Create your own conference schedule! Click here for full instructions

Abstract Detail



Ecology

Luftman, Nathan [1], Cantley, Jason [1], Martine, Chris [1].

Saltwater tolerance thresholds in the halophytic species Chenopodium oahuense (Amaranthaceae) including a new segregate taxon from the Island of Moloka‘i in the Hawaiian Islands.

The Hawaiian Islands have been long identified as a hotbed of biodiversity, with widespread endemism across all islands. Chenopodium oahuense (Amaranthaceae), while endemic to Hawai‘i, has been recorded on all but one island of the archipelago. Populations of the taxon occur on sandy beaches, seacliffs, and in high elevation subalpine habitats that are isolated from sea spray. However, baseline information on seed ecology is not well know for this halophytic species. Therefore, to test if a differential response to salinity has developed between populations inland and on the coast, seeds of three populations (subalpine, beach, and seacliffs) were exposed to artificial seawater to assess possible increased germination rates in the presence of salt, which occurs for many other Chenopodium species. In a second experiment, germination and growth measurements were assessed when exposed to different concentrations of artificial seawater to simulate the effects of sea salt spray. The results and conservation implications from these experiments are discussed including the recognition of an undescribed taxon that has been only recently recognized from the seacliffs of Moloka‘i. Using live and herbarium material to assess morphological differences coupled with results from the sea water treatment experiments, we detail the distinctive characteristics of this new taxon for the first time. Primarily, the taxon is most noticeably different in its overall sprawling habit and semi-succulent leaves that may have evolved in response to environmental factors that occur in its habitats, which are the world’s tallest seacliffs.


Log in to add this item to your schedule

1 - Bucknell University, Biology, 701 Moore Ave, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States

Keywords:
undergraduate research
Halophytic
new taxon
Chenopodium
Hawaii
biodiversity
Amaranthaceae.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Ecology Section Posters
Location: Exhibit Hall/Savannah International Trade and Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 1st, 2016
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 5:30 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PEC015
Abstract ID:392
Candidate for Awards:Ecological Section Best Undergraduate Presentation Award


Copyright © 2000-2016, Botanical Society of America. All rights reserved