Vascular Plants of an Abandoned Limestone Quarry in Garrard County, Kentucky

ABSTRACT A descriptive survey of the vascular plants was conducted on the Camp Nelson Quarry, a 2.3 ha limestone quarry, abandoned since 1991 in Garrard County, Kentucky. Collections made from this site during 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2004 resulted in an annotated plant list of 209 species in 155 genera from 61 families. The known vascular plants of the quarry included one species of Equisetophyta, one species of Pinophyta, and 207 species of Magnoliophyta (45 Liliopsida, 162 Magnoliopsida). A total of 137 taxa (65.55%) were native and 72 (34.45%) were non-native. Of the exotics, 34 are considered invasive pest plants in Kentucky. Thirty-four (16.27%) of the taxa were woody, while 175 (83.73%) were herbaceous. In 13 years of disuse, plants have colonized nine anthropogenic habitats in the quarry through progressive secondary succession: vertical highwalls, talus slopes, spoil heaps, dry quarry floor, old-field succession area, wet quarry floor, wet ditch border, seasonal pond area, and permanent pond area. Sørenson’s Similarity Indices were significant between Camp Nelson Quarry and two older and smaller abandoned limestone quarries. Species richness is expected to increase in the quarry as more plants colonize and become established through progressive secondary succession and soil development.