Type of Submission
Poster
Keywords
Conservation, Indian Mound Reserve, Native Eastern US Flora, Trillium nivale, Thuja occidentalis
Proposal
The three prominent gorges in Southwest Ohio serve as refugia for native eastern US flora, including ferns and spring ephemeral wildflowers. Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve stands out as a locality where rare spring ephemerals like snow trillium (Trillium nivale) and unique trees like the eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) maintain stable populations due to stringent conservation efforts. This survey aims to assess if other local gorges lacking state or federal protection also harbor rare flora. Indian Mound Reserve, chosen for its proximity and status within the Greene County Parks system, was subjected to a year-long field survey across 137 acres, focusing on the area within Massie Creek Gorge. iNaturalist aided in verifying field observations and supplementing the survey with potentially missed species. Post-survey, flora was categorized into native trees, ferns, and wildflowers; non-native naturalized flora; and invasive species. Lichens, fungus, bryophytes, and graminoids were excluded due to their diversity and identification challenges in the field. The lists were cross-referenced with NatureServe, BONAP (The Biota of North America Program), and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ state-listed species to determine conservation statuses. Only two species (Trillium nivale; Thuja occidentalis) were classified as vulnerable (S3) by NatureServe, two (Thuja occidentalis; Monarda clinopodia) as rare by BONAP, and two (Trillium nivale; Thuja occidentalis) as rare by ODNR, with a single species (Thuja occidentalis) listed as potentially threatened. Despite the absence of state or federal protections, this study reveals that protected areas at a county level contribute significantly to the survival of rare flora. While populations may be smaller compared to Clifton Gorge, the findings underscore the substantial benefits of even localized conservation measures.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Publication Date
2024
Survey and Conservation Status of Flora at Indian Mound Reserve Cedarville, Ohio
The three prominent gorges in Southwest Ohio serve as refugia for native eastern US flora, including ferns and spring ephemeral wildflowers. Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve stands out as a locality where rare spring ephemerals like snow trillium (Trillium nivale) and unique trees like the eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) maintain stable populations due to stringent conservation efforts. This survey aims to assess if other local gorges lacking state or federal protection also harbor rare flora. Indian Mound Reserve, chosen for its proximity and status within the Greene County Parks system, was subjected to a year-long field survey across 137 acres, focusing on the area within Massie Creek Gorge. iNaturalist aided in verifying field observations and supplementing the survey with potentially missed species. Post-survey, flora was categorized into native trees, ferns, and wildflowers; non-native naturalized flora; and invasive species. Lichens, fungus, bryophytes, and graminoids were excluded due to their diversity and identification challenges in the field. The lists were cross-referenced with NatureServe, BONAP (The Biota of North America Program), and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ state-listed species to determine conservation statuses. Only two species (Trillium nivale; Thuja occidentalis) were classified as vulnerable (S3) by NatureServe, two (Thuja occidentalis; Monarda clinopodia) as rare by BONAP, and two (Trillium nivale; Thuja occidentalis) as rare by ODNR, with a single species (Thuja occidentalis) listed as potentially threatened. Despite the absence of state or federal protections, this study reveals that protected areas at a county level contribute significantly to the survival of rare flora. While populations may be smaller compared to Clifton Gorge, the findings underscore the substantial benefits of even localized conservation measures.
