Introduction to Ecology
and Management of Rare Plants of the Southeast
B. Collins Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802 USA
P.S. White Department of Biology, Coker Hall, CB# 3280, University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280 USA
Donald W. Imm Savannah River Institute, P.O. Box 700, New Ellenton, SC 29809 USA
ABSTRACT: This issue of Natural Areas Journal focuses on ecology and
management
of rare plants of the southeastern United States.This region lies mostly south of the
Wisconsin glacial boundary and includes sections of the
Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and
Appalachian Highlands Physiographic Provinces.Lack of glaciation might have helped
concentrate rare plants in the Southeast; varied geology, topography, and soils
contribute
to diverse habitats with rare plants.Habitat
loss threatens rare plants of southeastern
ecosystems.Development
and fire exclusion have contributed to fragmentation and rarity
in once widespread longleaf pine communities and in Florida scrub. Depression
wetlands,
which dot the southern coastal plain and are foci for rare plants, are often
ditched or
drained. Urbanization has fragmented rare plant populations along river
corridors. The
articles in this issue focus on the distribution of southeastern rare plants
and some habitats
of concern, and discuss ecological and management
aspects of rarity.As rare plant
populations decline in the southeast, detailed
information on their distributions and
ecological interactions can inform monitoring and
management decisions.
Index terms: rare plants, southeastern United
States
SREL
Reprint #2503
Collins, B., P. S. White, and D. W.
Imm. 2001. Introduction to ecology and management of rare plants of the
southeast. Natural Areas Journal 21:4-11.
