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Flora of the Gopher Farm Sandhill, Wayne County, Mississippi
Shira Brittany Nicholson University of Southern Mississippi
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Recommended Citation Nicholson, Shira Brittany, "Flora of the Gopher Farm Sandhill, Wayne County, Mississippi" (2012). Honors Theses. 82. https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/82
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FLORA OF THE GOPHER FARM SANDHILL, WAYNE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI
by
Shira Brittany Nicholson
A Thesis
Submitted to the Honors College of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in the Department of Biological Sciences
May 2012 ii
iii
Approved by
______
Mac H. Alford, Associate Professor Department of Biological Sciences
______
Glenmore Shearer, Jr., Professor and Chair Department of Biological Sciences
______
David R. Davies, Dean Honors College
iv
ABSTRACT
This study documents the vascular plants and common lichens of the Gopher
Farm sandhill, Wayne County, Mississippi. The Gopher Farm sandhill is located within the Chickasawhay Ranger District of the DeSoto National Forest and is one of the most northerly located sandhills in the Coastal Plain of Mississippi. The sandhill was surveyed
11 times from the spring of 2011 to the spring of 2012, primarily during the spring and fall. The survey resulted in 180 species, including 15 lichens, 1 fern, 2 gymnosperms, and
162 flowering plants. Collections included two rare species (Carex tenax and
Rhynchospora megalocarpa) and one new range extension (Morella inodora), representing the most northerly reported collection of the species. Not all collections could be identified to species, and thus, additional rare species or range expansions are expected among the collections.
Key Terms: sandhill, flora, floristics, lichens, vascular plants, vegetation, Wayne County,
Mississippi v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Approval Page iii
Abstract and Key Words iv
Table of Contents v
Acknowledgments vi
CHAPTER 1: Introduction and Literature Review 1
CHAPTER 2: Methods 12
CHAPTER 3: Results (Checklist) 15
CHAPTER 4: Discussion 27
Literature Cited 31
Appendix 1: Free Use Permit 34 vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I thank Stephanie Steele and J. McLain for providing information about the
Gopher Farm sandhill, the USDA Forest Service, Chickasawhay Ranger District, for preserving and allowing us to sample plants at the Gopher Farm sandhill (see collection permit, Appendix 1), Tharangamala Samarakoon for helping with plant identification, Dr.
David Beckett for assisting us in finding interesting sites in Wayne County, Tom Mann from the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science for help with rare plant information,
Curtis Hansen from Auburn University for identifying the lichens, my parents for silent support, Joel Huber for helpful comments on the manuscript, and Dr. Mac Alford for his guidance and tireless comments. 2
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW
Governmental agencies, educational institutions, and the general public have interest in the preservation, restoration, and use of biodiversity. Because plants are the primary producers in most terrestrial systems, the diversity of plants in any system is extremely important. Thus, there is strong need for research that documents the types and quantities of plants. Such research is helpful and important for management decisions, impact assessment, and policy formation (Palmer et al., 1995).
The word “flora” refers to the plants of a region or to a guide that lists all the plants of a particular region, and these guides are a general product of floristic research, which includes systematically and thoroughly observing, collecting, and identifying plants from a particular region. Floras are written for many different purposes, some of which include authorities for nomenclature (correct names), guides for identification, and baseline data for monitoring plant abundance or health (Palmer et al., 1995).
Compared to other states in the eastern United States, Mississippi has a poor record of its flora. Most of the floristic research has been done in the southeastern and northeastern parts of the state, including areas around the major universities and the longleaf pine belt (Alford, 2001). The location chosen for this floristic study is the
Gopher Farm sandhill in Wayne County, Mississippi, and the focus of this project is to document its vascular plant and lichen flora. This site was chosen for two reasons: (1) the flora of Wayne County has never been studied before, although it has one of the highest diversities of geological formations and physiographic provinces in the state, 3
and (2) sandhills are rare plant communities in Mississippi and especially rare as far north as Wayne County.
Wayne County and most surrounding areas have never been surveyed for their plant species. Plants have been collected in Wayne County, but no concise list in a flora format has been published to give the public, government officials, or botanists easy access to this information. In terms of geology and soils, Wayne County is one of the most diverse areas in Mississippi (Thornton, 2009), including pine savannah, alluvial floodplain, limestone outcrops, and sandhills. For this study, the focus was on sandhills, because most sandhills in Mississippi are located nearer to the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, this survey will document plants on a sandhill located farther north than most in the state.
Because of a lack of floristic study and the Gopher Farm’s northerly location, a survey of the plants is likely to uncover species not known to occur in the area. Usually, sandhills have similar flora, due to their uncommon and strikingly dry and nutrient poor soils. Therefore, we hypothesize that the plants of the Gopher Farm sandhill and other sandhills will be similar. Because most sandhills are also home to rare or uncommon species, species of rare plants are hypothesized to be found at the Gopher Farm sandhill.
Wayne County
Brief History. Wayne County is named in honor of General Anthony “Mad
Anthony” Wayne. The first settlers were from North and South Carolina and many of
Scottish decent. Originally, the inhabitants were called the “Chickasawhay Settlers” 4
because of the Chickasawhay River, which is the primary river of the area (Thornton,
2009). The population in 2010 was recorded as 20,747, or 26 people per square mile (10 people per square kilometer) (Census, 2010).
Wayne County is land‐locked (Figure 1). Perry County, Mississippi, borders it on the southwest; Greene County, Mississippi, on the south; Clarke County, Mississippi, on the north; Jones County, Mississippi, on the west; Choctaw County, Alabama, on the northeast; Jasper County, Mississippi, on the northwest; and Washington County,
Alabama, on the southeast (Thornton, 2009).
Figure 1: Location of Wayne County, Mississippi. Map from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Mississippi_highlighting_Wayne_County.svg. 5
Physical Environment
Climate. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce Weather Bureau classifies
Wayne County as subtropical humid in the subtropical climate group (May, 1974). The average temperature is 49.1°F in the winter with an average daily minimum of 36.7°F.
The average temperature is 79.4°F in the summer with an average daily maximum of
91.4°F (Thornton, 2009).
Disturbance. The main economic influence on the environment is agriculture, with the principal crops including corn, peanuts, hay, soybeans, and blueberries.
Timber, gravel, and oil sand are some of the natural resources. Major industries include poultry, apparel, and forest products. Three major highways that serve the county are
State Highway 63, U.S. Highway 45, and U.S. Highway 84 (Thornton, 2009). So, despite the low population density (see above), natural habitats still have strong pressures from anthropogenic activities.
Physiography. Located in the Gulf Coastal Plain of North America, Mississippi is separated into 12 physiographic provinces. Wayne County contains three of these provinces: The Jackson Prairie, the Vicksburg Hills, and the Piney Woods. The Jackson
Prairie area can be found in the far northeastern part of the county. From the northwest corner of Wayne County, across the area of Waynesboro, and into Alabama extends the
Vicksburg Hills. The remaining part of the county contains the Piney Woods Province.
The Catahoula geologic formations cause the local areas to be very hilly and rugged; however, hardened portions of the Hattiesburg Formation become hilly surfaces when weathered (May, 1974). 6
Study Site
The Gopher Farm sandhill is located in the southwestern corner of Wayne
County, within the Chickasawhay Ranger District of the DeSoto National Forest (Figure
2). The sandhill is known as the Gopher Farm because of the numerous gopher tortoises
(Gopherus polyphemus) that inhabit the area (Figure 3). The Gopher Farm is located on
Brewertown Road immediately around its intersection with Ellis Brewer Drive, just north of Hickory Grove Holiness Church and Cemetery. The Forest Service property entails approximately 470 acres (= 190.2 hectares) of Section 26 of Township 6N and Range 8W centered around the coordinates 31.458347° N and 88.769209° W.
The Gopher Farm is a xeric sandhill community. These communities are dry, sandy, well‐drained uplands that cap higher hills and are known for containing coarse sands which encourage rapid surface water percolation (Nelson, 2005). This type of community often has an overstory of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), a midstory of bluejack oak (Quercus incana) and turkey oak (Quercus laevis), and floor cover of forbs, grasses, and lichens.
Some common wildflowers to this kind of community (reported from Florida) are queen’s‐delight (Stillingia sylvatica), whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata), Maryland goldenaster (Chrysopsis mariana), pinewoods milkweed (Asclepias humistrata), dollarleaf (Rhynchosia reniformis), Dixie whitetop aster (Sericocarpus tortifolius), and silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia) (Nelson, 2005). Some rare plants that are expected to be found at the Gopher Farm sandhill are sandhills three awn (Aristida condensata), seaside threeawn (Aristida tuberculosa), Patterson’s bindweed (Stylisma pickeringii var. 7
patternsonii), Carolina fluff grass (Tridens carolinianus), and gale‐leaf blueberry
(Vaccinium tenellum) (Mississippi Natural Heritage Program, 2011). In aerial photographs of the Gopher Farm sandhill, the sand is even visible through the longleaf canopy (Figure 4).
Figure 2: Map showing location of Gopher Farm sandhill (red box) in reference to the towns Richton and Sand Hill in Perry County. Map from the Mississippi Atlas & Gazetteer, © 1998 DeLorme.
Soil disturbance is considered fundamental to forest community dynamics.
Small‐scale disturbances, such as animal burrowing, have been shown to be significant factors to sustaining species richness and longleaf pine regeneration (Rodgers and 8
Provencher, 1999). In the Gopher Farm sandhill, gopher tortoise burrows are common and may be important contributors to small‐scale disturbance.
Furthermore, frequent fires help to increase herbaceous biomass and species richness (Rodgers and Provencher, 1999), especially in pine ecosystems. In Fort
Benning, Georgia, sandhill species, such as Pityopsis graminifolia, react positively to fire
(Collins et al., 2006). Although the Gopher Farm has a history of fire, no evidence of recent fire (last two years) was noted.
9
Figure 3: The Gopher Farm sandhill topography map showing the locations of the gopher tortoises. Image from the United States Forest Service, DeSoto National Forest, Chickasawhay Ranger District. 10
Figure 4: Aerial photograph of Gopher Farm sandhill with topography added. Image from the United States Forest Service, DeSoto National Forest, Chickasawhay Ranger District.
The DeSoto National Forest Service did a survey in 2007 of the Gopher Farm.
Some of the details in the survey related to the vegetation of the site. The canopy cover is pine with 30‐40% canopy closure. The subcanopy cover is not considered dense enough to affect herbaceous plant development. The shrub layer is thin enough to walk through comfortably and not dense enough to prevent herbaceous plant growth. The shrubs are one meter or less than a meter in height. The ground is covered by 30‐40% 11
grasses, 30‐40% herbaceous plants, less than 10% vines, 30‐40% shrubs, 20‐30% pine and/or oak litter, and less than 5% bare ground. One population (patch) of cogongrass was recorded west of the site. Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) is an invasive exotic weed that if left unchecked has the potential to degrade the habitat. In the five years before this survey, the site had not been subjected to logging, such as thinning; site preparation, such as drum chopping; or midstory injection. The site has a prescribed burning history of 1‐3 years, although this survey indicated that there had been no recent burns. Pine thinning and prescribed burning were noted as needed to improve the area for gopher tortoises (DeSoto Survey, 2007). 12
CHAPTER 2: METHODS
Sampling
The sandhill was surveyed for plant species by weekly field trips. In the summer, these surveys were less frequent, once in June and once in July. The surveys included walking around the site and finding plants of different species. Maps were used to ensure that different sections of the site were surveyed, including roadside and disturbed areas, good sandhill habitat, ridges and hillsides, and seepage areas.
Collecting
Vouchers of the plant species were gathered from the site. Ideally, the plants had some type of reproductive structure such as flowers or fruits for accurate identification. The plants were collected in their entirety, unless this was impossible or the species was known to be rare; for example, grasses were gathered with their roots intact, but only branches of trees and shrubs were gathered because they were so large.
Pressing and Drying
After the plants were collected, they were placed in a folded piece of newsprint, put between two pieces of cardboard, and placed into a plant press. This was done the same day as collecting. Notes were made in a notebook, including where the plant was collected, when it was collected, and who collected it. Also, some notes were made about the plant’s features, specifically characteristics that may not be evident in the 13
pressed and dried specimen, such as color, smell, or full size. To dry the plants, the plant press was placed over 100‐W lights in an enclosed box (a plant drier) or near a fan in an area with low humidity.
Labeling and Mounting
After the plants were dried, labels were made for each specimen. These labels included the scientific name, family name, location of collection, description of plant, the collector’s name, and date. To mount the plants, the dried specimens were glued on archival paper, weighed down, and secured to the paper. The label was placed on the paper in the lower right corner once mounting was finished. Following mounting, the plants were accessioned into the herbarium of the University of Southern
Mississippi (USMS) as vouchers, so that future researchers can examine collections from this site, note changes in plant composition in the future, and verify identifications.
Identification
Using the books and journals available in the herbarium and the University library, the plants were identified. This was done by keying out the specimens based on their features, such as flower types, leaf lengths, and fruit types and comparing to herbarium collections. The principal texts for identification were Clewell (1985) and
Weakley (in prep.). Final family assignments and nomenclature follow Weakley (in prep.)
Comparative Analyses 14
After the plants were identified, a comparative analysis was made between the
Gopher Farm sandhill and other sandhills in the southeastern United States. Figures that were compared were non‐native species and rare species. Rarity was assessed according to the species list and rankings of the Mississippi Natural Heritage Program
(2011). Range extensions or distribution records were determined by checking species distributions as reported by the USDA, NRCS (http://plants.usda.gov) and the Biota of
North America Program’s North American Plant Atlas (http://www.bonap.org/). 15
CHAPTER 3: RESULTS (CHECKLIST)
Below is a list of lichens and vascular plants from the Gopher Farm sandhill.
Lichens were not systematically sampled, due to the lack of identification tools, but the most common ones are included because they are such obvious and common species of sandhill habitats. Some species could not be identified with confidence; they are listed by number. The families and species are listed alphabetically within major groups
(lichens, ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperms). After the species name are found the taxonomic authority (person or persons who gave the name) and the collector and collector number. All specimens are deposited in the USMS herbarium, and duplicates of the lichens were deposited in the herbarium of Auburn University (AUA). Introduced species are noted by an asterisk. A total of 180 species was collected. The collection was represented by 15 lichens, 1 fern, 2 gymnosperms, and 162 flowering plants (Table 1).
The largest family was Poaceae (grasses) with 32 species. The second largest family was
Compositae (sunflowers and relatives) with 26 species. The third largest family was
Leguminosae (beans) with 18 species.
LICHENS (identified by Curtis Hansen, Auburn University)
Cladoniaceae (7)
Cladonia Unknown #1, Alford 4261 15
Cladonia apodocarpa Robbins, Alford 4255
Cladonia leporina Fr., Alford 4254, Alford 4256, Alford 4258, Alford 4264
Cladonia rappii A. Evans, Alford 4252
Cladonia strepsilis (Ach.) Grognot, Alford 4259
Cladonia subcariosa Nyl., Alford 4260
Cladonia subtenuis (Abbayes) Mattick, Alford 4253
Haematommataceae (1)
Haematomma accolens (Stirton) Hillm., Alford 4262
Parmeliaceae (7)
Canoparmelia caroliniana (Nyl.) Elix & Hale, Alford 4270
Hypotrachyna livida (Taylor) Hale, Alford 4263
Parmotrema perforatum (Jacq.) A. Massal., Alford 4271
Parmotrema submarginale (Michx.) DePriest & B. Hale, Alford 4269
Parmotrema tinctorum (Delise ex Nyl.) Hale, Alford 4267
Usnea mutabilis Stirton, Alford 4266
Usnea strigosa (Ach.) Eaton, Alford 4265
PTERIDOPHYTA (FERNS)
Dennstaedtiaceae (1)
Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, Nicholson & Alford 85 16
CONIFEROPHYTA (GYMNOSPERMS)
Pinaceae (2)
Pinus palustris Mill., Nicholson & Alford 4242
Pinus taeda L., uncommon (observed, but not collected)
MAGNOLIOPHYTA (FLOWERING PLANTS)
Adoxaceae (1)
Viburnum #1, Nicholson & Alford 52
Anacardiaceae (2)
Toxicodendron pubescens Mill., Nicholson & Alford 21, Nicholson & Alford 4248
Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze, Nicholson & Alford 14
Apocynaceae (3)
Asclepias #1, Nicholson 165
Asclepias humistrata Walter, Nicholson & Alford 47
Asclepias obovata Elliott, Nicholson & Alford 98
Aquifoliaceae (3)
Ilex coriacea (Pursh) Chapm., Nicholson & Alford 58
Ilex glabra (L.) A. Gray, Nicholson & Alford 40
Ilex vomitoria Aiton, Nicholson & Alford 18 16
Cactaceae (1)
Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf., Nicholson & Alford 59
Campanulaceae (4)
Campanula #1, Nicholson 71
Lobelia #1, Nicholson & Alford 115
Lobelia puberula Michx., Nicholson 138
Wahlenbergia marginata (Thunb.) A.DC., Nicholson & Alford 4*
Caryophyllaceae (2)
Caryophyllaceae #1, Nicholson & Alford 24
Cerastium glomeratum Thuill., Nicholson & Alford 30*
Chrysobalanaceae (1)
Licania michauxii Prance, Nicholson 77
Cistaceae (4)
Helianthemum carolinianum (Walter) Michx., Nicholson & Alford 60
Helianthemum #1, Nicholson & Alford 117
Lechea #1, Nicholson & Alford 84
Lechea #2, Nicholson & Alford 94 18
Compositae (26)
Carphephorus #1, Nicholson & Alford 120
Carphephorus odoratissimus (J.F. Gmel.) Herbert, Nicholson 141
Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist, Nicholson 135, Nicholson 142
Krigia virginica (L.) Willd., Nicholson & Alford 25
Compositae #2, Nicholson 73
Compositae #3, Nicholson & Alford 82
Compositae #4, Nicholson & Alford 107
Compositae #5, Nicholson 166
Compositae #6, Nicholson & Alford 4241
Coreopsis major Walter, Nicholson & Alford 119
Elephantopus #1, Nicholson & Alford 99
Elephantopus #2, Nicholson & Alford 105
Erigeron strigosus Muhl. ex Willd., Nicholson & Alford 31a
Eupatorium rotundifolium L., Nicholson & Alford 93
Euthamia caroliniana (L.) Greene ex Porter & Britton, Nicholson 139
Gamochaeta #1, Nicholson 26
Gamochaeta #2, Nicholson 67
Lactuca #1, Nicholson 132
Liatris spicata (L.) Willd., Nicholson 136
Pityopsis graminifolia (Michx.) Nutt. Nicholson 167 18
Symphyotrichum #1, Nicholson & Alford 116
Symphyotrichum adnatum (Nutt.) G.L. Nesom, Nicholson 163
Symphyotrichum concolor (L.) G.L. Nesom, Nicholson 161
Symphyotrichum patens (Aiton) G.L. Nesom, Nicholson 160
Symphyotrichum pilosum (Willd.) G.L. Nesom, Nicholson 164
Symphyotrichum praealtum (Poir.) G.L. Nesom, Nicholson 162
Convolvulaceae (4)
Stylisma #1, Nicholson & Alford 62
Stylisma #2, Nicholson & Alford 63
Stylisma #3, Nicholson & Alford 64
Stylisma #4, Nicholson 70
Cornaceae (2)
Cornus florida L., Nicholson 1, Nicholson 158
Nyssa sylvatica Marsh., Nicholson & Alford 45
Cruciferae (1)
Lepidium virginicum L., Nicholson & Alford 44
Cyperaceae (6)
Carex #1, Nicholson & Alford 86 19
Carex tenax Chapm., Nicholson & Alford 37 [G5 S2]
Cyperaceae #1, Nicholson 79
Cyperaceae #2, Nicholson 155
Bulbostylis #1, Nicholson & Alford 122
Rhynchospora megalocarpa A. Gray, Nicholson & Alford 9, Nicholson & Alford 38 [G5
S3S4]
Ebenaceae (1)
Diospyros virginiana L., Nicholson & Alford 43
Ericaceae (5)
Lyonia lucida (Lam.) K. Koch, Nicholson & Alford 57
Vaccinium #1, Nicholson & Alford 7
Vaccinium #2, Nicholson & Alford 8
Vaccinium arboreum Marshall, Nicholson & Alford 22
Vaccinium stamineum L., Nicholson & Alford 6
Euphorbiaceae (9)
Acalypha #1, Nicholson 75
Acalypha #2, Nicholson & Alford 80
Cnidoscolus stimulosus (Michx.) Engelm. & A. Gray, Nicholson & Alford 48
Croton capitatus Michaux, Nicholson & Alford 96 21
Euphorbia #1, Nicholson & Alford 121
Euphorbia corollata L., Nicholson 140
Tragia #1, Nicholson & Alford 53
Tragia #2, Nicholson & Alford 112
Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.) Airy‐Shaw, Nicholson & Alford 46*
Fagaceae (4)
Castanea pumila (L.) Miller, Nicholson & Alford 108
Quercus incana Bartram, Nicholson & Alford 11, Nicholson & Alford 4247
Quercus laevis Walter, Nicholson & Alford 10
Quercus margarettae (Ashe) Small, Nicholson & Alford 49
Gelsemiaceae (1)
Gelsemium sempervirens (L.) W.T. Aiton, Nicholson & Alford 5
Hypericaceae (2)
Hypericum gentianoides (L.) BSP., Nicholson & Alford 110
Hypericum perforatum L., Nicholson & Alford 83, Nicholson & Alford 100*
Hypoxidaceae (1)
Hypoxis wrightii (Baker) Brackett, Nicholson 134
22
Iteaceae (1)
Itea virginica L., Nicholson & Alford 50
Juglandaceae (1)
Carya #1, Nicholson & Alford 56
Juncaceae (4)
Juncaceae #1, Nicholson 149
Juncus #1, Nicholson & Alford 66
Juncus #2, Nicholson 78
Juncus #3, Nicholson 156
Lauraceae (1)
Persea #1, Nicholson & Alford 54
Leguminosae (18)
Centrosema virginianum (L.) Bentham, Nicholson & Alford 106
Chamaecrista #1, Nichoson & Alford 130
Chamaecrista #2, Nicholson 133
Crotalaria #1, Nicholson 74
Crotalaria #2, Nichoson & Alford 103
Desmodium #1, Nicholson & Alford 91 23
Kummerowia #1, Nicholson & Alford 97
Leguminosae #1, Nicholson & Alford 81
Leguminosae #2, Nicholson & Alford 111
Leguminosae #3, Nicholson & Alford 4246
Lespedeza #1, Nicholson & Alford 42
Lupinus diffusus Nuttall, Nicholson & Alford 23, Nicholson & Alford 61, Nicholson 76
Rhynchosia reniformis DC., Nicholson & Alford 102
Strophostyles #1, Nicholson & Alford 92
Stylosanthes #1, Nicholson & Alford 104
Tephrosia virginiana (L.) Pers., Nicholson & Alford 41
Tephrosia #2, Nicholson & Alford 101
Trifolium campestre Schreb., Nicholson & Alford 28*
Melastomataceae (1)
Rhexia #1, Nicholson & Alford 131
Myricaceae (1)
Morella inodora (Bartram) Small, Nicholson & Alford 51
Oleaceae (2)
Chionanthus virginicus L., Nicholson & Alford 20
Osmanthus americanus (L.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex A. Gray, Nicholson & Alford 17 24
Orobanchaceae (2)
Aureolaria #1, Nicholson & Alford 109
Agalinis fasciculata (Elliott) Raf., Nicholson 159
Plantaginaceae (2)
Nuttallanthus canadensis (L.) D.A.Sutton, Nicholson & Alford 2
Plantago aristata Michx., Nicholson & Alford 4243
Poaceae (32)
Andropogon #1, Nicholson 150
Andropogon ternarius Michx., Nicholson 153
Aristida #1, Nicholson & Alford 90
Aristida #2, Nicholson & Alford 124
Aristida #3, Nicholson & Alford 125
Aristida #4, Nicholson 151, Nicholson 152
Chasmanthium #1, Nicholson & Alford 127
Danthonia sericea Nutt., Nicholson & Alford 39
Dichanthelium #1, Nicholson & Alford 35
Dichanthelium #2, Nicholson & Alford 36
Dichanthelium #3, Nicholson & Alford 68
Dichanthelium #4, Nicholson & Alford 69 25
Dichanthelium #5, Nicholson & Alford 87
Dichanthelium #6, Nicholson & Alford 88
Dichanthelium #7, Nicholson & Alford 95
Eragrostis #1, Nicholson & Alford 123
Hordeum #1, Nicholson & Alford 33
Lolium #1, Nicholson & Alford 32
Panicum #1, Nicholson & Alford 89
Panicum #2, Nicholson 143
Paspalum #1, Nicholson & Alford 128
Paspalum #2, Nicholson & Alford 129
Poaceae #1, Nicholson & Alford 65
Poaceae #2, Nicholson & Alford 126
Poaceae #3, Nicholson 144
Poaceae #4, Nicholson 146
Poaceae #5, Nicholson 147
Poaceae #6, Nicholson 154
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash, Nicholson 137, Nicholson 143a
Tridens flavus (L.) Hitchc., Nicholson 145
Vulpia #1, Nicholson & Alford 34
Polygalaceae (2)
Polygala #1, Nicholson & Alford 113 1
Polygala nana (Michx.) DC, Nicholson & Alford 114
Polygonaceae (2)
Rumex #1, Nicholson & Alford 30a
Rumex hastatulus Baldwin, Nicholson & Alford 27
Rosaceae (1)
Rubus #1, Nicholson & Alford 19
Rubiaceae (1)
Houstonia pusilla Schoepf, Nicholson & Alford 13
Sapindaceae (1)
Acer rubrum L., Nicholson & Alford 55
Smilacaceae (2)
Smilax #1, Nicholson & Alford 16
Smilax pumila Walter, Nicholson & Alford 12
Tetrachondraceae (1)
Polypremum procumbens L., Nicholson & Alford 4244
26
Umbelliferae (1)
Umbelliferae #1, Nicholson & Alford 31
Valerianaceae (1)
Valerianella radiata (L.) Dufr., Nicholson & Alford 29
Violaceae (1)
Viola septemloba LeConte, Nicholson & Alford 3
Vitaceae (2)
Vitis #1, Nicholson & Alford 118
Vitis rotundifolia Michaux, Nicholson & Alford 15
Table 1. Number of species of lichens, ferns, gymnosperms, and flowering plants collected at the Gopher Farm sandhill, 2011‐2012. Number of Species Collected
Lichens 15
Ferns 1
Gymnosperms 2
Flowering Plants 162
27
CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION
Mississippi is not well known for its sandhill flora. Unlike Mississippi, Florida,
Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina are the states better known for their sandhill flora. Many species endemic to sandhill vegetation are found in peninsular
Florida and the Florida Panhandle, for example (Estill and Cruzan, 2001).
Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina have sandhills that stretch unbroken from central North Carolina through South Carolina to east‐central Georgia and are collectively known as the Sandhills Region. The Sandhills Region has some common features. These sandhills have rolling hills, poor sandy soil, many creeks and small rivers, and a longleaf pine ecosystem. Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) is significant because it was once the dominant species of tree throughout the coastal plain of southeastern North America but now has been reduced to less than 5% of its presettlement area (Outcalt, 2000). Various oaks create the understory below the longleaf pines and the ground cover consists of wiregrass (Aristida stricta) (Sorrie, 2011).
The well‐drained sandy soils absorb rain quickly and thus have major implications for the flora of the region. Most of the plants have evolved to live one of two ways. Perennials have deep roots to capture water throughout the layers of soil, or they produce storage organs, such as bulbs or think rhizomes. On the other hand, annuals produce large amounts of seeds to counteract the frequent fire and scarce water supply (Sorrie, 2011). The ground is often covered in lichens, which are common and important ecological elements in sandhills. 29
As hypothesized in the introduction, rare plants were discovered during this survey. Carex tenax has a Global Rank of G5, secure, and State Rank of S2, imperiled.
Rhynchospora megalocarpa [G5 S3S4] has a Global Rank of G5, secure, and a State
Ranks of S3, vulnerable, and S4, apparently secure. Thus, at the global level, these plants are not endangered, but within Mississippi they are rather rare. One new range extension was also discovered. The collection of Morella inodora is the most northerly collection on record for the species.
The Gopher Farm sandhill was found to share similar flora to other sandhills, as hypothesized. The Post Oak Savanna region of east Texas and the Gopher Farm sandhill share the following species in common: Ilex vomitoria Aiton, Opuntia humifusa (Raf.)
Raf., Croton capitatus Michaux, Centrosema virginianum (L.) Bentham, Quercus incana
Bartram, Quercus margarettae (Ashe) Small, Andropogon ternarius Michx., and Rumex hastatulus Baldwin.
The Sandhills Region in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia share the follow species in common with the Gopher Farm sandhill: Eupatorium rotundifolium L.,
Coreopsis major Walter, Euthamia caroliniana (L.) Greene ex Porter & Britton,
Rhynchosia reniformis DC., Hypoxis wrightii (Baker) Brackett, Toxicodendron pubescens
Mill., Symphyotrichum concolor (L.) G. L. Nesom, Aristida stricta Michx., Andropogon ternarius Michx., Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash, Cnidoscolus stimulosus
(Michx.) Engelm. & A. Gray, Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf., Asclepias humistrata Walter,
Lupinus diffusus Nuttall, Vaccinium arboreum Marshall, Vaccinium stamineum L., 30
Symphyotrichum patens (Aiton) G. L. Nesom, Lobelia puberula Michx., Vitis rotundifolia
Michaux, Ilex glabra (L.) A. Gray, Ilex coriacea (Pursh) Chapm., Liatris spicata (L.) Willd.,
Gelsemium sempervirens (L.) W.T.Aiton, Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze, Lyonia lucida (Lam.) K. Koch, Krigia virginica (L.) Willd., Hypericum gentianoides (L.) BSP,
Nuttallanthus canadensis (L.) D.A.Sutton, Wahlenbergia marginata (Thunb.) A. DC., and
Tridens flavus (L.) Hitchc.
There were five introduced species collected at the Gopher Farm sandhill, representing 3% of the total flora. Compared to other floras, such as the floristic survey of the Florida Panhandle by Clewell (1985) with an introduced species percent around
15%, the Gopher Farm’s introduced species percentage of 3% was small. However, not all the specimens were identified to their species level so there may have been more introduced species than recorded. Furthermore, several specimens could not identified; thus, this collection may contain more rare species, shared species, species with new range extensions, and introduced species.
Some expected species were not found, for example, Serenoa repens (saw palmetto) and Stipulicida setacea (pineland scalypink), which are common in sandhills farther south in Mississippi. The Gopher Farm sandhill has not been receiving regular fires; therefore, some species growth may have been suppressed by excessive plant litter or few fires.
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