Urbanization and related anthropogenic modifications cause extent of habitat fragmentation and directly lead to decline of local biodiversity. Conservation biologists advocate corridor creation as one approach to rescue biodiversity. Here we examine the utility of roads as corridors in preserving plant diversity by investigating roadside vegetation in Yellow River Delta (YRD), China. We examine...

We analyzed ethnobotanical data on Kansas plants to evaluate differences among families for medicinal uses by Native Americans. We compared three different statistical methods used in previous ethnobotanical studies for use in our Native Medicinal Plant Research Program, which seeks to determine which plant families are more likely to contain species with medicinal compounds. The three approach...

We studied two tallgrass prairies and adjacent restoration areas in northeast Kansas to analyze (1) the invasion of native tallgrass prairie species from native prairie source populations into replanted areas; (2) the establishment of planted prairie species five and 35 years after being sown; and (3) the effects of native prairie species on soil organic matter. For the majority of dominant spe...

The ever increasing movement of viruses around the world poses a major threat to plants growing in cultivated and natural ecosystems. Both generalist and specialist viruses move via trade in plants and plant products. Their potential to damage cultivated plants is well understood, but little attention has been given to the threat such viruses pose to plant biodiversity. To address this, we stud...

[1] Protecting water resources for expanding human enterprise while conserving valued natural habitat is among the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Global change processes such as climate change and intensive land use pose significant threats to water resources, particularly in arid regions where potential evapotranspiration far exceeds annual rainfall. Potentially compounding these sho...

Pollinator species such as butterflies and bees are declining globally primarily due to habitat loss. This is especially concerning within the tallgrass prairie ecoregion of North America, where the land area comprised of native vegetation has declined by an estimated 99%. Thus, tallgrass prairie restoration and management is imperative. The control of invasive plant species such as tall fescue...

Alien plants have greatly altered some native plant communities and threaten others in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The Park contains approximately 405 alien and 375 native vascular plant species. Desultory efforts were made to control alien plants until the 1980s, at which time a systematic program was initiated. The following strategies or actions have been taken to protect native species...