Understanding Seed Dormancy and Germination Requirements of Rare Plants

Restoration efforts are often challenged by a lack of knowledge regarding seed dormancy and germination requirements. These same factors can impede seed longevity monitoring in seed banks and other conservation initiatives for rare plants. Seed dormancy is defined as “the incapacity of a viable seed to germinate under favorable conditions.”  Dormant seeds may not look […]

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Identifying Drivers of Orchid Population Dynamics: An Example in the Federally-Listed Threatened Orchid, Isotria medeoloides

Screenshot of Identifying Drivers of Orchid Population Dynamics video.

Melissa K. McCormick, Dennis F. Whigham, Rachel Rock-Blake, Hope E.A. Brooks North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC) and Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Orchids are widely threatened and endangered worldwide, but efforts to conserve and restore them has been limited by not knowing about the pollinators and fungi they need to grow and reproduce. The […]

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Reproductive Ecology of a Rare Florida Endemic Mint, Macbridea alba

Screenshot of Reproductive Ecology of a Rare Florida Endemic Mint, Macbridea alba video

Brenda Molano-Flores, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign, Sara Johnson, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science at University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign, & Janice Coons, Eastern Illinois University Macbridea alba (Lamiaceae) is a federally threatened and state endangered perennial herbaceous mint. It is endemic to grassy pine flat woods and occupies a range […]

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