Articles of note in the Sterling Morton Library : October’s offerings

These are some recent articles that can be found within the journal collection of the Sterling Morton Library. Please visit the Library to discover the incredible botanical and horticultural resources that await you! If you are unable to visit the Library and interested in reviewing one of these articles, I would be delighted to help you at rhassert@mortonarb.org.

Alsop, Peter. Invasion of the longhorns. Smithsonian, v. 40, no. 8, p. 42-49.

Daum, Miriam C. Birding 101. Snowy Egret, v, 70, no. 2, p. 6-8.

Hu, Xin-Sheng, Fanliang He and Stephen P. Hubbell. Community differentiation on landscapes: drift, migration and speciation. Oikos, v. 118, no. 10, 1515-1523.

Krischan, Tom. A prairie home : return your lawn to its prairie roots with low-maintenance grasses and perennials. Northern Gardener, v. 137, no. 6, p. 32-35.

Loraine, Joan. Hunting the dog’s tooth : Erythroniums in the garden and in the wild. Hortus, no. 91, p. 26-36.

McGuire, A. David, et al. Sensitivity of the carbon cycle in the Arctic to climate change. Ecological Monographs, v. 79, no. 4, p. 523-555.

Mehtatalo, L. and J. Nyblom. Estimating forest attributes using observations of canopy heights: a model-based approach. Forest Science, v. 55, no. 5, p. 411-422.

Schreiber, Sebastian J. and James O. Lloyd-Smith. Invasion dynamics in spatially heterogeneous environments. The American Naturalist, v. 174, no. 4, p. 490-505.

There is still time to register for November's class on Darwin and his work with plants!

Charles Darwin, Botanist
November 11-18, 2009
Michael Stieber, Library Administrator and Reference Librarian, The Morton Arboretum

Delve deeper into Charles Darwin's life, his trip around the world, and his pioneering studies of flowering plants. After returning from his voyage on the Beagle (1831-1836), Charles Darwin renewed his childhood interest in plants. By his death in 1882, he had written seven major books on pollinators and pollinating mechanisms, insectivorous plants, the power of movement in plants, one specifically on climbing plants, and a pioneering work on orchid biology. Join Michael to explore the current library exhibit, discuss Darwin's family life and background, the voyage that led to his intense studies on the origin of so many species, and several of his significant contributions to the plant sciences.

Register for this class online or by phone (630) 719-2468.

Color My World, or, Leaves of Change!

Burnt sienna, raw umber and brick red might remind you of the crayons from your childhood Crayola box, but at The Morton Arboretum we’re starting to use these very words to describe our leaves! It’s autumn and as I walk and drive through the grounds, I’m beginning to see more and more leaves changing colors. With plants from 40 countries, it almost seems like there'll be no end to this beautiful season!

Interested in learning more about color on our grounds? Our very own Color Scout has previewed some colorful Arboretum destinations for you in his weekly color report. Curious why and how leaves change colors? Find out in Why Leaves Change Color.

Interested in reading and sharing some colorful stories? Visit the Sterling Morton Library to check out:
Leaf Man or Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
The Garden in Autumn by Allen Lacy
Autumn Leaves by Ron Lanner
Sketching Outdoors in Autumn by Jim Arnosky
Pumpkin Heads! By Wendell Minor
Songbird Journeys : four seasons in the lives of migratory birds by Miyoko Chu
On the Wing : American birds in migration by Carol Lerner
Living on the Wind : across the hemisphere with migratory birds by Scott Weidensaul
Autumn across America by Edwin Way Teale

Go for a walk, scramble through the fallen leaves and immerse yourself in an autumn world of burnt sienna, raw umber and brick red at The Morton Arboretum. Whether you’re looking for some information on plants to select for superb fall color, sharing an autumnal story with a wee one or wanting to read a little more in-depth about this vivid season, the Sterling Morton Library has a host of resources awaiting you!