Roundup on bryophytes

Subject: Re: BRYONET: Funaria hygrometrica & herbicides.
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:03:22 +1100
From: Dale Tonkinson <dtonkinson@longy.com.au>

I am currently analysing a considerable volume of data gathered recently
on the effect of three herbicides on a variety of bryophytes in
south-eastern Australia. The initial results suggest minimal or no
effect of glyphosate (Roundup) on several species but severe effects on
others (e.g. Campylopus); as to the source of the damage it is as yet
unclear if the 'active' ingredient glyphosate or additives such as
surfactants are responsible. Some research in the US has shown the
most effective treatment for Bryum argenteum on golf greens was household
detergent so the surfactant component of herbicides may well be the
relevant component - it is also this component that varies between
different herbicide formulations based on the same active ingredient and
therefore effects of these different formulations may vary. Further
the shoots of some species are clearly damaged by herbicides however the
colony often regenerates within a few months thus giving the impression
to casual observers of no impact whatsoever. I hope my results can
be made available of the coming months.

Dale Tonkinson
Graduate Student - School of Resource Management and Geography
Melbourne School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne
Longerenong College, 229 Longerenong Road
Longerenong
3401 Australia
Office: +61 (03) 5362-2245
email: d.tonkinson@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au

herbicides

Subject: Re: BRYONET: Funaria hygrometrica & herbicides.
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:35:16 -0800
From: David Wagner <davidwagner@mac.com>

I believe there was considerable research about 30 years ago on the
effects of herbicides on bryophytes. My recollection is that much was
done by Dominick Basile, and that mostly mosses were resistant to
herbicides. In Pacific Northwest America, all one needs for a moss
garden is spray a shady area with herbicide.

For additional anecdotal data, I knew a grower of Christmas trees in
Washington State who used Atrazine to control grasses around his
trees. There was a circle of pure moss around each tree.

David H. Wagner, Ph.D.
Northwest Botanical Institute
P.O. Box 30064
Eugene, OR 97403-1064

davidwagner@mac.com
541-344-3327

http://web.mac.com/davidwagner/Site/FernZenMosses.html

Reproduction via leaf fragmentation in Frullania bolanderi

I thought I'd share with you all an interesting find. Today I found Frullania bolanderi in old-growth growing on striped maple. I do not know if this is a notable find for northern Michigan, but under the microscope I found that the leaves shed from the denuded shoot tips that grow erect from the tree (which is a character by which to identify F. bolanderi) were developing into clones.I have no literature on the species, but I'm sure this has been observed before. Here's a photo of a denuded shoot tip and a couple leaves developing shoots.

herbicides

Subject: AW: BRYONET: Funaria hygrometrica & herbicides.
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:09:24 +0100
From: Caspari Steffen (LUA) <s.caspari@lua.saarland.de>

Yes, I can add similar observations from Germany, where most bryophytes on
stubble fields and wineyards usually do well after the concurrence of
phanerogams is omitted by herbicides. Phascum cuspidatum, Tortula truncata,
Barbula convoluta, B. unguiculata, Bryum rubens, B. bicolor and Dicranella
staphylina are the most common examples.

Best wishes

Steffen Caspari

Dr. Steffen Caspari
Landesamt für Umwelt- und Arbeitsschutz (LUA)
Außenstelle:
Zentrum für Biodokumentation des Saarlandes (ZfB)

Am Bergwerk Reden 11
D-66578 Landsweiler-Reden
Tel.: (+49)681/501-3451
Fax: (+49)681/501-3479

herbicides

Subject: BRYONET: FW: pesticides and bryophytes
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:16:47 -0500
From: Buck, Bill <BBUCK@nybg.org>

Please respond directly to Paul Mistretta <pmistretta@fs.fed.us> as well
as to bryonet as he is not a member of BRYONET. Bill Buck

From: Paul Mistretta [mailto:pmistretta@fs.fed.us]=20
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 2:50 PM
To: Malcolm Hodges
Subject: pesticides and bryophytes

I am the Forest Service Region 8 pesticide use coordinator and while
teaching recently hit a subject area for which I had no information.
John Taylor recommended you as a source or at least a beginning point in
trying to run it down.=20

Specifically I was asked what the effects of aquatic (or terrestrial)
labeled herbicides were on nonvascular plants such as mosses, sphagnum.
Are you familiar with any research into non-target effects of herbicide
use on bryophytes and other nonvascular plants?? If you aren't familiar
with this the effects on this group (these groups) of plants do you know
where I might go next with this question?=20

Thanks!

Paul A. Mistretta
USDA Forest Service=20
Forest Health Protection , Rm 850s
1720 Peachtree Rd., NW
Atlanta, GA 30367

404-347-2229

e-mail: pmistretta@fs.fed.us
phone: 404-347-2229
fax: 404-347-1880

herbicides

Subject: Re: BRYONET: Funaria hygrometrica & herbicides.
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:19:37 +0200
From: Johannes Enroth <johannes.enroth@helsinki.fi>

I have a similar experience as Dr. Fife. I applied "Round Up" in my
garden to several species of mosses but nothing happened. In case you
wonder: in the garden my wife rules rather than me. I love the mosses
but what can one do...

Johannes Enroth

--
Dr. Johannes Enroth
PhD, University Lecturer, Bryologist
Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences
P.O. Box 65
FIN-00014 University of Helsinki
Finland
______

herbicides

Subject: BRYONET: Funaria hygrometrica & herbicides.
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:08:38 +1300
From: Allan Fife <FifeA@landcareresearch.co.nz>

My casual observations here in New Zealand suggest that "round up' has
little effect on some bryophytes and that a few, most notably Funaria
hygrometrica, seem to thrive, and sometime establish almost a
monoculture, on bare soil after this herbicide is applied.

Cheers, Allan Fife

Metzgeria

Back in mid December I collected some Metzgeria specimens from a partially shaded, fairly dry to slightly moist granite boulder along Lake Superior in Marquette County, Michigan where I live. The forest was dominated by stunted conifers with a Quercus component. The boulder was near the edge of the woody plant dominated community. I keyed them out with only some certainty to M. furcata. The photo of the thallus at 100x is as follows:



Note this is the underside of the thallus, and the margins and midvein are pretty densely covered in trichomes, with (reproductive structures?) along the midvein. A few days later I found a dense, dark green Metzgeria mat covering the base of a densely shaded erratic boulder in a valley dominated by old-growth Tsuga/hardwoods, further down the coast from the first site and a bit further away from the lake, though the forest was particularly moist from the influence from the lake. Following is the thallus at 100x:



Note the gemmae along the margin, and the substantially smaller size of the plant overall. Also the thallus is practically devoid of hairs. This is still the underside. Here's a comparison of the two specimens at much lower magnification:



I'm still fairly new to liverwort identification, and this was my first attempt to identify Metzgeria. Does everyone agree with my ID? Are we looking at male specimens on the left and female on the right? According to Frye/Clark in Hepaticae of North America, female plants are larger and more hairy. I wasn't expecting such extreme sexual dimorphism. Also interesting is that I couldn't find any Metzgeria on tree trunks in the immediate area. Thanks for any input you can give me. -Daniel McConnell

Website for IAB 2009 available

The website for IAB 2009 is now available: http://www.iab2009.uct.ac.za
We will continue to update the site, so please check it regularly. As
always, feel free to contact us for any extra information that you need.
Best

Terry

Prof. T.A. Hedderson
Keeper, Bolus Herbarium
Dept. of Botany
University of Cape Town
Private Bag
Rondebosch, 7701
South Africa

join

Dear Lady / Sir,
I would like to join to moss gardens blog if it is possible.
With best wishes Svata K.

--

RNDr. Svatava Kubešová / Svatava Kubesova
Botanické oddělení / Department of Botany
Moravské zemské muzeum / Moravian Museum
Hviezdoslavova 29a / Hviezdoslavova 29a
627 00 Brno / CZ-62700 Brno
/ Czech Republic

tel.: 545 217 322 / +420 545 217 322
skubesova@mzm.cz, svata.kubesova@seznam.cz
http://kasandra.mzm.cz/~skubesova/

Bryophyte Mould

Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 08:37:05 +0800 (CST)
From: Zhang Li
To: Bryonet

Bryophyte Mould


It¡¯s rather difficult to explain to students or the general public about
the structure and morphology of bryophytes owing of their small size.
During a public show about bryophytes held in Macao in December 2008
organized jointly by the Municipal Affairs Bureau, Macao and the
Fairylake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen, China, a local artist in Macao,
Mr. Fong Kam Kei, helped us to set up a couple of bryophyte moulds. The
size of moulds is generally 20-40 times bigger comparing of that of the
original plants. It turned out that the moulds were very welcome and
good media for students and visitors for understanding the fine
structure and function of bryophytes. Simultaneously, Mr. Fong was
invited to organize a workshop on how to make bryophyte moulds for
middle school students.







How do you like the moulds (8 images attached)?

ANNOUNCING THE PUBLICATION OF A NEW MOSS FLORA

BRYONET

The Illustrated Moss Flora of Antarctica


By Ryszard Ochyra, Ronald Lewis-Smith & Halina Bednarek-Ochyra

Cambridge University Press. November 2008. £125 (or $US equivalent,
but less from Internet suppliers)

It is with pleasure that I draw your attention to the recent publication
of The Illustrated Moss Flora of Antarctica, the first intensively and
extensively researched Moss Flora for the Antarctic biological region.
It provides detailed descriptions, with keys, and revisions of all known
species (111) and varieties (2) of moss in the Antarctic and, as such,
is the most comprehensive and complete Flora of all the world's biomes.
It has involved the microscopic examination of around 10,000 specimens
from Antarctica and, for comparison, from other continents.
Furthermore, type specimens of all species and infraspecific taxa have
been examined. Each species is illustrated by detailed line drawings
(ca. 20-40 per species), alongside information about their reproductive
status, ecology and regional and global distribution.
The Flora comprises 704 + 24 unnumbered pages, including Introduction (8
pages), History of muscological investigations in Antarctica (17),
Terrestrial environment and moss ecology of Antarctica (7), Diversity
and phytogeography of the moss flora (17), Background to the Flora (6)
and Systematic accounts of the taxa (531), Glossary (15), References
(57), and Index to Latin names (21). There are 273 halftone figures, 42
colour plates on unnumbered pages, and ca. 2000 references.

Dr. Ron Lewis-Smith

Centre for Antarctic Plant Ecology and Diversity, Moffat, Scotland