|
|
Roger Hangarter. Dept. of Biology, Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN 47405;
812 855-5456; fax: 812 855-6082; rhangart@indiana.edu
Wendy K. Silk. Dept. of Land, Air, and Water Resources, Univ. of Calif.,
Davis, CA 95616; 530 752-0686; fax: 530 752-1552; email: wksilk@ucdavis.edu
A symposium on Power of Movement in Plants is proposed to accompany
and publicize the AJB volume celebrating the work of Charles Darwin.
As a group, plants are generally considered to be among the slowest
forms of life. But as Darwin showed, plants undergo a wide range of
movements. Through his clever experiments and keen observations he described
movements from the very slow to those that are too fast for the eye
to see. He showed that many plants movements occur in response to specific
environmental stimuli. He showed that in some cases, sites of perception
were spatially separate from the regions responsible for the movement.
He predicted that transmittable substances were involved and, depending
on the movement, he proposed the substance to be chemical or electrical.
His ideas about the significance of the plant behaviors revealed by
the movement responses were important to the development of his ideas
about evolution.
This symposium highlights studies of a range of plant movements, including
several that Darwin studied in his work. The speakers will present the
latest results about the physical and molecular mechanisms that are
responsible for the different movements and attempt to place the new
findings in the context of what Darwin described. The speakers will
cover movements that span many orders of magnitude in their speed (milliseconds
to seasons). The movements presented will span size scales from whole
parts of plants to subcellular movements. Collectively, the symposium
will demonstrate that plants are highly sensitive and responsive to
their surroundings and that the movements of plants have important implications
for adaptation and evolution.
Christopher P. Randle. Sam Houston State University, Department of
Biological Sciences, Huntsville, TX 77341; Phone: (936) 294-1554; Fax:
(936) 294-3940; randle@shsu.edu
Jeffery J. Morawetz. University of Michigan Herbarium, 3600 Varsity
Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2228; Phone: (734) 936-3335; Fax: (734) 763-0544;
morawetz@umich.edu
David C. Tank. University of Idaho, College of Natural Resources, Moscow,
ID 83844-1133; Phone: (208) 885-7033; Fax: (208) 885-6564; dtank@uidaho.edu
Parasitic plants have held a particular
fascination throughout history, from the mistletoe of Scandinavian
myth to the
agriculturally devastating
witchweeds of Africa, the tiny-flowered medicinal misnomer,
the Maltese fungus, to the largest flower in the world,
Arnold’s
Rafflesia. 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the publication
of the great synthetic
work "The Biology of Parasitic Flowering Plants" by Job
Kuijt. Compiling knowledge of systematics, anatomy, morphology,
physiology, and ecology, Kuijt provided an overview of all groups of
parasitic plants,
initiating research programs in these diverse disciplines
of botany. Since 1969, some of the most exciting research in these fields
as well
as the new fields of molecular evolution, phylogenetics
and genomics has centered on this enigmatic group of plants. Through
all of this,
Kuijt\'s work remains as insightful and relevent as it
was in the year of its publication. In this symposium we celebrate Kuijt’s
achievement and the many discoveries that his work inspired.
Michael J. Moore. Oberlin College, Biology Department, Science Center
K111, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH 44074-1097; Phone: (440) 775-6876;
Fax: (440) 775-8960; michael.moore@oberlin.edu
Pam Soltis. University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History,
PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611, Phone: (352) 273-1964;
psoltis@flmnh.ufl.edu
Doug Soltis The National Science Foundation’s Assembling
the Tree of Life (AToL) program is transforming our understanding
of the plant and fungal
Trees of Life by allowing systematists to increase the
size of phylogenetic data sets dramatically. A number of AToL projects
spanning the phylogenetic
diversity of plants and fungi have been funded over the
past 6 years. This symposium brings together researchers from various
AToL projects,
including the angiosperm, gymnosperm, liverwort, and
fungal projects, in a forum to discuss the analytical and bioinformatics
challenges posed
by large-scale phylogenetic data matrices. Talks will
highlight the problems and progress inherent in acquiring and analyzing
large-scale
data sets. Specific talks will address such topics as
the collection, coding, and phylogenetic use of morphological data
for large numbers
of taxa; phylogenetic analyses of genome-scale data (particularly
the plastid genome); multigenome phylogenetic analyses; database design
and information retrieval for the huge amounts of data
generated by
ToL projects; assessing phylogenetic informativeness
in genome-scale data; and using large data matrices in plants and
fungi to search for
codivergence across these two eukaryotic crown groups.
We believe this symposium will be of broad interest to the botanical
and fungal communities.
In combination with the associated colloquium (see below),
this symposium has several additional important benefits: (1) it will
showcase the
results of these important AToL initiatives to the greater
botanical and mycological communities; (2) it will allow researchers
from the
various AToL projects to interact, and in particular
to address issues common to all AToL projects, such as large data
set construction and
analysis, and the proper databasing and usage of morphological
and molecular data; and (3) it will provide experience and exposure
to junior researchers
of diverse backgrounds.
The topics of the symposium talks progress from (1) morphological data
to (2) bioinformatics to (3) phylogenetic analyses of genome-scale data
sets to (4) dealing with more specialized synthetic analyses such as
phylogenetic informativeness profiling and molecular codivergence analyses.
Louise Comas. Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology Department of
Horticulture The Pennsylvania State University, 103 Tyson Bldg, University
Park, PA 16902; Phone: 814-865-0697 ; FAX: 814-863-6139; lhc105@psu.edu
Amy Tuininga. Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University,
441 E. Fordham Rd., Bronx, NY 10458; Phone: 914-273-3078, ext. 13; Fax:
914-273-2167; tuininga@fordham.edu
Hilary Callahan. Department of Biological Sciences, Barnard College,
3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027; Phone: 212-854-5405; hcallaha@barnard.edu
There is growing appreciation of plant-fungal interactions as important
forces structuring communities and affecting ecosystem processes. Nearly
all plants form associations with fungi and have since the first plants
colonized terrestrial landscapes. Current and impending global climate
change has compelled us to better understand the history and nature
of these interactions, how they have directed plant-fungal co-evolution,
ultimately affecting community interactions and ecosystem function.
This line up of speakers will present emerging hypotheses on evolutionary
processes governing the co-evolution of symbioses between plants and
fungi, and evidence of phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns found
among plants and fungi and their implications, facilitation of symbionts
in structuring communities, and impacts on ecosystem processes.
Anitra Thorhaug. 1359 SW 22 Terrace, Miami, Fl 33145; phone 305-868-0014;
fax 305-858-6697
Our symposium intends to update botanists about interactions between
photosynthetic organisms in the sea and inland waters and the global
carbon cycle, especially in the context of anthropogenic effects influences
such as additional carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. The organisms
concerned range from picophytoplankton to macro-algae and to seagrasses,
salt marsh plants and mangroves. We have assembled an array of international
experts to discuss their recent results and concepts. We hope that synergisms
among the speakers with the audience will help to lead the direction
of expected progress in the next decade and more.
The oceans contain 95% of the carbon
in the atmosphere-biosphere system (38,000 Giga tonnes).
Man's activities are adding 8.5 million tonnes
of carbon as carbon dioxide each year from fossil fuel
burning and cement manufacture and 1.5 million tonnes
per year from deforestation. There
are two sinks removing this anthropogenic carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere: the ocean (removing about 26%
of the carbon emitted) and terrestrial
vegetation (removing about 29%). The remaining 45% remains
in the atmosphere, contributing to an increased greenhouse
effect.
The anthropogenic carbon dioxide taken up by the oceans over the last
two centuries has decreased the pH by about 0.1 unit, with an increase
in dissolved carbon dioxide, a smaller relative increase in bicarbonate,
and a decrease in carbonate. A further decrease, by up to 0.5 pH units
in total, is predicted by 2100 , limiting the extent of the future capacity
for removal of anthropogenic carbon dioxide. These changes are expected
to have differential effects on photosynthetic primary productivity
by the range of phosynthetic organisms, as well as having differential
effects on calcification by photosynthetic and other organisms. These
predictions of variable effects of environmental change are related
to the much greater phylogenetic diversity of aquatic primary producers
than of embryophytic plants on land. It is vital that increased knowledge
of inorganic carbon assimilation in marine and freshwater systems is
used to improve models of global biogechemical cycles, and to inform
suggestions about increasing carbon dioxide sequestion in the ocean.
The symposium will include a wide array of studies including the problems
of the carbonate cycle within the oceans and the process of plant photosynthesis
effecting this complex cycle, the freshwater carbonate cycle, the predictions
of the role of plankton, as well as benthic photosynthesis, and some
solutions for sequestration. International experts will be featured.
Yin-Long Qiu. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology The
University Herbarium 830 North University Avenue University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048; Tel: 734-764-8279; FAX: 734-763-0544; Email:
ylqiu@umich.edu
Recent advancement in genomics, phylogenetics, developmental biology,
and paleontology has provided a fresh opportunity to re-investigate
the questions related to the origin and evolution of land plants from
a broad synthetic perspective. In this symposium, a slate of speakers
with specialties that bridge genomics and phenomics (physiology, morphology,
ecology, and paleontology) will present new and exciting results that
are likely to bring our understanding of land plant evolution to a new
level. The symposium will stimulate more research on land plant evolution
with genome/phenome scale data at the organism-environment level.
Thomas H. Nash III. SoLS, Arizona State University, Box 874501, Tempe,
AZ 85287-4501; (480) 965-7735 or 965-7133 (phones); (480) 965-7133 (FAX);
tom.nash@asu.edu
Although lichens are well known as dominant organisms in polar regions,
they are also abundant in tropical regions, where their diversity and
ecological roles are poorly documented. On-going research is in part
rectifying this situation and will be featured in this symposium, ranging
from modern revisionary investigations, phylogenetic analyses based
on molecular and morphometric data, conservation issues involving a
rare and endangered species, and dynamics of foliicolous lichen communities,
a lichen microhabitat largely restricted to tropical ecosystems. Some
of the speakers include people who do not normally interact with North
American ABLS members.
Sharon A. Cantrell, School of Science and Technology, Universidad del
Turabo, Gurabo,PR 00778
Fungi are ubiquitous in most ecosystems where they usually colonize
a wide diversity of substrates. It is not surprising then that fungi
can persist in habitats such as the Arctic, Antarctic, desserts and
hypersaline environments, among others. The objective of this symposium
is to present not only the diversity of fungi in some unusual ecosystems
but also what ecological role these fungi are doing. We will explore
fungi in the Antarctic, in glaciers in the Arctic, salterns for the
production of salt, microbial mats, hydrothermal vents, and the inside
of lichens.
Cathy Cripps, Montana State University, Email: ccripps@montana.edu
The Arctic-Alpine Biome covers 8% of the earth’s
land and indicators suggest these cold-dominated environments are
sensitive to global climate
change. Integral to the functioning of these ecosystems
are a multiplicity of intricate interactions between photosynthetic
organisms and fungi.
Fungi alter the flow and cycling of carbon, nitrogen,
phosphorus and other elements to proximate vascular plants, mosses,
liverworts, and
algae via a myriad of pathways, many of which are unknown.
This symposium addresses recent findings that reveal the functioning
of psychrophilic
Zygomycota beneath snow, unique interactions of Ascomycota
on bryophytes, response of willows (a dominant AA vegetation type)
to warming, along
with patterns of associate Basidiomycota in nitrogen
cycling and ectomycorrhizal diversity, with a final overview of Arctic-alpine
fungi and global warming.
Georgiana May, University of Minnesota
Symbiotic interactions between plants and fungi have consequent fitness
outcomes which must drive short- and long-term evolutionary processes.
Although individual instances of pair-wise symbioses can be characterized
as strongly beneficial or antagonistic, and theoretical models provide
some testable hypotheses, we yet lack a strongly predictive framework
setting expectations for more ecologically realistic, complex multi-species
interactions and for genome-level responses. In this symposium, we gather
investigators generating empirical and theoretical results for the evolution
of plant-fungal interactions in an ecological context.
Martha J. Powell Box 870344 Department of Biological Sciences/The University
of Alabama/ Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Email: mpowell@biology.as.ua.edu, Telephone=
205-348-9017
Lower fungi offer outstanding examples
of organisms that can illustrate biological processes as well as biodiversity.
However, in botany, biology
and mycology courses, lower fungi are often given cursory
attention because of difficulty in accessing cultures that perform
well and experiments
that are amenable to a 2-3 hour laboratory period. In
1978, over thirty years ago, MSA held a workshop on lower “fungi” at the University
of Georgia resulting in the manual “Zoosporic Fungi in Teaching
and Research.” However, we now have a generation of teaching professionals
who have not been introduced to lower fungi as excellent
teaching tools. With an increased understanding of the importance basal
fungi in the
evolution of fungi, as well as an increased awareness
of their impact on the environment, it is timely to disseminate information
about cultures
and techniques that work in the teaching laboratory.
In this symposium, we present examples of performing lower fungi suitable
for undergraduate
teaching laboratories. Printed and digital material will
be distributed to attendees, and a collection of ten exemplary lower
fungal cultures
will be available for educational purposes to the community
on request from the symposium presenters.
Anne Pringle, Dept of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard
University,16 Divinity Avenue,
Cambridge, MA 02138
Global change, habitat loss and the homogenization
of Earth’s
biota threaten biodiversity. In North America there may
be twice as many fungi (at least 37,800 species) as plants (18,400
species) and
yet their conservation has attracted little attention
(Wilcove and Master 2005). Only 226 fungal species (0.6%) are classified
as imperiled or
critically imperiled, in contrast, 2917 plant species
(16%) are listed as imperiled or critically imperiled (NatureServe
2008). Either fungi
are less likely to be endangered than plants, or we are
lacking a great deal of information. The objective of this symposium
is to explore the
nascent field of fungal conservation biology, draw on
the expertise of botanists present at the meeting, and continue a
dialogue about whether
and how fungal species may be threatened.
Michael J. Moore. Oberlin College, Biology Department,
Science Center K111, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH 44074-1097; Phone:
(440) 775-6876; Fax: (440) 775-8960; michael.moore@oberlin.edu Due to the tremendous positive responses we received
from the members of the various plant and fungal ToL
projects when organizing this symposium, we are proposing an associated
afternoon colloquium
which will continue the talks and discussion from the
various AToL groups. The colloquium talks cover a broader range of taxa
and phylogenetic
problems, but all involve the progress and problems posed
by large data sets. We believe that these colloquium speakers will bring
additional
important insight to the challenges of large-scale phylogenetic
analyses.
|
