Plant species on the Department of Energy-Oak Ridge Reservation that are rare, threatened, or of special concern

The need to protect endangered organisms has gained increased awareness during the past decade. These efforts have only recently been expanded to include plants. Lists of candidate species have been compiled for review and status designation by appropriate governmental actions. The Report on Endangered and Threatened Plant Species of the United States presented to Congress by the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (U.S. Congress 1975) recommended that the preservation of critical habitats be adopted as a major management practice to ensure the survival of endangered and threatened plant species. In compliance with federal guidelines, plants occurring on the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation that are considered rare, threatened, or of special concern have been located, identified, and provided protection (Oak Ridge Operations 1975). At present nine candidate species are known to occur on the area. Efforts are being made to locate additional species that have been casually observed and reported but not verified by voucher specimens. The purpose of this activity is to summarize present knowledge of the occurrence and distribution of threatened and endangered plant species for long-range management decisions of the DOE-Oak Ridge Reservation.