Acer Grandidentatum Research Articles

Propagation of bigtooth maple by layering

Propagation of bigtooth maple by layering

Taxonomy and phylogenetic insights for Mexican and Central American species of Acer (Sapindaceae)1

The understanding of the species traits of Acer L. growing in subtropical and tropical America is relevant because this region represents its most southern geographic range in the hemisphere. This study evaluates the morphological variation and updates the taxonomic status, distribution, and phylogenetic relationships of Acer in Middle America. A total of eight taxa are recognized. The presence of Acer negundo subsp. mexicanum is documented for Honduras, while five taxa are restricted to northern Mexico (Acer negundo var. arizonicum, A. negundo var. texanum, Acer glabrum var. neomexicanum, Acer grandidentatum, Acer grandidentatum var. sinuosum), whereas Acer binzayedii is endemic to western Mexico. Only Acer skutchii and A. negundo subsp. mexicanum are widely distributed in the investigated area. The populations are often fragmented and disjunct. The phylogenetic analysis identifies the A. grandidentatum populations from northwestern Mexico as a separate lineage. Descriptions, distribution maps, photographs, and conservation assessments of the species as well as a key to species are provided.

Survival of Juvenile <i>Acer grandidentatum</i> Nutt. (Bigtooth Maple, Aceraceae) in Central Texas Woodlands

Populations of Acer grandidentatum Nutt. (Bigtooth maple, Aceraceae = Sapindaceae) in central Texas are mostly found in isolated, deep, relatively remote, limestone canyons. Acer grandidentatum is found with a few other mostly deciduous species. Recruitment of juveniles has been reported to be lacking. One population of A. grandidentatum juveniles was found in a limestone canyon in a State Natural Area in Central Texas. Fifty juveniles were located. Wire enclosures were placed around half of the seedlings with half left in the open. In an adjacent canyon, 50 juvenile seedlings were planted in a similar habitat with adult A. grandidentatum trees nearby. Half were in enclosures and half in the open. Plant survival was followed for four growing seasons until November 2019. At the end of that time when survivals were compared between plants in enclosures and those in the open in both canyon communities, there was a significant difference in survival in both communities (χ2, P Odocoleus virginianus).

Spatial Delineation of Acer grandidentatum within the Owl and Bear Creek Watersheds, Fort Hood Military Installation, Texas

Spatial Delineation of Acer grandidentatum within the Owl and Bear Creek Watersheds, Fort Hood Military Installation, Texas

Does vegetation change over 28 years affect habitat use and reproductive success?

Abstract Individuals should prefer and use habitats that confer high fitness, but habitat use is not always adaptive. Vegetation in natural landscapes changes gradually and the ability of species to adaptively adjust their habitat use to long-term changes is largely unstudied. We studied nest patch and territory use over 28 yr in Orange-crowned Warblers (Oreothlypis celata) in a system that has undergone natural long-term changes in vegetation. Abundance of maple (Acer grandidentatum), its preferred nesting habitat, gradually declined from 1987 to 2015. We examined whether habitat use and its fitness consequences changed as the availability of preferred habitat decreased. We used resource selection function models to determine changes over time in the probability of using a nest patch given available patches, and the probability of using a territory given available territories. We estimated nest survival to evaluate changes over time in the fitness consequences of nest patch use. We also compared habitat use (nest patch and territory) and fitness (nest survival) between areas with naturally reduced abundance of maple and experimentally increased abundance of maple (fenced areas). Nest patch use depended on maple abundance and did not change drastically across 28 yr, even though the availability of preferred maple patches decreased over time. In contrast, nest survival tended to decrease over time. We did not see differences in nest patch use and nest survival between unfenced and fenced areas, unlike territory use, which increased with the abundance of maple in fenced areas and decreased in unfenced areas. Our study depicts one example of relatively unchanged habitat use in the face of decreased availability of preferred vegetation across years, with a resulting decrease in reproductive success. Investigating changes in habitat use and fitness consequences for animals exposed to long-term habitat change is necessary to understand adaptive behavioral responses.

ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION OF ARBUTUS XALAPENSIS (TEXAS MADRONE) POPULATIONS IN CENTRAL TEXAS

Arbutus xalapensis Kunth (Texas madrone, Ericaceae) is found in western and central Texas, but its ecological characteristics are little known. Mature A. xalapensis plants were found in the Albert and Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area in Kendall and Bandera counties, central Texas (29.740278 N, –98.838333 W). Habitats studied included Acer grandidentatum Nutt. (bigtooth maple) canyon bottoms, Juniperus ashei J.Buchholz/Quercus L. sp. (Ashe juniper/mixed oak) hillsides, and J. ashei uplands. Population characteristics were compared to habitat and surface geology. A total of 98 A. xalapensis plants were found in the communities studied. Differences were found for all parameters except height. Upland A. xalapensis trees had the lowest mean (±SD) density (2 ± 3 plants/ha), highest basal area (210 ± 190 cm2/plant), community elevation (573 ± 14 m) and height (4.09 ± 1.70 m/plant). Hillside communities had the highest density (61 ± 38 plants/ha), but lower basal area (110 ± 170 cm2/plant). The canyon bottom plant basal area was 80 ± 100 cm2/plant and density was 10 ± 5 plants/ha. The canyon bottoms had the deepest soil (27.2 ± 20.4 cm) and lowest elevation (510 ± 16 m). When geological substrates were examined, 128 additional plants were found. The largest plants were on the Fort Terrett member of the Edwards limestone (hard limestone, 230 ± 220 cm2/plant), but density was the lowest (2 ± 3 plants/ha). Whereas greater density was on the Upper Glen Rose limestone (softer limestone, 16 ± 7 plants/ha), where plants were smaller (110 ± 150 cm2/plant). Community type and geological substrate seem critical for growth of this species.

Soil water vapour isotopes identify missing water source for streamside trees

AbstractIn a seminal study, Dawson and Ehleringer used deuterium measurements on water to show that boxelder (Acer negundo) and bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum) trees growing directly next to a perennial stream in a mountain meadow did not use the stream water for transpiration, nor could they identify any other potential water source. Since then, similar observations of plant water isotopic signatures that do not match any available water source have been reported from a range of ecosystems worldwide. Here, we use a combination of non‐destructive in situ isotopic soil water sampling along with destructive soil sampling and cryogenic water extraction to demonstrate that isotopically distinct water pools can be identified in soils at the same site as the 1991 study during parts of the summer growing season. Water extracted from xylem tissues shows that streamside boxelder and bigtooth maple at the sites were predominantly using soil water with an isotopic composition similar to that measured by the in situ soil measurement technique. We introduce the use of water vapour probes that were directly attached to intact tree roots in situ to measure the isotopic composition of root xylem water and how it varies through the growing season and evaluate their potential and utility.

Convergence in leaf size versus twig leaf area scaling: do plants optimize leaf area partitioning?

Corner's rule states that thicker twigs bear larger leaves. The exact nature of this relationship and why it should occur has been the subject of numerous studies. It is obvious that thicker twigs should support greater total leaf area ([Formula: see text]) for hydraulical and mechanical reasons. But it is not obvious why mean leaf size ([Formula: see text]) should scale positively with [Formula: see text] We asked what this scaling relationship is within species and how variable it is across species. We then developed a model to explain why these relationships exist. To minimize potential sources of variability, we compared twig properties from six co-occurring and functionally similar species: Acer grandidentatum, Amelanchier alnifolia, Betula occidentalis, Cornus sericea, Populus fremontii and Symphoricarpos oreophilus We modelled the economics of leaf display, weighing the benefit from light absorption against the cost of leaf tissue, to predict the optimal [Formula: see text] combinations under different canopy openings. We observed a common [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text] exponent of 0.6, meaning that [Formula: see text]and leaf number on twigs increased in a specific coordination. Common scaling exponents were not supported for relationships between any other measured twig properties. The model consistently predicted positive [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text] scaling when twigs optimally filled canopy openings. The observed 0·6 exponent was predicted when self-shading decreased with larger canopy opening. Our results suggest Corner's rule may be better understood when recast as positive [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text] scaling. Our model provides a tentative explanation of observed [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text] scaling and suggests different scaling may exist in different environments.

Bigtooth Maples from Three Geographically Different Origins Endure Root Zone Salinity

The contiguous geographic range of bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum Nutt.) covers Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas and suggests that this deciduous tree is a potential landscape plant for many regions. Using bigtooth maples selected from provenances in New Mexico (NM), Utah (UT) and Texas (TX), we evaluated physiological and growth traits of plants subjected to root zone salinity treatments at concentrations 0 (control), 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m−1 (0, 1,600, 3,200, or 6,400 ppm). At harvest, foliar Kjeldahl nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium concentrations of salinity-treated plants were not different from control plants. Plants from the TX provenance had the highest leaf dry weight (DW) (15.7 g [0.55 oz]), larger stem diameter (11.4 mm [0.45 in]), less foliar injury, and less negative midday stem water potentials while accumulating three and two times more foliar sodium than plants from the UT and NM provenance plants, respectively. Total DW (95.9 g [3.4 oz]) of TX plants was triple that of the other two provenances. While bigtooth maples from the three provenances tolerated salinity, those from the TX provenance show enhanced resiliency to root zone salinity.

Revisiting streamside trees that do not use stream water: can the two water worlds hypothesis and snowpack isotopic effects explain a missing water source?

AbstractWe revisit a classic ecohydrological study that showed streamside riparian trees in a semiarid mountain catchment did not use perennial stream water. The original study suggested that mature individuals of Acer negundo, Acer grandidentatum, and other species were dependent on water from “deeper strata,” possibly groundwater. We used a dual stable isotope approach (δ18O and δ2H) to further examine the water sources of these trees. We tested the hypothesis that groundwater was the main tree water source, but found that neither groundwater nor stream water matched the isotope composition of xylem water during two growing seasons. Soil water (0–1 m depth) was closest to and periodically overlapped with xylem water isotope composition, but overall, xylem water was isotopically enriched compared to all measured water sources. The “two water worlds” hypothesis postulates that soil water comprises isotopically distinct mobile and less mobile pools that do not mix, potentially explaining this disparity. We further hypothesized that isotopic effects during snowpack metamorphosis impart a distinct isotope signature to the less mobile soil water that supplies summer transpiration. Depth trends in water isotopes following snowmelt were consistent with the two water worlds hypothesis, but snow metamorphic isotope effects could not explain the highly enriched xylem water. Thus, the dual isotope approach did not unambiguously determine the water source(s) of these riparian trees. Further exploration of physical, geochemical, and biological mechanisms of water isotope fractionation and partitioning is necessary to resolve these data, highlighting critical challenges in the isotopic determination of plant water sources.

Survival, Growth, and Recruitment of Bigtooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum) in Central Texas Relict Communities

ABSTRACT: Bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum Aceraceae) is found in scattered relict populations across the southern Intermountain West of North America. The quadrat procedure was used to examine the woody plant population in a mesic site (canyon bottom near stream), a thirty-year-old deer exclosure (slightly upslope), and a xeric site (more upslope with shallower soil) at Lost Maples State Natural Area in Central Texas. All woody plants were identified, categorized as trees, saplings, or seedlings, and counted. The circumference of trees was measured. Bigtooth maple had the highest density of all seedling species, with its highest density at the mesic site and lowest in the exclosure. Both sapling and tree densities were highest in the exclosure. The mesic site did not contain bigtooth maple trees. Bigtooth maple total basal area was higher in the exclosure than at the xeric site, which had larger but fewer trees. Additionally, fifteen first-year seedlings were planted inside the exclosure and at the xe...

Contrasting whole-tree water use, hydraulics, and growth in a co-dominant diffuse-porous vs. ring-porous species pair

Greater transport capacity of diffuse- vs. ring-porous stem networks translated into greater water use by the diffuse-porous co-dominant, but similar growth indicated higher water use efficiency of the ring-porous species. Coexistence of diffuse- vs. ring-porous trees in north-temperate deciduous forests implies a complementary ecology. The contrasting stem anatomies may result in divergent patterns of water use, and consequences for growth rate are unknown. We investigated tree hydraulics and growth rates in two co-dominants: diffuse-porous Acer grandidentatum (“maple”) and ring-porous Quercus gambelii (“oak”). Our goals were (1) document any differences in seasonal water use and its basis in divergent stem anatomy and (2) compare annual growth rates and hence growth-based water use efficiencies. At maximum transpiration, maple trees used more than double the water than oak trees. Maple also had more leaf area per basal area, resulting in similar water use per leaf area between species. Maple had ca. double the tree hydraulic conductance than oak owing to greater conductance of its diffuse-porous stem network (leaf- and root system conductances were less different between species). Water use in maple increased with vapor pressure deficit (VPD), whereas in oak it decreased very slightly indicating a more sensitive stomatal response. Seasonably stable water use and xylem pressure in oak suggested a deeper water source. Although maple used more water, both species exhibited similar annual biomass growth of the above-ground shoot network, indicating greater growth-based water use efficiency of oak shoots. In sum, water use in maple exceeded that in oak and was more influenced by soil and atmospheric water status. The low and stable water use of oak was associated with a greater efficiency in exchanging water for shoot growth.

Fuel Element Combustion Properties for Live Wildland Utah Shrubs

Current field models for wildfire prediction are mostly based on dry or low-moisture fuel combustion research. To better study the live fuel combustion behavior, a laminar flow flat-flame burner was used to provide a convection heating source to ignite an individual live fuel sample. In this research project, four Utah species were studied: Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii), canyon maple (Acer grandidentatum), big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma). Leaf geometrical parameters measured included individual leaf total mass, thickness, leaf width, leaf length, and moisture content. Time-stamped images of combustion behavior along with time-dependent mass data were recorded via a LabVIEW system. Combustion characteristics were determined by an automated MATLAB routine modified for analyzing Utah species images of burning fuel samples, including time to ignition, time of flame duration, time to maximum flame height, time to burnout, and maximum flame height. Qualitative results included various combustion phenomena like bursting, brand formation, and bending. Sparks accompanied with leaf material bursting out were observed for Utah juniper sample combustion mostly before ignition, especially for segments cut from the top of the branch. Quantitative results included exploration of the best prediction equations for leaf geometrical properties and combustion characteristics. A beta distribution was used to predict the distribution of dry mass. Multiple linear regressions were performed on other leaf geometrical properties and combustion characteristics. Minimized Bayesian information criterion (BIC) value models were achieved by stepwise regression analysis and compared to the previous empirical prediction models.

Selection and Budding Propagation of Native Bigtooth Maple for Water-conserving Landscapes

The potential of bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum) as a small, water-conserving landscape tree for the western United States is limited by the selection of superior accessions from a morphologically diverse gene pool and the ability to propagate wild plants in a nursery environment. Superior accessions were selected based primarily on red fall color. Aerial digital images taken during peak fall color in 2007 and 2008 were synchronized with flight global positioning system (GPS) track files using digital image editor software and visually compared with corresponding satellite images to determine the exact latitude and longitude of selected trees on the ground. Trees were physically located using GPS technology then visually evaluated for initial selection. Criteria included fall color, habitat, relative disease and insect resistance, bud quality, and plant form. From 56 observed trees of interest, six were selected for propagation. Through time-course experiments using multistemmed, bigtooth maple seedling rootstocks in a coppiced stoolbed, the optimum time for chip budding scions of wild accessions in northern Utah was determined to be July through mid-August. Further evaluation of accessions for use in the landscape industry is required.

Variation in violaxanthin and lutein cycle components in two provenances of Acer grandidentatum L. exposed to contrasting light

The ability of ornamental plants to acclimate to contrasting light environments via photoprotection mechanisms such as the violaxanthin (V) and lutein (Lx) cycles determines their success in managed landscapes. This study investigated whether provenance of origin influenced V and Lx cycle components in Acer grandidentatum L. (bigtooth maple) exposed to contrasting light environments. Seven-year-old bigtooth maple plants from two provenances, Lost Maples State Natural Area, Texas (LMPTX) and Guadalupe Mountains, Texas (GMTX) were subjected to unshaded conditions and 48 % shade. Regardless of light treatment, β-carotene content of plants from the LMPTX provenance (1,181 μg g−1) was higher than those from GMTX (964 μg g−1). Lutein content declined from day 5 to 10, but returned to day 5 levels at the end of the experiment at day 15. In contrast, more α-carotene accumulated at day 10 than at day 5. Although the conversion state of the xanthophyll pigment pool was unchanged, zeaxanthin was higher in unshaded than shaded bigtooth maple plants. Chlorophyll a and b decreased from day 5 to 10 and then increased on day 15. Light treatment did not cause photosystem II efficiency and relative water content to differ between the provenances, suggesting that they effectively acclimated to contrasting light conditions.

Propagation protocol for bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum Nutt.)

We present our techniques for producing Acer grandidentatum Nutt. ( Aceraceae ) from seeds in a container nursery. Our combination of warm, moist treatment and stratification yields acceptable germination of 50%, and our use of Jiffy peat pellets allows us to reorganize plants by height during the 1-y growing season, which maximizes the number of deliverable seedlings.

A species‐level model for metabolic scaling of treesII. Testing in a ring‐ and diffuse‐porous species

SummaryA 17‐parameter ‘species model’ that predicts metabolic scaling from vascular architecture was tested in a diffuse‐porous maple (Acer grandidentatum) and a ring‐porous oak (Quercus gambelii). Predictions of midday water transport (Q) and its scaling with above‐ground mass (M) were compared with empirical measurements. We also tested the assumption thatQwas proportional to the biomass growth rate of the shoot (G).Water transport and biomass growth rate were measured on 18 trees per species that spanned a broad range in trunk diameter (4–26 cm). Where possible, the same trees were used for obtaining the 17 model parameters that concern external branching, internal xylem conduit anatomy, and soil‐to‐canopy sap pressure drop.The model succeeded in predicting theQbyMbscaling exponent,b, being within 8% (maple) and 6% (oak) of measured exponents from sap flow data. In terms of absoluteQ, the model was better in maple (16%Qoverestimate) than oak (128% overestimate). The overestimation ofQwas consistent with the model not accounting for cavitation, which is reportedly more prevalent in oak than in maple at the study site.The modelled and measuredQbyMbexponents averaged within 3·6% of the measuredGbyMbexponents, supporting the assumption thatG ∝ Q1. The averagebexponent was 0·62 ± 0·016 (mean ± SE) across species, rejectingb = 0·75 for intraspecific scaling.The performance of this species model, both for scaling purposes as well as for predicting rates of water consumption within and between species, argues for its further refinement and wider application in ecology and ecosystem biology.

Etiolation Improves Rooting of Bigtooth Maple Cuttings

Bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum) has potential as a small, water conserving landscape tree in western landscapes. This potential has been hindered in part by the difficulty in asexually propagating superior accessions. The ability of etiolation to enhance rooting of softwood cuttings of selected wild accessions was determined by grafting six accessions onto seedling rootstocks to use as stock plants. Etiolation was applied to stock plants by placing open-ended, black, velour, drawstring bags over the end of pruned shoots at bud swell allowing new shoots to develop and grow out the end of the bag while leaving the base of the shoot covered. In 2009 and 2010, cuttings from etiolated and nonetiolated shoots were treated with 4000 ppm indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) + 2000 ppm naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), stuck in a premoistened 3 perlite:1 peat (by volume) rooting substrate and placed under intermittent mist. After 4 weeks, 89% (2009) and 85% (2010) of the etiolated cuttings rooted and only 47% (2009) and 17% (2010) of the nonetiolated cuttings rooted. Etiolated cuttings produced on average 11.3 (2009) and 7.2 (2010) roots per cutting and nonetiolated 2.1 (2009) and 0.5 (2010) roots per cutting. Etiolation, and its application through the use of black cloth bags, can be an effective way to increase the rooting of bigtooth maple cuttings and the availability of these plants for use in water conserving landscaping.

A New Species of Astragalus (Fabaceae) from the Wasatch Mountains of Utah

Abstract Astragalus kelseyae B.L. Corbin, sp. nov. is described as a new species from the central Wasatch Mountains, where it is known from only one small occurrence in Weber County, Utah. It grows in shale talus within the Gambel oak and bigtooth maple shrubland.

Importance of Montane Riparian Forest and Influence of Wildfire on Nest‐Site Selection of Ground‐Nesting Birds

Abstract: We studied breeding populations of 2 coexisting ground‐nesting birds, the red‐faced warbler (Cardellina rubrifrons) and yellow‐eyed junco (Junco phaeonotus), in high‐elevation (>2,000 m) forested drainages of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona, USA. From 2004 to 2005, we 1) estimated density and nesting success of breeding populations of red‐faced warblers and yellow‐eyed juncos, 2) identified nest‐site characteristics for each species (i.e., used sites vs. random plots), 3) compared nest‐site characteristics between the 2 species, and 4) examined effects of a recent (2003) wildfire on distribution of nests of both species. In addition, we estimated the areal extent of montane riparian forest (the preferred breeding habitat of both species) within high‐elevation forests of the Santa Catalina Mountains. We found that red‐faced warblers and yellow‐eyed juncos were the 2 most common ground‐nesting birds within our study area with an average density of 2.4 and 1.4 singing males/ha, respectively, along drainage bottoms. Compared to random plots, most red‐faced warbler and yellow‐eyed junco nests were located close (≤30 m) to drainage bottoms within a strip of montane riparian forest characterized by abundant brush, small woody debris, ferns, and forbs (both species), high number and diversity of saplings and small trees (red‐faced warblers), and abundant shrubs and downed logs and less canopy cover (yellow‐eyed juncos). Although both species nested in close proximity within montane riparian forest, nest‐site characteristics differed between the 2 species, especially at finer spatial scales. For example, most yellow‐eyed juncos nested adjacent to grass (principally Muhlenbergia spp.), whereas red‐faced warblers nested adjacent to a variety of plant species, including grass, bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum), white fir (Abies concolor), and Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Both red‐faced warblers and yellow‐eyed juncos avoided nesting in areas burned during a recent wildfire. In addition, nesting success was low for red‐faced warblers (13%) and yellow‐eyed juncos (19%) following the wildfire, suggesting an indirect negative effect of fire on breeding populations in the short‐term. Montane riparian forest appears to provide important breeding habitat for red‐faced warblers and yellow‐eyed juncos. However, little research or conservation planning has been directed toward montane riparian forest in the region, even though this forest type is limited in its areal extent (<11% of high‐elevation forest in the Santa Catalina Mountains) and increasingly threatened by disturbance. Results from our study can be used to facilitate the management and conservation of breeding populations of red‐faced warblers and yellow‐eyed juncos in high‐elevation forests of the southwestern United States.