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The Red-Tail Land Conservancy (RLC), the Indiana Academy of Science (IAS), the Robert Cooper Audubon Society, and the Oakwood Retreat Center hosted a biodiversity survey or bioblitz in eastcentral Indiana on the 10lh and 11th June 2017. The event was held on two properties owned or maintained by RLC; i.e.. White River Woods, a 47.4 ha preserved located 9 km southeast of Muncie, Indiana in Delaware County, and McVey Memorial Forest, a 100.4 ha forest located 11 km north of Farmland, Indiana in Randolph County. Over 75 scientists, naturalists, students, and other volunteers on 19 different taxonomic teams observed and reported 1086 taxa during the event. The nineteen taxonomic teams included ants, aquatic macroinvertebrates, bats, bees, beetles, birds, butterflies, odonates, fish, freshwater mussels, herpetofauna, small mammals, moths, mushrooms/fungi and slime molds, non-vascular plants (mosses), singing and non-singing insects, snail-killing flies, spiders, and vascular plants. State endangered species included the northern long-eared bat (Mvotis septentrionalis; also federally threatened), the Indiana bat {My otis socialist; also federally endangered), the cerulean warbler (Setophaga cent lea), the osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and warty spurge (Euphorbia obtuscita). In addition shell material of the federal and state endangered Northern Rifflcshell (Epioblasma torulosa remgiana), Clubshell (Pleurobema clava), and Rayed Bean (Villosa fabalis) was found but none are still known live on either property. The spider team recorded six state records: Emblyna hentzi (meshweaver), Gladicosa bellamyi (wolf spider), Pirata triens (pirate wolf spider), Schizocosa mccooki (wolf spider), Oxyopes scalaris (western lynx spider), and Xystieus fervidus (ground crab spider). In addition many Delaware County and Randolph County records were reported. This manuscript presents both a brief history of the bioblitz sites and a summary overview of the results. Detailed results are available on the IAS website. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Indiana Land Trust, Inc. (CILTI) and the Indiana Academy of Science (IAS) hosted a biodiversity survey or bioblitz within the Hills of Gold Conservation Area, Johnson County, Indiana, on 16th and 17th May 2015. The 280 ha (695 acres) bioblitz area incorporated the Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow to the west. Glacier's End Nature Preserve to the northeast, and a conservation easement connecting the two. Over 65 scientists, naturalists, students, and other volunteers on 13 different taxonomic teams observed and reported 548 taxa during the event. The thirteen taxonomic teams included bats, beetles, birds, fish, freshwater mussels, herpetofauna, small mammals, moths and singing insects, mushrooms/fungi and slime molds, non-vascular plants (mosses), snail-killing flies, spiders, and vascular plants. Three state endangered species were reported, i.e., northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), and the timid sedge (Carex timida). In addition, many state and Johnson County records were reported. This manuscript presents both a brief history of the Hills of Gold Conservation Area and a summary overview of the results. Detailed results are available on the IAS website. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holthouse Woods Nature Preserve (HWNP), owned by the Whitewater Valley Land Trust, Inc., is located along the east fork of the Whitewater River in south-central Wayne County, Indiana, in Abington Township. An inventory of the vascular flora indicates that the 8.9 ha site contains significant regional plant diversity with 331 taxa representing 227 genera and 73 families. Of the 331 taxa, 227 taxa (~69%) are native and 104 taxa (~31%) are non-native, and five represented first records for Wayne County. Although none of the plants documented at the site have state or federal status, one species is on the Indiana Watch List, i.e., Prenanthes crepidineci. A detailed physiognomic analysis revealed that the native species consisted of 38 woody species, 155 herbaceous vines or forbs, 33 graminoids, and one fern ally. Of the 104 non-native species, nine were woody, 74 were herbaceous vines or forbs, and 21 were grasses. The major habitats at HWNP are mesic slope woodland, floodplain woodland, a seasonal creek bed, roadside, old-field, drier woodland along River Road, and the Whitewater River corridor which includes the riverbank and sandy/gravel shoreline and two sandy/gravel islands. Floristic Quality Index (FQI) for native species was 43.3, and a mean Coefficient of Conservatism (mean C) was 2.9. For all species FQI = 35.8 and the mean C = 2.0. Given that most of the area is floodplain forest, these numbers indicate that HWNP is a nature preserve quality site but is being compromised by non-natives. The four most invasive non-natives were Lonicera maackii in the sloping woodland, Ranunculus ficaria var. bulbifera in the floodplain woods, and Artemisia vulgaris and Humulus japonicus along the river corridor. A census of all trees with a dbh ≥ 20 cm revealed that the floodplain woodland is dominated by woody species commonly characteristic of this habitat, e.g., Acer negundo, Pupulus deltoides, Acer saccharinum, Platanus occidentalism Juglans nigra, Aesculus glabra, Celtis occidentalis, and Ulmus americana. A sample of trees with a dbh ≥ 5 cm but < 20 cm suggest that A. negundo, J. nigra, and A. glabra will continue to dominate the site, but that A. saccharinum, P. deltoides, and P. occidentalis will decrease in importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffman Woods Nature Preserve (CWNP), owned by the Whitewater Valley Land Trust, Inc., was acquired in two steps. The first 18.2 ha (45 acres) was funded by from the Rocky Express Gas Pipeline (REX) grant program. The additional 27.9 ha (69 acres) was funded principally by the Indiana Bicentennial Nature Trust and partly by the Indiana Heritage Trust. The preserve is located along the east fork of the Whitewater River in south-central Wayne County, Indiana, in Abington Township. CWNP harbors significant regional plant diversity with 378 taxa representing 250 genera and 87 families. The twelve families containing ~59% of the documented species were the Asteraceae (49 spp.), Poaceae (39), Cyperaceae (19). Brassicaceae (18), Apiaceae (15), Fabaceae (14), Liliaceae (14), Lamiaceae (12), Polygonaceae (12), Ranunculaceae (11), Scrophulariaceae (10), and the Rosaceae (8). Of the 378 species documented, 282 [~ 75%], are native and 96 [~ 25%] are exotics, and 20 represented Wayne County Records. Although none of the plants documented at the site have state or federal status, two species are on the Indiana Watch List, i.e., Prenanthes crepidinea and Veratrum woodii. A detailed physiognomic analysis revealed that the native species consisted of 55 woody species, 183 herbaceous vines or forbs, 39 graminoids, and five ferns or fern allies. Of the 96 exotics, 11 were woody, 66 were herbaceous vines or forbs, and 19 were grasses. The major habitats occurring at CWNP are roadside and a roadside field, an old-field, steep-sloping mesic woods (the majority of the site), a small floodplain woods, a flat upland woods, a circumneutral hardwood forest seep, a small manmade pond, and the Whitewater River corridor including the riverbank, a sandy shoreline, and several sandgravel shorelines and islands. Plants characteristics of each habitat are listed. Floristic Quality Index (FQI) for native species was 58.4 and a mean Coefficient of Conservatism (mean C) was 3.5. For all species FQI = 50.5 and the mean C = 2.6. These numbers indicate that CWNP is a site with high natural quality that is being compromised by exotics. The most invasive exotics were Alliariapetiolata and Lonicera maackii in the sloping woodland, Poa trivialis and Ranunculus ficaria var. bulbifera in the floodplain woods, and Artemisia annua, Brassica nigra, Humulus japonicus and Phalaris arundinacea along the Whitewater River corridor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mississinewa Woods, owned by the Red-tail Conservancy, is located in the northwest corner ol Randolph County, Indiana. The preserve is part of a long, thin riparian corridor along the Mississinewa River in the Midwest Corn Belt region. Except for the riparian corridor and a few small nearby wooded lots, Mississinewa Woods is surrounded by agricultural fields for miles in every direction. The inventory of the vascular flora indicates that the 15.4 ha site harbors significant regional plant diversity with 311 species and varieties representing 215 genera and 77 families. The 12 families containing ~ 59% of the documented species were Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Cyperaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Liliaceae, Poaceae, Polygonaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. Of the documented flora, 233 (74.9%) were native, 78 (25.1%) were adventives, and 128 represented Randolph County Records. A detailed physiognomic analysis revealed that of the 233 native species, 49 species were woody, 146 were herbaceous vines or forbs, 37 were graminoids, and one is a fern or fern allies. Of the 78 adventives, seven are woody, 53 were herbaceous vines or forbs, and 18 were grasses. The Floristic Quality Index (FQI) for native species was 46.2 and a mean Coefficient of Conservatism (mean C) was 3.0. The FQI indicates that the site is of nature preserve quality but the low mean C indicates that it has few higher quality species. Although none of the plants documented at the site have state or federal status, there were two species which are uncommon to east-central Indiana, i.e., Hibiscus laevis and Schoenoplectus pungens var. pungens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presented here are the results of a biodiversity survey held on July 16-18, 2011 at the Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, in Greene County, southwestern Indiana. Fifteen teams (14 taxonomic teams and a biogeochemistry team) surveyed the flora and fauna of ponds, marshes, fields and forest of the ~8,000 acre site and reported 896 taxa: 862 species [20 amphibians and reptiles, 37 bees, 73 beetles, 122 birds, 48 butterflies, nine damselflies, 21 dragonflies, 39 species offish, four freshwater mussels, five fungi and allies, 27 mammals, 74 moths, four snail-killing flies, 379 vascular plants), 16 families of aquatic macroinvertebrates, and 18 genera of plankton. A total of 215 new county records and numerous state-listed species were recorded. The baseline information provided by the survey will inform future management decisions and indicates that the restoration is maturing rapidly and successfully capturing the biological diversity of this portion of southwestern Indiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rothrock et al. (1993) documented 455 species of vascular plants at Mounds State Park and Preserve, Madison County, Indiana. During the 2009 growing season, an additional floristic survey was conducted, including a 16.6 hectare annex to the south end of the park. An additional 129 species of vascular plants, representing 98 genera in 46 families, were vouchered. Of these species, 94 (~73%) were native, 35 (~27%) were adventives, and 87 represent Madison County records. Combining the results of the two studies yielded 584 total species, 478 (~82%) native species, and 106 (~18%) adventive species. For native species, the Floristic Quality Index (FQI) = 96.2 and the mean Coefficient of Conservatism (C) = 4.4, whereas for all species, the FQI = 87.1 and the mean C = 3.6. The floristic quality data indicate that the conservation and richness of Mounds State Park and Preserve are of paramount importance from a regional perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]