This thesis is an investigation of network analysis to understand differences between how three congeners have adapted pollination network strategies to ensure adequate gene flow. This study will focus on three species of Erigeron (Fleabanes), one endemic species adapted to cliff wall habitat in one canyon fragmented by topography (E. lemmonii) at Fort Huachuca Military Reserve, and two others (E. arisolius and E. neomexicanus) adapted to more diverse habitat conditions in a larger range in Arizona, USA. Sustainability of military lands and protected species are primary concerns for Army land management, and these findings will be made available to the U.S. Army, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service resource managers to use in their respective management plans. UCINET software was used to construct the insect flower visitor networks for the three Erigeron species by recording insect visitors / plant interactions and comparing their visitation networks to each other. Erigeron arisolius and E. neomexicanus have redudndant network architecture, compared to E. lemmonii which has a fragile network supporting a unique insect community. If the E. lemmonii population disappears, a collapse of its dependent insect visitors may also occur. Other new botanical information was discovered and recorded for E. lemmonii. It has a xenogamous mating system, and can also reproduce by vegetative means. An individual capitulum has a three week flowering period, and the population has individual plants blooming over a six month flowering season with May being the peak. It grows in highly organic soil on cliff face crevices in the Scheelite Canyon. Another aspect was to develop and publish genetic microsatellite markers for the three species of Erigeron, which are the first microsatellite markers to be identified for this genus. This included determining the chromosome number of E. lemmonii, before the genetic markers could be identified for this species. Eight microsatellite markers were identified for E. lemmonii and nine markers were identified for E. arisolius. However, no markers for E. neomexicanus were identified because of confounding results. Erigeron lemmonii has less genetic diversity, lower mean heterozygosity and fewer alleles, than E. arisolius. / This study was funded by the U.S. Army Environmental Quality Technology Program, at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (Project 09-03).

Metabolic syndrome refers to clusters of risk factors (e.g. obesity, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, non-alcoholic fatty liver and hypertension) that would lead to development of cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of this disease is high and the therapeutic approaches are insufficient. Potential use of Chinese herbal medicines to target on metabolic syndrome has attracted great attention. Erigerontis Herba (EH) is a Chinese herb that is traditionally used to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Its effect on diet-induced metabolic syndrome has not been previously investigated. The present study was the first investigation of the effects of Erigerontis Herba, Erigerontis containing herbal formulae and its polyphenol-enriched fraction (EHP) on diet-induced metabolic syndrome. / To determine the effects of EH, EH-containing herbal formulae and EHP on obesity, hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis and hypertension, in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models were used. For in vitro studies, cholesterol uptake inhibition and adipogenesis differentiation assays were performed using Caco-2 cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes, respectively. Ex vivo organ bath studies were performed to determine the vasodilative effects, and respective underlying mechanisms were determined via inhibition of different pathways using corresponding blockers. In vivo animal model of high-fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome was performed using C57Bl/6 mice. Preventive effects of these herbal extracts were determined by supplementation of extract to high-fat diet for 8 weeks, followed by measurement of body weight, liver and adipose tissues weight, plasma lipid, plasma glucose and liver lipid. Proteins and genes expressions related to lipid metabolism were also determined using Western blotting and RT-PCR. Bioavailability of these herbal extracts were investigated using human intestinal Caco-2 cells monolayer. / Among all tested, EHP demonstrated most prominent effects in the inhibition of both cholesterol uptake and adipogenesis in vitro; and possessed significant vasodilative effects ex vivo, and also significant beneficial effects on obesity and hepatic steatosis in mice, but not on hyperlipidemia. EH-containing herbal formulae exhibited significant inhibitory effects on cholesterol uptake in Caco-2 cells. Among all tested, only DZ4 showed inhibitory effect on adipogenesis. EH, on the other hand, significantly inhibited adipogenesis but exerted no effect on cholesterol uptake. EH and EH-containing herbal formulae showed significant vasodilative effects in ex vivo studies. For in vivo studies, only DZ6 showed mild beneficial effects on diet-induced obesity (inguinal fat/body weight and peri-renal fat/body weight), hepatic steatosis and hyperlipidemia. EH alone showed no significant beneficial effects on high-fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome in mice. Preliminary bioavailability experiments suggested that all herbal preparations had relatively low bioavailability, although EHP had a comparative higher permeation ability through Caco-2 monolayer. / In conclusion, this is the first comprehensive study of the effects of EH (with or without other herbs) on diet-induced metabolic syndrome. EHP, a polyphenol-enriched fraction isolated from EH showed potent beneficial effect on diet-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis both in vitro and in vivo, as well as significant vasodilative effects ex vivo. These data suggested the potential for EHP to be developed as dietary supplementation for metabolic syndrome. The effects will be further determined in clinical trials in the future. / 代謝綜合癥是多種心血管危險因子異常聚集的病理狀態，其病癥包括肥胖，高血脂，胰岛素抗性，高血糖，脂肪肝和高血壓等。它的發病率很高，但是目前治療以及預防這一疾病的措施尚不完善。近年來，用中藥治疗這一疾病引起人们廣大關注。燈盞細辛作為傳統中草藥經常用於心血管和腦血管疾病，但其對於代謝綜合癥是否有效有待研究發現。本課題組建立了高脂餵食引起代謝綜合癥模型，并探討了燈盞細辛，燈盞細辛複方，以及燈盞細辛你酚類對此疾病的療效及作用機制。 / 我們用體內，體外及離體模型研究了燈盞細辛，燈盞細辛複方以及燈盞細辛酚對於肥胖，高血脂，脂肪肝和高血壓的作用。我們用3T3-L1和Caco-2細胞模型研究了燈盞細辛相關提取物對於膽固醇吸收和脂肪生成的作用，用大鼠離體血管環體外實驗，研究了他們對於血管擴張的作用及其機制。另外，本課題組建立了高脂餵食小鼠代謝綜合癥模型，并探討了這些中藥提取物作為食物補充劑對於代謝綜合癥的作用。我們用實時定量PCR技術和蛋白質印跡技術測量了各種相關蛋白和基因的表達。此外，我們還用人的腸細胞單層轉運模型研究了這些中藥提取物的生物利用度。 / 體外實驗結果表明，四個燈盞細辛複方都有明顯抑制膽固醇吸收的作用，但是對於脂肪生成，只有複方DZ4有明顯抑制作用。燈盞細辛提取物可以明顯抑制脂肪生成，但是對膽固醇吸收卻沒有明顯作用。燈盞細辛酚對於兩者都具有明顯的抑制作用。另外，大鼠離體動血管環研究結果顯示，燈盞細辛複方，燈盞細辛提取物以及燈盞細辛酚都有明顯的擴張血管的作用。高脂餵食小鼠代謝綜合癥實驗結果結果顯示四個燈盞細辛複方中只有複方DZ6對於肥胖，脂肪肝和高血脂有作用。燈盞細辛對代謝綜合癥無明顯作用，但是燈盞細辛酚對于肥胖和脂肪肝卻有明顯抑制作用對於此代謝綜合癥小鼠模型。生物利用度相關研究結果顯示，燈盞細辛，燈盞細辛複方以及燈盞細辛酚的生物利用度都相對較低。 / 總括來說，我們綜合研究了燈盞細辛對於代謝綜合癥的藥效。燈盞細辛酚對於肥胖和脂肪肝在體內體外模型都顯示了較好的抑製作用。再加上其對於擴張血管有非常明顯的作用，它有潛能被發展為代謝綜合癥的治療預防方法。 / Wang, Yanping. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 243-256). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 01, November, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

The present study analyzed the evolutionary history of Erigeron trifidus Hook. by addressing two main questions: 1) Is the current hypothesis of the origin of the species by hybridization between E.compositus and E.lanatus supported by molecular data? and 2)Is the species monophyletic? An analysis of uni-and-biparentally inherited molecular markers from three species throughout the range of E.trifidus yielded data that supports the hybridization hypothesis. First, a restriction site analysis of cpDNA revealed 4 haplotypes. In most cases, cpDNA haplotypes were the same as in E.lanatus, suggesting E.lanatus as the maternal parent. Sequencing and cloning the nuclear ETS region revealed the presence of multiple repeat types in most individuals sampled. This further supports the hybrid origin hypothesis in that E.trifidus contained only repeat types present in one or the other of the putative parents. In addition, E.trifidus displayed the highest percentage of intrainidividual repeat type polymorphism, a common trait of hybrid species. Erigeron trifidus populations collected in the northern region appear to be monophyletic as they all exhibited a particular pattern of repeat type variation, a pattern absent in Ram Mountain and Waterton Lakes National Park populations. As E.lanatus has never been recorded from Ram Mountain, it is likely that the populations identified as E.trifidus are instead a different agamospermous variant of E.compositus. In Waterton Lakes National Park, populations of E.trifidus are thought to be the product of local hybridization but the identity of the putative parents remains uncertain. Therefore, E.trifidus is concluded to be polyphyletic. / viii, 66 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.

Preservation of rare plant species often requires establishment of new populations. Survivorship surveys are the most common method of post-introduction monitoring. However, they provide an incomplete picture of establishment success. This study is an attempt to develop a model for determining establishment success by determining the factors affecting recruitment in introduced populations of a rare species. Erigeron decumbens is an endangered forb endemic to the Willamette Valley of western Oregon. Several populations of E. decumbens have been introduced by governmental and non-profit agencies. While there has been some monitoring of the survival of introduced plants, no systematic surveys have measured recruitment in the new populations. We monitored recruitment in five introduced populations, and compared abiotic and biotic characteristics in these and five stable natural populations. Seventy percent of introduced populations produced fewer than one recruit for every three survivors. Thirty percent produced at least one and one half recruits for every one survivor. The factors that affected recruitment were site specific. Low recruitment (less than one recruit per three survivors) was associated with dominance by exotic species (Dactylis glomerata, Rosa eglanteria, Vicia tetrasperma, and Leucanthemum vulgare), high litter cover, high soil electrical conductivity, and low silt levels. Recruitment was highest at sites with higher native plant species richness and soil characteristics falling within the variation of large natural populations. Viable seed number per individual had the strongest linear relationship with recruitment, demonstrating that seed viability could be a strong limitation for this species (r² = 0.83). The results of this study suggest numerous guidelines for future reintroductions of E. decumbens. This research also demonstrates the utility of recruitment surveys to determine factors important in the success of introduced populations of rare plant species. / Graduation date: 2013

Identifying mechanisms that determine who lives and dies is the first step in developing successful restoration techniques for rare species and endangered habitats. We studied interactions that affect establishment of native plant forbs of conservation concern at the seedling stage to support the theoretical basis for restoration activities in Pacific Northwest prairies. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that seedling establishment is controlled by 1) competition with or 2) facilitation by existing vegetation and that the interaction is mediated in part by environmental stress. We direct-seeded or planted vegetative plugs of Lupinus oreganus, Castilleja levisecta, Erigeron decumbens, Iris tenax and Sidalcea malviflora ssp. virgata into 20 plots with a range of community compositions in high-stress upland prairies at each of three sites. We counted seedlings and estimated cover of plant functional groups as well as litter, bare soil and disturbance then used linear regression to test for effects of these factors on seedling establishment. We found evidence of indirect facilitation of grass on seedling establishment in the first year: higher accumulations of leaf litter increased seedling numbers at two sites. In the second year, there was evidence of facilitation by live vegetation and litter on seedlings at one site, but no net effect of either competition or facilitation at the other two sites. Overall, we found more evidence for positive interactions than we did for competition. In particular, litter appeared to have a positive effect on seedling establishment of L. oreganus and S. malviflora ssp. virgata. This is contrary to the common perception that litter inhibits plant establishment but supports the theory that facilitation is more common in high stress sites; practitioners should consider seeding into leaf litter at some sites. To support a robust approach to conservation and reintroduction of species with dormant seed, we characterized dormancy types and developed germination protocols for S. malviflora ssp. virgata and I. tenax. S. malviflora ssp. virgata has physical dormancy and may have physiological dormancy. Scarification followed by four weeks of cold moist stratification was effective in initiating germination. I. tenax has morphophysiological dormancy which is overcome by four weeks of warm moist stratification followed by 6-12 weeks of cold stratification. We also conducted a meta-analysis of experiments that tested pre-sowing seed scarification of L. oreganus and conclude that breaking physical dormancy prior to direct seeding does not support higher establishment relative to unscarified seeds in this species. / Graduation date: 2012