vascular flora of Coffee County, Alabama, The

Castanea, Sep 2002 by Martin, Brian H, Woods, Michael, Diamond, Alvin R Jr

Agriculture is the primary industry in Coffee County. Early settlers grew cotton and raised livestock. Due to the devastation of the cotton crop caused by Mexican boll weevils, peanuts were introduced as a replacement cash crop. With subsequent control of the boll weevil, cotton cultivation has increased but has not surpassed peanuts as the primary cash crop. In 1979, Coffee County comprised 96,600 ha of woodlands, 48,400 ha of agricultural land and 14,400 ha of pastureland. The remaining 13,800 ha consisted of urbanized and developed lands (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service 1979). During the eighteenyear period from 1979 until 1997 the agricultural land decreased by 22%, from 48,400 ha to 38,153 ha (U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service 1999). This decrease of agricultural land can, in part, be attributed to reforestation, but is also due to the urban sprawl of Enterprise, the county's largest city.

Coffee County has a warm-temperate, moist climate. The growing season, from the last freeze in spring (mid-March) to the first freeze in fall (mid-November), is approximately 272 days. The summers are long and hot, while winters are short and cool with only brief cold snaps lasting one to two days at a time. Average temperatures during the winter are 11 deg C, while summer averages 27 deg C with average daily maximal highs at 33 deg C. The average annual precipitation is 135.4 cm, with a slight peak occurring during the winter. Most summer precipitation occurs in the form of afternoon thunderstorms. These thunderstorms often produce heavy precipitation, which can cause soil erosion. This is especially true for areas of the county where highly erodable Orangeburg, Red Bay, Lucy, Troup, and Dothan soils are found (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service 1979).

DESCRIPTION OF PRIMARY COLLECTION SITES

Site 1 is located 8 km southwest of Enterprise along the south side of County Road 606. This 32 ha site occurs on flat to gently rolling woodlands and agricultural land. The soils are Orangeburg sandy loam, 2 to 8 percent slopes and Bibb, 0 to 2 percent slopes (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service 1979). Common canopy vegetation includes Liquidambar styraciflua, Liriodendron tulipifera, Pinus taeda, Quercus nigra, and Q. hemisphaerica. Taxa collected at this site but not found elsewhere in the county include Apteria aphylla and Spiranthes praecox.

Site 2 is located 14 km north of Enterprise between State Highways 51 and 27. This 925 ha site is located along the fringes of the Fort Rucker Army Installation. Several habitats, including mesic mixed pine-hardwood, planted pine monoculture, xeric hardwood and fields are found at this site. The soils are Luverne-Lucy association, rolling; OrangeburgTroup association, undulating; Lucy-Loam sand, 0 to 5 percent slope; Eunola Loamy sand, 0 to 2 percent; and Bibb, 0 to 2 percent slope (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service 1979). Common canopy vegetation includes, Carya pallida, C. tomentosa, Pinus taeda, Quercus hemisphaerica, Q. laevis, and Q. nigra.