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Eastern Kentucky University

The Vascular Flora of Garrard County, Kentucky

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>Garrard County, Kentucky, was the subject of a floristic study conducted from 2010 to 2013. The study documented 961 species in 494 genera and 137 families. Garrard County encompasses 60,570 hectares in central Kentucky and includes parts of both the Bluegrass Section and the Knobs-Norman Upland of the Interior Low Plateaus. Permitted collecting at The Felix Reynolds Prairie, The Nature Conservancy's Sally Brown and Crutcher Preserve, Tom Dorman State Nature Preserve, and Maywoods Environmental and Educational Laboratory was coordinated with state and private conservation agencies. Two plant communities known to occur in the county, Limestone/Dolomite Prairie and Bluegrass Mesophytic Cane Forest, are listed as Endangered in Kentucky. Other plant communities are described and compared with previous vegetation studies of the Bluegrass and Knobs. Sixteen state-listed species were documented in the county, including a Historical species, four Endangered, five Threatened, and six Special Concern. About 18% of the flora is non-native, and 95 of these species are listed as Severe, Significant, or Moderate Threats, or Watch List. Habitat loss and invasive species continue to degrade rare plant community remnants and populations of rare plants. Applications of baseline floristic inventories can be used in assessing conservation priorities for landscape preservation in Kentucky. </p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science (MS)
Level thesis:degree_level
Master's
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Biological Sciences
Grantor dc:publisher
Eastern Kentucky University
Year
2014

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Overbeck, William

Subjects

dc:subject × 8

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • Copyright 2014 William Overbeck

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/228
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:encompass.eku.edu:etd-1226

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Eastern Kentucky University
Base URL
encompass.eku.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Overbeck, William. The Vascular Flora of Garrard County, Kentucky. Master's thesis, Eastern Kentucky University, 2014. https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/228