The North Carolina
Vegetation Survey
Robert K. Peet, Michael P. Schafale,
Alan S. Weakley, Thomas R. Wentworth, &
Peter S. White
What is the NCVS?
• A collaborative research program with the
general goal of characterizing the natural
vegetation of North Carolina and adjacent
states (especially South Carolina)
What is the Gang of Seven (GOS)?
• NCVS had its origins in a meeting held at
the North Carolina Botanical Garden
in November, 1987
• Seven individuals were present:
Norman Christensen
Alan Weakley
Robert Peet
Thomas Wentworth
Michael Schafale
Peter White
Rob Sutter
Who is the NCVS?
The Gang of only four (GOOF)
– Robert Peet, University of North Carolina
Convenor, data management, fieldwork coordination
– Thomas Wentworth, North Carolina State University
Secretary, lodging, fieldwork logistics
– Michael Schafale, North Carolina Heritage Program
Site identification and access
– Alan Weakley, Association for Biological Information
Taxonomic information & services
Partners in crime – e.g. Cecil Frost, Pat McMillan, Dan Pittillo,
Richard Porcher, Chris Ulrey
Volunteers – about 400 volunteers have worked over 2260 days
NCVS Objectives
• Description, classification, and inventory of
natural vegetation
• Interpretation of vegetation-environment
relationships
• Long-term monitoring of ecosystem conditions
Vision
• On the web: The Carolina Vegetation Database
• Revision of the National Vegetation Classification
• A book: The Vegetation of the Carolinas
The NCVS Protocol - Goals
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Consistent methodology
Appropriate for most vegetation types
FGDC compliant and broadly compatible
Scale transgressive
Flexible in intensity of use and commitment of time
Easily resampleable
Includes total floristics and tree population structure
Includes major site variable, including soil attributes
The NCVS Protocol - Specifics
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Castanea 1998 63:262-274
10 x 10 m (= 1 are) basic module
10 module preferred configuration
Species presence in nested quadrats
Stem tally area adjustable
Data Management Tools
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SAS-based quality control procedures
Access database
Carolina species codes
Nomenclature follows Kartesz 1999
The Pulse Approach
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Based on community collaboration
Intense regional focus for one week
“Bootcamp for botanists”?
“Botanical Woodstock”?
What Pulse Participants Receive
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Free T-shirt (usually)
Free lodging (usually)
Access to sites rarely available
Botanical and ecological experience
Taxonomic training
Contacts with regional field biologists
Insect bites, exercise, etc.
Past Pulses (1166 plots)
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1988
1989-90
1991-93
1994
1995
1996
1997
1997-99
1998
1999
2000
2000
NC Maritime Forest * 93 plots
NC Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodlands * 122 plots
NC Coastal Plain Longleaf Pine Woodlands * 201 plots
NC Piedmont Vegetation – Uwharrie Nat. Forest * 78 plots
NC Pisgah Nat. Forest – Roan & Grandfather Mts * 74 plots
NC Nantahala Nat. Forest – Nantahala Mts * 91 plots
NC Highlands Plateau & Balsam Mountains * 93 plots
SC Coastal Fringe – Shell and Marl Forests *133 plots
NC Hickory Nut Gorge & Hot Springs Window * 74 plots
NC Amphibolite mts – Ashe & Watauga Counties *75 plots
NC Gorges State Park * 76 plots
SC Longleaf Pine & Maritime Forest *56 plots
Supplementary Studies (1384 plots)
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Roanoke River Floodplain – Steve Rice * 142 plots
Linville Gorge Wilderness – Claire Newell * 181 plots
Shinning Rock Wilderness – Claire Newell * 160 plots
Joyce Kilmer - Slick Rock Wilderness – Claire Newell * 185 plots
Ellicott Rock Wilderness – Karen Patterson * 57 plots
Montane Cedar Bluffs – Christine Small * 20 plots
Sandhills Longleaf Woodlands – Richard Duncan * 67 plots
SC Longleaf Woodlands – Eric Kjellmark * 131 plots
High-elevation Rock Outcrops – Susan Wiser * 154 plots
Carolina Bays – Tim Nifong * 287 plots
Mountain Rivers – Becky Brown * plots pending
Results: Species frequencies
2285 species in 2491 plots
Octave
Range
Count
0
0
2044
1
1
343
2
2-3
312
3
4-7
309
4
8-15
317
5
16-31
278
6
32-63
258
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64-127
234
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128-255
143
9
256-511
74
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512-1024
16
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>1024
1
Who is missing?
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Rare species
Weeds of fields and waste places
Plants of marshes and wetlands
Plants of special habitats
Occurrences of Carolina Milkweeds
**=rare, *=uncommon (Weakley 2000)
31
Asclepias amplexicaulis
1
** Asclepias perennis
9
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Asclepias cinerea
0
** Asclepias purpurascens
1
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Asclepias connivens
13
Asclepias quadrifolia
58
Asclepias exaltata
3
18
Asclepias humistrata
0
4
Asclepias incarnata
6
Asclepias lanceolata
28
Asclepias tuberosa
27 *
Asclepias longifolia
14
Asclepias variegata
13 *
Asclepias michauxii
24 *
Asclepias verticillata
1
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Asclepias obovata
2
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Asclepias viridiflora
9
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Asclepias pedicellata
0
** Asclepias viridis
3
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Asclepias rubra
Asclepias syriaca
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Asclepias tomentosa
Case Study:
Fire-maintained Pine Woodlands
Top 6 species in 521 pine-woodland plots
• 91%
Pinus palustris (Longleaf pine)
• 75%
Gaylussacia dumosa (Dwarf Huckleberry)
• 72%
Pityopsis graminifolia (Grass-leaved Goldenaster)
• 63%
Vaccinium tenellum (Small Black Blueberry)
• 63%
Diospyros virginiana (Persimmon)
• 59%
Ilex glabra (Inkberry Holly)
Top 7 herbs in 521 pine-woodland plots
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72%
56%
54%
50%
43%
42%
42%
Pityopsis graminifolia (Grass-leaved Goldenaster)
Aristida stricta (Carolina Wiregrass)
Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken Fern)
Solidago odora (Anise-scented Goldenrod)
Rhexia alifanus (Savannah Meadow-beauty
Ionactis linariifolius (Stiff-leaved Aster
Xyris caroliniana (Carolina Yellow-eyed-grass)
Case Study:
Forests of the Nantahala Mountains
Top 6 species in 1240 mountain plots
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73%
58%
51%
48%
47%
46%
Acer rubrum (Red Maple)
Quercus rubra (Red Oak)
Smilax rotundifolia (Common Greenbrier)
Kalmia latifolia (Mountain-laurel)
Tsuga canadensis (Canada Hemlock)
Smilax glauca (Whiteleaf Greenbrier)
Top 6 herbs in 1240 mountain plots
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40%
38%
38%
37%
33%
33%
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern)
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit)
Solidago curtisii (Curtis’ Goldenrod)
Polygonatum biflorum (King Solomon’s-seal)
Ageratina altissima (White Snakeroot)
Maianthemum racemosum (Canada Mayflower)
Case Study:
Lower Roanoke River Floodplain
Top 7 species in 652 Coastal Plain forest plots
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48%
44%
44%
41%
41%
35%
34%
Toxicodendron radicans (Poison-ivy)
Acer rubrum (Red Maple)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia-creeper)
Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadine)
Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum)
Smilax rotundifolia (Common Greenbrier)
Smilax bona-nox (Catbrier)
(15 of the top 50 are vines)
NCVS Report Card
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North Carolina Pulses: 13
South Carolina Pulses: 4
Numerous affiliated projects
Total plots: > 2500
Total species: > 2300
Financial Support
• US Forest Service – Savannah River Site (Longleaf Pine)
• US Forest Service – Clean Air Program (NC Mountain
Wilderness Areas)
• US Forest Service – National Forests in NC (1994-1999
Pulses)
• The Nature Conservancy (Roanoke River & Mellon
Foundation)
• NC Heritage Trust Fund & NC State Parks (1999-2000
Pulses)
• NC Agricultural Research Service (NCSU projects)
• National Park Service (Great Smoky Mountains)
• National Science Foundation (Data management)
What Pulse costs – annual expenses
Data management
$9,000
Soil analysis
$5,000
Lodging
$2,500
T-shirts
$700
Vehicle use
$1000
Supplies & equipment
$1000
TOTAL
$19,200
The future of the U.S. National
Vegetation Classification
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Continuously updated
Perfectly archived
Plot-based
Open process
Primary literature
The National Plots Database
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Broadly flexible input & output
Web-accessible
Local client
Easily searchable
National Taxonomic Database?
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Concept-based
Party-neutral
Synonymy and lineage tracking
Upgrade for ITIS & USDA PLANTS?
An Invitation
• June 2-9, 2001
2001 SC Coastal Fringe – Grasslands, Marshes, &
Shrublands
• July 14-22, 2001
Western NC Piedmont & Adjacent Blue Ridge
Escarpment
• Contact
Bob Peet:
peet@unc.edu
Tom Wentworth: tom_wentworth@ncsu.edu