Subject: BEN # 172

From: Adolf Ceska <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 00:59:36 -0700

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No. 172                              September 27, 1997

[email-masked]        Victoria, B.C.
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 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
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THE ECOLOGY, GENETICS AND CONSERVATION OF LLOYDIA SEROTINA
From:  Barbara  Jones,  Countryside  Council  for Wales, Bangor,
   North Wales, GB <[email-masked]>

Lloydia serotina (L.) Rchb. (Liliaceae) is found in a number  of
alpine  and arctic locations throughout the northern hemisphere,
ranging from alpine  tundra  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the
European  Alps to near coastal situations in Alaska and Siberia.
It is not found in the European arctic however and in Britain it
is a rare and protected species, only occurring on  a  very  few
cliff  faces  in the Snowdonia Mountains of North Wales. Concern
at  the  vulnerable  nature  of  these  peripheral  populations,
together  with  the  fact  that  very little was known about the
species,  prompted  research  into   the   ecology,   population
dynamics, reproductive ecology, habitat and genetic variation of
populations  in  Wales,  the  European  Alps  and North America,
including British Columbia and Washington State.  The  main  aim
was  to  assess the performance of the Welsh populations against
that of the large populations  at  the  centre  of  the  species
range,  however,  interesting results also emerged regarding all
the populations studied, especially those in  peripheral  situa-
tions  such  as  the  Pacific north-west, Wales and the Southern
Rocky Mountains.

The characteristics of the habitat vary  throughout  its  range,
influenced  by  latitude,  climate  and  land use, with the more
'typical' habitat consisting of gently  sloping  alpine  tundra,
exemplified   by  the  localities  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  in
Colorado. Further north however, the preferred  habitat  becomes
more  rocky, with the cliff bound populations in Wales providing
an extreme example. These more northerly populations also tended
to be much smaller than  those  in  the  centre  of  its  range.
Demographic  studies  revealed  that vegetative reproduction ap-
pears to predominate over sexual  reproduction  in  all  popula-
tions,  with +rhizome' type structures issuing from the bulb and
forming daughter plants. The smaller,  more  peripheral  popula-
tions  showed  slightly  lower flowering and seeding levels than
the larger populations studied during a three year  period,  but
sexual reproduction does occur and seed produced is viable.

All populations studied had large percentages of male flowers as
well  as hermaphrodites, raising interesting questions regarding
the possibility of androdioecy in the  species.  Initial  inves-
tigations  into pollen production and viability suggest that the
theoretical requirements for double fertility in male flowers in
androdioecious populations is not met with in  Lloydia,  but  it
may  be  possible  that  males are maintained in a population if
they have an increased vegetative reproductive capability.

A survey of protein polymorphisms in 16  populations,  including
one  from  Vancouver  Island, one from southern British Columbia
and one from the  Olympic  Peninsula,  showed  lower  levels  of
isozyme  variation  in  the  smaller populations, especially the
most northerly and southerly ones in North  America,  suggesting
the  occurrence  of genetic drift. The Welsh populations are the
most isolated, but they  show  levels  of  variation  which  are
slightly higher than those in the Pacific north-west. This could
be  due  to a number of reasons involving the glacial history of
the areas concerned and the size and viability  of  the  popula-
tions  studied.  The  two  main  Welsh  populations studied were
larger than some of those in the Pacific  north-west  where  the
very  small  populations there may be losing genetic variability
due to inbreeding, lack of gene flow and genetic  drift.  Random
Amplified  Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of four Welsh popula-
tions produced evidence for clonal growth and consequent genetic
structuring within these populations. This type of growth  could
help  to  maintain  some genetic diversity in larger, more scat-
tered populations which exhibit  occasional  gene  flow  between
relatively  isolated  groups  or  'clones', but in smaller, more
compact  populations,  it  can  result   in   an   increase   in
homozygosity  (one  population  in the Olympic Mountains for ex-
ample covered an area of only two square metres).

One major omission from the research was  the  investigation  of
material  from  the  Queen  Charlotte Islands. Lloydia from this
locality  is  considered  to  constitute  a  subspecies  Lloydia
serotina  subsp.  flava,  due  to  its larger size and different
colouration. This has not been proven however,  and  so  far  my
attempts  to obtain material from these remote Islands have been
unsuccessful.  Genetic  analysis  of  these  populations   would
provide  fascinating  results,  not only to confirm or otherwise
the designation, but also to throw more light onto  the  glacial
history  of  the  area  and  its  effects on speciation and past
movement of vegetation communities. If anyone  is  visiting  the
Islands  this  year  and  is  able  to  collect material for me,
preferably seed, which will survive posting better than  leaves,
then I would be eternally grateful.

STAFF CUTS IN THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA
From: "John V Matthews Jr." <[email-masked]>
   originally posted on [email-masked]

Bad news travels fast so many of you probably already know that the
Geological Survey of Canada in its latest blood-letting has discontinued
all paleoecological research (including pollen, wood and macrofossils) and
has surplused everybody working in that realm.  Evidently the GSC is
walking away from an important area of Global Change research, just when
the public is becoming aware of its importance.

WEB PAGE: CANADIAN NATIONAL FORESTRY DATABASE PROGRAM
From: Brian Haddon <[email-masked]>
   originally posted on FOREST discussion list

The National Forestry Database Program is pleased to announce that
the complete version of the sixth edition of the Compendium of
Canadian Forestry Statistics, 1996 is now available on the World Wide
Web at
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/cfs/proj/iepb/nfdp/

The Compendium contains national and provincial forestry information
(more than 55 tables, 117 graphs, background information and
terminology).  All data files can be downloaded as ASCII text and can
easily be manipulated using software such as Excel.  The site
provides historical tables as well as detailed tables by ownership
(1990-1995) for the following areas:

 - Forest Inventory: 1991
 - Annual Allowable Cut : Latest period calculated and Summary
       factors in AAC determination
 - Forest Fires
 - Forest Insects
 - Forest Products: Roundwood harvested, Maple products, and
       Christmas trees
 - Silviculture: Harvesting, Clearcut size, Site preparation,
       Planting, Seeding and Stand tending
 - Forest Management Expenditures: Activity, Source of funding
 - Revenues and Economic Profile: Statement of revenues, Tenure
       holders' rights and responsibilities 1995/1996 and
       provincial/territorial economic profile
 - Pest Control Product Use

We encourage you to provide feedback in order to help us develop
a product that will best serve your needs.

 - Fax 613-947-9020
 - Internet e-mail [email-masked]
 - Feedback form
       http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/cfs/proj/iepb/nfdp/feedback.cgi

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