Of Water and Fire Relationship Between Geology and Native Plants. Andy Fyon Ontario Wildflower Sudbury, Ontario

Transcription

1 Of Water and Fire Relationship Between Geology and Native Plants Andy Fyon Ontario Wildflower Sudbury, Ontario

2 Disclaimer Not a biologist Not a trained horticulturist Prefer not to discuss medicinal or culinary uses of plants I am a geologist Wildflowers are my hobby 2

3 Road Map Geology and our lives Geology and flowering plants Geological Examples Bog Manitoulin Alvar Rock Desert Deciduous forest flood plain (swamp) Foothills to Mountain top 3

4 Geology in Our Lives We eat minerals We grow food in geological materials We get drinking water from the Earth Rocks are a source of energy 4

5 Geology in Our Lives Construction material Roads, bricks, facing Buildings Metals Cars, trains, planes, boats Horticulture materials Ornamental stone Fertilizer 5

6 Geology in Our Lives We depend on geological materials from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep So do plants Warm rock, Iqaluit 6

7 Geological Factors and flowering plants Influence and adaptation 7

8 Nutrients Soil Rock Water Factors that affect the variety of plants Elevation Sunlight Temperature 8

9 Geological Factors - Soil Formed: breakdown of rocks glacier, river, wind transport Valleys more vegetation holds soil, more organic matter, more nutrients, more water, more vegetation Rocky area thin or no soil, little organic matter, few nutrients, little water, little vegetation 9

10 Geological Factors - Rock Rocks made of different materials Nutrients (phosphorous, potassium) Other minerals needed by plants Neutralize acid (limestone) 10

11 Geological Factors - Water Essential to life Dry areas Mountain shadow region Rock outcrop Moist areas Wetlands, river flood planes, deciduous forest 11

12 Geological Factors - Elevation Mountains Valleys Temperature Wind exposure Rain Soil Growing season 12

13 Examples Geology and Flowering Plants 13

14 Bog - Geology Depressions in sand and gravel left by glaciers or rock Isolated, no connection to rivers or other lakes 14

15 Bog - Conditions Acidic nutrients, if present, not in plant friendly form Little nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium Isolated from external sources of mineralized water Trout Lake Bog Cottongrass 15

16 Bog - Conditions Sunlight: High Temperature: Extremes Water: Wet Ground dominated by peat moss growing above water Organic deposits from peat mosses Secord Road bog 16

17 Bog Flowering Plant Survival Tactics Carnivorous trap and digest insects to supplement nutrients Non-carnivorous work with soil fungi (mycorrhizal association) that spread through soil to: pull in nutrients change nutrients to form used by plant fungus may penetrate plant root What s in it for the fungus? receives sugars and other products from the plant 17

18 Bog Flowering Carnivorous Plants Bladderwort Use leaf traps to capture and extract nutrients from trapped underwater insects Burwash Source:

19 Bog Flowering Carnivorous Plants Pitcher Plant Trout Lake Road bog Attract insects using bold coloured patterns and nectar secretions

20 Bog Flowering Carnivorous Plants Pitcher Plant Vase-shaped leaves contain water soup Downward pointing hairs stop insect from exiting Plant extracts nutrients from drowned insects 20

21 Bog - Flowering Carnivorous Plants Sundew Killarney lighthouse 21

22 Bog - Flowering Carnivorous Plants Sundew Sticky, sweet secretions on stalked leaf glands attract and trap insects Insect is digested and nutrients absorbed Killarney Lighthouse 22

23 Bog - Non-carnivorous Plants Leatherleaf Symbotic association with soil fungi Fungi pick up and change organic nitrogen to plantfriendly amino acids Acidic bog contains metal poisons, like zinc, copper, aluminum Fungi act as poisoncontrol to block plant uptake Insert close up of flower branch Trout Lake Road bog 23

24 Bog - Non-carnivorous Plants Leatherleaf 24

25 Bog - Flowering Non-carnivorous Plants Labrador Tea Trout Lake Road bog 25

26 Bog - Flowering Non-carnivorous Plants Labrador Tea Retains leaves plants efficiently use scarce nutrients to make leaves keep nutrients stored in leaves 26

27 Bog - Flowering Non-carnivorous Plants Bog Rosemary Name derived from similarity to leaves of unrelated culinary Rosemary Trout Lake Road bog

28 Bog - Flowering Non-carnivorous Plants Bog Rosemary Flowers on new growth 28

29 Bog - Flowering Non-carnivorous Plants Sheep Laurel Burwash bog 29

30 Sheep Laurel Flowers on old growth 30

31 Bog Summary Bog created by geological processes Special conditions of bog require special adaptations by flowering plants 31

32 Manitoulin Island Alvar Misery Bay, Manitoulin 32

33 Manitoulin Island Alvars Naturally open areas Flat limestone rock Few to no trees Little or no soil, low nutrients Harsh and inhospitable High sunlight - open Temperature moderated by proximity to lake Water: spring flooding, summer drought Misery Bay, Manitoulin 33

34 Manitoulin Island Alvars Geology In The Beginning Manitoulin limestone rocks formed on bottom of tropical ocean million years ago. 34

35 Manitoulin Island Alvars - Geology Advancing glacier 14,500 year ago, Great Lakes area 35

36 Manitoulin Island Alvars - Geology 9,500 5,000 years ago: retreating glacier, underwater emerged. Tundra, boreal forest, prairie, deciduous forest coexist. Mix of several plant communities that coexisted at front of continental glacier 36

37 Alvar Flowering Plants Prairie Smoke Gore Bay, Manitoulin Uncommon Species (COSEWIC Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) Widespread across Canadian Prairies Restricted to alvars in Ontario 37

38 Alvar Flowering Plants Prairie Smoke Seed dispersal: seed plumes dispersed by the wind Gore Bay, Manitoulin 38

39 Alvar Flowering Plants Lakeside Daisy Rare Species (COSEWIC Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada), restricted to Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island (95% of its global range occurs in Canada) Misery Bay, Manitoulin Thick, rubbery leaves store water needed to withstand dry spells

40 Alvar Flowering Plants Wild Chives Arctic alpine species Rare except on alvars Misery Bay, Manitoulin 40

41 Alvar Flowering Plants Indian Paintbrush Alvar, dry tallgrass prairie, mountains Red colour are bracts, not flowers Sometimes yellowbracted form Parasitic on roots of other plants Gore Bay, Manitoulin 41

42 Alvar Flowering Plants Mouse-ear Chickweed Circumpolar Basic (alkaline) soil Cannot grow in shade Tolerates drought Misery Bay, Manitoulin 42

43 Alvar Flowering Plants Birds-eye Primrose Shrubby Potentilla Misery Bay, Manitoulin 43

44 Alvar Summary Unusual geological history Unusual community of flowering plants Tall grass prairie, alpine, arctic 44

45 Rock Desert - Conditions Very little organic soil Sand dunes, Timmins gravel or sand or bare rock nutrients may be provided by rock or gravels, depending on geological history 45

46 Rock Desert - Conditions Sunlight: high Temperature: extreme Water: desert Rock outcrop water comes from rain which runs off dries out quickly 46

47 Desert Rock Outcrop Flowering Plant Survival Tactics Leaf design Narrow leaves (trap less sunlight) Succulent (retain water) Drought tolerant Opportunistic roots access deeply buried nutrients Community root system 47

48 Desert Rock Outcrop Pearly Everlasting Narrow leaves Drought tolerant Silver colour reflects sunlight Sudbury 48

49 Desert Rock Outcrop Sedum Lance-leaved stonecrop Leaves are succulent to save water. 49

50 Desert Rock Outcrop Bristly Sarsaparilla Deep roots Root used to make carbonated, caffeinefree soft drink similar to root beer Killarney 50

51 Desert Rock Outcrop Flowering Plants Wintergreen Preserves leaf nutrients evergreen shrub Single root system supports plant community Methyl Salicylate has been a favour agent in wintergreen Burwash 51

52 Desert Rock Outcrop Wildflowers Columbine Opportunistic rooting Root in cracks Water Soil Misery Bay, Manitoulin 52

53 Deciduous Forest Flood Plain Geology Erosion of hard rock or fault or crack in Earth Creek Low banks Spring flooding 53

54 Deciduous Forest Flood Plain Conditions Lots of nutrients in organic litter; spring flooding adds new material Sunlight: high spring; low summer Temperature: moderated Water: Spring flood in iron bridge spring flooding moist in summer Burwash 54

55 Deciduous Forest Flood Plain Small Purple Fringed Orchid Relationship with soil fungi Help seeds germinate and nourishes seedling for 2 or 3 years before the leaves are large enough to sustain the plant 55

56 Deciduous Forest Flood Plain Jack-in-the-Pulpit Can alternate their sexes from year to year depending on the nutrients available to the plant 56

57 Mountains - Geology Earth plates collide to build mountains 57

58 Mountains Alpine Subalpine Montane Foothills Plant adaptation 58

59 Foothills <2400 m (<1700 ft); Rolling hills grade into prairie; Mix of grassy slopes and open forest 59

60 Foothills Calypso Orchid Canada Violet 60

61 Foothills Blue Clematis 61

62 Foothills - Nodding onion Nodding Onion Shooting Star

63 Foothills - Larkspur 63

64 Foothills Cliff Anenome

65 Montane m ( ft); Open stands of forest at low elevations become more dense toward subalpine 65

66 Montane Monkey Flower Moist to wet conditions 66

67 Montane - Heartleaf arnica 67

68 Montane Scorpion Weed 68

69 Montane - Beargrass 69

70 Subalpine m ( ft) Ends where trees end Moisture is high (snow + rain) 70

71 Subalpine Yellow Columbine 71

72 Subalpine - Yellow glacier-lily 72

73 Subalpine Globe flower Alpine Forget-me-not 73

74 Subalpine Elephant-head Subalpine Siberian Chives 74

75 Subalpine - Western Pasqueflower

76 Subalpine Mountain Gentian Mountain Sorrel 76

77 Subalpine White and Yellow Mountain Aven 77

78 Alpine (Tundra) >3500 m (6800 ft) Treeline to end of vegetation Cold, windy, snow or bare, dry Small, lowgrowing, rapid growth Arctic presence 78

79 Alpine (Tundra) -Moss campion 79

80 Alpine (Tundra) Alpine Buttercup Alpine Sawwort 80

81 Alpine (Tundra) Rock Jasmine 81

82 Alpine (Tundra) Shrubby Penstemon 82

83 Alpine (Tundra) King s Crown 83

84 Summary Geological processes shape the face of the Earth All life forms, including people, are influence by geology Plants have developed to meet challenges of niches in which they live 84

85 Andy Fyon