VASCULAR FLORA AND PLANT COMMUNITIES OF DEAD HORSE KNOB (RUCKER'S KNOB), MADISON COUNTY, KENTUCKY

2012·11.1 MB·English

by  Ralph L Thompson

AND
FLORA PLANT COMMUNITIES OF DEAD HOR
VASCULAR
MADISON KENTUCKY
COUNTY,
(RUCKER’S KNOB),
Poindex
Derick
B.
Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas
632 6(2)
This survey is the first comprehensive flora from an individual peak in the Knobs Region of south-central
Madison
Kentucky and provides additional information to augment the rich natural history of southern
&
& & &
Thompson
County Grossman Thompson Wade Thompson
(e.g., Pittillo 1962; Jones 1986; 1990;
DHK and
Fleming 2004; Thompson 2005; Thompson 2008). Furthermore, serves as an area of historic cul-
an old
tural importance due to a small private Revolutionary War cemetery the summit and the remnants of
at
Berea
of
clay pit area at the westernmost foot slope, which was used in the past for the brick and tile industry
College.
DHK
through
The
objectives of our descriptive study were document the vascular plants growing at
to: 1)
discuss
collection of representative voucher specimens Herbarium (BEREA); 2)
for deposit in the Berea College
3)
the present effects of invasive species and livestock disturbance on the native flora and forest vegetation,
and increase
designate plant communities and describe plant habitats with characteristic associated species; 4)
County
our understanding Madison
of vascular plant diversity in preparation of a future publication of the
and poten-
flora. Additionally, all of these objectives provide a reference baseline for future comparative studies
management
land
tial decisions.
History
—
known as
Pullins-Rucker Cemetery Dead Horse Knob on maps was
topographic by Weir historically
(1967)
sur
Knob immediate
Rucker’s to acknowledge two pioneer who and farmed the
families colonized
initially
'
A Pulh°s
rounding land. unique feature at the knob summit an abandoned cemetery, the
is small private
633
Cemetery. Descendants of the Pullins and Rucker
Rucker families intermarried and used
the graveyard
as a
The
ground for their relatives. cemetery dates from Revolutionary War with
burial times, the interment
of
War
Loftus Pullins, Jr. (1764-1841), a Revolutionary soldier with the Virginia Militia who served in the regi-
Sampson Matthew
under
ment of Colonel General George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. After
War
his Revolutionary service, Loftus Pullins, received a small pension in Kentucky, and he moved
Jr. to south-
County with
Madison his family in 1787 comm.
ern (E.T. Pullins, pers. 2010). His grandson, Alva
Pullins,
Jr.,
married Alma Rucker, a descendant of Jeremiah Rucker, and Susan Ann Morton, owners
Jr. of the land that
Knob
One
encompassed Rucker’s in the 1860s. of their sons, John Morton Rucker, farmed the land until was
it
and Coyle
Joseph in 1888.
sold to Sallie
On
September Berea
27, 1898, College acquired “the Jeremiah Rucker Place” of 15.8 ha from the Coyle
family including the knob, which then became known as “Rucker’s Knob” Wilson, comm.
(S. pers. 2011).
Among few markers
the in the Pullins-Rucker Cemetery, only Loftus
Pullins, (1764-1841), Celia Pullins
Jr.
Samuel
(1775-1841), Pullins (1807-1832), James Pullins (1794-1854), and Susan A. (Morton) Rucker (1815-
The
1855), are identified. Daughters of the American Revolution placed an additional marble commemorative
marker on the Loftus Pullins grave on November comm.
site 8, 1981 (E.T. Pullins, pers. 2010).
—
Brick and Tile Yard Another significant historic feature of Dead Horse Knob was the presence of gray
.
New
from weathered Albany
clay Shale in the vicinity of the western foot slope. This clay was excavated from
a group of shallow pits that were used for brick and tile making by Berea College workers in the early 1900s.
m
These obliterated clay cavities range from 1.0-2.0 in depth and now he in the concave flatlands contiguous
to the western foot slope of Rucker’s Knob
(Foerste 1906).
During
the 19th century, Berea College building campaigns needed great quantities of bricks
for college
buildings and many
as a labor industry for male students (Boyce 2006). In 1901, Berea College created a large
and
Brick Tile Yard adjacent to the western side of Rucker’s Knob where bricks were hand-made by students. In
1902, a brick machine and
kiln increased the operation to a high capacity of several thousand bricks per day.
By
1906, because of higher production needs, the brickyard industry created up to 25,000 bricks per day from
&
four kilns with
excess bricks shipped to other regional cities by a switch line of the Louisville Nashville
Railroad. The Berea College Brick and Tile Yard operation at Rucker’s Knob was closed down in January 1911
Among
(Boyce
2006). college buildings constructed with the red bricks from the clay pits at Rucker’s Knob,
were
the Edwards
Building (Men’s Industrial Building/College Square) in 1902-1903, the Phelps Stokes Cha-
Pd
(Main
Chapel) during 1903-1906, and the Frost Building (originally Carnegie Library) in 1904-1907
(Boyce
2006).
Physiography
Fenneman
Knob
(1938) classified the physiographic region comprising Dead Horse as the Kentucky Knobs
egion
within Low
the Interior Plateaus Physiographic Province. Braun (1950) described the southern Ken-
Kn
tUck
y °bs Border Area of the Interior Low Plateaus from Berea to Frenchburg to be included within the Hill
Sttbon
of Norman
the Knobstone
Uplands. Quarterman and Powell (1978) designated this hilly region as the
^rpment
of the Interior Low Plateaus. Keys et (1995) classified the ecological unit, which would include
al.
bHK,
into Low Rim
the Eastern Knobs Transitional Subsection of the Interior Plateau, Highland Section of the
“stem
Broadleaf
Forest
Province.
Based
the most recent classification per Woods et al. (2002), the knobs of southern Madison County
Cntirely within 400 Knobs-Norman Upland Ecoregion of the Interior Plateau
the
million-year-old
Phvc^ted
jT,0graphic
Province. These Uplands interspersed among the western and eastern Outer Bluegrass
are
region,
the southern northeastern Cumberland Plateau Ecoregion,
Hills of the Bluegrass Ecoregion, the
e Northem
(Woods The
Forested Plateau Escarpment of the Western Alleghany Plateau et al. 2002).
m
JSged terrain of the Knobs by and residual shale, limestone, and sandstone slopes
characterized colluvial
is
down
higher
ridgetops often capped by conglomeratic sandstone cliffs inclining steep V-
vertical
hiUs
and by numerous
subsequently drained
ridges into broad U-shaped These landscapes are
valleys.
led
mterraiUent Knobs open
first order and flowing second order streams. In the Region, vast agriculture
P**ure
lands (Woods
adjoin and surround the moderately hilly terrain et al. 2002).
Geology
and
by Devonian, Mississippian, Pennsylvanian-aged
The Knobs-Norman Uplands are underlain Silurian,
New
by
sedimentary bedrock (Woods et 2002). At DHK, the bedrock is entirely underlain the Albany Shale
al.
To north and west DHK,
Formation Middle and Upper Devonian System (Weir 1967). the of the Knobs-
of the
The Outer Bluegrass
Norman Uplands intergrade into the Outer Bluegrass Ecoregion. is characterized by
broad rolling hills consisting of Upper Ordovician limestone bedrock on open, flatland topography dissected
(Woods
by narrow streams 2002).
shallow, et al.
The New Albany shale of southern Madison County consists of carbonaceous, black shale about 24 to 30
m
and
thick containing sparsely crystalline pyrite and concretions of fine-grained calcitic iron-rich or phos-
When
phatic material. weathered, this black shale is typically brownish-black to yellowish-brown often with
few thin seams (2.5-4.0 cm)of yellowish-green shales, which locally form abundant chips and plates on
a
and mainly comprised of small brachiopods,
outcrops (Campbell 1946). Megafossils are scarce are fish plates,
DHK, where
plant parts, and spores (Campbell 1946). In the vicinity of basal content is evident shale rests
concordantly above the Middle Devonian Boyle Dolomite.
m
DHK
Although the summit is only 312 above sea level, it is unique in being the only solitary, isolated
Within
knob to be separate from other higher elevated peaks of the Berea College Forest (BCF). the adjacent
BCF southern Madison County, higher knob summits range from Welch Mountain (383 m). West Pinnacle
in
or Barton Knob (453 m). East Pinnacle (458 m). Robe Mountain (465 m), and Pinnacle Knob (487 m) to Bear
Mountain (504 m), the highest point in Madison County (Weir 1967; Weir et 1971). Within the city of Berea
al.
m m
proper on the Devonian black shale Berea Ridge, elevations vary from 267 at Silver Creek to 316 on the
m
Berea College campus to 324 in the Dogwood Heights subdivision (Thompson et 2008).
al.
Forest Vegetation
Deciduous forest vegetation of southern Madison County mainly consists of Oak-Hickory Forest (Kuchler
Woods Thompson more
1964; et al. 2002; 2008). Braun (1950) classified some forest vegetation of separated
hills in the Knobs Region as examples of Oak-Hickory communities within the Western Mesophytic Forest
Region, a transitional mosaic of Oak-Hickory Forest and Mixed Mesophytic Forest. Evans (1991) character-
ized vegetation in the Knobs Region as Acidic Sub-Xeric Forest based on topographic moisture, slope aspect,
and dominant understory
forest vegetation consisting of Oak-Hickory components with a poorly-developed
and
sparse herbaceous
cover.
In the oil-bearing Devonian black shale Knobs Region, Wharton (1945) described five upland forest
McComb
and
types: oak, oak-pine, chestnut oak-scarlet oak, white oak, and mixed mesophytic, while Muller
of
(1986) reported white oak, chestnut oak, scarlet oak, and mesophytic hardwoods forest types in their study
upland forests of the Knobs Region. Vegetation studies in the Knobs Region have emphasized the correlation
over
of forest types with moisture and physiognomy
soils, site characters, slope position, topographic aspect,
&
Thompson
time (Wharton Braun McComb Woods
1945; 1950; Fedders Muller 2002;
1983; 1986; et al.
DHK summit
2008). Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory knob
Forest the major from the
is vegetation, albeit altered, of
down
the
to interspersed planted pines stands of upper slopes, middle slopes, lower slopes, and foot slopes at
boundary, with
the perimeter being
grassland pasture
habitat.
DHK
As mapped by Web is
the Survey ha of
Soil (Soil Survey Staff 2012) from Newton the 2.6
et (1973),
al.
comprised of four major forest soil series (Fig. 2). The knob residual and colluvial soils belong to the Coyler-
m*
Weikert-Captina Association. These acid in
series are characteristically shallow, moderately well-drained,
aetton (4.5-5.0 pH) from the summit down
all steep slope aspects to foot slopes (Newton et al. 1973).
310*
Coyler shaley loam (CoF) comprises DHK for
silt the shallow soils of 0.8 ha (of the total 2.6 ha site),
of the area on the summit and upper residuum weath-
western-trending
slopes. Coyler soils are clayey-skeletal
New
ered from Albany on exces-
Shale
steep 12 to 50 percent slopes. This very strongly acidic in reaction,
soil is
*
sively well-drained, channery loam cm of*1
clay from 0 The profile
silt to 51.0 to the shale bedrock. soil
Hat*
cm
surface horizon 0 small
is to 12.7 deep, brown, loam with
friable, fine granular channery shaley
silt
mimm
^
B cm very heavy
fragments; the horizon varies from 12.7-38.1 deep, yellowish-brown, friable to firm,
channery C brown heavy
silty clay with 35 percent black shale fragments; the horizon is 38.1-50.8 in depth,
silty clay with 75 percent highly weathered black shale layers down to the unweathered hard, brittle, black
shale bedrock R
of the horizon (Newton
et 1973; Fig.
al. 2).
The 21.8%
highly eroded Coyler shaley silty clay loam (CsF3) is the principal soil of another 0.6 ha, for of
the area on southern and eastern upper and middle 12 to 50 percent slopes. Coyler shaley silty clay loams are
-
and
different in composition from CoF in having the top brown surface layer lost through erosion a surface
fryer of exposed
(Newton
yellowish-brown clay loam present et al. 1973; Fig. 2).
silty
Whitley loam (WhC) crescent-shaped band of 0.5 ha, for
silt soils comprise the deep soils of a circular,
68%
* of die site, on the southern and western middle slopes, lower slopes, and foot slopes. Whitley silt loam is
“ne-silty colluvium derived from weathered New Albany Shale on 6 to 12 percent slopes. This weathered soil
Bver cm
y strongly acid, deep, well-drained, loam to gravelly silty clay loam from 0 to 122 to shale bedrock.
silt
B
J^soil A cm granular loam; the
profile is an horizon from 0-23 deep, dark yellowish-brown, friable silt
finnzon medium
and blocky heavy
ranges from 23-91.4 cm brown yellowish-brown, moderate to fine
deep, to
w
cm
loam
C 91.4-122 in depth of yellowish-
r* %«fr a few, small black concretions; and the horizon ranges is
Wn
°
day with an abrupt smooth boundary.
loam mottles
with brownish gray clay
fine, distinct light,
R
horizon beyond 122 cm black shale bedrock (Newton et al. 1973; Fig. 2).
consists of highly fissured
Whitley silt loam (WhD) areas totaling 0.7 ha, for 29.8% of the area, at the base of 12
soils are in colluvial
^ WhD
rctm The
foot slopes at the northern and eastern aspects and part of the southern mid-slope. soil
J?
k
m simil WhC cm yellowish-brown loam surface layer inter-
ar
to the thick silt
soils but differs in a 7.6
*ith
ayey
cl
subsoil material (Newton et 1973; Fig. 2).
al.
warm
The Kentucky has hot summers, mild to cold winter temperatures, and
continental climate of to gener-
&
Horn Kentucky
abundant moisture during seasons (Trewartha 1980). climatic data for 1971-2000
ally all
Mean
were obtained from the Berea College Weather Station-150619 (Midwest Climate Center 2011). length
of
growing season 194 Median October 22 and the median last frost occurs April Mean
the is days. first frost is 10.
cm
annual precipitation 120.2 cm with the highest in May at 13.4 and the lowest in October at 7.8 cm. Mean
is
annual snowfall approximates 29.7 cm. Mean annual temperature of Berea is 13.6°C with January the coldest
month 1.5°C and August the warmest month at 24.3°C (Midwest Climate Center 2011).
at
METHODS AND MATERIALS
DHK
Vascular plants at were collected from 26 field trips during the growing seasons of 2010 (11 trips), 2011
A
(10 trips) and spring 2012 (5 trips). complete voucher specimen set is deposited at the Berea College Her-
barium (BEREA) and a partial duplicate set is filed at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Herbarium
(NCU). In the annotated species the following data are assigned for each taxon: origin (native vs. exotic),
list,
Madison County abundance,
invasive plant pest status, distribution records, relative habitat(s) of occurrence,
and numbers).
collection
Gleason and Cronquist (1991), Jones (2005), and Weakley (2011) were the primary manuals consulted for
taxon identification. Madison County records were determined based on Campbell and Medley (2012), Clark
Weckman NRCS BEREA
and (2008), USDA, (2012), and from herbarium searches of and Eastern Kentucky
A
University Herbarium (EKY). relative abundance value was assessed for each taxon utilizing the definitions
Thompson
of (2007). Each taxon was assigned a single comprehensive value inclusive for all plant community
Nomenclature Weakley was
follows with two exceptions mentioned Assigned exotic status
(2011), later.
also based on Weakley (2011), except where origin was dubious and the species are considered invasive in
Kentucky (e.g., Chenopodium album, Dysphania ambrosioides). Invasive pest plant status is from the current list
from Kentucky
the Exotic Plant Pest Council (KY-EPPC
2012).
Plant communities were delineated through reconnaissance and sampling data of characteristic as-
field
dominant
sociated and/or
species in conjunction with physical factors (general topography, slope aspect,
moisture regimes, soil types, geology) and anthropogenic influences (livestock disturbance, invasive plant
impact, farming
practices).
Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) measurements were made on canopy with Haglof Swedish
selected trees
Mantax
Black Calipers® and usings
transverse core samples for age determination of the largest pine species
Haglof Swedish Increment Borer®.
AND
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
Taxonomic Summary
The
vascular flora of Dead Horse Knob in 191
consists of 291 taxa)
species includes infraspecific
(this total
genera from 67 families (Table The two Gymnosperms (1.72%),
flora includes Monilophytes
1). (0.69%), five
and 284 Angiosperms
comprised in-
(97.59%), of 71 Monocots (24.40%) and 213 “Dicots” (73.20%), the latter
cluding eudicots and the paraphyletic grade of “basal angiosperms.” The in species are the
six largest families
Poaceae Asteraceae Cyperaceae Carexis the
(43),
(39), (17), Brassicaceae Fabaceae and Rosaceae (13).
(15), (15),
largest genus with 15 taxa, followed by Quercus with 8 taxa. The 116 exotic taxa (39.86% of the total flora) art
Angiosperms Monocots
all (27 and 89 PySek Fabaceae,
“Dicots”). (1998) reported that the Poaceae, Asteraceae,
and
Brassicaceae are the four flora*
families that accounted in local
for the greatest percentage of exotic species
from 26
regions in a worldwide and DHK families
survey, indeed, the flora follows the same trend, as the four
with most
the naturalized
species are Poaceae Fabaceae (ID-
Asteraceae and
(24), Brassicaceae
(13), (12),
state-listed rare, endangered, or threatened Commi*'
species according to the Kentucky State Nature Preserves
(KSNPC
sion
list 2010) are present.
637
map
Nine taxa (3.09% of the total flora) are ne\ ity distribution records for Madison County based on data
NRCS NRCS
from Campbell and Medley Clark /eckman USDA, The USDA,
(2012), (2008), (2012). (2012)
map
map distributions for Kentucky counties mainly from atlas data provided by Campbell and Medley
(2006).
—
map
Carex gravida L.H. Campbell and Medley Heavy Sedge Campbell County
Bailey. (2012) for
1.
(Noczi CGE 45, 06June 1996, KNK) and Trigg County Thompson and Poindexter 04-412, 08 May 2004, BEREA)
(
NRCS
from Thompson and Poindexter This sedge not Kentucky by the USDA,
(2006). listed for (2012).
is
—
2. Carex umbellata Schkuhr ex Willd. Campbell and Medley (2012) 26 counties for Parasol Sedge
list
We
and remark that is often overlooked in scattered, dry open woods. found several populations on the dry
it
western lower and mixed and
slope foot slope in a Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana Pirns echinata stand.
—
3. Carex texensis (Torr. ex L.H. Bailey) L.H. Bailey. Campbell and Medley (2012) record the Texas Sedge
for 14 counties with our specimen Madison County. Our collection was rare under Pinus echinata on
listed for
a western
lower-slope.
—
Weckman Haw-
4. Crataegus macrosperma Ashe. Clark and (2008) record 12 counties for the Fanleaf
thorn mostly from eastern Kentucky, while Campbell and Medley (2012) confirm from seven counties. The
it
USDA, NCRS
(2012) only Harlan and Letcher counties.
lists
—
5. Galium divaricatum Pourr. ex Lam. Campbell and Medley (2012) catalog Lamarck’s Bedstraw for
Campbell, and USDA, NRCS Campbell and Counties, from records
Estill, Powell Counties. (2012) record Estill
m
Campbell and Medley Kentucky.
(2006). Medley (1993) does not list G. divaricatum for
—
6- Malus baccata Borkh. The complexity of Siberian Crabapple cultivars is discussed in Clark and
(L.)
Weckman
(2008), but the taxon not mapped. Campbell and Medley (2012) record Siberian Crabapple for
is
Our
Fayette, Floyd, and The USDA, NRCS map Fayette and Floyd Counties. docu-
Jefferson Counties. (2012)
mented
taxon appeared to be spontaneous, rather than planted, from a single fertile tree on the eastern aspect
near may
the knob crest. Jones (2005) notes that the flowering crabapples, especially M. baccata, occasionally
csca
e in
P Kentucky.
1 Malus prunifolia (Willd.) Borkh.—Although the Chinese Plum-leaf Crabapple tends to escape and be-
%
COme
Weckman
loc Clark and (2008)
established from (Campbell and Medley 2012), neither
m cultivation
Campbell and Medley map Kentucky. Gleason and Cronquist (1991) cor-
Chinese Crabapple for
(2012)
roborate
that Chinese and escape from cultivation. Several uneven-age
Siberian Crabapples occasionally
^cimens
of were documented from the western
this crabapple and flowering material)
(including fruiting
001
slope, now
so even clearly naturalized.
if might originally have been planted in the area, it is
it
^
—
&
Campbell and Medley
ercus phellos L Willow Oak documented from 22 counties according to
is
(20 DHK
12) and om A
NRCS mature individual pres-
^ fr 19 Kentucky counties by the USDA, 2012). single, at is
(
muithough
may
human be de-
presence in the area, this tree
its origin not Given the long history of
is clear.
om
a
local may
source, or be a natural volunteered tree.
it
Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of
638 Texas
6(2)
Ranunculus bulbosus L.—The naturalized Bulbous Buttercup is confirmed for 10 Kentucky counties
in
9.
NRCS
by USDA,
Campbell and Medley (2012) and also is listed for 10 counties the (2012).
Knob
Fifty-two of the exotic species from Dead Horse are considered naturalized invasive plant pests for Ken-
tucky (KY-EPPC 2012). Based on our intensive observations, the most deleterious species on the peak appear
be the Old World woody plants: Ailanthus altissima, Celastrus orbiculatus, Elaeagnus umbellata, Euonymus
to
and
alatus, E.fortunei, Ligustrum obtusifolium var. obtusifolium Lonicerajaponica, L. maackii, Rosa multiflora, all
of which were deliberately introduced to the United States as ornamentals. Reichard and White (2001) dis-
cussed the role of ornamental horticulture in the spread of invasive plant introductions in the United States.
Major horticultural sources of naturalized and invasive taxa include plant nurseries, landscaping enterprises,
botanical gardens and arboreta, city and state parks, individual gardeners and farmers, and soil erosion control
&
We
measures by and governments agencies (Reichard White 2001). have no means of determining
state if
DHK, no ornamental
any of these taxa were deliberately introduced at but there is disputing that these taxa are
now on
naturalized invasives having a profound impact the vegetation in the area.
These same woody invasive taxa were the most significant woody plant pests in a comprehensive vascular
woody
plant survey of the Berea College Forest (Thompson 2008). At the knob, all nine of these invasive plants
and Thompson
clearly meet the criteria of being “novel, invasive colonizers,” the true invaders sensu Davis
i.e.,
on
(2000), aggressively expanding their geographical range and constituting a severe impact the natural native
flora and vegetation. Without doubt, the most aggressive invasive species with the greatest deleterious impact
on the total vegetation and native plants of the knob Lonicera maackii. This omnipresent species comprises a
is
and Ham-
dense understory cover throughout slope aspects of the Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest. Reichard
all
woody
ilton (1997) noted that invasive plants are frequently more capable of vegetative reproduction than na-
woody how
plants in North America, but not much, maackii spreads vegetatively at
tive it is clear if at all, L.
DHK. While certainly regenerates readily when cut back, the clumps are of uneven sizes and ages, do not
it
may
appear to be connected via rhizomes, and which maackii be spreading
fruit copiously, indicate that L.
by
primarily
seed.
Invasive herbaceous plants with significant impact on the native flora and vegetation of the Dry-Mesic
M
Oak-Hickory
Forest include Alliaria Commelina communis, vimineum, Persicaria longi-
petiolata, icrostegium
seta, Schedonorus arundinaceus, and Stellaria media, among several others. Stellaria media in the spring, Com-
communis and
melina Persicaria longiseta (in the summer) and Microstegium vimineum (in the fall) are espe-
abundant throughout knob
cially the entire forested habitats.
Communities
Plant
Plant communities are defined as an assemblage of associated species with a definite floristic composition and
a uniform physiognomy under reconnaissance
rather consistent habitat conditions as detectable through field
&
DHK
and sampling (Thompson
data Jones 2010). The study area completely bisected by a four-wired elec-
is
tric fence from the eastern foot slope aspect to the knob summit down through the western aspect foot slope
This nearly equivalent division of the study area into southern and northern halves was useful for delineating
by
southern, western, northern, and surrounded
eastern slope aspect The knob perimeter
habitats. circular is
We
barbed wire where define
fences
all foot slope aspects adjoin nearly grassland pasture.
level agricultural
two community comprised
essentially types here: a highly altered Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest Community
two
of five specific habitats and a heavily disturbed Community composed of
Culturally-Derived Ruderal
habitats.
Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Community
Forest
The
major vegetation of the knob a growth stand of Dry-
is substantially human-influenced second and third
Mesic Oak-Hickory from knob summit and lower
the with mixed oaks and hickory down upper, middle,
to
slopes where oaks and Inditf'
hickories are intermixed with planted pines on four directional slope aspects.
all
tor oak and hickory and other characteristic hardwoods found in all size-age
in varying
quantities are typically
Vascular flora of Dead Horse K
Thompson et al..
from seedlings, saplings, pole-s
classes
occurrence of these pine stand plantings at approximately 22% of the total canopy cover of the forested
the
which included the entire study area and other communities/habitats described below.
knob,
woody
Herbaceous and vegetation development has been considerably disturbed by and by
livestock the
woody
severe influences of naturalized invasive plants. The overall effects on the flora and vegetation from
and
grazing, browsing, trampling activities are currendy more evident on the fenced northern half of the
cattle
knob; nevertheless, the southern half has also been affected in species richness (number of plant species) and
The Oak Community
species diversity (types of plant species). Dry-Mesic is described from four slope aspect-
Knob
delineated habitats: Summit, Southern and Eastern Aspects, and Northern and Eastern Aspects, and a
Western Foot Slope Seep.
seasonal
—
DHK
1. Knob Summit. Soils are mostly Coyler shaley silt loams at the mountain crest (Fig. 2). Vegetation
comprised of Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest without planted This open-canopied knob summit
pines. dry,
is
by
habitat is typified a sparse native herb layer, a very dense nearly impenetrable Lonicera maackii understory
shrub layer and some tree seedlings and saphngs in a canopy overstory of mature Quercus and Carya species.
Important indicator trees are Carya ovata, C. glabra, Quercus alba, Qfalcata, Q. stellata, and a hardwood mix-
ture ofAcer rubrum var. rubrum, Fraxinus americana, Nyssa sylvatica, Prunus serotina var. serotina, Quercus ve-
cm
hitina, and Robinia pseudoacacia. The two largest Quercus alba at the knob crest are 100.3 and 102.5 DBH,
cm
two and DBH.
while the largest are 103.1 105.8
Q. stellata
woody Euonymus
Besides Lonicera maackii, other naturalized plants include alatus, E.fortunei, Ligustrum
obtusifolium var. obtusijolium, and a single Pyrus calleryana. Symphoricarpos orbiculatus and Rubus pensilvanicus
we The woody and
typical native shrubs. preeminent vines are Lonicera japonica Toxicodendron radicans var.
and
xbona-nox,
S. glauca, Vi-
The
herbaceous layer of the knc sparse mainly due
t<
and
maachii the dry topographic-moisture gradient from high
ir
forms
"icdifl a nearly continuous spring ground cover. Importa
Carex acuminatum and
blanda, C. glaucodea, swami, Danthonia Dichanthelium var. fasciculatum,
C. spicata,
Among
Sphenopholis intermedia. the few native dicot herbaceous species are Cardamine concatenata, Corydalis
Mi,
Erigeron annuus, Galium Paronychia canadensis, Penstemon brevisepalus, Phyto-
aparine, Oxalis violacea.
lacca americana, and
Potentilla simplex.
At the Knob Summit during May Thompson and Poindexter (2011) conducted a quantitative floris-
2011,
study °f species richness within the Pullins-Rucker Cemetery after the removal of Lonicera maackii and
m
other understory shrubs and tree saplings from a 30 x 15 area with a chain saw and hand clippers. In Sep-
m
tember (lxl
2011, frequency data were determined through a 20 x 12 test cemetery macroplot with thirty
m
) quadrats randomly placed Lonicera maackii removal. Likewise, frequency data were gathered
after
&
through (Thompson
a reference macroplot in an adjacent L. maackii thicket using the same parameters
Poindexter
2011).
Species richness in the 30 cemetery quadrats contained 51 different species with nine additional taxa
test
rec
°rded
outside macroplot. In order of decreasing frequency,
the quadrats for a total of 60 taxa within the test
13X3 with 50% Solanum
or were Phytolacca americana, Oxalis stricta,
greater frequency across the quadrats,
&
Jhanthum, (Thompson Poindexter
and Ailanthus altissima
Erechtites
Persicaria longiseta,
hieraciifolius,
Twenty-one
species were documented 30 quadrats of the reference Lonicerc
in the
ML. &
maackii and (Thompson Poindexter 2011).
50%
had frequency
L. japonica or greater
A
cemetery macroplot revealed
field within the
trip in October September 2011 inventory
2011 the
after
additional and Symphyotrichum lateriflorum for a total
presence
of Ageratina Clematis virginiana,
altissima.
63
media with
‘axa. In March was dominated by a thick cover of Stellaria in-
2012, the cemetery macroplot
and Taraxacum in order
termixed Lamium purpureum, Cardamine hirsuta, Galium aparine, officinale of relative
and few
abundance with volunteer and resprouted Lonicera maackii seedlings a Ailanthus altissima,
several
March
and japonica sprouts. During the monthly surveys in through June 2012, 32
Celastrus orbiculatus, L.
more were discovered within the cemetery macroplot for an overall 95volunteering taxa. These new
species
Anthoxanthum odoratum, Aralia spinosa, Arctium minus,
Ambrosia Car-
additions consisted of trifida var. trifida,
Cory flam, Daucus
damine Carex swanii, Cerastium glomeratum, Cirsium discolor, C. vulgare, dalis carota,
hirsuta,
acuminatum Erigeron philadelphicus, Galium aparine, Holcus lanatusjuglans
Dichanthelium var. fasciculatum,
Lepidium virginicum, Morus
nigra, Juncus effusus ssp. solutus.J. tenuis, Lactuca serriola, Leersia virginica, rubra,
Rumex
Packera glabella, Poapratensis ssp. pratensis. Ranunculus abortivus, obtusifolius, Sanicula canadensis var.
Ulmus and
Schedonorus arundinaceus, Solidago altissuma var. altissima, Torilis arvensis, rubra, Ver-
canadensis,
bascum
thapsus.
These 95 species within the cemetery test macroplot comprised a noteworthy 32.65% of the total DHKspe-
from October 2011 and monthly collections during March-June 2012
cies richness after additional collections
Among these individuals, 10 of the colonizing herbaceous species were found only in the cemetery macroplot
and nowhere Acalypha rhomboidea, Ageratina altissima, Chamaesyce maculata, Cirsium discolor, Comme-
else:
and
Conoclinum coelestinum, Eclipta prostrata, Eupatorium serotinum, Packera glabella, Passiflora
lina
diffusa,
incamata. Most of the 60 species prior to the October 2011 collection were also observed during the 2012 trips.
A majority of the herbaceous species colonizing the cemetery macroplot are annuals and biennials from
seeds and fruit propagules in the existing seed bank and from light, wind-carried diaspores of the seed rain
members of the Asteraceae). Most of these early successional annuals are not expected to persist as sec-
(e.g.,
&
(Thompson
ondary succession continues in time with the presence of Lonicera maackii Poindexter 2011).
was
The plot sampling data from September 2011 revealed that a high density of Lonicera maackii signifi-
and tree seedlings. Much greater species richness was evident in the cleared cemetery macroplot. The cemetery
macroplot is being reinvaded by L. maackii and as predicted, will result in a corresponding decrease in spe-
it
cies richness and species diversity and comprise another thicket in a relatively short period of time without
&
measures (Thompson
significant control Poindexter 2011).
.— down
2. Southern and Western Aspects The forested southern slope aspect from the summit to foot slope
sum-
is primarily composed of Coyler shaley silty clay loam soil, while the western slope aspect adjoining the
on
mit inclining to foot slope is comprised mostly of Whitley silty clay loam (Fig. The canopy composition
2).
the drier southern and western slopes consists of Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest comparable to that at the
knob summit with the addition of the interplanted Pinus echinata, strobus, and taeda, a few more native and
P. P.
and more
exotic shrubs, several herbaceous
species.
Most pines are mature canopy trees with some recruitment of Eastern White Pine seedlings and saplings
no A throughout
evident, but regeneration from Shortleaf Pine and Loblolly Pine. few Pinus virginiana scattered
The
the southern and western slopes have sparse regeneration along with Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana.
western,
supervised the plantings (C.L. Gentry, pers. comm. 2012). Most pines were planted on the southern,
and northern middle core sam-
slopes to lower slopes. Representative pine tree ages were confirmed by eight
on Pim*5
ples the southern aspect from four Pinus strobus and four taeda. The sample cores of the largest
P.
four
strobus of the southern aspect ranged from 47-49 yr old (41.5-55.0 cm DBH). Similarly, cores from the
most im-
largest Pinus taeda were 48-49 yr old (44.9-49.5 cm DBH) the
.Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana is
aspects
portant coniferous indicator species among the oaks and on more open southwestern
hickories the
The DBHs addi-
largest Quercus falcata have of 103.3 and 105.8 cm. Quercus imbricaria also an important
is
tional species of the southern and western slopes with the two and cm DBH. Other characte-
largest 66.7 77.0
ristic trees are Acer rubrum var. rubrum, Diospyros virginiana, Fraxinus americana, Nyssa sylvatica, Prunus sero-
drier
on the
tina var. serotina, Robinia pseudoacacia, and prevalent
Sassafras albidum. Lonicera maackii less
is
md shrubs
other