Rare
Plants of Southeastern Hardwood Forests and the Role of Predictive Modeling
Donald
W. Imm U.S. Forest Service, Savannah River, P.O. Box 700, New Ellenton, SC 29809 USA
Harry
E. Shealy Jr University of South Carolina-Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, SC 29802
USA
Kenneth
W. McLeod and Beverly Collins Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802 USA
Southeastern hardwood forests burn infrequently and are
characterized by
high habitat and microsite diversity.Rare plants of these forests are mostly herbs
associated with specific habitats (e.g., hardwood
coves, wetlands) or other geographic
regions.Habitat
prediction models for rare plants can be useful when large areas must be
surveyed or populations must be established.We developed a habitat prediction model for
four species of southeastern hardwood forests: Nestronia umbellula, Carex
chapmanii,
Rhododendronflammeum, and Habenaria lacera.The model suggests that the Carex has strong affinity to habitat resource and vegetation
conditions. In contrast, Nestronia
umbellula
is not strongly associated with
habitat characteristics.The model
did not
accurately predict N. umbellula habitat,
possibly because it did not account for this plant's
clonal and partially parasitic habit or its tolerance
of periodic burning.Rhododendron
flammeum
is strongly associated with specific
topographic variables, and the model
fairly
accurately predicted its habitat. Although H. lacera is strongly
associated with
habitat resources and vegetation, its habitat is small in area and was not well
predicted
by the GIS -based model. These four examples suggest
that models based on resource and
vegetation characteristics can accurately predict
habitat, but only when plants are strongly associated with these variables and
the scale of modeling coincides with habitat size.
Habitat prediction models can be useful tools for
managing rare plants of southeastern
hardwood forests, especially when combined with
information gained through research
and monitoring.
Imm, D. W., H. E. Shealy, Jr., K. W.
McLeod, and B. Collins. 2001. Rare plants of southeastern hardwood forests and
the role of predictive modeling. Natural Areas Journal 21:36-49.
