Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) is a tool used in the United States to assess an area's ecological integrity based on its plant species composition.[1] Floristic Quality Assessment was originally developed in order to assess the likelihood that impacts to an area "would be irreversible or irretrievable...to make standard comparisons among various open land areas, to set conservation priorities, and to monitor site management or restoration efforts."[2] The concept was developed by Gerould Wilhelm in the 1970s in a report on the natural lands of Kane County, Illinois.[3] In 1979 Wilhelm and Floyd Swink codified this "scoring system" [4] for the 22-county Chicago Region.[5]
Regions with C-values assigned to their flora (as of 2019[update])[6]
Each plant species in a region is assigned a coefficient of conservatism, also known as a C-value, ranging between 0 and 10.[1] A plant species with a higher score (e.g. 10) has a lower tolerance to environmental degradation such as overgrazing or development and therefore is naturally restricted to undisturbed, remnant habitats. Non-native plants are either assigned a C-value of 0 or are excluded from assessments.[7] In the Chicago Region, 84% of the native plant species have a C-value of 4 or greater.[8] Plants with a C-value of 4 or greater rarely naturally move from a remnant area to surrounding degraded land.[8] For example, the federally endangeredDalea foliosa has a C-value of 10.[9]
C-values are assigned within specific ecological and geographic regions by botanical experts familiar with the species' autecology within the respective regions.[10] As of February 2018[update], there were more than 50 different FQA databases ranging from the Gulf Coastal Plain to western Washington, though most databases represented regions in the eastern and central United States and Canada.[11][6]
The mean C-value () is calculated based on an inventory of plants. An area with a native mean C-value of 3.5 or higher likely has "sufficient floristic quality to be of at least marginal natural area quality."[2] Remnant natural areas with mean C-values of 4.0 or greater are unmitigable.[8]
Floristic Quality Indexedit
The Floristic Quality Index (FQI, or Rating Index according to Swink and Wilhelm[2]: 855 ) is calculated by multiplying the mean C value by the square root of the total number of species:
For example, the FQI for Nelson Lake Marsh was 78 in 1994 [4]: 186 and that for Russell R. Kirt Prairie was about 30 in 1999.[12]
Referencesedit
^ abWilhelm, Gerould; Masters, Linda (June 1995). Floristic Quality Assessment in the Chicago Region and Application Computer Programs (Report). The Morton Arboretum.
^ abcSwink, Floyd; Wilhelm, Gerould (1994). Plants of the Chicago Region, 4th Edition.
^Wilhelm, Gerould S. (1977). Ecological assessment of open land areas in Kane County, Illinois (Report). Kane County Urban Development Division.
^ abYoung, Dick (1994). Kane County Wild Plants And Natural Areas, 2nd edition. Kane County Forest Preserve District. p. 4. OCLC 31441931.
^Swink, Floyd; Wilhelm, Gerould (1979). Plants of the Chicago Region, 3rd Edition.
^ abSpyreas, Greg (2019). "Floristic Quality Assessment: a critique, a defense, and a primer". Ecosphere. 10 (8): e02825. Bibcode:2019Ecosp..10E2825S. doi:10.1002/ecs2.2825. ISSN 2150-8925.
^Freyman, William A.; Master, Linda A.; Packard, Stephen (2016). "The Universal Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) Calculator: an online tool for ecological assessment and monitoring". Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 7 (3): 380–383. Bibcode:2016MEcEv...7..380F. doi:10.1111/2041-210X.12491.
^ abcWilhelm, Gerould; Rericha, Laura (2017). Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis.
^Chen, Peter. "Russell R. Kirt Prairie Plant Gallery, College of DuPage".
^Matthews, Jeffrey W.; Spyreas, Greg; Long, Colleen M. (May 2015). "A null model test of Floristic Quality Assessment: Are plant species' Coefficients of Conservatism valid?". Ecological Indicators. 52: 1–7. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.11.017.
^Kirt, Russell R. (2001). Bernstein, Neil P.; Ostrander, Laura J. (eds.). "A Sixteen Year Assessment of Vegetational Changes in Prairie Seed Broadcast and Seedling Transplant Sites". Proceedings of the Seventeenth North American Prairie Conference. University of Wisconsin Digital Collections: 98–106.
External linksedit
Universal FQA
January 01, 1970
floristic, quality, assessment, tool, used, united, states, assess, area, ecological, integrity, based, plant, species, composition, originally, developed, order, assess, likelihood, that, impacts, area, would, irreversible, irretrievable, make, standard, comp. Floristic Quality Assessment FQA is a tool used in the United States to assess an area s ecological integrity based on its plant species composition 1 Floristic Quality Assessment was originally developed in order to assess the likelihood that impacts to an area would be irreversible or irretrievable to make standard comparisons among various open land areas to set conservation priorities and to monitor site management or restoration efforts 2 The concept was developed by Gerould Wilhelm in the 1970s in a report on the natural lands of Kane County Illinois 3 In 1979 Wilhelm and Floyd Swink codified this scoring system 4 for the 22 county Chicago Region 5 Contents 1 Coefficient of conservatism 2 Floristic Quality Index 3 References 4 External linksCoefficient of conservatism edit nbsp Regions with C values assigned to their flora as of 2019 update 6 Each plant species in a region is assigned a coefficient of conservatism also known as a C value ranging between 0 and 10 1 A plant species with a higher score e g 10 has a lower tolerance to environmental degradation such as overgrazing or development and therefore is naturally restricted to undisturbed remnant habitats Non native plants are either assigned a C value of 0 or are excluded from assessments 7 In the Chicago Region 84 of the native plant species have a C value of 4 or greater 8 Plants with a C value of 4 or greater rarely naturally move from a remnant area to surrounding degraded land 8 For example the federally endangered Dalea foliosa has a C value of 10 9 C values are assigned within specific ecological and geographic regions by botanical experts familiar with the species autecology within the respective regions 10 As of February 2018 update there were more than 50 different FQA databases ranging from the Gulf Coastal Plain to western Washington though most databases represented regions in the eastern and central United States and Canada 11 6 The mean C value C displaystyle bar C nbsp is calculated based on an inventory of plants An area with a native mean C value of 3 5 or higher likely has sufficient floristic quality to be of at least marginal natural area quality 2 Remnant natural areas with mean C values of 4 0 or greater are unmitigable 8 Floristic Quality Index editThe Floristic Quality Index FQI or Rating Index according to Swink and Wilhelm 2 855 is calculated by multiplying the mean C value by the square root of the total number of species C n displaystyle bar C sqrt n nbsp For example the FQI for Nelson Lake Marsh was 78 in 1994 4 186 and that for Russell R Kirt Prairie was about 30 in 1999 12 References edit a b Wilhelm Gerould Masters Linda June 1995 Floristic Quality Assessment in the Chicago Region and Application Computer Programs Report The Morton Arboretum a b c Swink Floyd Wilhelm Gerould 1994 Plants of the Chicago Region 4th Edition Wilhelm Gerould S 1977 Ecological assessment of open land areas in Kane County Illinois Report Kane County Urban Development Division a b Young Dick 1994 Kane County Wild Plants And Natural Areas 2nd edition Kane County Forest Preserve District p 4 OCLC 31441931 Swink Floyd Wilhelm Gerould 1979 Plants of the Chicago Region 3rd Edition a b Spyreas Greg 2019 Floristic Quality Assessment a critique a defense and a primer Ecosphere 10 8 e02825 Bibcode 2019Ecosp 10E2825S doi 10 1002 ecs2 2825 ISSN 2150 8925 Freyman William A Master Linda A Packard Stephen 2016 The Universal Floristic Quality Assessment FQA Calculator an online tool for ecological assessment and monitoring Methods in Ecology and Evolution 7 3 380 383 Bibcode 2016MEcEv 7 380F doi 10 1111 2041 210X 12491 a b c Wilhelm Gerould Rericha Laura 2017 Flora of the Chicago Region A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis Chen Peter Russell R Kirt Prairie Plant Gallery College of DuPage Matthews Jeffrey W Spyreas Greg Long Colleen M May 2015 A null model test of Floristic Quality Assessment Are plant species Coefficients of Conservatism valid Ecological Indicators 52 1 7 doi 10 1016 j ecolind 2014 11 017 Universal FQA Retrieved 2018 02 16 Kirt Russell R 2001 Bernstein Neil P Ostrander Laura J eds A Sixteen Year Assessment of Vegetational Changes in Prairie Seed Broadcast and Seedling Transplant Sites Proceedings of the Seventeenth North American Prairie Conference University of Wisconsin Digital Collections 98 106 External links editUniversal FQA Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Floristic Quality Assessment amp oldid 1214817030 Coefficient of conservatism, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
