Term of Award

Summer 1995

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biology

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Department

Department of Biology

Committee Chair

Donald J. Drapalik

Committee Member 1

Donald R. Drake

Committee Member 2

John E. Averett

Committee Member 3

Lorne M. Wolfe

Abstract

The objective of this study was to obtain a complete list of all vascular plant species found within a floristically diverse site containing bog and sandhill habitats located in the coastal plain of southeastern Georgia approximately one km northeast of Manassas, GA. The site consisted of a 2.96 hectare (7.5 acres) tract of land positioned under a stretch of powerline. The total length of the powerline corridor was approximately 984 m, and the width was 25-37m (30 m average). Approximately 35% of the corridor was bog habitat, 55% sandhill habitat, and 10% bog-sandhill ecotone. Field data were collected from November 1993 to November 1994. Habitat information was obtained for all vascular plant species, and specimens of each were collected, preserved, and identified. A total of 258 plant species representing 63 families and 163 genera was collected from the study site. In fall 1994 the point-intercept method was used to quantify the plant cover in two of the area's habitat types, the bog and sandhill. The dominant species in the bogs were Scleria reticularis (Nutrush) with 28% cover and Panicum longifolium (Panic Grass) with 16%; the dominant species in the sandhills were Aristida stricta (Wiregrass) with 45% cover and Pteridium aquilinum(Bracken Fern) with 12%. Considering the entire site, the bog habitats had a much greater plant species richness than the sandhill habitats. This is the first detailed account of the many rare plants, including some endangered and protected carnivorous plants, found in Tattnall County. In the study area there are three species of Sarracenia (Pitcher Plants), three species of Utricularia (Bladderworts), one species of Drosera (Sundew), and one species of Pinguicula (Butterwort).

OCLC Number

1030895510

Copyright

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