Schedule and Program - North Carolina Academy of Science

The Vascular Flora and Soils of the Wet Pine Savannas of Shaken CreekPreserve (Pender County, North Carolina).Robert W. Thornhill, Alexander Krings, David L. Lindbo, and Jon M. StuckyNCSUShaken Creek Preserve is a 6050-acre Nationally Significant Natural Area in Pender County, North Carolina.Best known for its high-quality savanna habitat, the site supports at least 24 state-listed plant species (includingthree federally-endangered species) and is the only site in the state to contain four distinct Wet Pine Savannacommunities, three of which are globally rare (G1). Formerly a private hunting club, the site was virtuallyunknown to scientists until the 1990s; consequently, few biological inventories of the site have been conducted.In particular, no systematic floristic inventories of the species-rich savannas have been undertaken, despite thefact that floristic data are critical to the effective management of any natural area. The ongoing goals of this studyare to 1) document the vascular flora of each of the savanna sites with voucher specimens and tissue samples; 2)compare the vegetation and soils of the four Wet Pine Savanna communities on site; and 3) create a taxonomicmanual (complete with keys, synonymy, phenology, notes on abundance, and illustrations) of the savanna flora.Besides providing the baseline data for site management, the information from this study will facilitate furtherbiological and ecological research on site and will ultimately provide a valuable educational resource for anyoneinterested in the exceptional flora of these rare savannas.The Correlation Between Helianthus Schweinitz and its NeighboringPlant SpeciesJessica R. Tibbs*Queens University of CharlotteThere is a declining population of Helianthus Schweinitz in their native regions of North and South Carolina.Neighboring plant species may have an influence on the stability of this endangered sunflower through differentprocesses. In different locations in the Charlotte, NC area, Schweinitz populations have been monitoredand counted over several years to determine the trend of the population by “Mecklenburg County Parks andRecreation: Natural Resources.” In set plots, plants are identified and counted; some with and some without thepresence of the Schweinitz. These areas are then compared for similarity and differences between number (flowersand stalks) and species. Pollination visitation was also monitored. The data collected shows little significantcorrelation between neighboring plant species and the sunflower. There were similar plant species in plots locatednear and away from Helianthus Schweinitz. Observations of the pollinators indicate they may be more attracted tothe sunflower.Head shape evolution in introduced populations of woodlandsalamanders (genus Plethodon)Josh A. Tyson* and David A. BeamerNash Community CollegeEcological character displacement of head morphology characters has been reported in species of woodlandsalamanders (genus Plethodon). In the case of red-cheeked and slimy salamanders in the Great Smoky Mountains,sympatric populations demonstrate character displacement of head characters that are correlated with aggressiveinterspecific interactions. Other examples of character displacement have been reported for additional woodlandsalamander species. In the 1940’s a population of northern gray-cheeked salamanders (P. montanus) originatingfrom Whitetop Mountain was introduced to Mountain Lake, Virginia. At Whitetop Mountain, northern graycheekedsalamanders are the only large species Plethodon present, prior to the introduction of northern-graycheeked salamanders, the northern slimy salamander was the only large woodland salamander present at MountainCampbell University - 75