The Barrens- Tennessee's Prairie Ecosystems

We can ensure that barrens ecosystems will continue to be a part of Tennessee's natural beauty. Every citizen can help protect and restore these ecosystems. Every little bit counts! Here's how: Do not pick wildflowers. Remember to stay on trails to avoid trampling plants and animals. Support state and local habitat conservation and natural areas protection efforts. Learn more about fire's important role in ecosystem function. What Are Barrens? that occurred 4,000to 8,000years ago. Continue to educate yourself Tennessee's barrens ecosystems are The climate of the time was not a mosaic of open canopy woodlands favorable for forest growth and gave and others about barrens with a grassy understory and areas species typical of prairies an ecosystems and the species of essentially treeless grassland. opportunity to form prairielike they support. Use native Various types of barrens are found, communities. The soils also played an wildflowers propagated by sparsely scattered from the Ridge important role in the development of and Valley Province to west the prairies. local nurseries for Tennessee. They are best developed landscaping around your and most extensive on the Eastern The original soils were derived from home. Take pride in and Highland Rim, Western Highland limestone, which was then covered by Rim, and Pennyroyal Plain. Along a thin layer of wind-blown material, enjoy Tennessee's barrens the Kentucky border these areas called "loess," that originated from ecosystems! were named prairies, or meadows of rocks ground by glacial scouring. Ai> grass, by early French explorers. water trickled through the top layer Early Anglo land surveyors named down to the limestone-derived clay these savanna-like areas the barrens below, moisture accumulated between because of their relative bareness the loess and the clay. Minerals in the of trees. water collected in cementlike layers to form the "hardpan soils." The The barrens ecosystems of Tennessee hardpan soils of the Eastern appear similar to the Midwestern tall- Highland Rim kept soils saturated in grass prairies but originated at a the winter and droughty in the different time. One type of barren is summer, which allowed the prairie closely associated with the cedar plant community to form and glade ecosystems. Barrens have inhibited tree growth. Without trees, deeper soil, less exposed bedrock, and fire spread easily on the flat more perennial grass cover than these landscape, with grasses providing fuel neighboring cedar glade ecosystems. for the fires.

Based on fossil pollen records, it is Since that time our climate has thought that the barrens became favored the development of forests, established near the end of the and the barrens have shrunk Hypsithermal period, a hot dry time considerably. It is thought that the remaining barrens were historically barrens ecosystems support more An essential part of barrens maintained by wildfires and the fires than 300 species and subspecies of restoration is land protection. State of Native Americans, which restricted plants, and Tennessee has listed more agencies and The Nature the spread of trees and other than 25 barrens-associated plants as Conservancy are active in this area. woody plants. endangered, threatened, or of special One area in Tennessee that has been concern, such as Southern prairie- protected is May Prairie. May Prairie Why are Barrens Ecosystems dock and swamp lousewort. Eggert's is a small area of less than 20 acres of Important? sunflower is federally threatened, and barrens that was purchased by the The barrens ecosystems represent a the endangered American chaffseed is state in 1975as part of a larger tract. believed to be extirpated from remnant of what was once probably a Tennessee's Natural Areas much larger ecosystem. The the state. Preservation Act of 1971protected protection of remaining tracts of the area now known as the May barrens and the restoration of areas Threats to Barrens Ecosystems Prairie Designated State Natural historically occupied by these Because barrens are often relatively Area. May Prairie was also ecosystems offers the return of a now flat, much of Tennessee's barrens registered as a National Natural globally rare tall-grass communities. have been converted to agriculture or Landmark by the National Park These ecosystems also offer us the have been covered by forests due to Service in 1981. Current efforts opportunity to observe processes that fIre suppression. Hardpan soils include linking isolated prairies and are typical within the barrens, which critical to the survival of prairielike clearing young timber from former constitute a living laboratory. species have been broken up to prairie areas. improve agriculture. The use of fIre Barrens ecosystems provide habitats by Native Americans was not Seeing is Believing! for a variety of beautiful wildflowers. continued by European settlers, and Tennessee has many trails, parks, and Botanists and the general public flock since 1945state laws and the use of natural areas where you can get a to these small grasslands from May fences have prevented open range close-up view of wild plants and through June to view the spring and woodland fires, allowing trees and creatures and their habitats. Using colors of Indian paintbrush, wild blue other woody plants to spread further the supplemental Tennessee Wildlife false indigo, colicroot, and others. into the declining barrens. The Viewing Guide, locate and visit a Late summer and early fall provide introduction and wide-scale use of barrens ecosystem when the another opportunity for wildflower exotic species like cool-season fescue wildflowers are in bloom! enthusiasts as Southern prairie-dock; has taken over barrens, edging out blazing star; sunflowers; yellow, pink, native species. The digging of ditches and purple asters; and blooming and the resulting drainage has grasses decorate the landscape. promoted further invasion of woody species into the grasslands. The Rare and Unique Species development of residential housing and industrial facilities and the Depend on Barrens Ecosystems outright destruction of barrens by Barrens ecosystems support a paving roads and establishing lawns remarkably diverse array of plants have caused this rare ecosystem to and animals. Species of the decline further. Midwestern tall-grass prairies, such as big bluestem, little bluestem, yellow Indian grass, and switchgrass, What's Being Done? can be found here. Disjunct species Efforts are being made in Tennessee typically found in the coastal plains of to protect and restore the barrens the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico ecosystems. Prescribed burning at can also be found here. False selected sites is helping to reduce the asphodel and snowy orchids, are two spread ofwoody species into the species that occur at one site in the barrens. Barrens restoration includes barrens of the Eastern Highland Rim prescribed burning and herbicide and nowhere else in Tennessee. The treatments to eliminate exotic fescue. prairie gentian and pale-purple This restoration is being done coneflower each occur at only one site cooperatively with the Tennessee in Tennessee's barrens and are Wildlife Resources Agency, the typically found in Midwestern tall- Tennessee Department of grass prairies. Agriculture's Division of Forestry, and the Tennessee Department of Rare and declining plants and animals Environment and Conservation's depend on the barrens. Recent Natural Heritage Division (under decades have brought the decline of their Natural Areas Program). Also, between 25 and 65 percent of Arnold Air Force Base is working grassland-dependent species of birds, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife such as grasshopper sparrows and Service, The Nature Conservancy, prairie warblers. Amphibians, like and other partners to complete the dusky gopher frog, will disappear species inventories and test various from Tennessee if the barrens management practices for restoring ecosystems continue to shrink. The or maintaining barrens habitat. Eggert's Sunflower (Helianthus eggertiO

Status Threats Eggert's sunflower was listed as Eggert's sunflower is threatened with Tell afriend about threatened on June 23, 1997. habitat destruction. Residential, Eggert's sunflower. Avoid commercial, and industrial Description development and conversion to crop picking wildflowers. Eggert's sunflower is a tall member and pasture land continues to reduce Remember to stay on trails of the aster family; it grows to about the barrens of Tennessee. Fire to avoid trampling unique 8 feet in height. The plant has a blue- suppression has allowed Eggert's plants. Learn aboutjire's waxy coloration with whitish lower sunflower to be threatened by the leaves. The plant's pointed leaves are spread and succession of other plants important role in ecosystem 10to 20 centimeters long. The into its habitat. Herbicide use along function. Take pride in flowers are large and yellow, and they nearby roadways also poses a threat Tennessee's wildflowers! bloom from early August through to this rare plant. early October. The seeds are blackish or grayish and mottled. The Recovery extensive root system of this The Tennessee Wildlife Resources sunflower can live for several years; Agency and the Tennessee thus, the plant does not need to Department of Environment and produce seeds every year to ensure Conservation's Division of Forestry its survival. and their Natural Heritage Program are working together to restore Habitat Tennessee's barrens, using Eggert's sunflower depends on the prescribed burning and other barrens ecosystems. It typically methods of restoration. Arnold Air occurs on rolling to flat uplands and in Force Base is home to the state's areas that receive full sun or partial largest population of Eggert's shade. There are 34 populations of sunflower, and they are working with this rare plant in Tennessee, The Nature Conservancy to manage Alabama, and Kentucky. Tennessee's and protect this rare plant. populations occur within the barrens of the Highland Rim and Central Basin.

Role in the Ecosystem The flowers and seeds of this plant are enjoyed by insects, such as bees, and birds. This plant is part of the diversity of life within barrens and adds to the health of the ecosystem. In addition, many wild species of sunflowers have been used to develop today's highly productive and disease resistant commercial sunflower crops. Scientists will continue to look to wild populations of plants to improve our commercial crops, so conservation of wild plant species is important.