cold weather and CP

Randy Lamb (Rlamb@hypertech.yknet.yk.ca)
Wed, 31 Jan 1996 23:58:48 +0000

Actually last few weeks weather in Yukon was 20 celcius below normal
conditions for here. As Clarke Brunt pointed out yesterday the two
temprature scales do overlap at 40 below and the main confusion is when
someone refers to zero, and don't say whether it's in F or C (or K). All
that sits in my frigid greenhouse right now (the rest is indoors) is a tray
of P. villosa and a tray of P. macroceras that grow in the region naturally.
There was no snow cover over them but they went dormant naturally in the
fall so if they aren't freeze dried they may make it. I'll let every one
know in May.

On the subject of CP in ice as Paul Temple experienced, you would be amazed
at what will survive being in an ice cube. Darlingtonia and some Sarracenia
are pretty tough and occur naturally in habitats that get burried in snow
and freezing temperatures annually. Sarracenia purpurea grow in northern
Canada where they (the purps) experience colder temperatures than I did last
week. Pings and Utrics are frequent plants above the Arctic Circle. I
haven't seen Drosera that far north myself but they have been reported in
Inuvik which is near the Arctic Ocean. I looked around when I was in a bird
camp on the Beaufort Sea coastline but couldn't find any CP in the ponds or
Sphagnum there.

Randy.