Floristics of muck bogs in east central Texas

13 Pages·1998·4.8 MB·English

by  Barbara R Macroberts

Phytologia (July 1998)85(l):61-73.
FLORISTICS OF MUCK BOGS IN EAST CENTRAL TEXAS
BarbaraR.MacRoberts&MichaelH.MacRoberts
BogResearch,740Columbia,Shreveport,Louisiana 71104 U.S.A.
&
Herbarium,MuseumofLifeSciences,LouisianaStateUniversityinShreveport,
Shreveport, Louisiana 71115 U.S.A.
ABSTRACT
Wedescribethefloristicsandedaphicconditionsofmuck bogs in the post
oaksavannaregionofeastcentralTexas. Thesebogs are floristicallydifferent
fromeastTexashillsideseepagebogs.
KEY WORDS: bog, Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area, Sarracenia,
postoaksavanna, pitcherplant,floristics,Texas
INTRODUCTION
Recent studies of pitcher plant habitat (bogs) in the West Gulf Coastal Plain
(WGCP) have been confined to the piney woods region of east Texas and western
Louisiana(Nixon&Ward 1986; Allenetd. 1988; MacRoberts& MacRoberts 1988,
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993;Bridges&Orzell 1989a;Harcombee/^. 1993). Studies of
muckbogs inthepostoaksavannaregionofeastcentralTexas(Rowell 1949a, 1949b;
Krai 1955; Lodwick 1975; Starbuck 1984; Bridges & Orzell 1989b) show a type of
bogthatdiffersinmanyrespectsfrommoreeastern bogs. Amongother things, these
bogs quake and have a very high organic content and biomass. Analyses of peat
deposits at some of these sites (Potzger & Tharp 1943, 1947, 1954; Graham &
Heimsch 1960;Larsenetd. 1972; Bryant 1977) indicatethatbogs with high organic
contenthavebeenpresentineastcentralTexasforthousandsofyears.
Krai (1955), Rowell (1949a, 1949b), and Lodwick (1975) provide a general
description of muck bogs. The bog edge, often up to a meter higher than the bog
center, is sandy and has low organic content. Dunng short droughts, the edge may
temporarily becomedry. The bog flattens toward its center. The soil is completely
saturatedthroughouttheyearandconsistsofathickorganicslurry thatis kept wet by
seepage from surrounding xeric sandhills of higher elevation. The bogs are firm
enough to walk on and consist of masses of intertwined roots and rhizomes. The
61
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62 July 1998 volume8S(1):61-73
mass of vegetation grows mainly on root hummocks, although some species are
floatingoranchored in theslurryamongst the hummocks. Sphagnum is presentand
buildup of organic matter is high. Peat depths of over five meters have been
measured. Inplaces,thesurfacequakes,anditispossibletoshoveapoletwotothree
metersdownwithlittleresistance.
Muck bogs are open and generally treeless, and appear to develop on blocked
meanderstreams. Shrub thicketsmaydevelop when fire is excluded. Many muck
bogs have pitcher plants and a rich herbaceous layer with an array of carnivorous
species, grasses, sedges, and xyrids (Folkerts 1991; Krai 1955; Lodwick 1975;
&
Rowell 1949a, 1949b;Starbuck 1984; Bridges Orzell 1989b). In thecenterofthe
bog, thereoftenisastream.
The purpose of this paper is to describe muck bogs at Gus Engeling Wildlife
ManagementArea(GEWMA), Anderson County, Texas. It was of interest to us to
extendourresearchonbog communitiesofthe West GulfCoastal Plain to these post
oaksavannabogsandassociatedmarshes. Theyhave been littlestudied, and mostof
what has been recorded about them is unpublished (Lodwick 1975; Rowell 1949a;
Starbuck 1984).
STUDYSITES/METHODS
In 1997and 1998, we conductedasystematicstudy ofthe fioristicsof two muck
bogsonthe4436 haGEWMA, Anderson County, in the jx)st oaksavanna region of
eastcentralTexas (Telfair 1988; Lodwick 1975;Johnson 1986). The area is gently
rollingtohillyandisdrainedbyCatfishCreek, a tributaryof theTrinityRiver. Most
of the streams are spring fed and How year round. The upland soils are rapidly
permeablesands(Telfairefa/.n.d.\Hauke&Rosen.d.).
Detailedfioristicsweredoneontwobogs: Chester's Bog is on Gibson Branch at
the northern endofGEWMA and Andrew's Bog is east of DD Spring, also at the
northern endofGEWMA. The two bogs are about 1 km apart. Chester's Bog is
down stream from an artificial lake, which has undoubtedly affected its history by
alteringitshydrology. Andrew'sBogisnotaffectedbyany artificialimpoundmentor
anyman-altereddrainage.
Surveys were conducted on a monthly basis, except for the midwinter months.
FromJuly 1997toJuly 1998, eachbogwas surveyedtentimes. Thenorthernedge of
Andrew'sBogwassurveyedattwositestotalingabout3 ha. Anareaofabout2 haof
Chester'sBogwas surveyed.
We follow Kartesz(1994) for nomenclature in most cases, but see Jones et d.
(1997)andNesom(1994).
Soil samples were analyzed by A & L Laboratories, Memphis, Tennessee.
Becausetheorganicmatterwas sohigh, werana"manure"analysison one sample to
compareresults(seeA&LAnalyticalServicesListforprocedures).
.
MacRoberts&MacRoberts: Floristicsofmuckbogs 63
The early firehistoryofthese bogs is unknown. Chester's Bog was burned in
early 1990;theprecisemonthisnotknown. Itwasbadlyovergrown with shrubs and
was hand clearedin thesummerof 1995. Andrew's Bog was burned sometime in
1980andinFebruary 1985, 1994. 1996. and 1998.
For east Texas, precipitation is generally uniformly distributed throughout the
year,averagingabout100cm. Summersarelongandhot;temperaturesrise to35** C,
which, combined with short droughts, translates into dry conditions with streams
sometimesdryingup: 1998 was adrought year. Wintersare mild with few days of
freezing weather(typically about 268 frost-free days). Mean annual temperature is
T
about 20* C, with an average January temperature of C and average July
temperatureofIT C
RESULTS
Table 1 lists the vascular plants found in Chester's and Andrew's bogs. (A =
present in Andrew's Bog, C = presentin Chester's Bog: numberin brackets is our
collectionnumber. Nonumberindicatesnocollection. Specimenswillbedepositedat
VDB-BRITandTEX.)
Table 1. Plants of Chester's (C) and Andrew's (A) bogs. Numbers refer to
MacRoberts&MacRobertscollectionnumbers.
SPHAGNACEAE
Sphagnum [A,C]
BLECHNACEAE
Woodwardiaareolala(L.)T. Moore [A,C3581]
W. virginica(L.) Sm. [A]
LYCOPODIACEAE
Lycopodiellaappressa(Chapm.) Cranfill [A3979, C3694]
OSMUNDACEAE
OsmmidacinnamorneaL. [A,C]
O. regalisL. [A, C]
SELAGINELLACEAE
Selaginellaapoda(L.) Fern. [C3775]
AMARYLUDACEAE
Hypoxis hirsute(L.) Cov. [A3819, C]
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64 July 1998 volume85(1):61-73
ARACEAE
PeUandravirginica(L.)Schott [A4035]
BURMANNIACEAE
Burmanniacapitata(Wait)Mart. [A, C3563]
CYPERACEAE
CarexatkmticaBailey[A3814, C3841]
CarexglaucescensE\{. [C]
CarexluridaWahlenb. [A3815, C3842]
CarexstrictaLam. [A3813, C3770]
Cladiwnmariscoides[AJ990]
Cladiummariscus(L.) Pohlsubsp.jamaicense(Crantz)Kukenth. [C3993]
CyperusodoratusL. [C3690]
CyperushaspanL. [C3436]
Eleocharisequisetoides(Ell.)Torr. [A3952, C3961]
E. olivaceaTorr. [CJ705]
£. tortilis(Unk)Schultes [A5«02, C3846]
FuirenasquarrosaMichx. [A3602, C3434]
RhynchosporacepfiakmthaA. Gray [C3561]
R. chakwoceplmlaFern. &.Gale [A3992, C3999-A]
R. corniculata(Lam.)A. Gray [A5957, C]
R. ghbularis(Chapm.)Small [A3834, C]
R. glomerata(L.) Vahl [C3411]
R. gracilenlaA. Gray [A3595, C]
R. rariflora(Michx.)Ell. [A3832, C]
Scirpuscyperinus(L.) Kunth [A,C4026]
ScleriareticularisMichx. [A3599, C3558]
ERIOCAULACEAE
EriocaulondecangulareL. [AiS26, C5^70]
£. kornickianumvanHeurck&Muell.-Arg. [A3950]
IRIDACEAE
/mvirginicaL. [A5527, C5849]
SisyrinchiumlangloisiiE. Greene [A3805]
JUNCACEAE
JuncuscoriaceusMsick. [C5584]
J. diffusissimusBuckl. [A,C3972]
J.effususL. [A3810, C3838]
J. marginatiisRostk. [A3833, C3996]
J. scirpoidesLam. [A]
J. trigonocarpiisSteud. [A3603, C5565]
UUACEAE
Zigadenusdensus(Desr.) Fern. [A5520]
MAYACACEAE
MayacafluviatilisAubl. [A 3673, C5579]
MacRoberts&MacRoberts: Floristicsofmuckbogs " 65
ORCWDACEAE
Calopo^ontuherosusiX.:)^.^.'?. [A,C5974]
Platantheraciliaris(L.) Lindl. [C3444]
Pogoniaophioghssoides(L.)Ker.-Gawl. [A3822, C3837]
Spiranthescernua(L.) L.C. Rich. [A3682, C3684\
POACEAE
Agrostishyemalis(WalL)B.S.P. [A5807]
A^ro5rwscabraWilld. [A5747, C3697]
Andropogonglomeratus(Walt.)B.S.P. [A3600, C5555]
Chasmanthiumlaxum(L.) Yates [C5457]
CinnaarundinaceaL. [C5555-fi]
Coelorachisrugosa(Nutt.) Nash [A5(587]
Dicltantheliumdichotomum(L.) Gouldvar. dichotomum [A, C5859]
D. scabriusculum(Ell.)Gould&Clark [A 5876, C5777]
D.scoparium(Lam.)Gould [A3975, C]
Erianthusgiganteus(Walt.)Muhl. [A5596. C3550]
LeersiafiexandraSw. [C3696]
L. oryzoides(L.) Sw. [C3693]
PanicumrigidulumBosc. exNees [A5607, C3553]
PanicumverrucosumMuhl. [A, C3673]
PanicumvirgatumL. [A,C3593]
PaspalumplicamlumMichx. [C3582]
PaspalumpraecoxV/alt. [A3678]
Sacciolepisstriata(L.) Nash [A]
SMILACACEAE
Smilaxglauca^aW. [A,C]
SPARGANIACEAE
SparganiumaimricanumNutt. [C3995]
XYRIDACEAE
Xyris ambiguaBey. ej:Kunth [A,C3401]
X. baldwinianaSchultes [A5957, C3962]
X. diformisChapm. var. diformis [A, C3407]
X. jupicaiL.C. Rich. [C3409]
X. tornSm. [A3985, C3403]
ACERACEAE
AcerrubrumL. [A,C4028]
APIACEAE
Centellaerecta(L./.) Fern. [A, C]
EryngiumintegrifolimnWalt. [A,C3422]
HydrocotylemnbellataL. [A,C]
OxypoUsrigidior(L.) Raf. [C5577]
Ptilimniumcapillaceum(Michx.) Raf. [A, C3968]
P. costatwn(Ell.) Raf. [A, C5472]
PHYTOLOGIA
66 July 1998 volume85(1):61-73
ASCLEPIADACEAE
AsclepiasrubraL. [A,C3417]
ASTERACEAE
Asterlateriflorus(L.) BritL [A3680, C]
A.puniceusL. var.scabricaulis(Shinners)A.G. Jones [A3672, C3710]
A. umbellatusP. Mill. [C3713]
BoltoniadiffusaEW. [LR560^. C]
EupatoriumfistulosumBarratt [C]
E.perfoliatumL. [A,C]
E. rotundifoUumL. [A.C3415]
HelianthusangustifoliusL. [A,C3548]
UatrispycnostachyaMichx. [C]
Mikaniascandens(L.) Willd. [C3585]
PluchearoseaGodfrey [A,C]
SoUdagorugosaP. Mill. [A3598, C3569]
VernoniamissuricaRaf [A,C3414]
.
BETULACEAE
AlnussemdaJa{K\i.)W\M. {k,C4030]
CAMPANULACEAE
LobeliapubendaMichx. [A3597, C3572]
L. reverchoniiB.L. Turner [A3683, C3704]]
CAPRIFOUACEAE
ViburnumnudumL. [A,C3419]
CLUSIACEAE
Hypericumcrux-andreae(L.) Crantz [A4036, C]
H. mutilumL. [A.C3441]
Triadeniunvirginicum(L.) Raf. [A,C3554]
DROSERACEAE
DroserabrevifoliaPursh [A5529, C]
D. capiUarisPoir. [A, C5576]
ERICACEAE
Rfiododendronoblongifolium(Small)Millais [C3973]
FABACEAE
ApiosamericanaMedic. [A]
GENTIANACEAE
Bartoniapanicidata(Michx.)Muhl. [A3679, C3688]
HYDROPHYLLACEAE
HydroleaovataChoisy [A4037]
MacRoberts&MacRoberts: Roristicsofmuckbogs 67
Lj^MIACEAE
Lycopus rubellusMoench [A,C3586]
Scutellariaintegri/oliaL. [A3807, C3848]
LENTIBULARIACEAE
UtricidariacomutaMichx. [A3808, C]
U.gibbaL. [A,C3580]
U.junceaWaM. [A3988. C5994]
U.subulataL. [A3S2S, C3847]
UNACEAE
Unumstriatum'Walt. [C3424]
MALVACEAE
HibiscusmoscheutosL. subsp. lasiocarpus(Cav.) O.J. Blanchard [A3984]
MEU^STOMATACEAE
/?/i^jc/amarianaL. [A,C5578]
/?. virginicaL. [A,C5565]
MYRICACEAE
MyricaceriferaL. [A,C5427]
NYSSACEAE
Nyssa sylvaticaMarsh. [A,C]
ONAGRACEAE
Ludwigiaaltemi/oliaL. [A3980, C3566]
L. decurrensWalt. [C3687]
L. glandulosaWalt. [A,C]
POLYGALACEAE
PolygalacruciataL. [A,C3420]
P. sangiUneaL. [A3954, C]
RUBIACEAE
CepfialanthusoccidentalisL. [C]
SAUCACEAE
SalixnigraMarsh. [C]
SARRACENIACEAE
Sarraceniaalata Wood. [A3674, C]
SAURURACEAE
SaururuscernuusL. [A,C3425]
SCROPHULARIACEAE
Agalinisfasciculata(Ell.)Raf. [A,C5697]
GratiolabrevifoliaRaf. [A3976, C]
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URTICACEAE
Boehmeriacylindrica(L.)Sw. [A,C3559]
VALERIANACEAE
&
Valerianellawoodsiana(Torr. Gray) Walp. [A4034\
VIOLACEAE
ViolaprimulifoliaL. [A3812, C3850]
V. missouriensisE. Greene [C3777]
Therewere 105species,71 genera,and42familiesinAndrew'sBog. Therewere
118 species, 78 genera, and 42 families in Chester's Bog. Sorensen's Index of
Similarity (Sorensen 1948) between them is 80, meaning that they are essentially
identical florislically. Combining both lists, dicots account for 45% of the total.
Monocots, ferns, and others account for 55% of species, which is typical of bog
communitieselsewhere. The vast majorityofplantspecies at both study sites were
hydrophytes(Reed 1988). The main familieswere Cyperaceae, Juncaceae, Poaceae,
Xyridaceae,Apiaceae,andAsteraceae.
Steve Orzelland Edwin Bridges made extensive observations and collections on
thesebogsin 1988and 1990. Theyhavevouchersforanumberofspeciesthatwedid
not fmd. InTable2, we listthese alphabetically and indicate which bog they came
from. Wedidnotincludethesecollectionsinourlistbecausetheyweremadeadecade
ago and might not presently be at these sites and because we collected only in a
specificportionofeachbog. Orzell&Bridges*collectionnumbersaregiven, but their
collectionshaveyettobe deposited in an herbarium. Absenceofaspecimen number
indicatesthatthetaxonwasnotcollectedbutonlyenteredinfieldnotes.
&
Table2. Orzell Bridges' additions toChester's (C) and Andrew's (A) bog flora.
NumbersrefertoBridges&Orzellcollections.
AletrisaureaL. [A]
&
AmorpliapaniculataTorrey Gray [A 7961]
CarexlongiiMack. [A13694, C 13721]
CirsiummuticumMichx. [A 7974]
CoreopsistripterisL. [A 7970]
Eleocharisqiiadrangulata(Michx.)Roem. &Schult. [A 7958]
LudwigialinearisWall. [A 7967]
L. spfiaerocarpaEll. [A 7956]
MelanthiumvirginicumL. [A]
Mitreolasessilifolia(Gmel.) G. Don [A 7952]
PanicumhemitomonSchult. [A]
RhynchosporacadttcaEll. [A 7971]
R. stenophyllaChapm. exCurtis [A 7184]
Schizachyriumscopariiun [A 7959]
ScleriatriglotneralaMichx. [C75729]
Sorgliastrumnutans(L.) Nash [A]
TfielypterispalustrisScholt [A6590]
MacRoberts&MacRoberts: Roristicsofmuckbogs 69
Xyris laxifoliaMart, var. iridiplia(Chapm.)Krai [A]
Table3 givesinformationonfivesoilsamplesfromChester'sandAndrew'sbogs.
The"sand"samplesweretaken nearthe bog edge or margin, "med" was taken in the
bogproper,and"deep"was takenabout35cmbelowthesurfaceinthebogproper.
Table3. SoilchemistryofChester'sandAndrew'sbogs. "Sand"sampleswere taken
nearthebogedgeormargin;"med"was takeninthebogproper;and"deep"was taken
about35cmbelowthesurfaceinthebogproper.
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70 July 1998 volume85(1):61-73
AndersonCountybogs. Starbuck(1984)lists78"bogspecies"ofwhichwefound46
or 59% in Chester's and Andrew's bogs. Although these figures should be
considered tentative since sampling methods among these studies differed, they
nonethelesspointtostrongaffinitiesamongthesedifferentsites.
On theotherhand, muckbogs show markeddifferences topitcher plant bogs in
deepeastTexasandwestLouisiana(Nixon&Ward 1986;Orzell 1990;MacRoberts&
MacRoberts 1988, 1993), with aSorensen's Index of Similarity of between 43 and
48.
Thus, while both hillside bogs and post oak savanna muck bogs have many
species incommon, forexample, Sarraceniaakaa andEriocaulondecangulare, many
others are not shared. The post oakregion is the western range limitof many bog
species (e.g., Sarracenia data, Lycopodiella appressa, Burmannia capitata, and
Eriocaulondecangulare), and manyotherspecies drop out of the piney woods fiora
longbeforethepostoaksavanna region is reached(e.g.. Magnoliavirginiana, Persea
borbonia,Pinguiculapumila, andRliexia luted). Also, becauseofhabitatconditions,
inthepostoaksavannaregion, marshspeciesinterminglewith bog species tocreatea
uniqueassociation.
ClassificationsofTexasvegetationbyregionandby community fail tocapture the
natureofthemuckbog plantassociations or, for thatmatter, anyof the inland marsh
communities. Ofallthe wetlandcommunitiesdescribed by Correll & Correll (1972),
inland marshes and bogs appear to be the most understudied. While the report
"PreservingTexas' Natural Heritage" (LBJ 1978) describes "peatbogs and marshes"
asdistributedthroughthepostoaksavannaregion,nofurtherdescription is given and
no information is provided about the relation between these two communities.
Diamondetd. (1987)describebogsasoccurringinboththepineywoodsandthepost
oaksavanna,butbarely mention fresh watermarshes excepttosay thatthey occur in
"all regions"ofTexas. Thecommunity list of the Texas Natural Heritage Program
(1992)doesnobetter;itbarelymentionsinlandmarshes, onlyindicating\hdXJuncus is
adominantgenusandthatmarshesoccurthroughoutTexas. The Nature Conservancy
classificationofecologicalcommunitiesofthesoutheastern United States (Weakleyet
d. 1998)doesnotdescribeTexasmuckbogs: althoughmanymarsh communities that
resembleTexas post oak savanna marshes are listed, no Texas sites are specifically
mentioned.
Althoughourexperienceofwetlandcommunitiesinthepostoaksavannaregion of
the WGCP is limited, at present we believethat, while there were few natural lakes,
historically there were many marshes, hillside bogs, muck bogs, peatlands, and
probably other kinds of marsh-bog herb-dominated wetlands. What we have
GEWMA
described for the sites appears to be an inlerdigitaiion or intermingling of
hillside bog and marsh. This appears to be what Rowell (1949a), Krai (1955), and
Lodwick (1975) have described. This intermingling would explain the very high
biomassfound byLodwick (1975) when compared with bogs elsewhere (Allenetd.
1988).
In conclusion, bogs and marshes and the bog-marsh complex of the post oak
savannaregionofTexasneedadditionalanddetailedresearchandsamplingbefore any
understanding of the wetlands in this area will be gained. Especially important are