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Castanea Current Issue

Volume 92— Issue 1 (December 2026)

Survey of the Vascular Flora of Thompson Creek, Chesterfield County, South Carolina

  • Charles N. Horn
  • Bailey Gause
  • 2026-07-29T00:00

The Carolina Wildlands Foundation is working to encourage future naturalists to better understand the botany and ecology of Thompson Creek in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. The creek flows through the piedmont physiographic province and over the Carolina Slate Belt.  This survey of about 5 km of floodplain resulted in the documentation of 272 species of vascular plants. Most species (65.8%) have a widespread distribution in South Carolina. A relatively high 17.3% of the flora is non- native. Two invasive species, Ligustrum sinense and Microstegium vimineum, are of concern given their ability to alter the ecology of the floodplain.  Eurybia mirabilis is unusual on the creek and is of conservation concern. This survey will provide a baseline for future research in the watershed.

Full Article

Effects of Nitrogen Enrichment  on Early-Stage Wood Decomposition in a Southern Appalachian Forest

  • Rylee Strassner
  • E. Ashley Adams
  • 2026-07-29T00:00

Nitrogen (N) availability is shifting across forest ecosystems due to spatial variation in atmospheric N deposition and changing biogeochemical dynamics under global change. These shifts in N supply have implications for woody debris decomposition, a key process regulating carbon (C) turnover and storage in forests. Because wood is typically low in N, changes in external N availability can alter microbial activity and decomposition pathways, influencing both the rate and fate of C during decay. This study investigates how low-level N enrichment (5 kg N ha–1 yr–1) affects the wood decomposition of two common tree species, Liriodendron tulipifera and Pinus strobus, in Southern Appalachian forests over a one-year period. We hypothesized that L. tulipifera would experience greater mass loss than P. strobus due to faster decomposition, and that N enrichment would accelerate decomposition of both species. Species Liriodendron tulipifera and P. strobus differed in wood chemical composition, particularly in lignin and cellulose content. In contrast, N enrichment had a minimal impact on decomposition dynamics. These results suggest that species is the dominant driver of early-stage wood decomposition. Given the short duration of this study and low rate of N enrichment, further research is needed to determine how these dynamics unfold over time and at what threshold N enrichment alters decomposition trajectories. As global changes reshape forest composition and nutrient patterns, understanding the combined influence of wood chemistry and nutrient availability will be essential for accurately predicting C storage in forest ecosystems.

Stand of tall trees

Full Article

A Synthesis of Ruppia maritima (Wigeongrass) Seed Ecology with Implications for Seed-based Seagrass Restoration

  • Megan E. Gannon
  • Hyun Jung Cho, Anna B. Ponce, and Khanyisille N. Tshabalala
  • 2026-07-24T00:00

Seagrasses are declining globally, increasing interest in scalable seed-based restoration. Ruppia maritima (wigeongrass) is a pioneer submerged aquatic plant species that occupies variable-salinity estuaries and often expands following disturbance. This review synthesizes published literature describing relevant field and laboratory observations and research to evaluate seed production, seed- bank dynamics, storage, viability, germination, and early recruitment in R. maritima. Studies were drawn primarily from eastern United States estuaries, with some comparisons from South America, Australia, and Asia. Ruppia maritima in the eastern United States, like other global Ruppia species, produces abundant but episodic seeds, but its seed-bank longevity, viability, and recruitment vary with habitat stability and local hydrologic regime. Germination is commonly inhibited by elevated salinity while viability is retained, and often increases, after salinity reduction, indicating osmotic control and salinity-history effects. Temperature and drying further regulate germination in population- and habitat-specific ways. For restoration, seed collection, storage, and deployment should be matched to local salinity, temperature, and hydrologic conditions, while protecting donor/source beds and recognizing that short-lived seed banks and seedling establishment may constrain recruitment.

Full Article

Noteworthy Collections: First Documentation of Patrin’s Violet, Viola patrinii (Violaceae)in the Southeastern United States

  • Jonathon P. Osborne
  • 2026-07-24T14:45

The collection and identification of this population of Viola patrinii DC. ex Ging. in New Orleans, Louisiana, marks the first confirmed observation of this species in the southeastern United States. Though V. patrinii inhabits a cooler and more northerly native range in eastern Russia, Mongolia, China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan (Chen et al. 2007), a study by Lee and Hwang (2006) showed that among eight species of east Asian Viola species, V. patrinii maintained some of the highest germination rates (65.8%) at warmer temperatures (20–25°C) and a germination rate of 17.3–25.3% with no dormancy period at all. Given these high germination rates as well as the persistence of this population since its introduction in New Orleans, the potential for these V. patrinii to spread outside of the city is possible but has yet to be tested under local conditions.

Full Article

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