BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 September 2013 Prairie-Relict Communities of a Piedmont Monadnock
Robert D. Tompkins
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

A floristic survey of Crowders Mountain State Park, located in Gaston and Cleveland Counties in North Carolina, was conducted from 2010–2011 to document prairie-relict species. In addition, 1-m2 quadrats (n = 200) were sampled from four remnant power line rights-of-way/roadside prairie communities in the park to assess community structure. Cover and frequency values were assessed for species within the quadrats and species were also placed into guild groupings. A total of 143 prairie-relict species from 37 plant families were identified for the entire park, 69 (48%) of which were also found in the sampled quadrats. Eighty-three (58%) species were previously undocumented for the park. Summer forbs represented the largest guild at 66 (46%) with several rare and uncommon species for North Carolina, including the North Carolina Rare Symphyotrichum georgianum (Georgia aster) and Echinacea purpurea (eastern purple coneflower). The communities had a combined Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI) of 48.8 and a mean C-value of 4.2. Evidence from this study further suggests that prior to fire suppression prairie/savanna communities were likely once more prevalent in what is now Crowders Mountain State Park.

Robert D. Tompkins "Prairie-Relict Communities of a Piedmont Monadnock," Castanea 78(3), 185-197, (1 September 2013). https://doi.org/10.2179/12-046
Received: 20 December 2012; Accepted: 1 May 2013; Published: 1 September 2013
KEYWORDS
guild
monadnock
Piedmont
prairie-relict
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top