Committee Chair

Van Horn, Gene

Committee Member

Nelson, Charles; Schorr, Mark

Department

Dept. of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

The vascular plants of Tennessee's Prentice Cooper State Forest and Wildlife Management Area were gathered from 112 collection trips made during the growing seasons of 1998 and 1999. Prentice Cooper has an interesting and a rich flora. I collected 2,313 specimens and examined 110 herbarium specimens. The flora is comprised of 139 families, 512 genera, and 1,038 species and lesser taxa. The four largest families are Asteraceae (128 species-12% of the flora), Poaceae (106 species-10%), Cyperaceae (64 species-6%), and Fabaceae (57 species-5%). These four families represent approximately 34% of the total flora. Numerous county extensions, as well as rare, threatened, or endangered species occur in the 10,800 hectare tract of eastern deciduous forest. Five hundred and forty-two new county records were documented as well as ten state records. The taxa new to Tennessee are: Allium fistulosum, Euonomyus alatus, Galium uniflorum, Glycine max, Mahonia bealei, Phlox drummundii ssp. drummundii, Prunus nigra, Spiraea thunbergii, Thelypteris torresiana, and Vicia sativa ssp. sativa. The federally listed endangered (LE) Scutellaria montana and federal candidate (C5) Platanthera integrilabia also occur in the study area. Twenty-one taxa are listed as Endangered(£), Threatened (T), or of Special Concern (S) in Tennessee: Amelanchier spicata (S), Aurea/aria patula (T), Cardamine clematitis (T), Cladrastis kentukea (T), Cypripedium acaule (E), Danthonia epilis (S), Diervilla lonicera (T), Fothergilla major (T), Gelsemium sempervirens (S), Glyceria acutiflora (S), Jug/ans cinerea (T), Lysimachiafraseri (E), Panax quinquefolius (S), Platanthera integrilabia (E), Polymnia laevigata (S), Sabatia capitata (E), Saxifraga careyana (S), Scutellaria montana (E), Talinum teretifolium (T), Viola tripartita ssp. glaberrima (S), and Woodwardia areolata (S). Prentice Cooper has 179 exotic species, comprising 17% of the total flora and constituting 45% of Tennessee's listed invasive exotic pest species. This study currently places Marion as the most species rich county in Tennessee. Association coefficients of seven southeastern Appalachian floras were compared to the State Forest elucidating several floristic similarities and dissimilarities. Voucher specimens were deposited in the herbariurn of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UCHT).

Acknowledgments

Several individuals should be noted for their assistance in this study. Foremost, I would not have completed this project without my mentor and friend, Dr. Gene Van Hom. Additionally, special thanks is extended to my graduate committee members, Drs.Charles Nelson and Mark Schorr, for their keen advice and for reviewing earlier manuscripts. I would also like to give my appreciation to Jim Lane of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture-Forestry for allowing me the opportunity to study in Prentice Cooper. I am also grateful to Dan Lavacot (Wildlife Manager) and other personnel of the State Forest for their guidance and information; Dr. Eugene Wofford of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, who kindly allowed visitation at the herbarium, reviewed several state records and noted a correction in Sabatia capitata; Dr. Hal DeSelm of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, who kindly identified several species of Panicum and various other grasses; Dr. Vern McNeilus, who kindly corrected and reviewed several species of Panicum and Carex; Dr. Maurice Edwards of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, noting probable locations of Iris verna var. smalliana; the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, who provided years of support and guidance; and Jim Brown of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, who kindly provided me visitation to their herbarium. Finally, my sincere appreciation goes to my good friend Amy Shull for all her patience, compassion, and tenacity throughout this project.

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

12-2000

Subject

Botany--Tennessee--Hamilton County; Plants--Tennessee--Identification

Discipline

Botany

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

xvi, 189 leaves

Language

English

Call Number

LB2369.2 .B424 2000

Rights

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

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