Page 58 - Botany_2015_Proceeding

Participating Societies

A m e r ican
Bryological and
Lichenological
Society

American Bryological and Uchenologic.al Society
The American Bryological and Lichenological Society was founded in 1898. It is an
organization devoted to t he scientific study of all aspects of the biologf of bryophytes
and lichen-forming fungi and is one of the nation's oldest botanica organizations.
Membership is open to all persons (professionals and amateurs) with interest in these
organisms. Approximately 625 individuals currently hold membership in the Society

Constitution - The ABLS Constitution and By-Laws govern the operations of the Society
and were revised in 2012. They include information on membership, meetings,
finances, prohibitions, officers, publications, awards, and dues.

Society officers are elected every other year by open ballot. The current officers include
a president, president-elect, and a secretary-treasurer. The society is governed by an
Executive Committee t hat includes the officers, the Business Manager, the journal
editors, past presidents, and members-at- large.
Membe rsh ip Services - A directory of current members, information about
membership dues, and applications for individuals wishing to join ABLS may be found
on the membership services page (www.abls.org).

Meetings- The Society (ABLS) holds annual meetings in July or August, and field trips
are normally offered in conjunction with the annual meeting. Annual meetings are
often held jointly with the Botanical Society of America or with meetings of other
biological societies. Support for student travel to annual meetings is available.
Awards - Each year, the Society gives three awards to recognize distinguished
contributions to bryology and lichenology: The A. J. Sharp Award, given to a student
for an outstanding presentation at t he annual meeting; the W illiam Starling Sullivant
Award, awarded for a distinguished, origina l research article in bryology, published
in The Bryologist; and the Edward Tuckerman Award, awarded for a distinguished,
original research article in lichenology, pu blished in The Bryologist.

Publications - The Society publishes both a quarterly journal and an informational
bulletin . More information about these items can be found on the publications page
of the ABLS website (www.abls.org).

Specimen Exchanges - The Society also sponsors specimen exchanges, to help
members acquire identified specimens from diverse geographic regions.

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