Table Of ContentRHODORA,
Vol
No. 242-247,
93, 875, pp. 1991
BRYOPHYTES OF TALUS
ALGIFIC SLOPES
IN
AREA
WISCONSIN'S DRIFTLESS
John Christy and Thomas Meyer
A.
A.
ABSTRACT
Naturally refrigerated (algific) talus slopes provide microclimates suitable for
disjunct or relict populations of plants and invertebrates. Of 39 species of bryo-
phytes collected on four of Wisconsin's largest algific slopes, one-third were re-
stricted to cold air vents. Distribution of species on these slopes appears to be
influenced by perennially stable air temperatures and condensate occurring
at
outflow vents. The moss Setigeria donniana new Wisconsin.
to
is
Key
Words:
bryophytes, algific talus slopes, cold air drainage, Driftless Area,
Wisconsin
INTRODUCTION
Algific talus slopes are characterized by the venting of
frigid air
among
through openings and
talus debris, the associated
refrig-
eration of rocks and shallow on these The temperature
soils slopes.
of from on
air issuing vents slopes consistently colder
algific
is
than the S-IO^'C reported for caves and springs temperate
in lat-
itudes (Poulson and White, 1969; Knudson and Hedges,
1973),
indicating the presence of subterranean During growing
the
ice.
and
season, vegetation rocks surrounding outflow vents tend
to
be saturated with water condensed from the mixing of chilled
vent and warmer above ground (Hayden, Conard,
air air 1843;
1938).
North America,
In algific slopes or their functional equivalents
have been reported from Indiana (McKnight, Michigan
1986),
New
and York West
(Miller
Vitt, 1970), (Miller, 1966), Virginia
(Hayden,
1843; Brooks, 1965; Core, 1968, 1975; Kercheval, 1986)
and the Driftless Area of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin
Illinois,
(Conard, Lammers,
1938, 1952; Frest, 1981, 1983; 1983; Roosa,
McKnight,
1984; 1985). not clear whether taxa reported
It is in
other papers (Blagg, 1928; Conard, 1932a, 1932b) occurred on
algific slopes, or slopes with only cool northerly exposure.
The
algific slopes of the Midwest's Driftless Area have received
much
attention in recent years because of their populations
relict
of land and Foremost among
snails rare plants. these the fed-
is
Iowa
erally-endangered Pleistocene Discus macclintocki
snail,
known
(Baker), once only from ice-age loess deposits and thought
242
Meyer— 243
and Bryophytes
Christy
1991]
The Leonard and
to have been extinct. rare snails Vertigo occulta
from the Pleistocene, inhabit the
hubrichti Pilsbry, also relicts
V,
Carex
slopes along with disjunct populations of plants that include
Rhamnus
media R. Ribes hudsonianum Richards, alnifolia
Br.,
Don. and
nuda Mertensia paniculata G.
L'Her., Mitella (Ait,)
L.,
Aconitum noveboracense
the federally-listed threatened species
Gray.
Bryophyt
com
We
sampled on Wisconsin
the bryoflora slopes in
determine
METHODS
May
Bryophytes were 1987 on four of Wisconsin's
collected in
Chase Creek and Glen Haven,
in
largest algific talus slopes, at
Wisconsin
m
immediately surrounding the slopes was composed of second-
maple
growth mesic primarily sugar {Acer sac-
forest species,
charum basswood americana and red oak
Marsh.), {Tilia L.)
{Quercus borealis Michx. f along with their attendant understory
),
species.
was
At time of our ambient temperature
the air 24''C,
visit,
2-6
from
and temperatures outflow vents ranged Faint jets
at
''C.
and was
of fog were visible at the vents, air turbulence great
mmediately
occumng
Crum
and
Nomenclature
the perimeter of the slopes. follows
Anderson Koponen and and Crandall-Stot-
(1968) Stotler
(1981),
MIL.
Voucher specimens were deposited
at
(1977).
ler
AND
RESULTS DISCUSSION
bryophytes
sam
Wisconsin
Mnium
new
were Grant County.
stellare to
bryophyt
Wisconsin
McCleary
244 Rhodora
93
[Vol.
Table 1. Bryophytes of four algific talus slopes in Wisconsin. Slope and vent
= =
habitats include soil and rocks. Localities: Chase Creek, 2 Glen Haven.
1
L = = V = =
Habitat: log, S slope, cold air vent, * disturbed
soils.
Local-
Species
Habitat
ity
Liverworts
Conocephahim conicum
Lindb.
(L.) S*
V
Marchantia polymorpha
L. S*
s,v
Porclla platyphylla
(L.) Pfeiff. 2
V
quadrata Nccs
Prcissia (Scop.)
Tritomaria cxsecta (Schrad.) Loeske L
Mosses
Amblystegium varium (Hedw.) Lindb.
S
Anomodon
attcnuatus (Hedw.) Hueb. s,v
.2
A. rostratus (Hedw.) Schimp.
s
Bartramia Hedw. s,v
poniifunnis
&
Brachythecium oxycladon V
(Brid.) Jaeg. Saucrb. 2
&
BSG
salebrosum (Web. Mohr)
B. s
Bryhnia gmminicolor Grout V
(Brid.)
V
Bryocrythrophyllum rostrum (Hedw.) Chen
recurvi ,2
Bryum
Hedw.
capillare
S*
pscudotriquctrum (Hedw.) Meyer
B. Gacrtn.,
&
Scherb.
,2 s*
Campylium V
chrysophylliim Lange
(Brid.)
J.
V
Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.)
Brid. 9
S*,
Clunacium amcricanum V
Brid.
Desmatodon
obtusifoUus (Schwaegr.) Schimp.
s*
Didymodon
fallax (Hedw.) Zand. V
S*,
Encalypta procera Bruch
s
Entodon
cladorrhizans (Hedw.) C. Muell. ? S
L,
V
E. scductrix (Hedw.) C. Muell.
Eurhynchiuni hians (Hedw.) Sande-Lac. s,v
Funaria Hedw.
hygroinetrica
s*
Leptobryum pyriformc (Hedw.) Wils.
s*
Mniuni marginatum V
(With.) Brid. ex P.-Beauv.
M. Hedw. V
are
Stell
Plagiomnium
cuspidatum (Hedw.) Kop. S,V
T.
,2 L,
medium
(BSG) V
P. T. Kop.
S,
BSG
Plaiygyrium repens L
(Brid.)
&
Pohlia wahlcnbcrgii (Web. Mohr) Andr. V
Rhodobryum
roseum (Hedw.) Limpr. L,V
,2
Rhytidiadelphus (Hedw.) Warnst. V
triquclrus
Seligeria campylopoda Kindb. ex Macoun & Kindb V
donniana V
S. (Sm.) C. Muell.
BSG
Thuidium V
abietinum (Hedw.)
2
BSG
delicatulum (Hedw.)
T. s
1
recognitum (Hedw.)
T. Lindb. 2 s
Meyer—
Christy and Bryophytes 245
1991]
We
Redfeam, Horton, did not any with
1979; 1983). find species
substantial disjunct distributions, although several such taxa are
known
to occur on algific slopes in Iowa and Minnesota (D. G.
Horton, comm.).
pers.
Fourteen (36%) of the bryophytes found on the slopes occurred
and
only outflow vents, suggesting that the perennially cool
at
moist conditions found there provide ideal growing conditions.
more
Large polsters of the typically wetland-inhabiting Clima-
cium americanum, Marchantia polymorpha and Plagiomnium
medium, clustered vents halfway up the slopes, gave the
at algific
on
illusion of artesian springs the hillside, although the only source
of water was condensate from the of fog occurring the
jets at
openings.
The
association of bryophytes occurring at cold air vents, cou-
and
pled with the occurrence of populations of relict snails rare
make
and
unique
vascular plants, slopes geological biotic
algific
A
more
communities. description of the apparently diverse bryo-
Iowa and Minnesota would document
flora of algific slopes in the
many
occurrence of disjunct or relic taxa, currently the subject of
recent anecdotal accounts.
80%
comm.)
T. Frest estimated that of the slopes that
(pers.
J.
Area European have
existed in the Driftless before settlement
been The Nature Conservancy and
destroyed. fortunate that
It is
of Iowa and Wisconsin moving
the states are to protect the best
warming new
of those that remain. Global will pose challenges
monitoring communities.
in these
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We Tom
thank Larry Morse and Smith providing
for infor-
mation on North America. Thanks
algific slopes in eastern are
extended also to Dale Vitt for verifying the identity of Seligeria
donniana. The senior author's work on this project was supported
by Milwaukee Pubhc Museum, Milwaukee, WI, during
the his
tenure
there.
LITERATURE CITED
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F. S.
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A
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A. C.
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OREGON NATURAL HERITAGE DATA
BASE
N.W. 25TH AVE.
1205
PORTLAND, OR
97210
M.
T. A.
WISCONSIN NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
BOX
P.O. 7921
MADISON, WI
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