The strength of leaf fibers and the nutritional value of the edible fruit of several yucca species native to the U.S. southwest were studied to aid in the determination of species best suited for commercial cultivation by the Navajo Nation. The leaves were softened in an autoclave to facilitate the removal of the leaf matrix, conditioned in environmentally controlled chambers, and the fibers were broken using a texture analyzer. The fibers were frozen and cross sectioned and photographed to determine cross sectional area. Official methods were used to determine the nutritional content of the fruit. The mean tensile strength of Y. angustissima, Y. baccata, and Y. glauca was 484 ±79, 710±174, and 388±104 MPa, respectively. Fibers from the leaves of Y. baccata had a significantly higher tensile strength than the leaves of the other two species. Nutritional profiling of the fruit of Y. angustissima and Y. baccata indicated that the fruit of both species are good sources of vitamin C (73-119 mg/100g) and thiamin (0.20 to 0.22 mg/100g). Because of its edible fruit and superior leaf fiber tensile strength, Y. baccata is recommended as the best species for cultivation and commercialization.

Pine rocklands are endangered ecosystems unique to south Florida, the Bahamas and Cuba. As a result of their karstic calcium carbonate­rich soil, these systems are limited in phosphorus and nitrogen, making symbiotic associations critical to plant growth. Four leguminous species (Cajanus cajan, Chamaecrista fasciculata, Tephrosia angustissima, and Abrus precatorious) were used to determine the relationship between rhizobial partners and plant performance, and the symbiosis related gene nifH was amplified to characterize the diversity of rhizobial symbionts. Plants were grown in soils from four different south Florida pine rocklands, and a salinity treatment was added to determine how storm surge and sea level rise could affect this symbiotic relationship. While plant performance and nodulation were highly impacted by soil type, salinity did not represent a significant effect. Phylogenetic analysis determined that all four plant species were found to associate with Bradyrhizobium spp. and no rhizobial shift between salinity treatment and soil type was found.