Updating the Status of Rare Plants in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
Krakowiak A, Boggess L, Boudreau P, Irick Z. 2025. Updating the Status of Rare Plants in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. National Park Service
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (CUGA) is an approximately 24,000-acre park located at the Tennessee-Kentucky-Virginia tri-state area and centered along the rugged spine of Cumberland Mountain. Rare plant monitoring was conducted throughout the park during the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons. Ninety-one Element Occurrence records were made, comprising 42 rare or otherwise noteworthy species. Additionally, 15 species were observed that are listed as rare in KY, TN, or VA, but were not found in (or near) the state where they are considered rare. Special trips included a weeklong “bioblitz” in the Martin’s Fork watershed attended by several regional botanists and CUGA staff, and an in-depth sampling of the limestone cliff band above Gap Cave via rappelling. Several cliffside eastern red cedars were also cored as part of this project. The top three hotspots for rare plant diversity at CUGA were White Rocks, Gap Cave, and Martin’s Fork, respectively. CUGA is as rich in biodiversity as it is in human history—it is a park where you can see or learn something new every time you visit.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Krakowiak, Alaina; Boggess, Laura; Boudreau, Paul; Irick, Zach
- Date of Issue
- 2025
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CUGA
- Keywords
- element occurrence, rare species, tree coring, vascular plant
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | At-risk Biota | T&E Species and Communities , NPS.gov Subject Site: At-Risk Species , NPS.gov Subject Site: Biodiversity