"Democratizing plant biodiversity data with coefficients of conservatis" by Sevyn Brothers

Committee Chair

Shaw, Joey

Committee Member

Wilson, Thomas P.; Reynolds, Bradley

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

Floristic Quality Assessments (FQAs) measure an ecosystem's quality and can be applied to any ecosystem. FQAs consist of two parts: a species checklist and each species’ coefficient of conservatism (c-value). C-values are integers that describe a species’ tolerance to anthropogenically disturbed habitats. C-values should be applied to species per ecoregion; however, this can be difficult due to resource allocations, and therefore it is more common to apply c-values at the state level. Tennessee and Kentucky (TNKY) share many native species and ecoregions and lacked published c-values, putting TNKY in a prime position for combined c-value assignment. C-values were assigned to TNKY’s flora while utilizing as much pre-existing data as possible. Overall, c-values were successfully applied to 97% of TNKY’s flora (3,295 species). The c-values were then used to create educational modules to democratize biodiversity data. These were made publicly available and sent to nearby schools for potential inclusion into their curricula.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank a number of people, all of whom have supported and encouraged me throughout this process. I begin by thanking my advisor and mentor, Dr. Joey Shaw, for his guidance and encouragement, as well as his utmost care and respect for my well-being as a person. I truly could not have worked with a better advisor, and for that, I am immensely grateful. I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Bradley Reynolds and Dr. Tom Wilson, for their time, insight, and expertise. I would like to thank all members of the Shaw Lab for their support and companionship, especially Garrett Billings. Garrett was the only member of the Shaw Lab when I arrived, and he not only helped me settle into the routine of graduate school, but also gave me priceless wisdom, insight, and a dear life-long friend. I would like to thank Dr. Claude Bailey for initially inspiring my love for plants during a high school Dual Enrollment Biology course, and I would like to thank Dr. Dawn Wilkins and Dr. Tom Blanchard for their guidance and encouragement to pursue this master’s degree. I do not know if I would have the motivation to attend graduate school without them. I’d like to thank Chris Baca, a friend and fellow scientist, for always accepting my proof-read requests with immense excitement, as well as his encouragement and support. Finally, I would like to express my immeasurable gratitude to my life partner, Kristopher Golden, and our cat-son John Longfoot. Without Kris, I would not have had the opportunity to attend graduate school, but more than that, Kris provides me with reassurance, guides me in the right direction, and continues to support me with countless words of encouragement.

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

12-2024

Subject

Floristic quality assessment; Plant diversity conservation--Kentucky; Plant diversity conservation--Tennessee

Keyword

coefficients of conservatism; c-values; educational modules; Tennessee; Kentucky; botany

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

ix, 176 leaves

Language

English

Rights

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

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Date Available

12-31-2025

Available for download on Wednesday, December 31, 2025

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