Dwayne Estes
Friday, October 17, 2008 - 9:00-9:30
Grasslands are communities dominated by graminoids (grasses, sedges, rushes) and other herbaceous species that are largely maintained by one or a combination of factors such as intrinsic edaphic conditions (i.e. soil chemistry, drought), fire, grazing, hydrology, or other forms of disturbance. In Tennessee, 12 grassland or grassland-like communities are recognized: Southern Coastal Plain Blackland Prairie and Woodland, East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Plain Prairie and Barrens, Tennessee Valley Limestone Hill Barrens, Pennyroyal Karst Plain Prairie and Barrens, Western Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens, Central Basin Xeric Limestone Prairies, Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens, Cumberland Plateau Wet-Mesic Meadow and Savanna, Cumberland Plateau Riverscour Prairie, Southern Ridge and Valley Xeric Limestone Prairies, Southern Ridge and Valley Patch Prairie, and Southern Appalachian Grass and Shrub Bald. The historical and present status, dominant plant species, rare and endemic taxa, and phytogeographic relationships of these grasslands are discussed.
Keywords: TENNESSEE GRASSLANDS, BARRENS, PRAIRIES, BALDS