To understand reproductive allocation in a common woody plant of Everglades rockland habitats, we compared vegetative and reproductive traits of Guettarda scabra (L.) Vent. (Rubiaceae), in three habitats of Long Pine Key, Everglades National Park, Florida (pineland, hammock, and hammock edge). Plants in the pineland were shorter, with smaller leaves, and allocated more resources to sexual reproduction; plants in the hammock were taller, had larger leaves, and allocated more resources to vegetative growth. Hammock-edge plants were intermediate in height, had leaves intermediate in size, but had more leaves overall than plants in pineland or hammock. Pineland and hammock-edge plants produced many more fruits than hammock plants, with pineland plants having the largest fruit-to-leaf ratio. We interpret these differences as both a response to increased competition for light in the hammock, as well as to effects of fire in the pineland, with this species displaying greatest flowering, fruiting, and reproductive success in open pineland habitat.

In response to widespread losses of savanna ecosystems worldwide, many restoration efforts are underway. For savannas degraded by fire suppression and hardwood invasion, a first step towards restoration typically involves removal of unwanted trees and shrubs, but after invasive nonnative woody plants are top-killed, savanna restoration is often impeded by their resprouts. To evaluate patterns of vegetative recovery following clear-cuts and to explore their implications for ecosystem restoration, we determined the origins of the vegetation that develops after a clear-cut in hardwood-invaded sites being restored to pine savanna in Florida. We excavated stumps and other sprout sources, characterized the soil seed bank, and estimated seed production by early-to-mature species during the first growing season after treatment. In twenty 100-m² plots, there was approximately one source of woody plant sprouts per square meter. Root sprouts were more abundant than sprouted stumps, and most of the stumps that did sprout were small (<10 cm diameter). Plants that emerged from seeds were only abundant in a previously disturbed area where Vitis rotundifolia Michx. seedlings were common. The soil seed bank was dominated by herbaceous ruderal species. During the first year after the hardwood clear-cut, seed production was dominated by the ruderal Phytolacca americana L. and the short-lived shrub Callicarpa americana L. Hardwood removal is a reasonable first step towards savanna restoration, but managers should be aware that the removal of invasive nonnative woody species will not shift the restoration sites toward savanna if needle-shedding pines and ground layer species that carry fire are not abundant.

A total of 171 species of lichens and allied fungi are reported from the spruce-fir forests of Mount Mitchell State Park, in the Black Mountains of North Carolina, based on both historical and modern records. Comparison of the modern baseline with the historical macrolichen baseline generated in the 1970s revealed potential losses of high-elevation southern Appalachian endemics (2 species), cyanolichens (5 species), species typical of exposed rock outcrops (1 species), and widespread species typical of hardwood substrates at high elevations (8 species). In addition to a checklist and summary of lichen biodiversity, dichotomous keys are provided that include all reported species.

The high abundance of ungulates in temperate zone forests is affecting biodiversity and ecosystem functions worldwide. A randomized, replicated experiment excluded white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, from six 10 × 10 m fenced plots for 10 years; six unfenced plots were maintained as controls. The effects of chronic herbivory were assayed by comparisons using the mean responses of ground-level vegetation in nine subplots within each of the 12 plots. Deer had a small effect on species richness but a strong effect on species prevalence, cover, and biomass, with repeatable differences in the responses of taxa to the treatments. Graminoids were favored in control plots, many other monocots and several dicots were favored in fenced plots, and parasitic plants and chemically defended herbs showed few detectable responses to fencing. The height of the vegetation represented by the shrub Vaccinium erythrocarpum and the herb Medeola virginiana was significantly taller in fenced than in control plots. This experiment demonstrated that many forest herbs, especially those in the Liliaceae sensu lato, tolerate repeated browsing without flowering, probably for decades. When released from browsing, the time required for these species to sequester sufficient resources to flower and successfully develop seeds varied from 1 to 10 years among species. Managers of forest ecosystems must consider the impacts of game management on biodiversity.

Spermacoce alata Aubl. and Spermacoce latifolia Aubl., frequently referred to as Borreria alata (Aubl.) DC. and Borreria latifolia (Aubl.) K. Schum., were described in the 18th century by Jean Baptiste Christophe Fusée Aublet from French Guiana. They have sometimes been treated as a single species but are two easily distinguished species. Spermacoce alata occurs from Venezuela through the Guianas and in the eastern Amazon basin north of the Rio Amazonas and is not weedy. The New World distribution of S. latifolia is from southern Mexico through Central America and throughout eastern South America to Bolivia and Paraguay, and it is naturalized in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World. Spermacoce latifolia is a noxious weed that has frequently been misidentified as S. alata. The first documented reports of S. latifolia in Florida are presented. Given its aggressive colonization elsewhere, prompt consideration should be given to controlling the spread of S. latifolia in the southern USA.

The 24-ha Abrams Creek Wetlands (Winchester City and Frederick County, Virginia) is an array of fen, swamp, and disturbed transitional ecosystems underlain by limestone and dolostone bedrock. Soils of the area are generally characterized by exceptionally high levels of calcium (>10,000 ppm). Floristic data were collected through monthly surveys during the 2012–14 growing seasons and plot sampling in representative locations. We documented 296 vascular plant species during the inventory period; eight species found previously were not relocated. The 304 total species comprised 206 genera in 78 families. Of these, 55 species were graminoids (27 grasses, 21 sedges, 7 rushes). Obligate or facultative wetland species comprised 43% of the list. The 216 native species represented 71% of the total and included 20 listed as rare in Virginia. Plot data revealed that native species represented 72–99% of the total vegetative cover in the communities sampled. Floristic quality of the 12 constituent sites was consistently high, with Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI) scores between 30 and 44; the property as a whole scored an exceptional FQAI of 67. Constricted and fragmented by suburban and rural development, the Abrams Creek Wetlands nonetheless supports distinctive ecological assemblages that are characterized by native wetland calciphiles, many of which are rare statewide.

Seedling survival and growth in eastern white pines (Pinus strobus L.) might be limited by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browsing. However, most studies have occurred in areas central to the white pine range, making other factors such as seedling microenvironment unimportant. If microenvironment becomes a concern near the edge of the white pine range, then factors such as seedling placement in relation to forest openings could be important, especially given that deer herbivory tends to be most intense near forest edges. We evaluated the relative importance of deer browse and seedling position in openings on seedling survival and growth in central North Carolina at the southern edge of the white pine range. Further, we determined if bud caps and caging improved survival and growth. Seedlings ≤ 10 m from the edge survived at a greater proportion than those > 10 m from the edge (83% and 73%, respectively). Initial height was the most important predictor of survival (R² = 0.55; p < 0.01). When controlling for initial seedling height, the location of the seedling (p < 0.01) within the opening was the only significant predictor of survival, despite the increase of browse near the edges of openings on unprotected seedlings. Caging and bud caps decreased seedling browse by 80% but had no effect on subsequent seedling survival (p = 0.28). A smaller proportion of seedlings with bud caps survived—an effect exacerbated by being internal to the opening. Our data indicate seedling microenvironment is an important consideration at the periphery of the white pine range.

A small population of dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor; Arecaceae) was described in 2011 from Beavers Bend State Park, Oklahoma, approximately 40 km farther north than the species had previously been known to occur along the Red River. The goal of this study was to determine whether this population's size was changing. A 2.75 ha study site along the Lower Mountain Fork River in Beavers Bend State Park was visited in 2011, 2013, and 2015, and all S. minor encountered were marked with a GPS with submeter accuracy. The stage of each S. minor encountered was recorded as either seedling, split leaves, or palmate leaves. Over the course of the study, the number of individuals with palmate leaves increased from 22 in 2011 to 37 in 2015. This increase was mirrored by an increase in the number of seedlings (N = 61 in 2011 and N = 173 in 2015) as well as an increase in the number of individuals with split leaves (N = 9 in 2011 and N = 59 in 2015). The increase of this species at the extreme northwestern edge of its range is consistent with changes in the distribution of other palm species that have been linked with warmer winters. However, the eventual range of this species in Oklahoma may be limited by the availability of water, as the rest of Oklahoma is drier and precipitation across Oklahoma is projected to remain relatively stable.