The Great Lakes Botanist

A critical enumeration of the vascular plants of Rock County, Wisconsin.

Dr. Edwin James, botanist of the 1820 Long Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, was commissioned as an assistant surgeon in the U.S. Army Medical Department in January 1823. The following November, he was assigned to Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien in what is today Crawford County, Wisconsin, where he spent the next three years. When not occupied with medical duties, he studied the local flora, recording in his personal diary notes on plants seen in the area. This diary, which has never been published, was examined and all botanical notes made during James' tenure at Fort Craw-ford compiled. The resulting list of taxa he noted there comprises 53 species, including four naturalized European ruderals and three natives that had not yet been named or described when James saw them.

The vascular plants of the Bois Brule River watershed are listed, and over 160 years of change in plant communities observed is described. The watershed covers approximately 51,300 ha in northwestern Wisconsin, primarily in Douglas County with a short arm extending eastward into Bayfield County. The Bois Brule River travels southwest to the northeast 71 km from its headwaters and drains into Lake Superior. The diverse landscape supports boreal forest, northern mesic forest, northern wet-mesic forest, pine barrens, and other forested and non-forested communities. Five generalized changes in the watershed were noted: (i) the pine barrens community declined by more than 95%, (ii) the northern wet-mesic forest (dominated by Thuja occidentalis) immediately surrounding the river has been reduced to a narrow band, (iii) the large complex of conifer wetlands is greatly reduced , (iv) northern hardwood swamp (dominated by Fraxinus nigra), Alnus incana thickets, and the boreal forest in the lower reaches of the forest have been reduced and converted largely to timber production , and (v) old growth forest has been reduced to less than 1% of its pre-EuroAmerican settlement extent. A total of 839 vascular plant species have been documented in the watershed, 747 of them during our survey. Additionally, we documented 233 species new to the watershed, of which 53 are new county records and 13 are listed as endangered, threatened, or special concern in Wisconsin. This study has shown that the Bois Brule River watershed harbors a diverse assemblage of plants and is worth further conservation action. It is recommended that additional survey work continue in the future to inform and guide land managers.

The Bois Brule River flows through some of the most diverse habitats found anywhere in Wis-consin. In 2015 and 2016, our survey teams were able to collect and analyze forest strata data from 48 of the 54 forest stands surveyed by Davidson in 1968-69 using the point-centered quarter sampling method. Stands were dominated by transitional forest of northern hardwoods, while some forest types were represented by only one stand each. Average absolute tree density decreased by 25% over the 48 years, while the tree basal area did not change much with a slight decrease of 6%. These changes were indicative of a later successional stage of these forests. Species showing significant change are Betula papyrifera, Abies balsamea and Acer rubrum. Old growth forests have entered a later stage of maturity with some Pinus strobus individuals becoming snags today and P. resinosa trees becoming larger. Our sapling surveys in these old growth forests suggest Acer rubrum and Abies balsamea could become dominant forests in the future, with little or no recruitment from the pines. Our survey depicts a forest that is trending to a later successional stage of development and recovering from the cutover from the early 20 th century. Future threats to these forests include disruptions in the natural fire regime, non-native plants (e.g., Rhamnus cathartica, Lonicera spp.), insect infestations (e.g., Choristoneura fumiferana, Agrilus planipennis), excessive fragmentation from harvesting activities and climate change. These forests may exhibit some resiliency to climate change due to the watershed's proximity to Lake Superior and the river's deep valley.

For accurate evaluation of fungal conservation, modern biodiversity surveys based on vouchered specimens and DNA barcoding are needed to augment records of fungal distribution and phenology. Even relatively well studied and populated regions of the United States lack comprehensive information on fungal biodiversity, which hampers our ability to swiftly respond to fungal population decline due to habitat loss, climate change, or other anthropogenic stressors. During the 2018 Smith Foray in Dane County, Wisconsin, we vouchered and DNA barcoded 63 specimens of macrofungi. Three species constituted first records for the United States, and 14 additional species were reported for the first time from the state of Wisconsin. Furthermore, eight species were new reports just at the county level, and barcode data for two species represented first records in GenBank, the national public repository for genetic information. Twenty-four specimens were assigned informal place-holder names due to the lack of similar references in GenBank and are fertile ground for future tax-onomic studies. While sequence-based identification requires caution due to inaccuracies in reference databases, the prevalence of multilocus genetic data in contemporary taxonomy facilitates global linkages in fungal distribution and increasingly traceable biodiversity assessments.

Total seed densities ranged from 392-1200 seeds per m2 from a total of 23 species. Carex rugosperma accounted for 40% of the seeds. There were no significant differences in species relative seed densities. Populus grandidentata was the most common tree species during earlier succession, giving way to Pinus strobus, Quercus rubra and Acer rubrum in later years. Total species diversity was greatest in intermediate aged sites. Graminoid species were apparently recruited from the seed bank. Two species in the Asteraceae were rare in the seed bank and appeared to have dispersed into the site. -from Author

The vascular flora of interior northern Lower Michigan is poorly represented in herbaria, with several counties ranking among the most sparsely collected in the Upper Great Lakes region. We initiated collecting in one of these counties, Lake County, in 2013. At the time, we were aware of 658 collections from the county, representing 437 vascular plant species. From 2013 through 2018, we added 698 specimens, representing 631 species, 559 of which were previously undocumented. As of early 2019, a total of 1,006 species for the county are confirmed, placing Lake County among the best-collected counties in northern Lower Michigan. Among the most noteworthy collections were 12 state-listed (Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern) species and 30 species at their statewide or Lower Peninsula range limits. Additional collecting in Lake County and surrounding counties is recommended to catalog regional diversity and to substantiate or amend species distributions.

The Lake of the Clouds, located inside the Porcupine Mountains and two miles away from Lake Superior, is a famous vista site within the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan. Even though several fishery surveys of the lake were released by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in the 1940s, no known algal studies have been conducted. The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park has experienced a relatively low level of anthropogenic disturbance compared to other regions of the Great Lakes, which makes it an appealing site for algal studies. This paper reports the exploratory research done by professors and students at the University of Michigan Biological Station on the algal diversity of the Lake of the Clouds. Water chemistry shows this lake to be slightly acidic and with low nutrients and low conductivity. In this study, fresh samples of algae and cleaned diatom samples were investigated. From the living algal samples, 7 algal divisions were observed. The inventory showed that, based on the number of genera recorded, the Chlorophyta is more diverse than other algal divisions. A total of 78 genera (excluding diatoms) and 29 species of algae were identified from the living samples. Nearly 150 species in 58 genera of diatoms (Bacillar-iophyta) were also recorded from the cleaned samples. Among the diatoms, three species new to science were identified and are described here. These are Brachysira ontonageniana Kociolek & Lowe, B. gatesii Kociolek & Lowe, and Gomphonema porcupiniana Kociolek & Lowe. This rich list of algal taxa is only the first step in exploring the algal diversity, microhabitats, and ecosystem of the Lake of the Clouds. The diversity of algal taxa found in this study suggests that further algal research on the Lake of the Clouds is warranted.

A survey of the diatom flora of Torch Lake in northern lower Michigan was conducted. Torch Lake is oligotrophic and has been experiencing increased growth of littoral zone algae. Diatoms were collected and analyzed as part of a larger study in 2014. 176 diatom taxa were recorded. We present detailed light and scanning electron microscopy observations on 11 taxa, six of which are species new to science, three of which are new reports from the United States, and one of which is given a new name. The new species are Fragilaria pettyorum, Gomphonema melfii, Cymbella torchiana, Epithemia antrimiana, Nitzschia michiganiana, and Cymatopleura narwoldorum. Encyonema evergladianum is transferred to the genus Encyonpsis resulting in the new combination Encyonopsis evergladianum. The diatom flora of Torch Lake is similar to that of large alkaline, oligotrophic lakes in Europe, and has several species in common.

A well-established population of Angelica sylvestris discovered in 1993 near Ottawa, Ontario constitutes the first inland North American report of this European weed. Long known only from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, A. sylvestris has recently been found spreading along roadsides into wetlands in at least two areas of southern New Brunswick. Although presently known only from the one site in central Canada, the potential exists for it to spread aggressively into wetlands in the Great Lakes region.

A survey of the vascular flora of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Madeline Island, Wisconsin, was conducted from 1972 to 1992. Floristically the archipelago is part of the hemlock/white pine/northern hardwoods forest, with a few boreal and sub-arctic elements such as fir clubmoss (Lycopodium selago), bird's-eye primrose (Primula mistassinica), spike trisetum (Trisetum spicatum), plains ragwort (Senecio indecorus), and butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris), the last two occurring in Wisconsin only on the islands. The catalog of 809 species and hybrids (758 occuring within the Lakeshore) includes five species new to Wisconsin: two native, subarctic willows (Salix pellita and Salix planifolia), a European rush known in North America only from Greenland (Juncus squarrosus), a Eurasian sedge new to the Great Lakes region (Carex ovalis), and a mainly eastern North American sedge (C. tincta). The only Wisconsin stations for woodland cudweed (Gnaphalium sylvaticum) and black hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii, probably introduced) also occur on the islands. The federally listed lake cress (Armoracia lacustris) occurs in the Lakeshore, along with 37 stat listed species: 25 of special concern, 10 threatened, and 2 endangered. Vegetaional and floristic summaries are presented for the Lakeshore as a whole, and individually for the 21 islands and Mainland Unit. The floristics and biogeography of the region are discussed and a species/area curve for the archipelago is presented.

A new and significant range expansion of an invasive duckweed into the Ozarks physiographic province.

As urban expansion continues to replace natural areas with non-native landscaping, native vegetation becomes increasingly scarce, and higher trophic levels that depend on native plant species decline , contributing to an overall erosion of biodiversity. The question addressed by this study is: Can reintroducing small patches of native habitat into suburban landscapes result in the subsequent recruitment of higher trophic levels of native biodiversity? We assessed plant, insect, bird, and small mammal biodiversity in four different habitats on the main campus of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan: open lawn, treed lawn, restored woodland plantings, and intact forest habitats. In four replicates of each area we evaluated plant, insect and small mammal diversity. We found that the restored woodland plantings had the highest diversity in each of the taxonomic groups. The lawn and treed lawn areas generally supported the lowest diversity, and the intact forest sites had intermediate diversity. We conclude that even small, relatively isolated islands of native habitat in a broader suburban landscape do have the capacity to increase abundance of higher trophic levels of native biodiversity .

The Pokegama Carnegie Wetland State Natural Area (SNA) is one of 590 properties designated as a state natural area in Wisconsin and has been infrequently studied. The Wisconsin Floristic Qual-ity Assessment (WFQA) and the Wisconsin Wetland Plant Biotic Index (WWPBI), developed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) were used during the assessment of the wet-land plant community types found at the Pokegama Carnegie Wetland State Natural Area. The WFQA is a numerical value and was based on species diversity and composition. It was designed to compare the floristic quality between similar sites and for tracking changes at the same site over time. The WWPBI is a multi-metric index based on relative importance values (IV) (percent cover and frequency of occurrence) of nine community attributes based on taxonomic divisions. The two primary measurements of the WFQA are the Mean C and the Floristic Quality Index (FQI). The alder thicket values had a Mean C of 5.42 (transects + meander searches) and 5.34 (tran-sects only) with an FQI of 60.64 (transects + meander searches) and 50.70 (transects only). The sedge meadow values had a Mean C of 5.24 and a FQI of 45.37 (Carex lacustris) and a Mean C of 6.24 and FQI of 35.81 (Carex buxbaumii). These were exceptionally high values when compared to other wetland types surveyed in Wisconsin. Invasive species were infrequent and most commonly observed in disturbed areas. However, some of the rare, threatened and endangered species were also found in these same disturbed areas. The WWPBI values for the alder thickets were in the moderate range in comparison to other wet-land types investigated in Wisconsin. This model was not as meaningful as the assessments discov-ered through the WFQA measurements described above. The characteristics of the alder thicket com-munity did not match the vegetative conditions found in depressional wetlands for which this assessment tool was created. The plant communities of the Pokegama Carnegie Wetland State Natural Area (alder thickets, bo-real forest remnants, aspen forest groves and two types of northern sedge meadow) represent an out-standing natural resource for the region and State. A floristic inventory across all community types revealed 318 taxa, representing 161 genera and 56 families.

We document the first reported occurrence of fasciation in the federally threatened Pitcher's thistle , Cirsium pitcheri (Asteraceae). In 2013, we discovered two adult plants of Pitcher's thistle out of a total of 176 plants at West Beach, near Miller, Indiana, USA, that exhibited both normal and fasci-ated growth. Unlike plants with normal growth, a portion of the upper stems of these plants was flattened , and some flower heads were elongated into a fan-like shape. Each plant had one large fasci-ated terminal seed head and several less severely fasciated ancillary heads. The fasciated terminal head on one of the plants found produced an estimated 1153 seeds, whereas normal terminal heads typically produced 80 ± 9 viable seeds. The cause of this fasciation is unclear, but may be due to infection with phytoplasma.

In North America, Phragmites australis (common reed) consists of a native North American group with several genetic forms and a highly invasive group with a single genetic form. Little is known about the environmental factors that affect the relative distribution of native and invasive populations , and it is often difficult to differentiate between the two groups based on physical characteristics alone. The western Lower Peninsula of Michigan provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate the relationship between environmental gradients and the spread of Phragmites. The Lake Michigan coast presents a strong temperature gradient from the north to the south, whereas a moisture gradient is found from west to east from the Lake Michigan shoreline inland. The goal of this study is to assess the risk of invasion by the invasive genotype by: 1) determining the genotypes of individuals in Phragmites australis populations in western Michigan; and 2) evaluating the geographic distribution of the representative genotypes throughout the region. Examination of 58 samples of Phragmites australis using chloroplast gene markers from throughout western Lower Peninsula of Michigan yielded only the invasive genotype in the southern regions and a mixture of native, invasive, and Gulf Coast genotypes in the northern regions. Only one of the populations examined contained individuals of both native and invasive genotypes. No trends were observed along the east-west gradient.

Fruit size, seed load, and seed size are considered important metrics influencing fruit choice and subsequent seed dispersal by birds. I describe these traits for 37 plant taxa in southeast Michigan, based on measurements of over 5,800 fruits and 8,000 seeds. I also provide nearly 200 measurements for the same taxa found in the literature. These data can be used in biogeographical studies and aid conservation and restoration efforts by describing traits preferred by birds which in turn influence seed dispersal throughout landscapes.

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/120432/1/Dick2016_Barnes_Tribute.pdf

Pierce Cedar Creek Institute (PCCI) is a 335-ha (829-ac) nature center, environmental education center, and biological field station in Barry County, Michigan. A floristic inventory of approximately 125 ha (300 ac) of the property conducted from 1999 to 2001 resulted in the identification of 394 vascular plant species. Since that time, several important changes have taken place at PCCI, including additional land acquisitions and changes in vegetation associated with land management activities and natural and anthropogenic disturbances. These changes, in conjunction with the limited scope of the original floristic inventory and recent advances in plant taxonomy and systematics, were the impetus for an update and expansion of the original inventory. Following inspection of existing specimens and additional collecting in 2018-2019, a total of 767 vascular taxa (609 native taxa) are reported here from PCCI. Among these are eight species listed in Michigan as Endangered, Threatened , or Special Concern. Further inventories are recommended, including an inventory of deliberately introduced species at the main property and a complete inventory of the 23-ha (57-ac) "Little Grand Canyon" parcel east of the main property.

Beavers (Castor canadensis and C. fibre) are significant modifiers of plant communities but studies are lacking on the indirect effects of beaver activity on the understory vegetation of non-riparian forests. Beaver cutting of saplings during 2011-2016 altered the vegetation in part of a permanent plot established in 2007 at the Huron Mountain Club Reserve in a Pinus strobus-Picea glauca-Acer rubrum stand with an understory of Acer saccharum saplings. Temporary ponding changed the community composition of another section of the plot. This study illustrates the importance of permanent plots, where before and after data are available to examine the effects of disturbances on succession. To examine beaver effects, a 0.34-ha study area that included a section cut by beaver, as well as an adjacent uncut section was established within the permanent plot. Within the study area, beaver felled 342 stems of 1-9 cm DBH (diameter at breast height), mostly A. saccharum. Diameter growth of saplings in the cut area was 1.8 times greater than in the uncut area. Acer saccharum or Acer rubrum sprouted from the majority of cut stumps and grew upward in spite of setbacks and forking from deer browsing. The A. saccharum sapling thicket that existed prior to cutting appeared to be reproducing itself, in contrast to other studies that reported that beaver cutting redirected succession from hardwoods to conifers. Frequencies of groundcover species were recorded annually during 2013-2019 in permanent belt transects, replicating data collected prior to beaver activity. Ground-cover richness has increased in the cut area, along with an influx of Rubus strigosus, Rubus parvi-florus, and other species associated with gaps. Impatiens capensis has colonized both cut and uncut areas, but its frequency has decreased since 2017. The most-abundant species prior to disturbance (Dryopteris carthusiana, Maianthemum canadense, Trientalis borealis) have retained high frequencies and should retain their dominance as the sapling thicket recovers. By contrast, in an area inundated during 2012-2015, these upland groundcover species have been replaced in dominance by dense R. strigosus. While succession of the cut area may show a resilience to beaver disturbance, that of the flooded area may be entering a recalcitrant understory phase, dominated by R. strigosus and resistant to tree establishment. Periodic beaver harvesting in the upland forest bordering Fisher Creek may be maintaining the A. saccharum sapling thicket in a cyclical understory succession.

The tree species composition of a small, second growth forest in Berrien County, Michigan, about one-half mile east of Lake Michigan, was determined from tree numbers and diameters gathered using the T-square method. The forest is dominated by northern red oak (Quercus rubra), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) and red maple (Acer rubrum). When compared to upland sites, low-land sites had greater species diversity (14 compared to 11) and a greater basal area (57.84 compared to 39.16 m 2. ha –1), but had a lower density (317.89 compared to 357.05 trees. ha –1) of trees. Size class structure of the tree species generally showed that they were replacing themselves and will continue for some time into the future.

The presettlement vegetation of much of Warren Dunes State Park in southwestern Michigan is thought to have been mostly a dry-mesic southern forest of oaks and hickories. Since the 1800s, the forests probably have been logged at least once, if not more often, after which the forests began to undergo secondary succession. The objectives of the current study were to determine if successional changes are still occurring and what the future composition of the forest might look like as a consequence of those changes. Relative densities of species of trees in the canopy and the understory layers , sampled along transects in the upland forested areas of the dunes were used to determine the suc-cessional status of the forest and to predict its future composition. Currently, the forest is dominated in both the canopy and the understory layers by Quercus rubra L. and Acer saccharum Marshall. Comparisons of the relative densities of species in the canopy layer with those of species in the un-derstory layer show that the forest is in some mid-to late-successional stage. When absolute densities were plotted against size classes, a negative exponential distribution resulted, suggesting that the forest is replacing itself. Future changes in the composition and structure of the forest are explained relative to species characteristics and interactions.

Robinson Woods Preserve is a 32.4 ha forest in southwestern Michigan that had been cleared and cropped and then abandoned sometime in the 1920s, at which time secondary succession was initiated. The objective of this study is to describe the current tree species composition and the succes-sional changes that led to it. In 2011 and 2012, the T-square method and the point-centered quarter method were used to determine the current structure and composition of the forest. Data from these methods were compared with similar data from two earlier studies of the same area conducted in 1972 and 1986. Between 1972 and 2011–2012, shade-intolerant trees of Sassafras albidum and Prunus serotina had decreased in importance by 22% and 82%, respectively, while shade-tolerant trees of Fagus grandifolia, Quercus rubra and Acer rubrum had increased by 26,790%, 352% and 21%, respectively. Between 1986 and 2011–2012, the density of most species had declined, except for trees of Fagus grandifolia, whose density had increased by 44%. In addition, trees of S. albidum had been reduced in importance to a subdominant role in the presence of A. rubrum and Q. rubra. Seedling and sapling densities by size class show that most of the canopy trees are reproducing themselves. However, no Ulmus americana and Fraxinus americana trees larger than 45 cm dbh were encountered , the former having been killed by Dutch elm disease and the latter by the emerald ash borer. Over the 90 years since abandonment, a hardwood forest has developed, one in which pioneer tree species have been replaced in part by shade-tolerant trees. Based on these results, it is expected that the future forest will likely become an American beech—sugar maple forest, especially in the absence of periodic fire.

The Harvey N. Ott Biological Preserve in Calhoun County, Michigan, comprises ca. 121 hectares (298 acres) of terrestrial plant communities that include oak-hickory forests, hardwood swamps, a prairie fen, and a highly disturbed remnant understory of former oak openings. This property, now owned by Calhoun County, was once owned by Albion College as its nature center. From September 2011 to November 2012, we conducted a floristic inventory of the area after having studied relevant herbarium specimens and an unpublished checklist of the area prepared by Dr. William Gilbert. Gilbert, who was a professor at Albion College, conducted an inventory of the vascular plants of the preserve from 1946 to 1954 and made 656 collections during this period. Based on current circum-scriptions and names, Gilbert documented 460 different species, 63 (13.7%) of which were introduced , including 36 (7.8%) that are now considered invasive. We hypothesized that the percentages of introduced and invasive species of all taxa have increased since Gilbert's study. During our fieldwork , we documented 290 species that Gilbert collected that could easily be identified and made 292 collections of graminoids and other species that were either difficult to identify in the field or were not documented by Gilbert. Of these collections, 136 represent newly-recorded species for the preserve , which, when added to Gilbert's total, makes a total of 596 species recorded for the preserve. Of this total, 124 (20.8%) are introduced and 73 (12.2%) are considered invasive, which supports our hypothesis. Of the three currently state-listed rare plants that were documented by Gilbert, only two were relocated in 2012: Geum virginianum L. and Amorpha canescens Pursh, both listed as special concern. The third species, Cypripedium candidum Muhl. ex Willd. (listed as threatened), was not observed. A route for a portion of the North Country Trail through the preserve was finalized during this study. We hope that our work will provide useful baseline data for preserve management and stimulate more botanical studies of the area.

Noteworthy Collection: The first record of Utricularia ochroleuca R. W. Hartman (Yellowish-white Bladderwort or Northern Bladderwort) in Michigan.

Rev. Nathan Coleman (1825–1887) produced a catalogue of Michigan's flora in 1874 under the auspices of the Kent Scientific Institute in Grand Rapids. In this work, he validly published 31 new varieties and four new species from Michigan and effected two new combinations at varietal rank. Because little is known of his life and work, Internet searches of nineteenth century newspapers, periodicals , and books were undertaken to discover additional biographical data. Coleman spent most of his career as a teacher. This included basic education for former slaves in Virginia during the Civil War, employment at a public grammar school in Grand Rapids, founding a private high school in Iowa, and serving on the faculty of an African-American college in Texas. His botanical output, aside from the 1874 Michigan catalogue, comprised a series of short notes in Botanical Gazette during 1876-1878, most of which dealt with "variations" (as he termed them) observed in Connecticut and Iowa. He also provided specimens to other botanists, including Alphonso Wood and James Nathaniel Bishop.

Botrychium mormo W. H. Wagner is reported as an addition to the vascular flora of On-tario from the Thunder Bay District. Described in 1981, this diminutive species of rich northern hard-woods in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region has been named Little Goblin Fern, because of its peculiar whitish or pale yellow colouration and its tendency to remain hidden under leaf litter in dark shade. It is globally rare, found sporadically in portions of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, with several disjunct sites in Québec. Its discovery in novel habitat north of the range of its characteristic forest canopy associates of Acer saccharum Marshall, Tilia americana L., and Fagus grandi-folia Ehrhart suggests it may occur more widely in the region, and brings the number of globally rare moonworts present along Ontario's north shore of Lake Superior to six species.

Noteworthy Collection: The first records of Eriophorum russeolum Fries for Michigan. These plants belong to E. russeolum subsp. leiocarpum Novoselova, one of two subspecies known from North America.

The invasive grass Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus is reported for the first time from Canada.