Torrey Botanic Society Lecture Series

All but the April lecture will be presented at the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall, The New York Botanical Garden,
200^th Street and Kazimiroff Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458

The April lecture will be presented at the Auditorium at
Brooklyn Botanic Garden,
1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225

Wildflowers of summer and fall -- behind the scenes
Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 6:30 PM
Presented by Carol Gracie, Author and New York Botanical Garden Honorary Research Associate

Abstract: The colorful wildflowers that grace our fields and roadsides in summer and fall have many interactions with insects, both positive and negative. Learn more about some of our local flowers and the interesting life histories of some of their visitors.

Historical biogeography of pantropical angiosperms: a case study using 'Terebinthaceae' (Anacardiaceae and Burseraceae)
Monday, November 3, 2008, 6:30 PM
Presented by Andrea Weeks, Assistant Professor and Director, Ted R. Bradley Herbarium, George Mason University

Abstract: Historically, angiosperm biogeographers have hypothesized that cosmopolitan, and pantropical groups especially, became widely distributed as a consequence of the break-up of the ancient supercontinent, Gondwana. More recently, divergence time estimates for megathermal angiosperms have indicated that ancient land corridors in the Northern Hemisphere may have had a more influential role in establishing species' ranges than previously thought. In this presentation, I review recent literature that tests the origins of some of these families (laurel, fig, legume, and meadow-beauty) and introduce my latest findings regarding the phylogeny and historical biogeography of both the mango (Anacardiaceae) and frankincense and myrrh (Burseraceae) families.

These two families, once recognized as the single taxon Terebinthaceae, and recently shown to be sister taxa, collectively comprise ca. 1500 species distributed on every continent except Antarctica, and are major elements of the structure and diversity of both temperate and tropical floras. The distributional range as well as the morphological and ecological diversity of Anacardiaceae considerably eclipses that of Burseraceae, and I will detail how these features make Terebinthaceae a valuable comparative model system for testing the relative contributions of possible intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of speciation.

Gardening for Life
Tuesday, December 2, 2008, 6:30 PM
Presented by Doug Tallamy Professor and Chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware

Abstract: Because our gardens are part of the terrestrial ecosystems that sustain humans and the life around us, we must keep them in working order. Tallamy will discuss the important ecological roles of the plants in our landscapes, emphasize the benefits of designing gardens with these roles in mind, and explore the consequences of failing to do so. Gardening in this crowded world carries both moral and ecological responsibilities that we can no longer ignore.

Plant Conservation and Sustainable Management in the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve, Dominican Republic
Sunday, March 1, 2009, 1:00 PM (Annual Banquet)
Presented by Brian M. Boom, Director, Caribbean Biodiversity Program, and Special Assistant to the President, The New York Botanical Garden

Abstract: The first, essential step in biodiversity conservation in any threatened area is to know the species, their spatial distributions, their ecological roles and their economic uses in the context of the cultural landscape. In addition, it is crucial to make this information accessible to natural resource managers, local peoples, tourists, and others who come into contact with the area’s biota or who make decisions about its management. This project’s main goal is to identify priority areas for conservation with respect to plants in the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve in the Dominican Republic. The specific need is to identify the best routes for corridors that would connect the core areas of the Reserve. The project comprises a plant survey, GIS analysis of IUCN Red List plant species, development of a keystone plant database (accessible online and via hand-held units), training and capacity-building at the local, national, and international levels, and dissemination of the results in publications and presentations. All of this will result in botanically informed recommendations about potential structure and locations of corridors bridging or connecting the Reserve parcels, a new cadre of biodiversity scientists and resource managers, a more biodiversity-literate local population within the Reserve, and a set of biodiversity data protocols that can be scaled-up throughout the Caribbean as a best-practices model for biodiversity conservation and sustainable management. This three-year project is in its second year, and the highlights to date will be the subject of this presentation.

Male fish on the pill: the effects of human pollution in natural streams
Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 6:30 PM
Presented by James D. Salierno, Assistant Professor of Biology, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Abstract: This presentation will focus on alterations of male fish (minnows) exposed to one of the most common female contraceptive ingredients currently on the market, 17-alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE₂). The alterations quantified will span several levels of biological organization in these male minnows, including: biochemical (blood hormone levels), histological (gonad maturation and health), morphological (male sexual characters), and behavioral (reproductive courtship and competition). I will provide data that demonstrates exposure to different concentrations of this synthetic estrogen has repeatable, marked, alterations on these male fish. Ultimately, these alterations could reduce their individual abilities to reproduce, thereby potentially changing population dynamics in these minnows exposed to synthetic estrogens.

Abstract: Studies of fossils and archaeological remains have painted a provocative picture of the evolution of grasslands over the past several million years in central and western North America, but comparatively little scientific inquiry on native grasslands has focused on the northeastern United States, where forests and wetlands attract far more attention. Dr. Latham has analyzed historical records, herbarium specimens, and indicator species and conducted fieldwork throughout the state of Pennsylvania to identify trends in the extent and distribution of native grasslands and meadows before and after European settlement. Besides their prehistory and history, he will touch on the environmental conditions, ecological processes, and disturbance regimes that shape the species composition of a dozen long-lived native grassland/meadow types found in the state and elsewhere in the Northeast.

The TORREY BOTANICAL SOCIETY collects and diffuses information on all topics relating to botany. Membership is open to all those interested in any phase of botanical activity. Please check our website: http://www.torreybotanical.org/ for further information.

_____________________________________________________________

NOTES:

If there is a change in meeting room, the receptionist and security guard in the Watson Building, at the Botanical Garden, will be informed as to the alternate location.

The Society's Web page can be consulted for updates on the Lecture Series. Announcements for the elections of officers and the Annual Meeting Banquet will be mailed in January and will also be posted on the Web site.

For information on how to get to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, please check the Web site: http://www.nybg.org/about/getto.html. MetroNorth Harlem line trains stop at Botanical Garden Station. Subways D and 4 have stops on Bedford Park Blvd., with the connecting bus 26 at the subway stations that will stop near the Botanical Garden entrance. In extremely inclement weather, you can call the receptionist at the Garden (718-817-8700) to inquire about meeting changes.