Live Oak Research Articles

Love the Live Oak

William Bond, “Love the Live Oak: Sidney Lanier’s Ecopoetics and the Critique of Mediation” (pp. 427–454) Sidney Lanier’s poetry has long been read as an exercise in the poetics of pure sound (and as either an escape from or an affront to a poetics of subjective lyric expression). As this essay shows, in an early phase of Lanier’s poetic career, his poetics of pure sound is tied to a late-Romantic form of nature poetry, which anticipates the new materialist ecotheory of the twenty-first century: specifically, in the 1872 essay “Nature-Metaphors,” Lanier lays out a model of nature poetry founded on the belief that poetic form can embody an ontological continuity between human and nonhuman being. This essay argues that Lanier’s ontological model of ecopoetics negates the need for mediation in the experience of nature. This is, at bottom, a fantasy of immediacy that demands the erasure of human-nonhuman difference. In the final section of the essay, Lanier’s last poem “Sunrise” is examined; there, we can see Lanier outlining an alternative ecopoetics that, rather than trying to circumvent poetic mediation, relocates it within experiences of rhythm.

Birch-naive, oak-allergic subjects' response to birch pollen in an environmental chamber.

Background: Oak and birch pollens are strongly cross-reactive. It is unknown how robust this cross-reactivity is in patients without natural exposure to pollen of both trees. We assessed the symptom response to birch pollen in subjects with skin-prick test (SPT) results positive to oak and birch but only naturally exposed to oak by using an allergen challenge chamber. Methods: The subjects with SPT results positive to oak and birch had their serum-specific immunoglobulin E (ssIgE) to oak and birch antigens measured. Residential historical data were obtained. The subjects were exposed to birch pollen (3500 ± 700 grains/m³) in two consecutive 3-hour challenges. Symptoms were recorded at baseline and 30-minute intervals. Results: Twenty-four subjects, 12 men; ages 20-58 years, completed the study. Sixteen subjects (66.7%) responded with high Total Symptom Scores (TSS) ≥10 of a maximum 21. Twelve subjects (50%) had ssIgE values ≥0.70 kU/L to oak, 10 of whom had ssIgE values ≥0.70 kU/L to birch. These 10 subjects had a significantly higher maximum TSS than the rest. Also, 15 subjects without a previous natural exposure to birch pollen responded with TSS equivalent to the 9 subjects with previous exposure. Conclusion: Virginia live oak ssIgE levels of patients allergic to oak and birch correlated with the symptom response to birch pollen exposure, even without previous natural exposure to birch. The subjects naive to birch pollen responded to birch pollen exposure with symptoms comparable with both those with previous sustained exposure and also those who resided in endemic areas, as reported by other researchers.

Walt Whitman. <i>Lebenseiche, moosbehangen. Live Oak, with Moss,</i> translated and edited by Heinrich Detering.

Review of Walt Whitman, Lebenseiche, moosbehangen. Live Oak, with Moss, translated and edited by Heinrich Detering.

The Effects of Crown Scorch on Post-fire Delayed Mortality Are Modified by Drought Exposure in California (USA)

Accurately predicting the mortality of trees that initially survive a fire event is important for management, such as planning post-fire salvage, planting, and prescribed fires. Although crown scorch has been successfully used to predict post-fire mortality (greater than one-year post-fire), it remains unclear whether other first-order fire effect metrics (e.g., stem char) and information on growing conditions can improve such predictions. Droughts can also elevate mortality and may interact, synergistically, with fire effects to influence post-fire tree survival. We used logistic regression to test whether drought exposure, as indicated by summarized monthly Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) over ten-years could improve predictions of delayed mortality (4–9 years post-fire) at the individual tree level in fire-affected forest inventory and analysis (FIA) plots in California (USA). We included crown scorch, bark thickness, stem char, soil char, slope, and aspect in the model as predictors. We selected the six most prevalent species to include in the model: canyon live oak, Douglas-fir, Jeffrey pine, incense-cedar, ponderosa pine, and white fir. Mean delayed mortality, based on tree count, across all FIA plots across all tree species and plots was 17%, and overall accuracy was good (AUC = 79%). Our model performed well, correctly predicting survivor trees (sensitivity of 0.98) but had difficulty correctly predicting the smaller number of mortality trees (specificity of 0.27) at the standard probability=0.5 mortality threshold. Crown scorch was the most influential predictor of tree mortality. Increasing crown scorch was associated with greater risk of delayed mortality for all six species, with trees exhibiting over 75% crown scorch having a probability of dying that exceeded 0.5. Increasing levels of stem char and soil char (first order indicators) were associated with increasing mortality risk but to less effect than crown scorch. We expected that greater drought exposure would increase delayed post-fire mortality, but we found that increasing drought exposure (median and minimum PDSI) was associated with a modest decrease in post-fire mortality. However, we did find that trees with high levels of crown scorch were less likely to survive with increasing drought exposure (median PDSI). Delayed mortality risk decreased as terrain slope increased. Taken together, our results suggest that trees with substantial crown damage may be more vulnerable to delayed mortality if exposed to drought and that crown scorch is an effective post-fire mortality predictor up to 10 years post-fire.

Diurnal Occurrence of Great-Horned Owls on Northern Bobwhite Hunting Properties in Southwest Georgia

Understanding interactions between prey species and their predators is essential to discerning the ecology and management fundamentals of a species. Great-horned owls (Bubo virginianus) have long been considered an opportunistic predator of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) and recent studies have demonstrated that bobwhite survival is reduced at higher great-horned owl densities (Rectenwald et al. 2021). Managers on quail properties often mechanically remove live oak (Quercus virginiana) hammocks as part of larger predation management plans to reduce the amount of suitable predator habitat. While scattered live oaks are typically left for aesthetic purposes, these serve as preferred day roosts and hunting perches for great-horned owls. To improve bobwhite survival and fitness, managers on quail properties broadcast supplemental grain along designated trails at a density of 2.4 km/40.5 ha of upland habitat. From the peak of bobwhite brooding season to the end of the breeding season (i.e., Jun–Sep), it is common for managers to switch from broadcasting grain from feed trails to broadcasting grain from mowed roads to reduce tractor activity in obscured cover where broods or nests may be run over and destroyed. Bobwhite are potentially at higher risk for predation where live oak hammocks are intersected by feed trails due to increased exposure time in areas with higher predator occurrence. Additionally, bobwhite may be at higher predation risk when feeding on mowed roads in the summer, particularly when in close proximity to live oaks, due to the lack of screening cover from opportunistic owls perched above. We evaluated the probability of use for great-horned owls in relation to live oak hammocks, feed trails, and roads that are fed in the summer. We compared use versus availability for landscape features using a resource selection function in a Bayesian framework. As part of a larger study detecting all raptors that were threat-specific to bobwhite, driving surveys using line-transect distance sampling on a 32.2-km route were conducted twice per month from September 2014–December 2020 between 0800–1000 at a speed of 16 km/hr. The surveys encompassed a 5,400-ha privately owned property in Baker County, Georgia, USA. Surveys were conducted only on days with fair weather (i.e., no fog or rain). When great-horned owls were visually detected, their location was recorded on a Global Positioning System (GPS). Great-horned owl density on the property averaged approximately 0.86 owls/km2 during the bobwhite breeding season and 0.58 owls/km2 in the non-breeding season (Rectenwald et al. 2021).

Describing biodiversity in the genomics era: A new species of Nearctic Cynipidae gall wasp and its genome

ABSTRACTGall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) specializing on live oaks in the genus Quercus (subsection Virentes) are a relatively diverse and well‐studied community with 14 species described to date, albeit with incomplete information on their biology, life history and genetic structure. Incorporating an integrative taxonomic approach, we combine morphology, phenology, behaviour, genetics and genomics to describe a new species, Neuroterus valhalla sp. nov. The alternating generations of this species induce galls on the catkins and stem nodes of Quercus virginiana and Quercus geminata in the southern United States. We describe both generations in the species' life cycle, and primarily use samples from a population in the centre of Houston, Texas, thus serving as an example of the undescribed biodiversity still present in well‐travelled urban centres. In parallel, we present a draft assembly of the N. valhalla genome providing a direct link between the type specimen and reference genome. The genome of N. valhalla is the smallest reported to date within the tribe Cynipini, providing an important comparative contrast to the otherwise large genome size of cynipids. While relatively small, the genome was found to be composed of >64% repetitive elements, including 43% unclassified repeats and 11% retrotransposons. A preliminary ab initio and homology‐based annotation revealed 32,005 genes, and a subsequent orthogroup analysis grouped 18,044 of these to 8186 orthogroups, with some evidence for high levels of gene duplications within Cynipidae. A mitochondrial barcode phylogeny linked each generation of the new species and a phylogenomic ultraconserved element (UCEs) phylogeny indicates that the new species groups with other Nearctic Neuroterus. However, both phylogenies present the genus Neuroterus in North America as polyphyletic.

Utilizing two-dimensional gas chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC ToFMS) to characterize volatile products from pyrolysis of living vegetation foliage

Wildland fire can cause significant damage but is also a natural process that is key to the healthy functioning of many ecosystems worldwide. Primary fuels for a wildland fire are the dead foliage and small branches which accumulate as litter on the ground. A cone calorimeter was used to measure the various aspects of these fuels. A single sample of preignition gases from the live leaves of seven plant species were vacuum collected on quality filters and within super-chilled solvent mixtures. GC-TOFMS (1D) and GCxGC-TOFMS (2D) were used to characterize the “white” smoke emissions. The vegetation chemicals were separated into 4 categories: hydrocarbons (CH), oxygenated organics (CHO), unknown peaks (UNK), and organic non-metals (ONM). The multivariate paired Hotelling T2 test determined that the composition of the white smoke as described by the relative number of peaks in the four chemical groups differed significantly between 1D and 2D (Prob > F3,4 = 0.00004). In contrast, the relative peak area percentages in the four chemical groups did not differ between 1D and 2D (Prob > F3,4 = 0.1258). The Molecular Chemical Maps (MCMs) were used to identify chemical trends between the known and unknown chemicals in live oak and longleaf pine. Application of the 2D technique may provide more detailed information necessary to improve the numerical modeling of wildland fire behavior and emissions production.

Brassica carinata as an off-season crop in the southeastern USA: Determining optimum sowing dates based on climate risks and potential effects on summer crop yield

CONTEXTBrassica carinata is usually grown in a double-cropping system with cotton and peanut in southeastern USA. One challenge related to this system is to define the best sowing dates to minimize the climatic risk and improve the chances for increased farmers' profitability. OBJECTIVEThe objective was to determine the best sowing dates for carinata-cotton and carinata-peanut double-cropping systems in different locations of the southeastern USA. METHODSA calibrated crop simulation DSSAT model was used to simulate carinata life cycle and cotton and peanut yields for 9 locations in 4 states, with carinata sowing dates ranging from early September to March using 38 years of weather data (1981–2018), assuming that cotton and peanut sowing occurred immediately after the carinata harvest. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSResults indicated that the optimal sowing date varied according to location. For Shorter, AL, Midville, GA, and Florence, SC, the occurrence of extreme weather events during carinata cycle were minimized, and the summer crop yields were the highest when carinata was sown at the end of October. For Fairhope, AL, Jay, and Quincy, FL, results showed that carinata sowing must occur in early November to minimize the climatic risks of a double-cropping system. For Live Oak and Citra, FL, carinata sowing is recommended for mid- to late-November. Advancing carinata sowing to September resulted in an increased number of low temperature (LT) events during the carinata reproductive phase. The delay in carinata sowing to January or later exposed carinata crop to a larger number of High Temperature (HT), and considerably reduced the yield potential of the peanut and cotton summer crops. SIGNIFICANCEOur results quantified the climatic risks to the off-season carinata crop itself and to the subsequent summer crop, contributing to the sustainable expansion and commercial production of carinata in the southeastern USA.

Monumental Constructions: Statues, Identity, and Gabrielle Roy’s “L’arbre”

Mitch Landrieu, former mayor of New Orleans garnered significant attention for his book In the Shadow of Statues (2018), observing that many Confederate monuments were erected to buttress Jim Crow laws and serve as a warning to those who supported the civil rights movement. Likewise, there are a number of monuments in Québec that serve a particular political or religious purpose, seeking to reinforce a pure laine ideology. In this article, I explore the parallels between the literal and figurative construction and deconstruction of monuments that have fortified invented ideas on identity in francophone North America. Further, Gabrielle Roy’s short story “L’arbre,” which describes a “living monument,” tells the story of a racialized past in North America and unveils the falsities that have been preserved through the construction of statues that perpetuate racial myth. “L’arbre” examines the natural, unconstructed monument of the Live Oak: a tree that witnessed and holds the visible scars of the many terrible realities that took place in its shadows. I use Roy’s short story to show how she sought to deconstruct a whitewashed history of the post-Civil War American South and suggest that her broader corpus rejects determinism wholesale.

Yield and Quality of Carrot Cultivars with Eight Nitrogen Rates and Best Management Practices

Carrot (Daucus carota) production has increased in North Florida and South Georgia since 2015. Deep sandy soils, moderate winter climate, availability of irrigation water, and proximity to eastern markets are favorable for carrot production in the region. Nitrogen (N) is required for successful carrot production, and the current recommended N application rate in Florida is 196 kg·ha−1. The objective of this study was to verify the recommended N rate for the sandy soils of North Florida using current industry standard cultivars and practices. Carrot cultivars for the whole carrot fresh market, Choctaw and Maverick, and cultivars for the cut-and-peel market, Triton and Uppercut 25, were direct seeded on 102-cm-wide pressed bed tops on 29 Oct. 2016 and 2 Nov. 2017 in Live Oak, FL. Eight N application rates (56, 112, 168, 224, 280, 336, 392, and 448 kg·ha−1) were tested, and all N applications were placed on the bed top. N rates were split and timed to increase N use efficiency. Regression analyses were used to determine the optimal N rate for carrots in North Florida. A quadratic plateau regression for both seasons combined indicated 206 kg·ha−1 N was the optimal rate for carrots, with marketable yield of 71.3 Mg·ha−1, regardless of cultivar. All four cultivars attained acceptable yield including Uppercut 25, which exhibited significant foliage damage following freezing temperatures. This study resulted in updated information on best management practices for carrot production in Florida, especially nutrient stewardship.

Comparison of Modified CDC Gravid, BG-Bowl, and CDC Autocidal Gravid Ovitraps to Collect Gravid and Host-Seeking Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Northeastern Florida

There are several kinds of commercial traps available in the market for surveillance and control of female mosquitoes. Usually these traps target only host–seeking or gravid individuals but not both. This study examined whether CDC gravid, BG-Bowl, and a fan-operated CDC-autocidal gravid ovitrap, each baited with a BG lure and southern live oak (Quercus virginiana Mill.; Fagaceae) leaf litter infusion, could collect host-seeking and gravid Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) simultaneously. These traps were evaluated initially in a semi-field environment that consisted of outdoor screened enclosures where 200 female Ae. aegypti were released (half were gravid). For the field study, traps were placed at 3 sites in downtown St. Augustine, Florida, USA. All traps captured host-seeking and gravid females in the semi-field enclosures, but some did not collect both physiological stages in the field study. Only the BG-bowl trap in the semi-field and field studies collected the greatest number of females that included host-seeking and gravid Aedes.

First reports of Phytophthora ramorum clonal lineages NA1 and EU1 causing Sudden Oak Death on tanoaks in Del Norte County, California.

A year of forest health surveys has led to the first detection of Phytophthora ramorum in Del Norte County followed by the first wildland detection of the EU1 clonal lineage (Grunwald et al. 2009) of this pathogen in California. In July 2019, leaves were sampled from two tanoaks (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) and 16 California bay laurels (Umbellularia californica) in Jedediah Smith State Park in Del Norte County, the northernmost coastal County of California. Leaves displayed lesions normally associated with Sudden Oak Death (SOD) caused by P. ramorum and were discovered during the citizen science-based survey known as SOD Blitz (Meentemeyer et al. 2015). Samples were surface sterilized using 75% Ethanol and plated on PARPH-V8 agar (Jeffers and Martin 1986). After plating, DNA was extracted and amplified using two P. ramorum-specific assays (Hayden et al. 2006, Kroon et al. 2004). Leaves from two tanoaks exhibiting twig die-back had typical SOD lesions along the midvein, gave positive PCR results and yielded cultures with colony morphology, sporangia and chlamydospores typical of the NA1 lineage of P. ramorum originally isolated in California from tanoaks and coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) (Rizzo et al. 2002). The ITS locus and a portion of the Cox-1 locus were sequenced from DNA extracts of each culture using primers DC6-ITS4 (Bonants et al. 2004) and COXF4N-COXR4N (Kroon et al. 2004), respectively. ITS sequences (GB MN540639-40) were typical of P. ramorum and Cox-1 sequences (GB MN540142-3) perfectly matched the Cox-1 sequence of the NA1 lineage (GB DQ832718) (Kroon et al. 2004). Microsatellite alleles were generated as described in Croucher et al. (2013) for the two Del Norte cultures and for eight P. ramorum cultures, representative of the four main multilocus genotypes (MLGs) present in California, namely c1 (Santa Cruz/Commercial Nurseries), c3 (San Francisco Bay Area), c2 (Monterey County), and c4 (Humboldt County) (Croucher et al. 2013). The two Del Norte MLGs were identical to one another and most similar to MLG c1, with a single repeat difference at a single locus. SSR results suggest the inoculum source may not be from Humboldt County, neighboring to the South, but from a yet unidentified outbreak, possibly associated with ornamental plants. Jedediah Smith State Park was surveyed for 12 months following the initial detection, however the pathogen has yet to be re-isolated in that location. In July 2020, SOD symptomatic leaves from two tanoak trees exhibiting twig cankers were collected 8 Km north of Jedediah Smith State Park, where three additional tanoak trees displayed rapidly browned dead canopies consistent with late stage SOD. Leaves were processed as above. Colonies from these samples produced chlamydospores and sporangia typical of P. ramorum on PARPH-V8 agar, but displayed a growth rate faster than that of NA1 genotypes and were characterized by aerial hyphae, overall resembling the morphology of EU1 lineage colonies (Brasier 2003). The EU1 lineage was confirmed by the perfect match of the sequence of a portion of the Cox-1 gene (GB MW349116-7) with the Cox-1 sequence of EU1 genotypes (GB EU124926). The EU1 clonal lineage has been previously isolated from tanoaks in Oregon forests, approximately 55 Km to the North (Grünwald et al. 2016), but this is the first report for California wildlands and will require containment and government regulations. It is unknown whether the EU1 strains in Del Norte County originated from Oregon forests or elsewhere.

Cavitation‐resistant junipers cease transpiration earlier than cavitation‐vulnerable oaks under summer dry conditions

AbstractAshe juniper (Juniperus ashei Buchholz) and escarpment live oak (Quercus fusiformis Small) are two of the most common woody species of the Edwards Plateau, an arid‐to‐semi‐arid region of nearly 100,000 km2 in central Texas. They have very different hydraulic strategies, yet they experienced similar mortality rates during an extreme drought in 2011. We measured J. ashei and Q. fusiformis sap flow velocities during summer dry periods of 2016 and 2017 at six micro‐sites. Although these were years with more‐or‐less average summer conditions, both included significant dry periods. To estimate the relative rate of decrease in sap velocity for each species during the dry periods, we fit a Bayesian exponential decay model to the sap velocity time series for each tree. We found that Q. fusiformis trees were better able to maintain transpiration than J. ashei during dry periods at five micro‐sites and were comparable at the sixth micro‐site. We conclude that it is likely that Q. fusiformis can better maintain transpiration during dry periods than J. ashei, on average, and that in the case of these two species, greater cavitation resistance may not translate to greater drought resistance.

Initial Floristic Response to High Severity Wildfire in an Old-Growth Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.) Forest

Climate driven increases in fire frequency and severity are predicted for Mediterranean climatic zones, including the Pacific coast of California. A recent high severity wildfire that burned in the Santa Cruz Mountains affected a variety of vegetation types, including ancient coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.) stands. The purpose of this study was to characterize the survival and initial recovery of vegetation approximately six months after the fire. We sampled thirty randomly selected points in an old-growth coast redwood forest to examine and compare survival, crown retention, and post fire regeneration of trees by species, and the recovery of associated understory plant species. Sequoia sempervirens exhibited the highest post-fire survival (95%), with lower survival rates for subcanopy hardwood associates including tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus (Hook. & Arn.) Manos) (88%), coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia Nee.) (93%), Pacific wax myrtle (Myrica californica (Cham. & Schltdl.) Wilbur) (75%), Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii Pursh) (71%), and the lowest survival recorded for the canopy codominant Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) (15%). Canopy retention and post fire regeneration were also highest for S. sempervirens and lowest for P. menziesii, indicating that S. sempervirens had a competitive advantage over P. menziesii following high severity crown fire. Both canopy survival and regeneration were greater for larger height and diameter trees; and basal sprouting was positively associated with tree height and diameter for S. sempervirens and N. densiflorus. Observed recovery of understory species was modest but included the reemergence of coast redwood associated herbaceous species. The robust nature of survival and recovery of S. sempervirens following this extreme fire event suggest that the removal of scorched, and the seeding or planting of trees, following this type of fire is contraindicated. The decline of P. menziesii is of concern, however, and suggests that repeated high severity fires driven by climate change could eventually lead to vegetation type conversion.

“A Uniquely American Display of Excellence”: Lyndon Johnson and Presidential Cultural Diplomacy

In November 1964, U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson and his wife Lady Bird hosted the president-elect of Mexico, Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, at their Ranch on the banks of the Pedernales River in the Texas Hill Country, not far from Austin. National flags lined the path to the Ranch house, and welcoming banners hung from the porch. Guests were served Texas barbecue featuring ribs, brisket, and sausages, accompanied by beans, biscuits, potato salad, and fried apple pies, all eaten on the gently sloping banks of the river under live oaks decorated with colorful piñatas. The entertainment featured a former Miss Texas performing Spanish dances, a marimba band that played a version of Johnson’s campaign song “Hello Lyndon” with a “Latin beat,” popular singer Eddie Fisher, and, finally, a sheepdog demonstration from handler Clint Harlow, whose act was “climaxed by a cowboy clad monkey riding a dog, herding sheep.”1 The Diaz...

One hundred and sixty years of taxonomic confusion resolved:Belonocnema(Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) gall wasps associated with live oaks in the USA

AbstractGall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in the genus Belonocnema induce galls on live oaks (Quercus series Virentes), forming multilocular root galls in the sexual generation and unilocular leaf galls in the asexual generation. Using morphological characters, host records, museum specimens, flight propensity and phylogenetic analysis of published cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nuclear SNP data, we resolve the long-standing taxonomic confusion within Belonocnema and recognize three distinct species that are distributed throughout the southern and south-eastern USA: B. fossoria (rev. stat.), B. kinseyi (rev. stat.) and B. treatae, while B. quercusvirens is treated as species inquirenda. The presence of mitonuclear discordance results in the failure of a mitochondrial DNA barcode region to distinguish between B. fossoria and B. treatae, while recognizing B. kinseyi, despite the three species being clearly separated based on morphology and phylogenetic analysis of SNP data. We provide re-descriptions and an updated dichotomous key for both asexual and sexual generations of these widespread species. Finally, as Belonocnema has emerged as a model organism for ecological and evolutionary studies, we clarify the species examined in published studies to date.

The University of West Florida campus ecosystem study: the college/university campus as a unit for study of the ecology of longleaf pine

College and university campuses comprise a unique urban interface. Property used to establish the University of West Florida (UWF) in Pensacola, Florida, contained numerous ecological features, including natural areas with remnant longleaf pine stands that had undergone recovery from extensive regional logging. The two most prominent of these were studied to quantify the effects of chronic fire exclusion on longleaf pine stands. We addressed these questions: (1) how does composition and structure vary between areas? (2) how do soil characteristics vary between areas and change under fire exclusion? (3) what is the size structure of longleaf pine on the UWF campus? (4) how does the status of longleaf pine at the UWF campus compare to campuses of other colleges/universities within the nature range of longleaf pine? Fifteen 0.04 ha circular plots were established in each area to assess composition and structure and sample mineral soil. All live stems ≥2.5 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) in each plot were identified to species and measured for DBH to the nearest 0.1 cm. Mineral soil was taken to a 5-cm depth, air dried, and analyzed for pH, organic matter, cation exchange capacity, extractable macro- and micronutrients, and extractable aluminum. Basal area and density were closely similar between the natural areas, as was canopy dominance (live oak and longleaf pine), but with contrasting sub-dominant species. Soil analyses revealed no significant differences between natural areas, but suggested that fire exclusion decreased soil organic matter and fertility with establishment of hardwood species. Diameter structure of longleaf pine contrasted sharply between natural areas and with the main campus, suggesting different land-use history. The wide array of approaches to longleaf pine ecology by colleges/universities within its natural range indicates the importance of establishing a longleaf pine consortium to coordinate information.

Jeannine Cavender-Bares.

Jeannine Cavender-Bares.

Danimer goes public

The biobased polymer maker Danimer Scientific has completed its merger with Live Oak Acquisition, a “blank check” company created to make a large purchase. Danimer now trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DNMR. The firm has $380 million in cash, which it plans to use mainly to increase its capacity to make the biodegradable polymer polyhydroxyalkanoate to 90,000 metric tons (t) per year by 2023 from 10,000 t today. Danimer had sales of $35 million in the first 9 months of 2020.

Morphological and molecular characterization of Xiphinemella esseri Chitwood, 1957 (Dorylaimida: Leptonchidae) from Florida, with the first molecular study of the genus.

A population of Xiphinemella esseri, recently collected under the canopy of associated live oak trees in north Florida, was studied and described with an integrative approach, including the first molecular study of the genus. This Florida population is characterized by its 2.30 to 3.32 mm long body, labial disc well developed, lip region offset by constriction, and 16.5 to 17.5 μm broad, odontostyle 46 to 49 μm long with minute aperture, neck 288 to 296 μm long, pharyngeal expansion occupying 28 to 30% of total neck length, uterus a tripartite tube-like structure, pars refringens vaginae absent, vulva transverse (V = 45.4-49.7%), tail short and rounded (18-28 μm, c = 94-158, c′ = 0.6-0.9), spicules 41 to 45 μm long, and 8 to 10 irregularly spaced ventromedian supplements bearing hiatus. The phylogenetic analysis inferred from the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA gene and 18S rRNA gene sequences showed that X. esseri clustered with other dorylaims from the family Leptonchidae. A brief discussion about the distribution and biological considerations of X. esseri is also provided.