Substrate-Associated Plants
Chestnut Oak – Quercus montana
Chestnut Oaks are known to be geologically limited to the tops of high and dry sandstone hills, exactly like the ones seen at Deep Woods Farm.
Sourwood – Oxydendrum arboreum
Sourwood is a variably colored medium tree, whose flower nectar can of be ingested by be used by bees to create an uniquely tasting honey.
Shagbark Hickory – Carya ovata
The bark of Shagbark Hickory trees is one of it’s most identifiable features, peeling away in large curved sheets and earning the “shaggy” descriptor, but it is yet to be apparent in this young tree.
Ferns
Common Polypody – Polypodium vulgare
Frond Type: Monodimorphic
Frond Dissection: Pinnatifid
Royal Fern – Osmodium regalis
Frond Type: Hemidimorphic
Frond Dissection: Pinnate
Maidenhair Fern – Adiantum sp.
Frond Type: Monodimorphic
Frond Dissection: Pinnate-Pinnatifid
The Appalachian Gametophyte
Vittaria appalachiana, commonly known as the Appalachian Gametophyte, sparked interest in botanists and researchers when it was discovered to be a unique fern species isolated to only the Appalachian Mountains and plateau of the eastern United States. The trait that makes these gametophytes so unique, is their lack of sporophyte structure, and their ability to asexually reproduce, which leads botanists to believe they lost their sporophyte throughout isolated evolution in the caves of Appalachia.
Fern gemmae are significantly larger structures when compared to spores. This difference in size presents significant obstacles when faced with the task of dispersal for reproduction. Where spores are easily dispersed via wind, allowing for long distance travel and spread of territory, fern gemmae instead rely on short distance dispersal, transported by strong gusts of wind, rain, and in some cases via slugs and ants. The idea of slugs potentially aiding in the transport of fern gemmae was proposed by Robin Kimmerer and Craig Young in an article that describes propagules becoming trapped in slime secretions from slugs, which leads to dispersal across environments.
A notable feature of the Appalachian Gametophyte is it’s uniqueness and rarity relative to the rest of the world. The geological locale of the Appalachian Gametophyte was another clue for researchers to the reason for the distinct path of selection against sporophyte structures, and it is believed that the cave systems and rock outcroppings, along with the difficulty of gemmae dispersal, provided barriers of isolation for gene transfer outside of Appalachia.
This isolation and evolutionary selection resulted in speciation, not hybridization, as displayed by researchers when uncovering the genome of the Appalachian Gametophyte, which then reveals the prior use of these structures to disperse in such wide range across the eastern U.S. However, the total disconnection from the gametophyte and sporophyte structure in this species over time means they are currently incapable of utilizing these structures.
Invasives
Japanese Stiltgrass – Microstegium vimineum
The invasive Japanese Stiltgrass, also known as Nepalese Browntop, will rapidly spread and choke out other grass and forest floor species due to its aggressive reproduction, and overbearing plant structure.
From: https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/japanese-stiltgrass
Trees in Trouble
Butternut – Juglans cinerea
The Butternut is a species of tree within the walnut family native to Ohio and the eastern U.S. The Butternut however is facing several threats in todays environment, including a spreading fungal disease which almost always results in fatality for the tree. Additionally Butternuts are threatened by blight, pest damage and a variety of human interactions.
From: https://wp.towson.edu/glenarboretum/butternut/#:~:text=Threats,and%20spreads%20through%20rainwater%C2%B9.