Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 5-4-2018

Abstract

Arboreta provide communities with opportunities to learn about and grow in appreciation of tree and shrub species. This increased appreciation can help foster conservation efforts of native species. Establishing a horticultural plan for an arboretum requires baseline data including the identification and number of all representative species. In this study, species richness and abundance of all trees on the main campus of Southern Adventist University (SAU) located in Collegedale, Tennessee was determined in order to develop a horticultural plan to increase the diversity of native species. Each tree was tagged with a specific number and diameter at breast height (DBH) was measured. High-precision global positioning system (GPS) was used to establish the location of each tree. This information was used to create a map with layers for each species. Species abundance and diversity were compared to the same for the arboreta at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), Vanderbilt University (VU), and East Tennessee State University (ETSU). We identified a total of 1,003 trees on our campus which included 76 species. Nineteen species were represented by only one individual each. Tsuga canadensis (Eastern hemlock) was the most abundant species with 142 trees. Of the 76 species, 50% (n = 38) were native to Tennessee as compared to 43% (n = 27) at UTC, 38% (n = 52) at VU, and 24% (n = 56) at ETSU. The horticultural plan is presented in this study.

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