Stefanie M Ickert-Bond

University of Alaska Fairbanks · Department of Biology and Wildlife

Ephedra, Gnetum, and Welwitschia constitute the gymnosperm order Gnetales of still unclear phylogenetic relationships within seed plants. Here we review progress over the past 10 years in our understanding of their species diversity, morphology, reproductive biology, chromosome numbers, and genome sizes, highlighting the unevenness in the sampling...

In this study we selected the New World species of Ephedra to understand the ecological consequences of different dispersal syndromes. The twenty-three species of Ephedra in the New World have a disjunct distribution in North and South American arid and semi-arid habitats, exhibiting three dispersal syndromes related to dispersal by birds, wind and...

Pterisanthes (Vitaceae) is a genus of c. 20 species of scandent climbers endemic to Southeast Asia with unusual lamellate inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports its relationship in the well-supported Vitis– Ampelocissus–Nothocissus–Pterisanthes clade (i.e. the Ampelocissus–Vitis clade). Shoot tips and floral buds were collected fr...

• Premise of the Research: Evolutionary relationships of the Vitales (the economically important Vitaceae and its sister family Leeaceae) within the rosids have been difficult to resolve. Gynoecial structure, especially the placentation type, of the two families has been variously interpreted. A survey of gynoecial structure is undertaken within th...

A set of newly designed Vitaceae baits targeting 1013 genes was employed to explore phylogenetic relationships among North American Vitis. Eurasian Vitis taxa including Vitis vinifera were found to be nested within North American Vitis subgenus Vitis. North American Vitis subgenus Vitis can be placed into nine main groups: the Monticola group, the...

The north temperate region was characterized by a warm climate and a rich thermophilic flora before the Eocene, but early diversifications of the temperate biome under global climate change and biome shift remain uncertain. Moreover, it is becoming clear that hybridization/introgression is an important driving force of speciation in plant diversity...

We present a comprehensive list of non-native vascular plants known from the Arctic, explore their geographic distribution, analyze the extent of naturalization and invasion among 23 subregions of the Arctic, and examine pathways of introductions. The presence of 341 non-native taxa in the Arctic was confirmed, of which 188 are naturalized in at le...

The poster summarizes the results of the recent study carried out on a pan-Arctic scale and aimed to establish the list of non-native plant species present in the region, their naturalization status and pathways of introduction. Basic taxonomic and biogeographic characteristics of the non-native flora of the Arctic are presented.

Trans-Beringia taxa often present complex puzzles for taxonomists, a reflection of differing traditions and opinions, taxonomic approaches, and access to material from both sides of the Bering Strait. There is wide biological variation in perceived or circumscribed taxa whose populations are widespread within the regions and yet biogeographically i...

The application of whole-genome resequencing based on next-generation sequencing technologies provides an unprecedented opportunity for researchers to resolve long-standing evolutionary problems. Taxa belonging to the grape genus (Vitis L.) represent important genetic resources for the improvement of cultivated grapes. However, it has been challeng...

Species are the fundamental units of biodiversity and, consequently, records of species, such as preserved specimens and details of observations, are among the fundamental units for studies on biodiversity (Claridge et al., 1997). However, species and their records do not comprise biodiversity in isolation. Instead, we study them at scales that are...

The grape family Vitaceae include 16 genera and ca. 950 species that are primarily distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, with a few genera extending to the temperate regions (Wen, 2007; Wen et al., 2018c). Vitaceae are economically well‐known as sources of wine, grapes, and raisins, and have therefore attracted extensive...

Vitis L. (the grape genus) is the economically most important fruit crop, as the source of grapes and wine. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus have been highly controversial. Herein, we employ sequence data from whole plastomes to attempt to enhance Vitis phylogenetic resolution. The results support the New World Vitis subgenus Vitis as mo...

Vitaceae (the grape family) consist of about 16 genera and ca. 950 species primarily distributed in tropical regions. The family is well‐known for the economic importance of grapes, and is also ecologically significant with many species as dominant climbers in tropical and temperate forests. Recent phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses of sequence...

Driven by limited resources and a sense of urgency, the prioritization of species for conservation has been a persistent concern in conservation science. Gymnosperms (comprising ginkgo, conifers, cycads, and gnetophytes) are one of the most threatened groups of living organisms, with 40% of the species at high risk of extinction, about twice as man...

We investigated leaf anatomy and micromorphology in the New World Vitis using light and scanning electron microscopy to understand the correlation of these traits to molecular phylogenetic relationships and environmental affinity. We observed traits known to differ among species of Vitis and utilized in traditional taxonomy: with importance in trad...

Tetrastigma (Miq.) Planch. (Vitaceae) is a genus with ca. 100 species exhibiting great morphological diversity. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies suggested that traditional classification systems are not consistent with the molecular phylogeny, and Tetrastigma is undergoing further systematic investigation. We traced the evolutionary trends o...

Background and aims: Gymnosperms are either wind-pollinated (anemophilous) or both wind- and insect-pollinated (ambophilous). Regardless of pollination mode, ovular secretions play a key role in pollen capture, germination and growth; they are likely also involved in pollinator reward. Little is known about the broad-scale diversity of ovular secr...

Aim We investigate the influence of late Neogene orogenic activity and Pleistocene glacial‐interglacial cycles on intraspecific divergence and demographic history in the gymnosperm shrub Ephedra compacta . We test refugia hypotheses to explain geographical patterns of genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure in a warm North American desert t...

With the advent of global online data sharing initiatives, few limits remain to using the treasure troves of museum data for biodiversity and conservation. The University of Alaska Museum Herbarium is fully online with metadata. Over 260 000 specimens representing the largest collection of Alaska plants anywhere can be data mined. We found that mos...

This review summarizes inflorescence developmental morphology in the grape order Vitales within a phylogenetic context. Inflorescences in the shrubby Leeaceae are terminal thyrses that appear leaf-opposed once renewal growth begins. Plants of the Vitaceae are mainly tendrilled lianas and form five well-defined clades. Inflorescences develop from th...

PREFACE Arctic Museum collections: Documenting and understanding changes in biological and cultural diversity through time and space The role of museums and herbaria in biodiversity and cultural synthesis efforts in the Arctic is to preserve the physical and cultural specimens and to advance scientific knowledge by improving access to digitized inf...

The development of evidence-based international strategies for the conservation and management of Arctic ecosystems in the face of climate change is hindered by critical knowledge gaps in Arctic floristic diversity and evolution. Particularly poorly studied are the bryophytes, which dominate the vegetation across vast areas of the Arctic and conseq...

Alaska faces unique challenges in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, including limited accessibility to resources and learning opportunities, and a lack of place-based education resources. Museum education programs, traditionally focused on public outreach through docent-led tours, are playing an increasingly import...

Systematics is the science of discovering, organizing and interpreting the diversity of all living organisms. Recent developments in genomics and biodiversity informatics are transforming systematics and have opened up many new opportunities. Major digitization efforts and developments in biodiversity informatics have helped the systematics communi...

Preparing students to explore, understand, and resolve societal challenges such as global climate change is an important task for evolutionary and ecological biologists that will require novel and innovative pedagogical approaches. Recent calls to reform undergraduate science education emphasize the importance of engaging students in inquiry-driven...

Tetrastigma (Miq.) Planch. is one of the most species-rich genera of the economically and agronomically important grape family Vitaceae. It includes ca. 95 species widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics of Asia and Australia. Species of Tetrastigma exhibit great diversity in both vegetative and reproductive characters. Here we inferred a...

The value of museum collections to biological research is well established. However, the role and potential of collections in educational activities has been less thoroughly explored, due in part to concerns about making fragile specimens available to large numbers of students. Now, global efforts to digitize museum collections are creating unprece...

This review shows a close biogeographic connection between eastern Asia and western North America from the late Cretaceous to the late Neogene in major lineages of vascular plants (flowering plants, gymnosperms, ferns and lycophytes). Of the eastern Asian–North American disjuncts, conifers exhibit a high proportion of disjuncts between eastern Asia...

The tetraploid fern Cryptogramma crispa (L.) R.Br. ex Hook. is distributed across alpine and high latitude regions of Europe and western Asia and is sympatric with the recently described octoploid C. bithynica S.Jess., L.Lehm. & Bujnoch in north-central Turkey. Our analysis of a 6-region plastid DNA sequence dataset comprising 39 accessions of Cryp...

Trichomes are widely distributed on surfaces of different organs in the grape genus Vitis and are of taxonomic utility. To explore the morphology, structure and ontogeny of Vitis trichomes, we investigated the diversity and distribution of trichomes in 34 species of Vitis. Two main types of trichomes in Vitis are documented: non-glandular and gland...

The results of the histochemical lignin tests for prickles of different growth stages of V. davidii. (A) Lignin-stained section of a young prickle without lignification. (B) Lignin-stained section of a mature prickle with partial lignification on the upper region. (C) Lignin-stained section of an old prickle exhibiting complete lignification. Scale...

Pollination in gymnosperms is usually accomplished by means of wind, but some groups are insect-pollinated. We show that wind and insect pollination occur in the morphologically uniform genus Ephedra (Gnetales). Based on field experiments over several years, we demonstrate distinct differences between two Ephedra species that grow in sympatry in Gr...

Pterisanthes (Vitaceae) is a genus of c. 20 species of scandent climbers endemic to Southeast Asia with unusual lamellate inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports its relationship in the well-supported Vitis– Ampelocissus–Nothocissus–Pterisanthes clade (i.e. the Ampelocissus–Vitis clade). Shoot tips and floral buds were collected fr...

Pterisanthes (Vitaceae) is a genus of c. 20 species of scandent climbers endemic to Southeast Asia with unusual lamellate inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports its relationship in the well-supported Vitis– Ampelocissus–Nothocissus–Pterisanthes clade (i.e. the Ampelocissus–Vitis clade). Shoot tips and floral buds were collected fr...

Pterisanthes (Vitaceae) is a genus of c. 20 species of scandent climbers endemic to Southeast Asia with unusual lamellate inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports its relationship in the well-supported Vitis– Ampelocissus–Nothocissus–Pterisanthes clade (i.e. the Ampelocissus–Vitis clade). Shoot tips and floral buds were collected fr...

Pterisanthes (Vitaceae) is a genus of c. 20 species of scandent climbers endemic to Southeast Asia with unusual lamellate inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports its relationship in the well-supported Vitis– Ampelocissus–Nothocissus–Pterisanthes clade (i.e. the Ampelocissus–Vitis clade). Shoot tips and floral buds were collected fr...

Pterisanthes (Vitaceae) is a genus of c. 20 species of scandent climbers endemic to Southeast Asia with unusual lamellate inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports its relationship in the well-supported Vitis– Ampelocissus–Nothocissus–Pterisanthes clade (i.e. the Ampelocissus–Vitis clade). Shoot tips and floral buds were collected fr...

Pterisanthes (Vitaceae) is a genus of c. 20 species of scandent climbers endemic to Southeast Asia with unusual lamellate inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports its relationship in the well-supported Vitis– Ampelocissus–Nothocissus–Pterisanthes clade (i.e. the Ampelocissus–Vitis clade). Shoot tips and floral buds were collected fr...

Pterisanthes (Vitaceae) is a genus of c. 20 species of scandent climbers endemic to Southeast Asia with unusual lamellate inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports its relationship in the well-supported Vitis– Ampelocissus–Nothocissus–Pterisanthes clade (i.e. the Ampelocissus–Vitis clade). Shoot tips and floral buds were collected fr...

Pterisanthes (Vitaceae) is a genus of c. 20 species of scandent climbers endemic to Southeast Asia with unusual lamellate inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports its relationship in the well-supported Vitis– Ampelocissus–Nothocissus–Pterisanthes clade (i.e. the Ampelocissus–Vitis clade). Shoot tips and floral buds were collected fr...

Pterisanthes (Vitaceae) is a genus of c. 20 species of scandent climbers endemic to Southeast Asia with unusual lamellate inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports its relationship in the well-supported Vitis– Ampelocissus–Nothocissus–Pterisanthes clade (i.e. the Ampelocissus–Vitis clade). Shoot tips and floral buds were collected fr...

Premise of research. Paleoochna tiffneyi gen. et sp. nov. is described from late Paleocene fossil fruits from Almont (Morton County) and Beicegel Creek (McKenzie County), North Dakota. On the basis of distinctive anatomical and morphological features, these fruits demonstrate strong taxonomic affinities to Ochna and other members of the family Ochn...

Systematic biology is a discipline rooted in collections. These collections play important roles in research and conservation and are integral to our efforts to educate society about biodiversity and conservation. Collections provide an invaluable record of the distribution of organisms throughout the world and through recent and geological time, a...

The Ephedra lineage can be traced at least to the Early Cretaceous. Its characteristically polyplicate pollen is well-represented in the fossil record and is frequently used as an indicator of paleoclimate. However, despite previous efforts, knowledge about variation and evolution of ephedroid pollen traits is poor. Here, we document pollen morphol...

There is an emerging consensus that undergraduate biology education in the United States is at a crucial juncture, especially as we acknowledge the need to train a new generation of scientists to meet looming environmental and health crises. Digital resources for biology now available online provide an opportunity to transform biology curricula to...

Polyploidy is a common phenomenon in plants, with autopolyploids originating from genome complements of two different species, and allopolyploids resulting from genome doubling within a single species. Speciation via polyploidy is one of the main modes of sympatric speciation in plants. Ferns are well known for having a high degree of polyploidy. A...

While the incidence of chromosomal change is well documented, its impact on speciation is less understood, particularly in gymnosperms. Compared with angiosperms, gymnosperms are characterized by a large genome (mean 1C = 18.1 pg), relatively low chromosome numbers (range 2n = 14 - 66), a remarkable consistency of number and karyotype within genera...

Natural history collections provide a wealth of temporal and spatial data about biological organisms of the present and the past. These collections can be used in many novel waysto support hands-on experiences that illustrate fundamental core science concepts for undergraduate education. As part of NSF-RCN “AIM-UP!” (Advancing Integration of Museum...

We looked at the phylogenetic relationships and morphology among dwarf rhododendron (Therorhodion camtschaticum Small, T. glandulosum Standley ex Small and T. redowskianum Hutch.) in the heath family (Ericaceae, subfamily Rhodoreae). Therorhodion was originally considered part of the genus Rhododendron but was described as its own genus by Small in...

A taxonomic synopsis of the Altingiaceae is presented, including the taxonomic enumeration and distribution of 15 recognized species based on studies of 1,500 specimens from 24 herbaria throughout the distributional range of the taxa. Previous phylogenetic analyses based on several molecular markers have shown that Altingia and Semiliquidambar are...

Biogeography is a multidisciplinary science concerned with how and why organisms are distributed as they are on Earth. It links fields such as systematics, ecology, paleontology, and climatology, and occupies a central position in evolutionary biology, being fundamental to the study of processes such as speciation and adaptive radiation. Here we pr...

Previous phylogenetic studies of the grape family (Vitaceae) yielded poorly resolved deep relationships, thus impeding our understanding of the evolution of the family. Next-generation sequencing now offers access to protein coding sequences very easily, quickly and cost-effectively. To improve upon earlier work, we extracted 417 orthologous single...

Seed coat micromorphology for 22 of 67 species of the genus Oxytropis from the Arctic in sections Arctobia (nine species), Baicalia (two species), Glaeocephala (three species), Mesogaea (one species), and Orobia (seven species) were studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Three main types of seed coat micromorphology (i.e., rugulate, loph...

The Aleutian Islands and the Northern Bering Sea Islands have primarily upheld their status as distinct floristic subregions of the Arctic/Subarctic in published treatments, although multiple studies have also suggested a floristic similarity between the two island groups because of their oceanic influences and relative proximity. Using a combinati...

The history and geography of the arctic flora in Beringia has been complex—influenced by glacial retreats during the Quaternary, exchange via the Bering Land Bridge, in situ survival in refugia, and differing climatic regimes. Much of the details of these diversifications in Beringia are still lacking and to begin to address this issue we provide r...

Pantropical intercontinental disjunct distribution is a major biogeographic pattern in plants, and has been explained mainly by boreotropical migration via the North Atlantic land bridges (NALB) and transoceanic long-distance dispersal (LDD), and sometimes by vicariance. However, well-resolved phylogenies of pantropical clades are still relatively...