Glade Systems of the Southeastern United States

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1 Glade Systems of the Southeastern United States
Kim Norton Taylor Botanical Research Institute of Texas

2 What is a glade? Historically: an opening in a forest
Dominated by herbaceous vegetation Restrictive layer near the surface Extreme soil chemistry Cedars of Lebanon SNA, Lebanon, Tennessee

3 What is a glade? Surrounded by matrix of regional climax vegetation
forest tall grass prairie

4 What is a glade? Local conditions create edaphic climax communities
Sunnybell SNA, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

5 Glade Structure Cyclical change in vegetation
Heavy rainfall= continuous soil erosion as water moves soil over impenetrable layers

6 Glade Structure Soil washed from rocks collects in crevices= accumulation of soil on surface

7 Glade Structure Woody plant growth in now deeper soils further stabilizes soil

8 Glade Structure Fire, drought, & tree removal loosen soil and keep in open state

9 Vegetation Zones Bare Rock Soil Depth

10 Vegetation Zones Bare Rock Soil Depth Bare Rock Soil Depth

11 Vegetation Zones Soil Depth Trees Shrubs Perennial Grasses
Perennial Dicots Medium Herb dicots Annual Grasses Cryptograms Small Herb Dicots Soil Depth Bare Rock Nostoc Mosses Lichens Sedum Phemeranthus Heliotropium Croton Hypericum Sporobolus Symphyotrichum Solidago Echinacea Dalea Schizachyrium Andropogon Bouteloua Forestiera Juniperus Pinus Quercus Carya Acer

12 Island Glades Ware 2002

13 Outcrop Margin Ware 2002

14 Blufftop Glade Ware 2002

15 Hillside Glade Ware 2002

16 Glade Systems Many glade systems throughout the SE United States
Cedar Glades Texas Limestone Glades Weches Glades Ozark Glades Granite Flatrock Glades Saline Prairies

17 Limestone Cedar Glades
Outcrops of primarily Ordovician or Mississippian limestone Central TN, South- Central KY, Northern AL

18 Limestone Cedar Glades
Mostly flat outcrops at lower elevations Shallow, rocky soils Surrounded by matrix of mixed cedar-hardwood forest Seasonal vegetation Saturated in winter and early spring Dry in summer

19 Limestone Cedar Glades
Endemics: 28 species Leavenworthia (8 spp.) Echinacea tennesseensis Paysonia lyrata (AL) Dalea gattingeri Pediomelum subacaule Characteristic species: Sporobolus vaginiflorus Eleocharis bifida Minuartia patula

20 Limestone Cedar Glades
Endemics: 28 species Leavenworthia (8 spp.) Echinacea tennesseensis Paysonia lyrata (AL) Dalea gattingeri Pediomelum subacaule Characteristic species: Sporobolus vaginiflorus Eleocharis bifida Minuartia patula

21 Texas Limestone Glades

22 Texas Limestone Glades
Fort Worth Prairie/West Cross Timbers Lampasas Cut Plain Edwards Plateau Distribution of Isoetes butleri in Texas

23 Texas Limestone Glades
Fort Worth Prairie/West Cross Timbers Lampasas Cut Plain Edwards Plateau

24 Texas Limestone Glades
Endemics: Dalea reverchonii Characteristic species: Sporobolus vaginiflorus Eleocharis occulta Physaria engelmannii Minuartia michauxii var. texana Distribution of Dalea reverchonii in Texas

25 Texas Limestone Glades
Endemics: Dalea reverchonii Characteristic species: Sporobolus vaginiflorus Eleocharis occulta Physaria engelmannii Minuartia michauxii var. texana

26 Weches Glades

27 Weches Glades Gulf Coastal Plain
Outcrops of marine sediment and glauconitic clays of the Weches Formation San Augustine, Nacogdoches, and Sabine counties, TX FWS

28 Weches Glades Outcrops exposed by erosion of hillside slopes
Shallow, rocky soils Seasonal vegetation Saturated in winter and early spring Dry in summer

29 Weches Glades Endemics Characteristic species Physaria pallida
Leavenworthia texana Characteristic species Sedum pulchellum Clinopodium arkansanum Sporobolus vaginiflorus Bioimages

30 Ozark Glades

31 Ozark Glades Limestone, dolomite, sandstone, granite, chert, or shale
Hillsides in Ozark Mountains

32 Ozark Glades Strongly sloping
Soil erosion exceeds weathering of bedrock Shallow, rocky soils Mosaic of different soil depths Seasonal vegetation Saturated in winter and early spring Dry in summer

33 Ozark Glades Endemics: Characteristic species: Scutellaria bushii
Penstemon cobaea var. purpureus Characteristic species: Sporobolus ozarkanus

34 Granite Flatrock Glades

35 Granite Flatrock Glades
Granitic Domes Piedmont Region Enchanted Rock Wichita Mountains

36 Granite Flatrock Glades
Depressions in rock outcrops Soil accumulates in depressions and cracks Seasonal vegetation Dry in summer Saturated in winter and early spring=vernal pools

37 Granite Flatrock Glades
Endemics: Diamorpa smallii Cyperus granitophilus Gratiola amphiantha Isoetes melanospora Isoetes lithophila Characteristic species: Schoneolirion croceum Senecio tomentosus

38 Granite Flatrock Glades
Endemics: Diamorpa smallii Cyperus granitophilus Gratiola amphiantha Isoetes melanospora Isoetes lithophila Characteristic species: Schoneolirion croceum Senecio tomentosus

39 Saline Prairies

40 How do Saline prairies fit this mold?
Edaphic climax communities Openings in forest matrix Bare soil areas called slicks Restrictive layer limiting woody plant growth and restricting water penetration Dense clay pan Seasonal hydrology and vegetation Endemic plants

41 How do Saline prairies fit this mold?
Edaphic climax communities Openings in forest matrix Bare soil areas called slicks Restrictive layer limiting woody plant growth and restricting water penetration Dense clay pan Seasonal hydrology and vegetation Endemic plants

42 Conclusions Learn more about a system by comparing it to similar systems Predictive power

43 Questions?