Benjamin J. Crain

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Benjamin verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• BS, MA, PhD
• Ecologist at Smithsonian Institution

Aim The aim of this analysis was to identify strategies that will maximize efficiency and effectiveness in conservation planning. As many orchids are threatened with extinction for various reasons, our primary objective was to combine hotspots analyses with stochastic extinction modelling to highlight possible conservation priorities for Lepanthes...

Lepanthes caritensis is a small epiphytic orchid endemic to Puerto Rico. Although this species is very rare and demographic studies show that its numbers are declining, it is not protected under the United States Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Furthermore, questions remain regarding its distribution, population size and ecological interactio...

Napa County contains particularly high levels of biological diversity in a variety of categories and is considered one of ten localized areas in California that contain the highest numbers of native and endemic plant species. Here we present a floristic summary based on a new annotated checklist of the flora of this uniquely diverse region. The che...

The emerging interest in the biological and conservation significance of locally rare species prompts a number of questions about their correspondence with other cate-gories of biodiversity, especially global rarity. Here we present an analysis of the corre-spondence between the distributions of globally and locally rare plants. Using biological ho...

Locally rare taxa are those that are rare or uncommon within a local geo-graphical boundary while more common outside of that boundary. In addition to the rare taxa identified by global, national, and state/provincial levels, locally rare taxa are important for the preservation of species diversity and ecological processes, and therefore require ef...

Global climate change phenomena are amplified in Arctic regions, driving rapid changes in the biota. Here, we examine changes in plant community structure over more than 30 years at two sites in arctic Alaska, USA, Imnavait Creek and Toolik Lake, to understand long-term trends in tundra response to changing climate. Vegetation cover was sampled eve...

Introduction The terrestrial orchid genus Nervilia is diagnosed by its hysteranthous pattern of emergence but is nested among leafless myco-heterotrophic lineages in the lower Epidendroideae. Comprising ca. 80 species distributed across Africa, Asia and Oceania, the genus remains poorly known and plagued by vague and overlapping species circumscrip...

1. Generalization is difficult to quantify, and many classifications exist. A beta diversity framework can be used to establish a numeric measure of generalist tendencies that jointly describes many important features of species interactions, namely spatiotemporal heterogeneity. This framework is promising for studying generalized symbiotic relatio...

The co-occurrence of orchids and bryophytes at occupied sites on host trees has been documented on several occasions, particularly in the tropics, and it may represent an important symbiotic relationship that supports epiphytic orchid populations. Despite continuing interest from ecologists, the specific life history traits that are affected by ass...

Local communities often conserve nearby natural areas to support recreational activities and other benefits these areas provide. Areas protected by local communities could contribute to wider efforts to achieve large-scale conservation goals, such as biodiversity protection, provided the ecological conditions on-site are compatible with achieving t...

The Orchid Review: A report on efforts to save the orchids of a vulnerable Pacific Island paradise

Este artículo trata sobre la combinación de la ciencia y la educación para mantener seguras a las orquídeas en las colecciones de jardines botánicos y en la naturaleza.

This article is about combining science and education to keep orchids safe in botanical garden collections and in the wild.

Open space areas protected by local communities may augment larger scale preservation efforts and may offer overlooked benefits to biodiversity conservation provided they are in suitable ecological condition. We examine protected areas established by local communities through ballot initiatives, a form of direct democracy, in California, USA. We co...

Local communities contribute to broader biodiversity protection goals when managing their immediate environment when they establish protected areas. However, their efforts are geographically constrained and often uncoordinated. We compare protected areas established by local communities through the direct democracy process in California, US, to pro...

Orchids of the Yukon River Crossing Station

A combined morphological-molecular investigation identifies ten new synonyms of Oberonia equitans (G.Fost.)Mutel: Oberonia affinis Ames & C.Schweinf. in O.Ames, Oberonia aurea Schltr., Oberonia ciliolata Hook.f., Oberonia enoensis J.J.Sm., Oberonia equitans var. chaperi Finet, Oberonia lampongensis J.J.Sm., Oberonia mcgregorii Ames, Oberonia murkel...

Aim: We conduct a biogeographical assessment of orchids in a global biodiversity hotspot to explore their distribution and occurrences of local hotspots while identifying geographic attributes underpinning diversity patterns. We evaluate habitat characteristics associated with orchid diversity hotspots and make comparisons to other centres of orchi...

Protected area systems include sites preserved by various institutions and mechanisms, but the benefits to biodiversity provided by different types of sites are poorly understood. Protected areas established by local communities for various reasons may provide complementary benefits to those established by large-scale agencies and organizations. Lo...

Orchideën 81(5): 130-135

This field guide is designed for the rapid identification of most of the orchids that occur in the Ngardok Nature Reserve in Melekok State, the Republic of Palau. The field guide includes photographs of 40 orchid species (close to half of the total number that occurs in Palau), their species names, information on their native/exotic status, as well...

Premise of research. Tropical epiphytes are susceptible to climatic changes, as evidenced by documented population declines, range contractions, and range shifts; however, physiological changes in individual plants may also be indicative of deteriorating climate conditions. Consequently, physiological analyses of tropical epiphytes whose natural ha...

This field guide is designed for the rapid identification of many of the more common wildflowers that can be found at the University of Tennessee's Dean's Woods Wildflower Garden. The field guide includes photographs of 40 plant species, their family and species names, and information on their native/exotic status.

Ninety-five percent of orchid species associated with fynbos shrublands of South Africa's Cape Floristic Kingdom have been assessed for the IUCN Red List, yet aspects of their demography and population biology remain poorly understood. We conducted a 6-year demographic study of the Critically Endangered Disa procera, a cryptic, terrestrial species...

Effective conservation of rare plant species requires a detailed understanding of their unique distributions and habitat requirements to identify conservation targets. Research suggests that local conservation efforts may be one of the best means for accomplishing this task. We conducted a geographical analysis of the local distributions of rare pl...

The swamp metalmark, a riodinid butterfly of the Midwestern United States, is declining over most of its range. This paper describes microsatellite primers that can be used in this species to compare structure in native and restored populations. Primers for 9 polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed to compare population structure in native a...

Varronia bellonis (Serpentine Manjack) is an endangered shrub endemic to Puerto Rico that is in need of renewed management strategies. To address this issue, we examined V. bellonis’ distribution, habitat requirements, population dynamics, population structure, and reproductive phenology. Our ultimate goals were to uncover critical ecological chara...

Once considered only a human behavior, reports of tool use by a variety of animals have accumulated. Likewise, various definitions of tool use have also amassed. Although some researchers argue that understanding the evolutionary drivers of tool use is more important than identifying and describing these behaviors, the central issue of defining wha...

More than a decade has passed since the catastrophic population decline in Gyps species was reported from South Asia, but much uncertainty remains about quantifying their short-term extinction risk. To estimate the future extinction risk of the white-rumped vulture Gyps bengalensis in Nepal, we conducted counts at 7 nesting colonies between 2002 an...

Introduction. Global climate change is adversely affecting ecosystems worldwide and empirical models indicate that over time, these changes will have an increasing impact on the earth's environment (Markham 1996, Hulme & Viner 1998, Williams et al. 2003, Parmesean 2006). Although there is significant variability and uncertainty in predictive climat...

This article documents the addition of 92 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Anopheles minimus, An. sinensis, An. dirus, Calephelis mutica, Lutjanus kasmira, Murella muralis and Orchestia montagui. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Calephelis ar...

The structure and function of freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments are affected by surrounding and upstream terrestrial ecosystems. Conservation areas often encompass both terrestrial and aquatic resources. Government policy makers and natural resource managers must often consider a complex landscape matrix and need accurate, fine-scale i...

We tested whether foragers of Vespula germanica leave a chemical attractant at a carbohydrate food site. Foragers were allowed to make 50 or 100 visits to a feeder filled with a rich, unscented fructose solution. We then gave them a choice between this and an identical but unvisited feeder. There was no difference between the number of individuals...