Censusing Lianas In Mesic Biomes of Eastern RegionS

contact: Robyn J. Burnham at University of Michigan rburnham

An Initiative to Increase Knowledge of and Monitor Changes in Species of Temperate Climbing Plants

Trees in temperate forests are relatively well known after centuries of intensive study of their reproductive biology, logging potential, regeneration, and diseases. In contrast climbing plants, lianas and vines, are relatively poorly understood in temperate forests.

The CLIMBERS Project was initiated by Robyn J. Burnham in an effort to establish baseline plots in which all climbers are measured and identified to species. Plots can be compared across habitats, across geographic areas, and especially across time intervals. Data will be applied to a number of questions about temperate forests and their climbers, such as:

· Does species diversity of climbers decrease with increasing latitude?

· Do conifer forests consistently show fewer climbers than hardwood forests?

· Has disturbance increased climber diversity and density?

· Will increased carbon dioxide favor vines at all latitudes?

· How important are invasive lianas in forested ecosystems at various latitudes?

C L I M B E R S Research Initiatives:
Geographic - Floristic Research: Plots and Databases	Species-Level Research: Species Accounts

PLOTS ESTABLISHED

Half Hectare Plots in Temperate Forest Ecosystems

Using teams of 3-4 people, we select a 0.5 hectare plot (50 x 100m) in forested ecosystems that show little influence from logging or other human disturbance (e.g., vine "management", extensive trails, farming, etc. ) in the past 75 years. The site is gridded into 10 x 10m cells. Each cell is censused for ALL climbing plants (vines, lianas) in the cell. For stems larger than 0.5cm at 1.3m above their rooting position, stems are mapped to exact position within the 10 x 10m cell, stem diameter is noted at two positions, species are identified, and the tree (or stump) on which the climber is growing is identified. For stems smaller than 0.5cm at 1.3m above their rooting position, we note the species as "present" in the cell, but do not take data on abundance or position within the 10 x 10m cell.

CLIMBERS Census Sites: Green symbols mark established plots; Red symbols are planned for 2011; Each site may represent more than one 0.5 hectare plot.

DATA ACCUMULATION ON CLIMBER ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION

(data to be entered here soon!)

SPECIES ACCOUNTS

Species Accounts are complete for 85 of the approximately 110 species of climbers in the Michigan flora. If the link below is not active, contact Robyn Burnham for individual pdfs of our CLIMBER species accounts

Adlumia fungosa	Akebia quinata	Ampelopsis aconitifolia
Ampelopsis glandulosa v. brevipedunculata	Amphicarpaea bracteata	Apios americana
Aristolochia macrophylla	Calystegia pubescens	Calystegia sepium
Calystegia silvatica	Calistegia spithamaea	Campsis radicans
Cardiospermum halicacabum	Celastrus orbiculatus	Celastrus scandens
Clematis occidentalis	Clematis terniflora	Clematis virginiana
Convolvulus arvensis	Cucurbita foetidissima	Cuscuta cephalanthi
Cuscuta coryli	Cuscuta epilinum	Cuscuta epithymum
Cuscuta glomerata	Cuscuta gronovii	Cuscuta indecorum
Cuscuta pentagona	Cynanchum louiseae	Cymbalaria muralis
Cynanchum rossicum	Desmodium rotundifolium	Dioscorea villosa
Echinocystis lobata	Euonymus fortunei	Euonymus obovatus
Fallopia cilinodis	Fallopia convolvulus	Fallopia scandens
Galium aparine
Hedera helix	Humulus japonicus	Humulus lupulus
Ipomoea coccinea	Ipomoea hederacea	Ipomoea pandurata
Ipomoea purpurea	Ipomoea x multifida	Lathyrus hirsutus
Lathyrus japonicus	Lathyrus latifolius	Lathyrus ochroleucus
Lathyrus odoratus	Lathyrus palustris	Lathyrus pratensis
Lathyrus sylvestris	Lathyrus tuberosus	Lathyrus venosus
Lonicera caprifolium	Lonicera dioica	Lonicera hirsuta
Lonicera japonica	Lonicera reticulata	Lonicera sempervirens
Lycium barbarum	Lygodium palmatum	Menispermum canadense
Mikania scandens	Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Parthenocissus tricuspidata
Parthenocissus vitacea	Persicaria arifolia	Persicaria sagittata
Phaseolus polystachios	Phaseolus vulgaris	Pisum sativum
Pueraria montana	Rosa canina	Rosa multiflora
Rosa setigera	Rubus allegheniensis	Rubus caesius
Rubus canadensis	Rubus flagellaris	Rubus hispidus
Rubus laciniatus	Rubus occidentalis	Rubus pensilvanicus
Rubus strigosus	Sicyos angulatus	Smilax illinoiense
Smilax herbacea	Smilax hispida	Smilax lasioneura
Smilax rotundifolia	Solanum dulcamara	Strophostyles helvola
Toxicodendron radicans	Tribulus terrestris	Vicia americana
Vicia cracca	Vicia caroliniana	Vicia grandiflora
Vicia hirsuta	Vicia sativa	Vicia sepium
Vicia tetrasperma	Vicia villosa	Vinca minor
Vinca major	Vitis aestivalis	Vitis labrusca
Vitis riparia	Vitis vulpina	Wisteria frutescens
Wisteria sinensis