The floristic and community ecology of seasonally wet limestone glade seeps of Tennessee and Kentucky Kimberly Norton Taylor1 and Dwayne Estes Austin Peay State University Department of Biology and Center of Excellence for Field Biology Clarksville, Tennessee 37044, U.S.A.
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[email protected] ABSTRACT An open, seasonally wet seep community supporting herbaceous vegetation occurs within the limestone cedar glade complex of the southeastern United States. The purpose of this study is to describe the floristic composition of these limestone glade seeps. A floristic inventory of 9 season- ally wet sites in central Tennessee and south-central Kentucky was performed, documenting 114 species and infraspecific taxa in 91 genera and 43 families. Vegetation analysis identified the dominant taxa as Eleocharis bifida (% IV 20.3), Sporobolus vaginiflorus (% IV 11.94), Hypericum sphaerocarpum (% IV 5.97), Allium aff. stellatum (% IV 4.71), Clinopodium glabellum/arkansanum (% IV 4.15), Schoenolirion croceum (% IV 3.89), Juncus filipendulus (% IV 3.89), and Carex crawei (% IV 3.84). Gratiola quartermaniae and Isoëtes butleri are also important members of the community and may serve as indicator species. A wetland assessment of the seep community was performed according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual and appropriate regional supplements. Wetland vegetation requirements are satisfied in 8 of the 9 seasonally wet sites sampled. The limestone glade seeps appear to represent a previously unclassified seasonal wetland type. RESUMEN Una comunidad abierta, húmeda estacionalmente por filtración, compuesta por vegetación herbácea se da en el complejo de pantanos cal- cáreos de cedro del sureste de los Estados Unidos.