Vascular Flora of the Chauga River, Oconee County, South Carolina

Locality: USA: South Carolina

Abstract: A floristic and vegetational study of the vascular plant flora of the Chauga River Gorge was initiated in 1985, resulting in the collection and annotation of 568 species representing 341 genera and 107 families. Voucher specimens have been deposited in the Clemson University Herbarium (CLEMS). Plant communities described are typically dominated by oak and/or pine species. The Chauga River is part of the Savannah River drainage system located in the extreme northwestern portion of South Carolina and is one of the three major drainage systems associated with the Andrew Pickens District of the Sumter National Forest. Recently, the National Forest Service designated the Chauga River and immediate uplands as scenic River, thereby protecting the vegetation from the impacts of timber management.