Developing Rare and Exotic Plant GeographicInformation System Databases for Indiana Dunes andSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshores

Pavlovic, Noel; Quinlan, Karen; Ford, Thomas

Populations of rare and exotic plants were mapped at Indiana Dunes and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshores during the summer of 2003. At Indiana Dunes, 127 populations of statelisted plants and 205 populations of the federally threatened Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) were mapped. Rare plant species that were mapped included Actaea rubra (Ait.) Willd., Aster sericeus Vent., Calla palustris L., Carex eburnea Boott, Clintonia borealis (Ait.) Raf., Habenaria ciliaris (L.) R. Br. ex Ait. f., Hudsonia tomentosa Nutt., Lathyrus japonicus Willd. var. glaber (Ser.) Fern., Lathyrus venosus Muhl. ex Willd., Phlox bifida Beck, Satureja arkansana (Nutt.) Briq., Scirpus hallii Gray, Spiranthes lucida (H.H. Eat.) Ames, Talinum rugospermum Holz., Trillium cernuum L. var. macranthum Eames & Wieg., and Valerianella chenopodiifolia (Pursh) DC. A nearly complete distribution map of Pitcher’s thistle was created of the patches at the Indiana Dunes; these varied greatly in numbers of plants and area. At Sleeping Bear Dunes, 341 populations of rare plants were mapped. Species sampled included Asplenium rhizophyllum L., Bartonia virginica (L.) B.S.P., Berula erecta (Huds.) Coville, Botrychium campestre W.H. Wagner & Farrar, Bromus pumpellianus Scribn., Carex platyphylla Carey, Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh., Chimaphila maculata (L.) Pursh, Cypripedium arietinum Ait. f., Cypripedium reginae Walt., Eleocharis rostellata (Torr.) Torr., Medeola virginiana L., Mimulus glabratus Kunth var. michiganensis (Pennell) Fassett, Muhlenbergia glomerata (Willd.) Trin., Orobanche fasciculata Nutt., Panax quinquefolius L., Platanthera blephariglottis (Willd.) Lindl., Platanthera obtusata (Banks ex Pursh) Lindl., Polystichum lonchitis (L.) Roth, Sarracenia purpurea L., Thelypteris noveboracensis (L.) Nieuwl., Trillium cernuum L. var. macranthum Eames & Wieg., Triphora trianthophora (Sw.) Rydb. New populations of many species were found. The analysis of associated species demonstrated the habitat specificity for most species. The data indicated the presence of human trampling and animal browsing in the populations of some species (showy orchids) that may be a concern for the viability of the species. The maps generated should not be considered complete (except for Pitcher’s thistle), since neither park was thoroughly surveyed. The GIS data can be used to model species distributions in the parks. At Indiana Dunes, 335 populations of exotic species were mapped. We focused our efforts on species and genera that are significant threats to the dunes ecosystems: Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavera & Grande, Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb., Centaurea maculosa auct. non Lam., Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., Elaeagnus L., Gypsophila scorzonerifolia Ser., Lonicera L., Lythrum salicaria L., Phalaris arundinacea L., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc., Rhamnus cathartica L., Robinia pseudoacacia L., and Rosa multiflora Thunb. ex Murr. Of the exotic species invading the Indiana Dunes, spotted knapweed is of great concern because of the extensive railroad corridor populations adjacent to the high quality savanna/woodland complex. In addition to mapping both rare and exotic species, we also genotyped nonnative Phragmites australis plants and native Phragmites australis ssp. americanus using morphological characters. We discovered three populations of the native Phragmites australis ssp. americanus at Indiana Dunes. We recommend that these be protected while the pervasive alien is eradicated. At SLBE, the majority of Phragmites was the native subspecies. Focused efforts to eliminate the minority alien subspecies should go far to protect the native subspecies in the park.

Developing Rare and Exotic Plant GeographicInformation System Databases for Indiana Dunes andSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshores

Series

Collections