Current Special Projects of the Pennsylvania Flora Project

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=48 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Current Special Projects of the Pennsylvania Flora Project</I></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#006600" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="id10.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Research and activities of the Pennsylva"><U><B>Research and Activities of the PA Flora Project</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Pennsylvania Flora Project"><U><B>PA Flora Project Home</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=432 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Inventory of State Park Natural Areas</B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="659" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 366 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="07381680.jpg" border=0 width="385" height="360" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="06409680.jpg" border=0 width="265" height="360" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="15" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 14 WIDTH="352"><div> Burn area at Tobyhanna State Park</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Variable sedge (<I>Carex polymorpha</I>) at Nescopeck State Park</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="658" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 274 WIDTH="652"><div> Under a three-year contract with the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks which began in 1999, we are examining designated natural areas in six eastern parks and documenting their resources including flora, fauna, and plant communities.  </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In Tobyhanna State Park we documented the extent of an intense fire in August 1999 which burned down into the peat layer within the Bender Swamp Natural Area.  </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In Hickory Run State Park we found previously unknown stands of four state listed rare plants.  In Nescopeck State Park we used a GPS receiver to map the extent of populations of <I>Carex polymorpha, </I>a globally endangered sedge.  This park appears to contain more <I>Carex polymorpha</I> than any other single location known.  </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In French Creek State Park our survey has concentrated on the Pine Swamp Natural Area and an adjacent tract that was recently added to the park.  We have documented populations of at least ten species of special concern.  </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In Delaware Canal State Park we canoed to islands to document stands of <I>Prunus pumila</I> var. <I>depressa</I> and search for other rare species.  Neshaminy State Park in Bucks County contains a remnant of coastal plain vegetation including rare freshwater tidal marsh community.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>Aquatic Plants Inventory</B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="687" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 318 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="09348380.gif" border=0 width="328" height="312" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="09248380.jpg" border=0 width="328" height="312" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 28 WIDTH="324"><div> Water-lily (<I>Nymphaea odorata</I>)</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="352"><div> Inflated bladderwort (<I>Utricularia inflata</I>) and other aquatic vegetation in Tobyhanna Lake; Tobyhanna State Park</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="658" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 82 WIDTH="652"><div> A survey of ten glacial lakes in northeastern Pennsylvania for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry produced 26 records of species of special concern including a plant new to the state.  <I>Utricularia inflata</I> was discovered at two sites.  Apparently, this southeastern coastal plain species has recently spread northward, perhaps via seeds carried by waterfowl.  Further investigation revealed that it had also been collected in two lakes in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania in the past five years but misidentified.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>New Book - </B><I><B>The Trees of Pennsylvania</B></I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="661" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 49 WIDTH="651"><div> We have begun preparation of a book on the trees of Pennsylvania.  While it will contain identification keys, the main emphasis of the book will be on descriptive natural history information about the 160 native and naturalized species found in our state.  It will be fully illustrated with line drawings by Anna Anisko.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>