Overview of the Physical Environment, Flora & Vegetation of TN Flashcards
A compilation of known plants in a specific region
Flora
This includes flora but also adds information on community structure and relationship
Vegetation
Soils that were formed at their current sites by weathering of underlying rock parent material
Residuum
Soil parent material moved and deposited by water. These areas can be fertile and productive if not flood prone.
Alluvium
Windblown deposits that are often composed of silt materials
Loess
Materials that have moved downslope, often by gravity of mass movement when wet.
Collivium
A fine-grained sedimentary rock that often has a high percentage of clay and silt materials
Shale
Land with higher elevation. Soils tend to be formed on site from underlying parent material or wind-blown.
Upland
Low lying land that is associated with a stream or river; commonly associated with alluvial soils
Bottomland
A sedimentary rock, commonly called flint, derived from silica
Chert
A sedimentary rock containing sand-sized grains of mineral or rock. Quartz is a common material in this rock.
Sandstone
A sedimentary rock containing calcium carbonate.
Limestone
A landscape that has limestone, dolomite, or other rocks that can be dissolved by water. Often has caves and sinkholes.
Karst
Areas with moderate moisture
Mesic
Areas with high soil moisture
Hydric
Areas with low soil moisture
Xeric
Select the two key reasons why the state of TN has such a wide range of climate conditions.
A. Long north to south distance, sunlight
B. Long east to west distance, range of elevation.
C. Rainfall variation, soil conditions
D. Elevation, long north to south distance
E. Time zone differences, SEC football loyalties
B.
Select the range of USDA plant hardiness zones found in Tennessee.
A. 6a to 8a
B. 7a to 8a
C. 5b to 7b
D. 3a to 6a
E. 5b to 6b
A.
Select three from below that represent examples of non-native or exotic pests or plants that can be an issue in TN.
A. Eastern ash borer
B. Hemlock wooly adelgid
C. Amur honeysuckle
D. Redbud
E. Little bluestream
A, B, C
Give an example of how humans have impacted a plant species in TN.
Collection of plants for medicinal and nursery sales
What type of parent material would you expect in the Mississippi River Valley section of the state? What about the bluffs to the east of the valley?
Alluvium; loess
What two (three?) descriptions below would describe the soil you might expect to find in the Plateau?
A. Deep floodplain soils
B. Sandstone over shale soils that have weathered in place.
C. Wind-blown loess derived soils
D. Shallow acidic soils
E. Broad areas of exposed limestone
B, D, E
Where might you find coal in TN? What about ore?
Coal- East TN; Ore - Cumberland Plateau
What is the likely cause of the barrens and balds?
Established under dryer climates and maintained by trampling/grazing large animals and controlled by indigenous peoples. Balds created by post-settlement farmers. Humans maintained/created barrens & balds.
What is a common forest type in west and middle TN?
Oak-hickory type
What is a common forest type in east TN?
Mixed mesophytic forests and Appalachian oak forests
What are some important tree species that have been lost or are being lost from our forests?
Eastern hemlock, Fraser fir, red spruce, American chestnut, ash
What is one interesting difference between soils on the mountains and in the coves of the Blue Ridge province?
Thin residuum soils on the mountains and deep colluvium soils in the coves
What is an example of a key tree species that might be found in each of the three soil moisture zones - hydric, mesic, and xeric?
Hydric - elm; mesic - tulip poplar; xeric - oak/pine
What are some plant species that occur in TN but few or no other places?
Fraser’s sedge, TN coneflower, TN milk vetch
