Savannas, Barrens, and Rock Outcrop Plant Communities of North America

by Edited by Roger C. Anderson , James S. Fralish , Jerry M. Baskin

• ISBN13: 9780521035811
• ISBN10: 0521035813
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-04-23
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Savannas and barrens were major components of the historic North American landscape before it was extensively altered by agricultural and urban development during the past century. Rock outcrop plant communities and serpentine barrens are of interest because they are refugia for endemic species adapted to extreme environmental conditions. Many of these communities have been reduced to less than one per cent of their original area and are imperiled ecosystems. This book provides a coherent, readable summary of the technical information available on savannas, barrens and rock outcrop plant communities. It is organized by region into four parts: eastern south-eastern region, central/midwest region, western/south-western region, and northern region. Written by internationally recognized regional specialists, each chapter includes a description of the climate, geology, soils associated with the community, and information about its historic and current vegetation.

Table of Contents

List of contributors

Introduction

Eastern/Southeastern Region

Ecology and conservation of Florida scrub

Southeastern pine savannas

New Jersey pine plains: the -true barrens- of the New Jersey pine barrens

Vegetation, flora, and plant physiological ecology of serpentine barrens of eastern North America

The mid-Appalachian shale barrens

Eastern granite outcrops

High-elevation outcrops and barrens of the southern Appalachian mountains

Central/Midwest Region

Dry soil oak savanna in the Great Lakes region

Deep-soil savannas and barrens of the Midwestern United States

Open woodland communities of southern Illinois, western Kentucky and middle Tennessee

The big barrens region of Kentucky and Tennessee

Cedar glades of southeastern United States

Savanna, barrens and glade communities of the Ozark Plateaus Province

The cross timbers

Western/Southwestern Region

Ponderosa and limber pine woodlands

The sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) communities of the Llano Estacado: history, structure, ecology and restoration

Oak savanna in the American Southwest

Juniper-Pi+ on savannas and woodlands of western North America

Serpentine barrens of western North America

California oak savanna

Northern Region

Jack pine barrens of the northern Great Lakes region

The cliff ecosystem of the Niagara escarpment

Alvars of the Great Lakes region

The flora and ecology of southern Ontario granite barrens

The aspen parkland of Canada

Subarctic lichen woodlands

Index of plants

Index of animals

Topic index

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