Clemson University TigerPrints All Theses Theses 1-2010 A Survey of the Vascular Flora of Beaufort County, South Carolina Daniel Payne Clemson University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses Part of the Botany Commons Recommended Citation Payne, Daniel, "A Survey of the Vascular Flora of Beaufort County, South Carolina" (2010). All Theses. 924. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/924 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. A SURVEY OF THE VASCULAR FLORA OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA: RELICTS AND REMNANTS A Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Plant and Environmental Sciences by Daniel C. Payne August 2010 Accepted by: Robert E. Ballard, Committee Chair Patrick D. McMillan David W. Bradshaw Richard D. Porcher ABSTRACT Beaufort County has historically been one of the most poorly botanized counties in the state. Geographically, it lies farther from the major research institutions than most other counties and has therefore received little attention from modern botanists. Major waterways, numerous private communities and an oppressive summer climate further complicate botanical research. Beaufort has one of the fastest growing human populations in the state. Natural areas are rapidly being converted into residential and commercial developments. An understanding of the county's flora is necessary to focus conservation efforts to preserve critical habitat and develop management plans for maintaining biodiversity.