review the protocol to make sure the study assessed what it was supposed to in a scientifically robust way. I had the honor to work closely with Vince for many of the early years of my career. He brought tremendous energy and enthusiasm to his work and was the go-to guy if you had a question about ecotox predictions or methods. He was also a unique individual as he had an extensive collection of tools in his office (need a wrench? what size?), he was a notary (OK, let me get my stamp), he organized and maintained a longstanding bottomless-cup-of-coffee club (don't pour until the bubbling noise subsides), he always wore a tie (and generally with a short sleeve shirt regardless of the weather). Vince was invariably friendly, honest and open (Vince, ever direct and with strong opinions, was always ready to discuss his views), and he had a great sense of humor and, as I will always remember, laughed readily. We are all the poorer with the passing of our friend, Vince. Obituary 101 Charles M. Auer, Director, Office of Pollution Prevention & Toxics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW (7401 M), Washington, DC 20460-0001. Dr. Joseph Vincent “Vince” Nabholz 102 SE Biology, Vol. 57, No. 1, January, 2010 UNITED STATES Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation POSTAL SERVICE ® (All Periodicals Publications Except Requester Publications) 1 Publication Title 2. Publication Number Southeastern Biology 0 3 3 - 2 2 0 4. Issue Frequency Quarterly 5. 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Organization/Educational Institution _ Address Line 1 _ Address Line 2 _ Address Line 3 _ City _ State _ Zip Code _ - _ Telephone ( _ ) _ Cell Phone ( ) _ Fax ( _ ) _ Regular Membership— $50 _ Regular, 3 years— $135 _ Student Membership— $20 _ *Emeritus Membership— $20 **Life Membership— $500 _ Family Membership— $55 _ Contributing Membership— $100 Sustaining Membership— $200 _ Patron Membership— $1000 _ ASB ENRICHMENT FUND CONTRIBUTION $ _ Contributions to ASB, under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), are tax deductible. *Any member who has been a regular member of the Association for 10 or more consecutive years and who has retired from professional duties may request Emeritus membership. **Life Membership is a one-time payment. All others are per year, unless indicated as 3 years. Card Type: American Express _ Discover _ Visa _ Master Card _ Card Number: _ _ _ _ Card CVV Number: _ (3-digit number on back of card.) Card Expiration Date: / _ Cardholder Name: _ (Exactly as it appears on card.) (1) All memberships/subscriptions run on the calendar year (volume), no exceptions, regardless of date of order. (2) Any order placed late in the year begins immediately, but is listed in our database as expiring not in the current year, but the following year, to insure the member/subscriber receives a full year. (3) Any expiring membership/subscription is maintained through the APRIL issue (issue number 2) of the year following expiration, to insure that the member/subscriber has more than enough time to renew. (4) Renewal notices go out IN ADVANCE of expiration, again to insure the member/subscriber has adequate time to renew. Please do not wait until the last minute, process the renewal request immediately. If you wish to subscribe to The Southeastern Naturalist, please see page 97 for subscription information.^ Southeastern biology. American Museum of Natural History Received on: 04-15-18 SOUTHE/ VOLUME 57, NUMBER 1, January, 2010 http://www.asb.appstate.edu/ AMNH LIBRARY 00232987 In This Issue 2010 Annual Meeting . 1 Portrayal of Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC . 2 Portrayal of The University of North Carolina, Asheville . 2 Description of Asheville, North Carolina . 3 Tentative Schedule . 4 Plenary Speaker . 6 Hotel Information . 8 Driving Directions to the Crowne Plaza Resort . 1 0 Field Trips . 11 Symposia . 13 Commercial Workshops; Silent Auction . 1 4 Social Events: Wednesday Night Mixer . 14 Thursday Night Social . 14 Friday Night Awards Banquet . 1 5 Activities for Guests . 1 5 Conference Badges Requirement . 16 Sponsorships, Partners, Advertising, Registration Information . 16 Registration form . 17 Meeting Invitation and Forms for Exhibitors, Hotel Information, Silent Auction, Booth Registration, Commercial Workshops, Advertising, Industry Partners, Exhibit Hall Badges, and Re-Cap Payment . 20 Local Committee Assignments . 38 Affiliate Societies Meeting with ASB . 39 Special Reminders from the Print Editor . 40 Proposed Budget for 2010 . 41 Advertisement for Bone Clones, Inc . 43 Minutes of the April 1 , 2009, Executive Committee Meeting . 44 Minutes of the April 4, 2009, Executive Committee Meeting . 54 Advertisement for Silver Biology . 57 Invited Research Paper . 58 Advertisement for Science Approach . 82 2009 Darwin 200 Symposium Summary . 83 Advertisement for LSU Press . 96 ATBI and SAFC Information . 96 The Southeastern Na turalist Journal . 97 Advertisement for Highlands Biological Station . 99 Obituary . 100 USPS Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation . 1 02 ASB Patron Members . 104 Patron Members Associated Microscope, Inc., Elon College and Haw River, NC*Tim Atkinson, Burlington, NC#Breedlove, Dennis and Associates, Inc., Winter Park, FL*Carolina Biological Supply Company, Burlington, NC#Martin Microscope Company, Easley, SC#Thomson- Brooks/Cole, Belmont, CA#Marilyn Pendley, Hudson, NC