The Cedar Glade Ecosystem

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The Cedar Glade Ecosystem
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What is a cedar glade?

• Endangered Ecosystem
• Characteristics
• Very thin soil layers
• Exposed limestone rock
• Surrounded by junipers
• Dry in summer, wet in winter

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What is a Cedar Glade?
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Where are the Cedar Glades?

• Central Basin of Middle TN

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Where are the Cedar Glades?
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The Zones of the Cedar Glades

• Zone 1- Bare rock, no soil
• Zone 2- Gravelly glades 0-2 in. soil
• Zone 3- Grassy glades 2-8 in. soil
• Zone 4- Shrub zone 8-12 in. soil
• Zone 5- Cedar woods zone 12 in. soil

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The Zones of the Cedar Glades
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Zone 1 Bare rock, No soil
Zone 2 Gravelly Glade 0-2 in. soil
Zone 5 Cedar woods 12 in. soil
Zone 4 Shrub Zone 8-12 in. soil
Zone 3 Grassy Glade 2-8 in. soil
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What makes the Cedar Glades Unique?

• Found primarily in Middle TN
• A few other places in the South
• Endemic Plant Species
• What does endemic mean?
• How?
• Adapted to extreme environment
• Can not compete elsewhere
• We have plants in Rutherford Co. that are not
  found anywhere else in the world!

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Now here are some important Cedar Glade Plant
species.
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Prickly-Pear Cactus

• The only native cactus in Tennessee
• Zones 2 and 3 of the glades

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Sunnybell Lily

• Endangered plant protected by state law
• Interstate 840 was rerouted for this plant
• Zones 2 and 3, near standing water

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Hoary Puccoon

• Native Americans used flowers as a yellow dye
• Found in zones 2 and 3

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Nashville Mustard (glade cress)

• In the mustard family
• Endemic to Middle TN cedar glades zone 2

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Prairie Coneflower

• In the sunflower family
• 3-4ft tall found in zone 3

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Prices Wood Sorrel

• In the Wood Sorrel family
• Leaves look like clovers
• Endemic to cedar glades zone 2

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Shrubby St. Johns Wort

• Used as an anti-depressant
• 5 petals, numerous stamens
• Zone 4

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Missouri Evening Primrose

• Large yellow flowers up to 5 inches across
• Zone 2
• East of Mississippi River, found only in
  Rutherford Co.

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Gattingers Lobelia

• Dr. Gattinger named this blue-purple flower
• Endemic to the cedar glades Zone 2

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Blue-Eyed Grass

• This grass is really a flower in the iris
  family
• Zones 2 and 3

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Wild Petunia

• Blue-violet trumpet-like flowers
• Sweet smell
• Zones 2 and 3

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Glade Savory

• Perennial in the Mint family
• Fragrant leaves
• Square stem
• Zone 3

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Gattingers Prairie Clover

• Aromatic leaves when crushed/stepped on
• Red stems
• In the pea
• family
• Zones 2 and 3

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Nashville Breadroot

• Showy flower with large, swollen root/tuber which
  may be used for food (starchy)
• Endemic to the cedar glades zone 3

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Tennessee Coneflower

• First federally listed endangered species in TN
• Endemic to the cedar glades Zone 3
• Petals bent forward, opposite of other coneflowers

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Pynes Ground Plum

• Only found in Rutherford Co.
• Nowhere else in the world!
• Red, fleshy fruit
• Zones 3 and 4

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Shooting Star

• Unusual flowers that look like rockets
• Zones 3, 4, and 5

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Glade Stonecrop

• Form a mat on thin soil over limestone rock
• Zone 2

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Redcedar

• Actually a juniper, not a cedar
• Surrounds the glade zone 5

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BINGO TIME!

• Go to lab tables Work in pairs
• When you get 5 boxes in a row (horizontally,
  vertically, or diagonally), yell out Bingo!
• I will check your answers- you will get a
  participation award
• We will continue until all questions have been
  answers