Date of Award

1984

Degree Name

Biological Sciences

College

College of Science

Type of Degree

M.S.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Dan K. Evans

Second Advisor

Stanley W. Ash

Third Advisor

Donald C. Tarter

Fourth Advisor

L. Michael Hill

Abstract

A total of 255 species of vascular plants, representing 70 families, was recorded from nine physiographic community types at Rarnsey's Draft Wilderness Area, Augusta County, Virginia. No single species occurred in more than seven communities. One hundred and sixty-eight species (65.9%) were restricted to a single community; 14 species encountered were previously unknown to Augusta County. Floristic similarity coefficients of nine communities ranged from .500 to 0.000, with the Picnic Area and Lower Natural Area communities having no taxa in coornon. Geographically, the flora of Ramsey's Draft Wilderness Area is representative of the flora of the five physiographic regions of Virginia. Of 255 species recorded at Ramsey's Draft, 95.7 percent also occurred in the Limestone Valley physiographic region, while the Coastal Plain region is least related to Ramsey's Draft with 76.5 percent.

Trees, saplings, shrubs, woody seedlings and herbs were quantified by quadrat analysis in three communities: Floodplain, Middle Natural Area and Upper Natural Area. Among canopy species, Tsuga canadensis was the most important element in the Floodplain and Middle Natural Area communities with importance values of 112.9 and 189.1, respectively. Quercus rubra was the most important element in the Upper Natural Area community with an importance value of 147.4. Important sub-dominant canopy elements included Acer rubrum with an importance value of 41.5 in the Floodplain community and 35.8 in the Upper Natural Area. Betula alleghaniensis had values of 57.3 in the Middle Natural Area community and 28.3 in the Upper Natural Area community, while Betula lenta had values of 53.6 in the Middle Natural Area corrm.mity and 30.0 in the Floodplain community. The sapling class was dominated by Tsuga canadensis in the Floodplain and Middle Natural Area communities, with importance values of 58.8 and 108.1, respectively. Hamamelis virginiana was the most important sapling at the Upper Natural Area community, with a value of 86 .4. Other important saplings and shrubs were Kalmia latifolia at the Floodplain community, with an importance value of 30.5; Betula alleghaniensis at the Middle Natural Area community, with a value of 63.0; and Castanea dentata at the Upper Natural Area community, with a value of 35.0.

The most important ground cover species were Gaultheria procumbens at the Floodplain community, with an importance value of 24.3; Dryopteris spinulosa at the Middle Natural Area community, with a value of 106.6; and Dryopteris marginals at the Upper Natural Area community, with a value of 32 .4. All communities except the Picnic Area were little disturbed and supported a native flora that was largely habitat specific.

Subject(s)

Botany -- Virginia -- Augusta County.

Ramsey's Draft Wilderness Area -- Virginia -- Augusta County.

Plants - Research.

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