Tom's Blog

Friday, August 7, 2015

Plant species at Pleasant Valley Conservancy with high C values (Coefficient of Conservatism)

Yesterday with the interns I was discussing the concept of C values (Coefficient of Conservatism). 

C values are widely used in restoration ecology when deciding whether a site merits restoration work. Each native species is assigned a value from 0 to 10, that represents the probability that this plant species is likely to occur in landscapes relatively unaltered from those of pre-settlement times. Plant species with high C values are relatively specialized in their requirements, and thus are found in more restricted habitats. Thus, a widespread species such as Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), found in numerous habitats from roadsides to remnant prairies, is assigned a value of 1 whereas prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), found almost exclusively on high-quality remnant prairies, has a value of 10.

A set of C values for all members of the Wisconsin flora has been published by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Areas. The C value for each native species is also given on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Herbarium web site and in Wildflowers of Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest, by Merel Black and Emmet J. Judziewicz, University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin.


Pleasant Valley Conservancy has quite a few plant species with high C values. Some of these species were native to the site and others have been introduced and are surviving well on their own.

The table below is a list of the high C value plants (C ranging from 7 through 10) that are fairly widespread at Pleasant Valley Conservancy.


Latin
Common
C value
Comments
Sporobolus heterolepis
Prairie dropseed
10
Native
Cypripedium parviflorum
Yellow lady-slipper orchid
9
Native
Ceanothus americanus
New Jersey tea
9
Native
Eupatorium sessilifolium
Woodland boneset
9
Native
Astragalus canadensis
Canada milkvetch
8
Planted
Aureolaria grandiflora
Yellow false foxglove
8
Planted
Baptisia alba
White wild indigo
8
Native
Bromus kalmii
Prairie brome
8
Native
Cirsium muticum
Swamp thistle
8
Native
Coreopsis palmata
Prairie tickseed
8
Planted
Dalea candida
White prairie clover
8
Planted
Eryngium yuccifolium
Rattlesnake master
8
Planted
Hasteola suaveolens
Sweet Indian plantain
8
Native
Oxalis violacea
Violet wood-sorrel
8
Native
Parthenium integrifolium
Wild quinine
8
Planted
Pedicularis canadensis
Wood betony
8
Native
Pedicularis lanceolata
Lousewort
8
Native
Silphium laciniatum
Compass plant
8
Planted
Symplocarpus foetidus
Skunk cabbage
8
Native
Actaea rubra
Red baneberry
7
Native
Allium cernuum
Nodding wild onion
7
Planted
Amorpha canescens
Lead-plant
7
Native
Asclepias exaltata
Poke milkweed
7
Native
Carex trichocarpa
Hairy-fruit sedge
7
Native
Chelone glabra
Turtlehead
7
Native
Dalea purpureum
Purple prairie clover
7
Planted
Desmodium illinoense
Illinois tick-trefoil
7
Native
Dodecatheon meadia
Shooting star
7
Native
Echinacea pallida
Pale purple coneflower
7
Planted
Gentiana alba
Cream gentian
7
Planted
Gentianella quinquefolia
Stiff gentian
7
Native
Helianthus pauciflorus
Prairie sunflower
7
Planted
Heuchera richardsonii
Prairie alum-root
7
Native
Saxifraga pensylvanica
Swamp saxifrage
7
Native
Silphium terebinthinaceum
Prairie dock
7
Planted
Sisyrinchium campestre
Blue-eyed grass
7
Native
Solidago missouriensis
Missouri goldenrod
7
Native
Taenidia integerrima
Yellow pimpernel
7
Native
Thalictrum dioicum
Early meadow-rue
7
Native
Uvularia grandiflora
Bellwort
7
Native
Viola pedata
Bird's foot violet
7
Native
Zizia aurea
Golden Alexander
7
Native

Native = Native to the site
Most of the native species have also been planted at other areas on the Conservancy in order to extend their range.


In addition to the above species which are widespread, a few species native to the site are well-established in only a few restricted areas. These include: hoary puccoon (10), purple milkweed (9), fringed puccoon (8), and prairie turnip (8).