Biodiversity hotspots are conservation priorities. We identify the North American Coastal Plain (NACP) as a global hotspot based on the classic definition, a region with > 1500 endemic plant species ...and > 70% habitat loss. This region has been bypassed in prior designations due to misconceptions and myths about its ecology and history. These fallacies include: (1) young age of the NACP, climatic instability over time and submergence during high sea-level stands; (2) climatic and environmental homogeneity; (3) closed forest as the climax vegetation; and (4) fire regimes that are mostly anthropogenic. We show that the NACP is older and more climatically stable than usually assumed, spatially heterogeneous and extremely rich in species and endemics for its range of latitude, especially within pine savannas and other mostly herbaceous and fire-dependent communities. We suspect systematic biases and misconceptions, in addition to missing information, obscure the existence of similarly biologically significant regions world-wide. Potential solutions to this problem include (1) increased field biological surveys and taxonomic determinations, especially within grassy biomes and regions with low soil fertility, which tend to have much overlooked biodiversity; (2) more research on the climatic refugium role of hotspots, given that regions of high endemism often coincide with regions with low velocity of climate change; (3) in low-lying coastal regions, consideration of the heterogeneity in land area generated by historically fluctuating sea levels, which likely enhanced opportunities for evolution of endemic species; and (4) immediate actions to establish new protected areas and implement science-based management to restore evolutionary environmental conditions in newly recognized hotspots.
A complete catalogue of the vascular flora of the North Carolina Outer Banks is presented. Rarity, habitat, distribution within the Outer Banks, and earliest and latest specimens are given for each ...taxon. The flora contains 1020 species and infraspecific taxa, plus an additional 80 taxa that lack voucher specimens. Some 770 taxa are considered native; 250 non-native. Fifty-one taxa reach their northern range limit on the Outer Banks; 11 their southern limit. Fifty-five taxa are listed as rare in North Carolina; one of them also listed Threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Twenty-four natural communities are described and assessed for vulnerability to sea level rise. Prior botanical research is listed chronologically.
Se presenta un catálogo completo de la flora vascular de los Outer Banks de Carolina del Norte. La rareza, el hábitat, la distribución en los Outer Banks y los especímenes más antiguos y más recientes se aportan para cada taxón. La flora contiene 1020 especies y taxones infraespecíficos, más 80 taxones adicionales que carecen de especímenes testigo. Unos 770 taxones se consideran nativos; 250 no nativos. Cincuenta y un taxones alcanzan su límite de distribución norte en los Outer Banks; 11 su límite sur. Cincuenta y cinco taxones se enumeran como raros en Carolina del Norte; uno de ellos también enumeró Amenazado por el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE.UU. Se describen y evalúan veinticuatro comunidades naturales para determinar su vulnerabilidad por el aumento del nivel del mar. La investigación botánica previa se enumera cronológicamente.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NMLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Canebrakes formerly occupied hundreds of thousands of hectares across the southeastern USA, but habitat conversion and fire suppression have reduced their size and extent. Currently, canebrakes are ...among the rarest vegetative communities in the southeastern USA. Research has focused on Arundinaria gigantea (river cane), with very little focus on Arundinaria tecta (switch cane). The fire history, area, associated flora, and species frequency of 13 canebrakes, dominated by switch cane, were examined at three Department of the Army locations and one game land in the Sandhills physiographic region. We determined canebrake area by identifying its unique vegetative signature in aerial photography at three time steps: earliest aerial photography, the beginning of the recorded burn history, and current aerial photography. We compared fire-return intervals to changes in canebrake area. We created a checklist and tallied 330 taxa of vascular plants (plus Sphagnum sp.) from the 13 canebrakes in our study and calculated species frequency. Estimated area of the 13 observed canebrakes has increased from 25.6 ha historically to 592.8 ha. Mean fire-return interval is within a range of 1–2.3 yr. As fire-return intervals decrease, canebrake area increases, but that increase starts to decline after 2 yr. The highest number of taxa recorded for individual canebrakes were found on Fort Jackson, South Carolina, at Buffalo Creek (236 species) and Fort Bragg, North Carolina, at Black Creek (201 species). Species frequency demonstrates that canebrakes are capable of supporting a mix of herbaceous, shrubby, and arboreal species, which includes rare taxa.
Featuring over 600 wildflowers, flowering shrubs, and vines, this user-friendly field guide is the first to focus on the rare, fragile lands and species of the Sandhills region of the Carolinas and ...Georgia. Characterized by longleaf pine forests, rolling hills, abundant blackwater streams, several major rivers, and porous sandy soils, the Sandhills region stretches from Fayetteville, North Carolina, southwest to Columbus, Georgia, and represents the farthest advance of the Atlantic Ocean some 2 million years ago.Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region is arranged by habitat, with color tabs to facilitate easy browsing of the nine different natural communities whose plants are described here. Bruce A. Sorrie, a botanist with over 30 years of experience, includes common plants, region-specific endemics, and local rarities, each with its own species description, and over 540 color photos for easy identification. The field guide's opening section includes an introduction to the Sandhills region's geology, soil types, and special relationship to fire ecology; an overview of rare species and present conservation efforts; a glossary and key to flower and leaf structures; and a listing of gardens, preserves, and parklands in the Sandhills region and nearby where wildflowers can be seen and appreciated. Wildflower enthusiasts and professional naturalists alike will find this comprehensive guide extremely useful.
The genus Stenanthium, distributed through much of eastern United States, has previously been circumscribed with four species. Herbarium and field research on Stenanthium densum and S. leimanthoides ...(Melanthiaceae) support the recognition of two new segregate species, S. macrum and S. tennesseense. Data are presented on morphology, phenology, habitat, and distribution of each of these four species. Selected specimen records, distribution maps, field photographs, and a key to these four species are provided. El género Stenanthium, distribuido por el este de los Estados Unidos, ha sido circunscrito previamente con cuatros especies. Investigaciones de Herbario y campo en Stenanthium densum y S. leimanthoides (Melanthiaceae) soportan el reconocimiento de la segregación de dos nuevas especies, S. macrum y S. tennesseense. Se presentan datos de su morfología, fenología, hábitat, y distribución de cada una de estas cuatro especies. Se aportan citas de especimenes seleccionados, mapas de distribución, fotografías de campo, y una clave de estas cuatro especies.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
This study is a compilation of vascular flora data from previous reports and current findings from 1965 through 2003 of Fort Bragg Military Reservation and Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, ...located in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. Vascular plants are divided into four major groups: Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Angiosperms (monocots) and Angiosperms (dicots). Reported for the study area are 143 families, 490 genera, and 1,206 species and infraspecific taxa, of which 203 (16.8%) are alien or adventive. Sixty one species are rare, of which three are federally endangered: Lysimachia asperulifolia, Rhus michauxii, and Schwalbea americana. The following five species are currently known in North Carolina only from study area populations: Carex tenax, Hypericum fasciculatum, Pteroglossaspis ecristata, Rhynchospora crinipes, and Warea cuneifolia. This study documents the importance of Fort Bragg Military Reservation and Weymouth Woods Preserve in contributing to the floristic diversity of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem.
Question: Can the geographic patterning of endemic plant species inform reserve selection in a region of high endemism? Location: The southeastern Coastal Plain of North America, focusing primarily ...on the imperiled Pinus palustris (longleaf pine) ecosystem. Methods: We documented the high level of plant endemism in the region, and characterized the endemic taxa into distributional subregions. Results: A total of 1630 plant taxa are endemic to the Coastal Plain, a large proportion of which are endemic to phytogeographical subregions within the Coastal Plain, with particularly large numbers of narrow endemics occurring in the East Gulf Coastal Plain and Florida Peninsula. Conclusions: This pattern of local endemism presents challenges in conserving the full biota of the region: a reserve system focusing on few and large conservation areas has theoretical benefits for long-term management and viability, but will fail to capture many local endemics. We propose that the dispersed distribution of endemic species will require a mixture of large core reserves and smaller satellite reserves. Nomenclature: Kartesz (1999) with minor exceptions and modifications and updates from the taxonomic literature.
As part of ongoing efforts to understand, document, and conserve the flora of the southeastern United States, we make new combinations to accord with our generic taxonomy, name a new hybrid, ...re-recognize a species relegated to synonymy in recent decades, lectotypify and generally clarify nomenclatural issues in several genera, clarify taxonomy and distributions of species, and report important new and current distribution records. In Doellingeria (Asteraceae), we clarify the taxonomy and distribution of D. sericocarpoides and D. umbellata in the region. In Trilisa (Asteraceae), we summarize and clarify the taxonomy, name a new hybrid, and present a new key to the taxa in the genus. Species delimitation in Stillingia (Euphorbiaceae) has been controversial and unsettled in the region, and we examine the confused taxonomy and nomenclature of the genus in the southeastern United States, re-recognizing a species used by J.K. Small, but with an expanded circumscription and a clarification of various nomenclatural issues. We examine typification of Desmodium dillenii (Fabaceae) and its application to our modern understanding of the circumscription of taxa, recommending it be considered a junior synonym of Desmodium glabellum. In Juncus, we assign a lectotype for Juncus anthelatus, fixing its application. In Primulaceae, we discuss the delineation of genera in Lysimachieae, and take a middle path regarding lumping/splitting, supporting the recognition of traditional and monophyletic segregates Trientalis, Steironema, Anagallis, and Centunculus, while treating Lysimachia in a moderately broad sense, including Glaux and multiple subclades; in order to implement this taxonomy in the southeastern United states, we make a single new combination in Steironema. We also discuss generic circumscription in Selaginellaceae, and argue for the recognition at genus rank of six major clades, monophyletic, ancient, and morphologically recognizable; in order to apply this taxonomy in the southeastern United States, we make five new combinations in Bryodesma, Gymnogynum, and Stachygynandrum. Finally, we report important new records of locally, regionally, or globally rare species in North Carolina: Helanthium tenellum, Chenopodium berlandieri var. macrocalycium, Carex barrattii, Carex vestita, Eleocharis compressa var. compressa, Rhynchospora compressa, Rhynchospora sulcata, and Croton michauxii.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The non-native vascular flora of Massachusetts is listed with earliest and latest dates of occurrence. Each entry is annotated to indicate which taxa have become established members of the flora and ...which have not. Specimen data were compiled from over 25 herbaria, supplemented by reports from early floristic publications. A total of 1317 non-native taxa are documented; 737 are treated as established members of the state's flora (29% of the flora); 23 taxa persist at or near former human habitations (1%); 559 taxa are treated as non-established waifs (22%). The current figure of 30% alien taxa is similar to other New England states and is a significant reduction from the 45% tallied in the 1999 state flora. A revised statistical summary of the state's vascular flora is provided.
As part of ongoing work on the Flora of the Southeastern United States (Weakley & Southeastern Flora Team 2022a) and related projects, as well as for general floristic, conservation, and scientific ...work in eastern North America, it is essential to document taxonomic and nomenclatural changes and significant distribution records. Here we describe three new species (in Rhynchospora, Sabulina, and Solidago), describe a new section (in Trichostema), make new combinations to treat taxa at appropriate ranks in appropriate genera and with appropriate nomenclatural application based on types (in Lycopodioides, Moeroris, Morella, Nellica, Tamala, and Trichostema), and propose the lumping of two species, resulting in a change in name and nativity status (in Sisyrinchium). These new combinations (rank changes, or generic transfers to apply newly accepted generic concepts to taxa that do not have corresponding available names at the appropriate rank) are needed to accurately reflect current taxonomic understanding of the regional flora. In the course of doing so, we discuss and address various nomenclatural issues, including typifications, and clarify characters and identification of difficult groups (providing new keys) in the regional flora. We also report significant new distribution and naturalization records in many genera, in New Jersey (taxa in the genera Anthriscus, Calibrachoa, Chaenomeles, Dichanthelium, Diplotaxis, Ditrichia, Dysphania, Erigeron, Eucommia, Eupatorium, Lepidium, Malus, Montia, Nepeta, Persicaria, Picea, Psammophiliella, Pulmonaria, Quercus, Silphium, Verbascum, Verbena, Vicia), in the Coastal Plain of Alabama and Mississippi (taxa in the genera Baptisia, Clematis, Coreopsis, Galium, Matelea, Mirabilis, Poterium, Rhynchospora, Silphium, and Symphyotrichum), in southern Indiana (taxa in the genera Andropogon, Brunnichia, Echinacea, Landoltia, Montia, Persicaria, and Solidago), and in North Carolina, Virginia, and likely other states (Euphorbia).
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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