Prince William Forest Park 2003-2004 Floristic Survey

Sanders, Geoffrey M.

The Biology Department of George Mason University conducted a floristic survey in Prince William Forest Park, in Prince William County, Virginia, during the 2003 and 2004 growing seasons. The purpose of the survey was to locate and identify as many of the naturally growing vascular plant species in the Park as possible, with a goal of listing 90 percent of these species. The 90 percent goal was estimated to be 652 species; 743 species were located and identified. With two varieties each found for four of the species, the taxa count was 747. No plants on the Virginia Rare Plant List were found; two Virginia Watch List plants were found. All plant locations were logged with a Global Positioning Receiver, and an indication of the site quality and the abundance of the plant at the site were noted. Many of the species were identified in the field with no voucher being collected. For the 747 taxa, 339 voucher specimens were collected; an additional 229 vouchers were collected and identified as duplicates. All voucher specimens are currently at GMU. It is concluded that most plant species expected at Prince William Forest Park are present, but in many cases they are relatively sparse and difficult to locate.