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Research at The ArboretumThe mission of The Arboretum at Flagstaff is to increase the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of plants and plant communities native to the Colorado Plateau, to identify, evaluate, display, and introduce plants adaptable to the climatic and soil conditions of the Flagstaff environment, to seek through scientific research innovative solutions to conservation issues of this high altitude environment, and to develop educational programs that will increase the understanding of the need for wise stewardship of our natural environment. Primarily, we focus on PLANT CONSERVATION. Within this realm are subjects like: rare plants, plant biology, weeds, horticultural trials, etc. The Research Department has to collaborate closely with all other departments to achieve the mission statement. CURRENT RESEARCHNational Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Three Uncommon Penstemons Project Description: The Arboretum and the Ecological Restoration Institute of Northern Arizona University collaborated to conduct baseline data surveys for three Penstemon species found in Arizona, Penstemon nudiflorus, P. ophianthus, P. pinifolius. Specialists and volunteers will examine recorded locations and potential habitat and will assess species status, potential threats and management needs. Started in December 2006, ends August 2007.
Endangered Species Act, Section 6 Funds, Verde Valley Endemic Project Description: The Arboretum will be monitoring the current status of Tetraneuris verdiensis, a recently described species with only four known populations. Specifically, we aim to determine the status of this rare plant since the severe drought of 2002. Long-term monitoring plots will be established and seeds will be collected for germination trials. Started in December 2006, ends August 2007. Endangered Species Act, Section 6 Funds, Astragalus germination Project Description: The Arboretum will be working in conjuction with Grand Canyon National Park to germinate seeds of Astragalus cremnophylax var. cremnophylax in our greenhouse in hopes of establishing an ex situ seed source for this rare plant. Started in December 2006, ends August 2007.
National Park Service, Rare Plants Project Description: This is a grant through the Center for Plant Conservation to study eight rare plants at five National Parks, Monuments and Recreation Areas looking for habitat and collecting seeds to be used by the Park Service in restoration efforts. Started in fall 2004, ends fall 2007.
Center for Plant Conservation National Collection Plants Project Description: As part of the Center for Plant Conservation, the Arboretum is responsible for 24 rare plant taxa as part of our National Collection. You can find the list of species on the CPC website. Activities include research, restoration, propagation, seed banking, and surveys. Since 1981. Autumn Buttercup Project Project Description: This project is a Nature Conservancy project in conjunction with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and the Arboretum. The CZBG will tissue culture 20-40 plants which will be sent to the Arboretum where we will acclimatize the plants and put them in restored habitat in Utah. Started in April 2006, ends summer 2007. PAST RESEARCHBureau of Land Management. Seeds of Success Project Description: This project, part of the Center for Plant Conservation, is to collect seeds for the Millennium Seed Bank Project with Kew Gardens, and for the Bureau of Land Management to use in habitat restoration. There are 54 species involved. Started in May 2004, ended in December 2006. Photos available at http://seedsofsuccess.phanfare.com/
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Rare Plants Project Description: The project is to study the effects of drought on eight rare plant taxa in Arizona and develop a team of "lay" botanists to assist in data collection. The selected rare plants span an elevation and habitat range characteristic of the Southwestern US. Started in May 2005, ended in December 2006.
Arboretum Weed Eradication Project Description: This is a grant from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service to map and eradicate noxious weeds at the Arboretum. Started in 2005, ended in April 2006.
Endangered Species Act, Section 6 Funds, North Kaibab Project Description: This is a grant from the State of Arizona for work on four rare taxa on the North Kaibab region. The work includes surveying populations to determine effects of the drought, establishing long-term monitoring plots, and collecting seed to be stored. Started in July 2005, ended December 2006.
PVA Model Details for Purshia
subintegra (Arizona cliffrose):
The PVA was derived from demographic data gathered in both drought and non-drought years between 1996-2003 in central Arizona upper Sonoran desert for the federally endangered Arizona cliffrose (Purshia subintegra). The species is known from four disjunct populations in central Arizona, where it usually occurs on lacustrine outcrops, which have a distinct chalky white appearance (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1984). The largest population of Purshia subintegra occurs in the Verde Valley, Arizona. Usually less than 2 m tall, P. subintegra is a long-lived xeric rosaceaeous non-clonal evergreen shrub with pale yellow flowers and entire leaves that lack glands. Adult P. subintegra plants bloom from late March through early June (Fitts et al. 1993; Baggs & Maschinski 2000). Seeds disperse from July through August and seed germination occurs the following spring from March through June depending upon temperature and rainfall. In dry years, plants may not produce any viable seed and there may be no seedling recruitment (Baggs & Maschinski 2000). To determine the demographic patterns of P. subintegra growing in the Verde Valley, AZ, in 1996 we established 30- 4 m x 10 m plots. We randomly selected six plots in each of four areas that span the species 5 km range within the valley and systematically selected six plots where we observed high densities of relatively young P. subintegra. Each year we classified individuals into five non-overlapping stages based on size, presence of cotyledons, and/or reproductive status (Fig. 1). Because seeds can persist in the seed bank and germinate up to 3.5 yrs following release from reproductive adults, we included a persistent seed bank stage in the model and used mean values from the studies of Maschinski et al. (2004) to estimate seed bank parameters. Details of model construction, matrices and elasticities are given in Tables 1-7. Our trajectories for models derived from historic climatic conditions and scenarios of increased aridity are under consideration for publication: Joyce Maschinski, Joanne E. Baggs, Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio, and Eric S. Menges. In Review. Using PVA to Predict the Effects of Climate Change on the Extinction Risk of an Endangered Limestone Endemic. Submitted to Conservation Biology. Correspondence related to these models should be addressed to: Joyce Maschinski Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden 11935 Old Cutler Rd. Miami, FL 33156 jmaschinski@fairchildgarden.org.
Restoration of Forest Properties The forests of the American southwest are in trouble. There are far too many trees in unhealthy states of condition. When coupled with prolonged drought, this can fuel catastrophic wildfires and biological infestations, destroying habitat and wreaking havoc on entire communities. As responsible members of our community, private landowners can make a difference by recognizing and responding to problems that may exist on their own property.
Techniques: Government agencies have been addressing the overgrowth of unhealthy western forests through prescribed burns, and selective thinning followed by burning of the slash. On the home front, removing the dead lower branches on pines eliminates attached kindling that acts as a stepladder for potential canopy fires. Rake and remove duff and litter, including broken branches and layers of pine needles. Thin out and remove trees from dense stands that lack understory vegetation or trees that show symptoms of pine bark beetle infestation. Remove trees that are within 25 to 30 feet of your home or those that make physical contact with man-made structures. Contact a certified arborist, your county agriculture extension agent, or Forest Service personnel for restoration recommendations concerning landscape health and safety. Costs: The homeowner, at minimal expense, can safely undertake many of the minor restoration tasks, such as raking up duff and sawing off the lower dead branches of trees. Removing trees should be left to the professionals and costs can vary considerably, depending on the size and site of the targeted tree. A 30 foot tree, less than a foot in diameter could cost as little as $100.00 to be removed. Larger diameter trees, located near structures, may run upwards to two to three thousand dollars to be removed. Benefits: Once your property has been thinned and cleaned up, your landscape has a greater chance of attracting wildlife due to an eventual increase in understory vegetation. Increased diversity within your landscape has profoundly beneficial effects on the psyche and increases the value of your property. You could also rest a little easier in the knowledge that you have done what you can to make your homestead a little safer from the scourge of wildfire. Some fringe benefits from thinning include the wood byproducts derived from the removed trees. These can be used for zigzag split rail fencing, mulch for landscaping, and of course, firewood. Failing to Act: It’s dire consequences for those who fail to accept the responsibility of making their piece of the forest healthier and safer from the devastating effects of fire. And as drought conditions persist, pine bark beetle damage will increase and can occur within your own landscape. By thinning your own property and removing dead and diseased trees you can minimize this threat. Visualizing the forest as a collective entity may help those with aversions to cutting living trees. Or you can try visualizing your home surrounded by dead trees or aflame, while you stand helplessly witnessing with regrets of inaction.
Grassland / Meadow Restoration Native grasslands once occupied a great majority of the Midwest and much of the western United States. The direct and indirect activities of man have introduced invasive species that have created weedy monocultures, affecting and reducing populations of native flora and fauna. The loss of biodiversity has diminished recreational opportunities for boaters, hikers and hunters and caused economic ruin for farmers and ranchers. Scientists at The Arboretum are determined to find a sustainable method that helps curb the spread of invasive and noxious species, while restoring a weed-infested grassland to a functioning native grassland community. Techniques: Choosing the most appropriate method for restoring a weed infested meadow or grassland depends on a few value judgments and an assessment of how much time, energy, and money you wish to commit to this process. Weed-mat or weed-barrier is permeable to water, yet precludes light, shutting down the food-making processes of targeted plants. This should be left on the affected area for a minimum of 90 days to ensure higher weed mortality. Manual removal is another method, but because of the time involved, is only recommended for areas less than a quarter to a half-acre in size. In addition the presence of soil moisture is almost mandatory for removing invasives with aggressive taproots like dalmatian toadflax and the knapweeds. Herbicides have been used for years, particularly for larger applications by farmers and by government agencies. There are organic based products available for individuals sensitive to this notion. Another option unexplored by The Arboretum’s staff is the grazing of goats and cattle. Follow-up to any applied removal method should include reintroduction of natives by either seeding or plugging with young plant starts.Costs: Weed mat is effective for smaller applications, but can be cost prohibitive. Covering an area of approximately 1000 square feet can run around $100 dollars. Manual removal costs are incurred more in time than in materials and can vary depending on the site, soil, and the extent and type of exotic infestation. Eradicating a monoculture of smooth brome, with the aid of a rototiller, required Arboretum staff around 12 hours of time for an area of around 1000 square feet. Under most circumstances, homeowners and government agencies utilize herbicides to combat weeds. A single application of glyphosphate (Round-up) or pelergonic acid over that same 1000 square feet is significantly less expensive from a dollar standpoint, but may require repeated sprayings. Goats will eat just about anything, including weedy plants that are unpalatable to other animals. Our recommendation with goats is… well, they can be effective, but it’s your money. Once the undesirable exotics have been eliminated, the cost of restoring an area with natives is relatively inexpensive. An acre of meadow can be reseeded for less than $150 dollars and seed is usually available at local garden centers. Benefits: Restoring a grassland or meadow to a native plant community increases biodiversity and in the process, enhances habitat by restoring native plant and animal associations. What this means to the homeowner is more birds, bees, and butterflies to enrich your life, and a dynamic palette of change from season to season within the restored grassland. Failing to Act: Native flora and fauna may eventually be replaced by a monoculture of weeds. In the process, you increase the likelihood of soil erosion, an altered fire regime and hydrologic pattern within the landscape, and an overall loss in property value. If left unchecked, the spread of exotics will spill out from the borders of your property, earning you the impertinence of your neighbors and a grassland transformed into bland land.
Educational Programs The Arboretum at Flagstaff has successfully connected with over 1500 area students in grades 5 – 12 and with students from Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College in place-based ecological programs. Students assisted Arboretum scientists in participatory action research, assessing vegetative cover and abundance of species in a grassland restoration experiment that addressed the question of “which restoration techniques are most effective in converting grassland dominated by non-native, smooth brome grass to a native plant community?” Forest restoration programs emphasize cooperative service learning activities, in which participants restore habitat and take away a sense of contributing to the solution of making our forests and bordering communities safer and healthier places to live. Educational outreach addressing the growing problem of invasive and noxious weeds is another area of ecological instruction made available by the Arboretum’s environmental educators. All of the described programs are tied to the Arizona Science Standards. Contact The Arboretum to see how you can get your students involved with the topical and rewarding experience of restoration education.
Arboretum's Forest Stewardship ProjectWhy are you cutting down trees and brush? Since the summer of 2000 The Arboretum and the Flagstaff Fire Department have been involved in a joint Forest Stewardship Improvement project on Arboretum property. The project is designed to reduce wildfire hazard, maintain scenic and wildlife values, and improve overall forest health. The project involves four phases:
If you see the work under way on your next visit, feel free to ask any crew member to explain what you observe. Please follow all signs and directions. The work is being performed by the Flagstaff Fire Dept. Fuel Management Crew and selected staff from The Arboretum. For further information, contact: The Arboretum: (928) 774-1442 ext 122 Flagstaff Fire Department:
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Copyright © 2007 The Arboretum at Flagstaff
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