2018 ASHS Annual Conference
Challenges of Establishing Native Vs. Exotic Status of Herbarium Specimens
Challenges of Establishing Native Vs. Exotic Status of Herbarium Specimens
Friday, August 3, 2018: 11:00 AM
Jefferson East (Washington Hilton)
In cases where invasive species are presumed to be strictly exotic, the discovery that the species is also native can be disconcerting for researchers and land managers responsible for eradicating an exotic invasive. Such is the case with reed canarygrass, Phalaris arundinacea, where decades of misinformation had led to the call for nationwide control of this species in the US. However, native populations were first reported by LaVoie and then later confirmed by Casler with molecular analyses. This, coupled with the discovery by Anderson that this species has been used in weavings by Native Americans for centuries, also made the native forms of interest for protection. Questions of importance that should be answered when identifying native while controlling exotic/invasive genotypes are the subject of this talk. Identifying the native status of historic, herbarium specimens via molecular analyses is of great interest to determine localities of native populations for confirmation with extant specimens. Historic specimens are often degraded which makes DNA extraction challenging.
Why this speaker? Dr. Andrzej Noyszewski is a PostDoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN. He has expertise in molecular biology and plant reproductive barriers and is harnessing these skills to address the question of native vs. invasive status of historic and extant reed canarygrass populations in Minnesota, using corollary collections from central Europe (Czech Republic). Andrzej will aid Dr. Neil Anderson’s invasive species research team in developing a hand-held device for land manager use in distinguishing between native and exotic forms of reed canarygrass.
See more of: It’s Native. Wait! It’s Exotic… Oh No, It’s a Nuisance! *CEU Approved*
See more of: Workshop Proposals
See more of: Workshop Proposals