Update of Kentucky Rare Plants in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, 2008.

White, Deborah; Littlefield, Tara

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is located at the juncture of three states: Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The Kentucky portion is 10,929 acres and most of this acreage includes the ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, generally running north-south along the state’s border with Virginia. Because this high elevation habitat is very limited in Kentucky, CGNHP greatly contributes to Kentucky’s biodiversity. There is a concentration of the state’s rare flora in the park. The records for rare plants in the Kentucky Natural Heritage Database, a system maintained by Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission, originate from a variety of sources. The first comprehensive flora of the park was done by Hinkle, Pounds and Patrick (1987) and several records of rare plant species were reported. Other sources are mostly associated with botanists from KSNPC. Many of these records were more than 15 years old. A project was undertaken through a contract between KSNPC and the Park Service to update and refine the information in these records for use in Park planning and resource management. The Park was visited between April 2008 and October 2008 to survey the known records for rare plants. In addition, inquiries were made on the disposition of the specimens that confirm these occurrences as well as contact with the original botanists to obtain additional information. The plants included in the study are either listed as endangered or threatened under the official list of rare plants for Kentucky (Kentucky Revised Statues 146.600-619 and Kentucky Administration Regulations 400 KAR 3:010-040) or are considered special concern by KSNPC.