Committee Chair

Shaw, Joey

Committee Member

Wilson, Thomas; Craddock, J. Hill

Department

Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

The vascular flora of the North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Natural Area (NCCG) was studied during three growing seasons from 2006 to 2008. NCCG is located in Hamilton and Sequatchie counties, Tennessee, on the eastern edge of the Cumberland Plateau. Within the study area are 2,862 hectares of eastern deciduous forest that contain 12 distinct habitat types. A survey of these habitat types over three growing seasons yielded 110 families, 329 genera, and 604 species or lesser taxa, including 238 county records. Seventy-six introduced species were found, comprising 12% of the total flora. Eleven species with either a state or federal listing were documented: Castanea dentata, Diervilla lonicera, Diervilla rivularis, Glyceria acutifolia, Nestronia umbellula, Spiraea virginiana, Scutellaria montana, Sabatia capitata, Wookwardia virginica, Panax quinquefolius, and Viola tripartita. A species-area curve for the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee was constructed from this and seven other floras of the plateau. Three family level species-area linear regression lines were also constructed, showing that the natural area reaches or exceeds expectations for Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Cyperaceae.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

12-2008

Subject

Botany -- Tennessee -- Hamilton County; Botany -- Tennessee -- Sequatchie County

Keyword

ecological surveys

Discipline

Environmental Sciences

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

vii, 147 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

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