C L I M B E R S

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 are sites completed in 2007; Red symbols are planned for 2008; 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 50 of the approximately 85 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	Aristolochia macrophylla
Calystegia hederacea	Calystegia sepium	Calystegia sylvatica
Calystegia spithamaea	Campsis radicans	Cardiospermum halicacabum
Celastrus orbiculata
Celastrus scandens	Clematis virginiana	Desmodium rotundifolium
Dioscorea villosa	Echinocystis lobata	Euonymus fortunei
Euonymus obovatus	Hedera helix	Humulus japonicus
Humulus lupulus	Lathyrus latifolius	Lonicera caprifolium
Lonicera dioica	Lonicera hirsuta	Lonicera japonica
Lonicera reticulata	Lonicera sempervirens	Lygodium palmatum
Menispermum canadense	Mikania scandens	Mitchella repens
Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Pisum sativum	Rosa multiflora
Rubus laciniatus	Sicyos angulatus	Smilax herbacea
Smilax hispida	Smilax lasioneura	Smilax rotundifolia
Solanum dulcamara	Strophostyles helvula	Toxicodendron radicans
Tribulus terrestris	Vicia americana	Vinca minor
Vitis aestivalis	Vitis labrusca	Vitis riparia
Vitis vulpina	Wisteria frutescens	Wisteria sinensis