Got Nature? Blog

Posted on July 16th, 2015 in Forestry, Plants, Urban Forestry | No Comments »
Aime and Fungi

Photo: Tom Campbell

Mushrooms are strange forms of life. Some can kill you within hours, some are psychedelic hallucinogens and others are just good on a pizza. There are estimated to be six to 20 times more species of fungi than plants, and a lot of them are still shrouded in mystery. Since the time of Carl Linnaeus in the 1700s, we have been searching for answers in the fungi kingdom, and recently, we just found a big one in the shape of an evolutionary mapping dubbed the “tree of life.”

Using collections of preserved fungal specimens called fungaria from Purdue’s Arthur Fungarium and Kew’s Fungarium in the Royal Botanic Gardens, two of the biggest and most important fungi collections in the world, mycologists like Catherine Aime were able to study well over 100 years’ worth of preserved specimens and apply modern DNA technology to piece together genomes and discover new connections linking mushroom species. This “tree of life” is the clearest and most comprehensive mapping to date of the evolutionary history of fungi.

Aime says that this study reinforces the importance of fungaria as we advance in the genomic age. These extensive collections are priceless, containing specimens as far back as some from Darwin himself, and documenting hundreds of thousands of species throughout the years. Some of these species might not exist in the future, and it is essential that we document and preserve them as we learn new ways to use them in the future.

The research paper documenting this ‘tree of life’ was published in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society​ and is available for journal subscribers and readers at Purdue.

Read the full article.

Resources
DNA Samples From Purdue, Kew Fungi Collections Provide Key to Mushroom ‘Tree of Life’, Purdue Extension
Arthur Fungarium, Purdue Herbaria
Kew’s Fungarium, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
Aime Lab, Purdue University Department of Botany and Plant Pathology
Fungi – In a Kingdom All By Themselves, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Natalie van Hoose, Research News Writer
Purdue Extension​

Posted on July 16th, 2015 in Gardening, Plants | No Comments »
Nostoc algae on gravel

Photo credit: Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab

 

In this month’s column of In the Grow, B. Rosie Lerner, Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulturist, addresses algae that can pop up on stone, concrete, gravel or even lawns this summer as we are getting large amounts of hot, rainy weather.

This terrestrial algae known as Nostoc can look unappealing and also be a slippery safety hazard, but unfortunately, there isn’t much to do about it. Raking the algae will just spread it to larger areas. Keeping the area aerated and dry as much as you are able can help a little with controlling this algae, and applying copper sulfate will also shrink it a little bit, but it will just reappear when warm, rainy weather conditions occur again.

Resources
News Columns & Podcasts, Purdue Agricultural Communication
Nostoc: A Green, Jelly-Like Substance Growing in Lawns, Michigan State University Extension

B. Rosie Lerner
Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulturist

Posted on June 2nd, 2015 in How To, Plants, Urban Forestry | No Comments »

​Question: ​Weeping willow, six years old and 9″ diameter. Wet, clay ground and thriving. Suddenly late last summer, I noticed the leaves were dead, and the bark on the trunk was completely loose and falling off. No other trees or shrubs within 50 feet (black walnut, sycamore, maple, rose of sharon) were affected. No obvious sign of insects, boring, trails, worms, etc.

Answer: When a tree starts to lose leaves, especially in the spring when they should be expanding for the new growing season, it can be puzzling. Often, this is a sign of troubles which can be caused by biotic or abiotic issues but not always a major cause for alarm. The dropping leaves can be a symptom of foliar diseases which weakens the tree, or it could be the result of an insect pest feeding on the petioles of the leaves. There are many pests which can cause leaf drop.

Another possible cause is the response to abiotic disorders which is typically a complex of issues. Leaf drop can occur on trees that have been exposed to prolonged wetness in heavy, clay soils. Some tree species like wet soils but not prolonged wetness without drainage. If trees are exposed to continual wetness, their roots can become diseased and cause the leaf drop. Additionally, it has been noted that trees which were planted improperly, especially if planted too deep, can result in several physiological issues such as decline and dieback.

If trees reveal symptoms of premature fall color, yellowing of leaves or unusual leaf drop, it may be necessary to send in a sample for diagnosis. The Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory (PPDL) provides this service by a very capable team of pathologists, entomologists and extension specialists to analyze plant issues in the landscape. This is an inexpensive approach to investigating the issues and leading to the best possible curative measures. Protocol for submitting plant samples can be found on the PPDL website.

Resources
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Paula Pijut, Research Plant Physiologist, Purdue University
Relationships Between Advance Oak Regeneration and Biotic and Abiotic Factors, Songlin Fei, Associate Professor of Measurements and Quantitative Analysis, Purdue University
Diseases of Landscape Plants: Leaf Diseases, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University

Enhancing Public Spaces, FNR-497 publicationA 20+ extension team led by ​Kara Salazar, sustainable communities extension specialist, and Michael Wilcox, assistant program leader for extension community development, have produced a new publication and curriculum titled “Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces.” This must-have spiral bound notebook and curriculum zip file download is a great resource for decision makers and local leaders developing community public spaces including park boards, planning commission members, members of organizations, public officials and staff whose missions are related to providing services, programs or management of public spaces. This program serves as a “how-to” guide for creating high-quality action plans to achieve great public spaces.

A one day workshop starts the process with collaborative activities to identify best practices for improving public spaces with emphasis on forming partnerships to achieve desired community goals. Follow-on working group meetings provide the resources and technical support needed to plan and implement projects tailored to individual communities. The completed high quality public spaces action plan can be used as part of comprehensive planning efforts, parks and recreation master plans and fundraising initiatives.

Resources
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces, The Education Store

Kara Salazar, Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Michael Wilcox​
Assistant Program Leader, Extension Community Development Program
Senior Associate, Purdue Center for Regional Development

Faculty and staff in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) are engaged in environmental planning around the state. Extension programs help managers and decision-makers improve Indiana’s natural resource management and environmental planning. We deliver programs to help communities consider how to plan for their unique and life-sustaining environmental resources and provide education and technical assistance to plan commissions. Programs are developed and delivered in collaboration with the Purdue Extension Community Development Program and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. Some of the programs FNR faculty and extension staff have developed in collaboration with our partners include:

American Citizen Planner – Indiana (ACP-IN)

American Citizen Planner – Indiana provides training to Indiana citizen planners who currently serve or plan to serve on area or advisory plan commissions. The program features 31 topics detailing core planning theories, practices, and processes. A comprehensive assessment and four virtual training events reinforce the content learned in the units. The program is hosted by a local Purdue Extension educator for either a county or a region.

Conservation Through Community Leadership (CCL)

Communities face many challenges, and many of these are their natural resources. The Conservation through Community Leadership program serves as a roadmap for communities tackling complex land use and natural resource management challenges. The program provides information, tools, and resources to help communities work with diverse stakeholders.

Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces (EVPS)

The Purdue University Extension program, Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces, addresses public spaces and their role in enhancing the quality of place by helping regions, communities and neighborhoods plan and prepare for a sustainable future. The Indiana-based curriculum is designed for use by decision makers and local leaders with oversight and management of community public spaces such as parks boards and planning commission members, public officials and their staff and members of organizations whose missions provide services related to programs or management of public spaces. The program provides a framework for collecting data on community assets and using that data to plan public spaces improvements.

Green Infrastructure and Hazard Mitigation

Communities face several challenges and complex decisions related to natural hazards, which are increasingly exacerbated by climate change. The program supports a collaborative community planning approach to evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of existing community policies and to identify goals, motivations, and barriers for hazard mitigation planning, focusing on water resources, flooding, and green infrastructure.

Land Use

The Purdue University Land Use Team provides research-based resources and educational programs for Extension professionals, government officials, citizen planners, and residents on land use issues impacting their communities. Land Use Team efforts are underpinned by a timely and rigorous professional development system that prepares Purdue Extension professionals to effectively serve on Plan Commissions.

Rainscaping Education Program

Rainscaping is a combination of sustainable landscape design and management practices that prevents polluted runoff from reaching water bodies — directing stormwater to be absorbed by plants and soils. The program provides training and resources on rainscaping practices that can be installed in residential settings or small-scale public spaces projects.

Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy for Community Planning brings resources for general renewable energy, solar and wind. This includes: community planning guidebooks for renewable energy, solar development, landowner leasing for solar, qualifications for a wind lease, wind farm impact statements and much more.

Sustainable Communities

Extension programs that support sustainable community development strategies are available to communities throughout Indiana. These support decision makers with evaluating, prioritizing, and implementing sustainability strategies for their communities.

Commercial Greenhouse and Nursery Production: Alternative Options for Invasive Landscape Plants​Ornamental plants provide many environmental and ecological benefits to landscapes and urban areas. They can be aesthetically pleasing, reduce stormwater runoff, lower carbon dioxide and pollutants, alleviate the urban “heat island” effect and provide habitats to pollinators, birds and mammals. And in the last 20 years, consumers and the general public have become much more aware of these benefits. The urban environment is different than most locations in a plant’s native range. It is an ecosystem unlike any other due to extreme environmental pressures, so landscapers and homeowners must use a wide range of plant material that will survive in these unique and often harsh environments. Horticulturalists have continued to discover and introduce plants to broaden the plant palette. Unfortunately, a few of these landscape species can escape into wild areas and create ecological problems in unintended areas such as forests and woodlands. In Indiana, a few frequently used landscape plant species have invaded these natural areas and are displacing native species.

For these reasons, the green industry must begin to produce and use different landscape plants that can replace the invasive species. This publication lists potential alternatives to some of the most notorious and damaging invasive plants in Indiana.

For a free download of the full publication, visit Commercial Greenhouse and Nursery Production: Alternative Options for Invasive Landscape Plants.

Resources
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
FNR/Purdue Extension YouTube Video Playlist, Asian Bush Honeysuckle, Burning Bush and Multiflora Rose
Purdue Plant & Pest Diagnostic Laboratory (PPDL) (Send in samples or photos)

Lindsey Purcell​, Chapter Executive Director/Certificate Liaison
Indiana Arborist Association

Rosie Lerner, Horticulturist
Retired

FNR Undergraduate Extension Internship​FNR is pleased to announce a new program that will provide undergraduate extension internship opportunities for qualified students this summer. This is an exciting program with the potential to build on an already strong set of FNR extension programs while providing valuable experience and training for undergraduates.

Purdue University’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources seeks candidates for extension internship positions. The department extension program has a broad environmental scope including fisheries, forest management, invasive species, urban forestry, sustainability, wildlife and wood products. Student interns can enhance their career potential through practical, hands-on experience. Our extension internship program can help you:

  • Develop leadership and decision-making skills in handling creative challenges
  • Gain experience developing extension products including publications, online videos, presentations and/or more
  • Participate in professional development opportunities
  • Build professional references and contacts
  • Clarify career goals
  • Learn from a diverse and experienced group of natural resources professionals

Internships are open to non-Purdue students. Requirements for the position(s) include status as a junior or senior level college student in natural resources or related discipline, minimum 3.0 GPA, evidence of initiative, independence and commitment to conservation of natural resources. Internships are available for summer term (up to 40 hours/wk., up to 8 weeks) with pay at a rate of $12 per hour. Internship start dates and work hours are flexible depending on the applicant’s availability.

Resources
FNR Extension Internship Information, Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)

Brian MacGowan​, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University​

Posted on December 20th, 2014 in Gardening, Plants | No Comments »

You may be considering giving a plant as a holiday gift this year. But before you buy your plant, there are precautions you need to take into consideration in order to keep it healthy. Purdue Yard and Garden News has some tips for you.

Your plant can get damaged due to cold, frigid air. Ensure that the salesperson wraps your purchase to protect it from the cold temperatures and wind as you walk back to your car. Also preheat your car to keep it out of the cold for the shortest time possible.

Keep plants away from drafts when you return home. Instead, put it in a place that is 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and provides plenty of bright light. Water your plant until some excess water comes through the drainage holes at the bottom.

View all of the tips on the Purdue Yard and Garden News page.

Resources
Effects of Cold Weather on Horticultural Plants in Indiana, The Education Store
Winter Injury of Ornamentals, Purdue e-Pubs
How To Care For Your Amaryllis​, Purdue Yard and Garden News

Purdue Yard and Garden

Posted on December 17th, 2014 in Gardening, How To, Plants | No Comments »

​The Purdue Yard and Garden Calendar​ for January has provided some tips on how to care for your plants as a bitter cold winter sweeps upon us.

HOME
Keep plants near a bright window and hydrated. Increase humidity around houseplants by grouping plants together, placing them on a pebble-water tray or running a humidifier. Check stored produce and tender flower bulbs and roots for rot, shriveling or excess moisture. Remove and discard damaged material.

Repot houseplants as they outgrow current pots.​

YARD
Check young trees for rodent injury on lower trunks. Prevent injury with hardware cloth or protective collars.

Keep road and sidewalk salt away from plants. Construct a screen of burlap, if necessary, to keep salt spray off plants.​

GARDEN
Order seeds and plants as early as possible for best selection.

Wood ashes from the fireplace can be spread in the garden, but don’t overdo it. Wood ashes increase soil pH, and excess application can make some nutrients unavailable for plant uptake. Have soil tested to be certain of the pH before adding wood ash.

View all of the tips on the Purdue Yard and Garden Calendar page.

Resources
Winter Injury of Ornamentals, The Education Store
Steps To Ensure Your Plants Survive This Winter, Got Nature?
Winterize Your Trees, The Education Store

Purdue Yard and Garden Calendar

Posted on December 2nd, 2014 in Forestry, Gardening, How To, Plants | No Comments »

​As winter comes swiftly upon us, there are precautions we need to take to ensure our plants, both indoor and outdoor, are well taken care of. Below are a few examples of how you can prevent certain problems that occur in the cold months ahead. View all of the steps you can take at the Purdue Extension Yard and Garden Calendar page.

HOME (Indoor plants and activities)

  • Houseplants may not receive adequate light because days are short and gloomy. Move plants closer to windows, but avoid placing foliage against cold glass panes. Artificial lighting may be helpful.
  • Because growth slows or stops in winter months, most plants will require less water and little, if any, fertilizer.
  • Extend the lives of holiday plants such as poinsettias and Christmas cactus by placing them in a cool, brightly lit area that is free from warm or cold drafts.

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits)

  • Prevent bark splitting of young and thin-barked trees, such as fruit and maple trees. Wrap trunks with tree wrap or paint them with white latex (not oil-based) paint, particularly on the south- and southwest-facing sides.
  • Provide winter protection for roses by mounding soil approximately 12 inches high to insulate the graft union after plants are dormant and temperatures are cold. Additional organic mulch such as straw compost or chopped leaves can be placed on top.

GARDEN (Flowers, vegetables and small fruits)

  • To protect newly planted or tender perennials and bulbs, mulch with straw, chopped leaves or other organic material after plants become dormant.
  • Store leftover garden chemicals where they will stay dry, unfrozen and out of the reach of children, pets and unsuspecting adults.
  • Once the plants are completely dormant and temperatures are consistently below freezing, apply winter mulch to protect strawberries and other tender perennials. In most cases, two to four inches of organic material such as straw, pine needles, hay or bark chips will provide adequate protection.

Resources
Winter Garden Calendar, The Education Store
Winter Storage of Geranium, Canna, Gladiolus, Caladium, and Begonia, The Education Store
Winterize Your Trees, The Education Store

Purdue Yard and Garden Calendar

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