Date of Award

1996

Degree Name

Biological Sciences

College

College of Science

Type of Degree

M.S.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Dan k. Evans

Second Advisor

Thomas Pauley

Third Advisor

Thomas Weaks

Abstract

Plant community structure, floristics, and bank profiles for five sites along the middle Ohio River were described. Values obtained were compared with a similar study by Clagg and Mills in 1978 on four of the five sites. A total of 186 plant species was observed in the plant community and floristic study. Glenwood Bend had the greatest diversity with 109 plant species. Mason-Pomeroy had the lowest diversity with only 35 plant species. Six species, representing 3.2 percent of the total observed number of species, were present at all five sites. The majority of species, 51 percent, were present at only one of the five study sites. Of the 186 plant species, 73 percent are native to West Virginia and 27 percent are either adventive, introduced, or exotic. The number of non-native plant species is consistent with the average for the overall flora of West Virginia and unglaciated Ohio. The floristic composition found in this study differed greatly from that found in the study by Clagg and Mills in 1978. Using Coefficient of Similarity, the similarity of the sites to the 1978 study ranged from 0.51 to 0.27. All five sites were different, each with unique habitats or disturbances. Using Coefficient of Similarity, the similarity of sites to one another ranged from 0.49 to 0.26. Bank profiles from 1995 were compared to those of 1996. Overall, there was minor to moderate erosion at the five sites despite two periods of flooding during the study year, January 1996 and May 1996. Site 1, Indian Guyan, had the most erosion along the bank and Site 3, Ashton Campground, had the least erosion. Indian Guyan, with the most erosion, had 525 stems of woody vegetation per acre. The Ashton Campground site, with 2156.8 stems per acre, had the largest number of woody seedlings and shrubs along the bank.

Subject(s)

Plant communities – Ohio.

Plant communities – West Virginia.

Soil erosion.

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