This study investigated the vascular flora diversity, seed bank composition, and physical parameters of the fen at Red-Tail Nature Preserve (RTNP) in Delaware County, Indiana for a better understanding of plant community composition. Data were collected from eighty sample points established on transects occurring in four sampling zones. The results of the study were subjected to detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) in order to analyze plant community data and to provide an indication of differences in community composition between the sampling zones. Results from DCA analysis were compared to physical parameter analysis of soil and water from each sampling zone to determine relationships between plant community types and environmental factors.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306 / Department of Biology

An inventory of the vascular flora at Munsee Woods in Delaware County, Indiana revealed 399 species and varieties representing 255 genera and 86 families. The 10 families containing ~52% of the documented species (in order by number of species) were Asteraceae, Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Rosaceae, Brassicaceae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Polygonaceae, and Liliaceae. Of the documented flora, 300 were native and 99 were exotics. The Floristic Quality Index (FQI) was 47.7, and the mean Coefficient of Conservation (Cav) was 2.4. A plot-based analysis of the woody vegetation was conducted for the southern mesic, upland woodland. Based on the relative importance values (RIV), the important species in order were Acer saccharum, Quercus alba, Celtis occidentalis, Prunus serotina, and Ulmus americana. Relative importance values were used to compare Munsee Woods to Christy Woods in Delaware County, Ginn Woods in Delaware County, and Yuhas Woods in Randolph County. The results of these comparisons were interpreted with regards to the disturbance history of the site, age of the stand, and the stage of succession. / Department of Biology

This study is an effort to provide new information on the effects of isolated tree canopies on understory vegetation composition and soil characteristics of northern Indiana black oak savannas. Temperate savannas in the United States have been greatly altered by human activities. Management of these areas is an important consideration for Midwest natural resource agencies. It is hypothesized that isolated trees within a savanna may alter the soil and plants around them, much in the same way that gaps in a forest canopy alter the plant composition and soil characteristics on the forest floor. In this study, isolated trees were selected in three northern Indiana black oak (Quercus velutina) savannas. Plots were located under the tree canopies and in adjacent open areas, in four directions from the tree stem. Populations of herbaceous plants were inventoried and the soil characteristics analyzed for both inside-canopy and outside-canopy plots. The environmental variables measured accounted for only about 20 percent of the variation in plant community between plots according to a Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Most of the variation in plant composition between plots was explained by pH, the amount of rain throughfall, and the thickness of the A horizon. It is clear that these black oak trees do alter the soil and plant composition around them. This information has implications for the long-term management of northern Indiana savannas. / Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

Botany Glen, The James S. Wilson Memorial Sanctuary, is an 18 hectare (45 acre) forested tract located in Grant County, Indiana, adjacent to the Mississinewa River. Botany Glen is an important natural area in east central Indiana due to its relatively small size and high diversity.The flora documents 331 species and varieties of vascular plants representing 241 genera and 90 families; 158 species are recorded for the first time in Grant County. Of the 331 species listed, 67 (or 20%) are exotic. Most of these exotics have failed to penetrate the interior of the forest.Permanent monitoring plots were established in dry upland forest, floodplain forest and secondary successional forest. Data were collected from overstory, understory and herbaceous plant layers in these plots. Analysis of these data and information from the floristic inventory were utilized to describe the structure and composition of three primary plant communities. Baseline data and procedures were established for future study of this property. / Department of Biology