The Nashville Basin, also known as the Central Basin, is a term often used to describe the area surrounding Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in which Nashville is located. The Central Basin was caused by an uplifting which produced a dome known as the Nashville Dome. The Nashville Dome is evidenced by the underlying rock strata that all dip downwards away from Nashville. The uplifting of the Nashville Dome fractured overlying strata, making it more easily eroded and thus the "dome" resulted in a "basin". Uplifted strata in the center of a geological dome have higher potential erosive energy than the surrounding strata, because they are physically higher. Erosion thus acts on the uplifted area at a greater rate than on the surrounding flat-lying area, creating a low area, i.e. a basin. This area is more correctly referred to as the "Central Dome" of Tennessee.
The Hercules Glades Wilderness is a 12,314-acre (50 km2) wilderness area in Taney County in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri. The United States Congress designated it a wilderness in 1976, making it the oldest wilderness area in Missouri. It is one of eight wilderness areas in the Mark Twain National Forest and is within the Ava-Cassville-Willow Springs ranger district, about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Branson, Missouri. Hercules Glades Wilderness derives its name from the open limestone glades (balds) that dot its landscape. The high points of Coy Bald and Pilot Knob stand 600 feet above Long Creek and offer splendid views of the drainage. Near the middle of the wilderness area is the main set of waterfalls, though Long Creek has several other smaller waterfalls and cascades along its path.
A calcareous glade is a type of ecological community that is found in the central eastern United States. Calcareous glades occur where bedrock such as limestone occurs near or at the surface, and have very shallow and little soil development. Because of the shallow soil and the extreme conditions created by it, trees are often unable to grow in the glades. This creates a habitat that is usually sunny, dry, and hot. Calcareous glade vegetation is more similar to that of a desert habitat than a grassland, being dominated by small spring annuals with occasional geophytic or succulent perennials.
Astragalus bibullatus, the limestone glade milkvetch or Pyne's ground plum, is an endangered species of flowering plant that is endemic to the cedar glades of the central basin of Tennessee in the United States. It is found in only eight populations located within a few kilometers of each other in Rutherford County, Tennessee.
Talinum is a genus of herbaceous succulent plants in the family Talinaceae whose common names include fameflower and flameflower. Several species bear edible leaves, and Talinum fruticosum is widely grown in tropical regions as a leaf vegetable. Talinum paniculatum is grown as an ornamental plant.
The Nashville metropolitan area is a metropolitan statistical area centered around Nashville, Tennessee, the capital and largest city in Tennessee, in the United States. With a population of just over 2 million, it is the most populous metropolitan area in Tennessee. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Tennessee, in terms of land area.
Elsie Quarterman was a prominent plant ecologist. She was a Professor Emerita at Vanderbilt University.
Cedars of Lebanon State Park is a state park in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. It consists of 900 acres (364 ha) situated amidst the 9,420-acre (3,810 ha) Cedars of Lebanon State Forest. The park and forest are approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of Lebanon, Tennessee.
The Interior Low Plateaus are a physiographic region in eastern United States. It consists of a diverse landscape that extends from north Alabama across central Tennessee and Kentucky into southern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Its natural communities are a matrix of temperate forests, woodlands, and prairies.
Viola egglestonii, commonly known as glade violet, is a species herbaceous plant in the violet family. It is native to a small area of eastern North America, only being found in limestone cedar glades of the Interior Low Plateau and Ridge and Valley ecoregions of Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Pediomelum subacaule is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names Nashville breadroot and whiterim scurfpea. It is native to a small area of Eastern North America, only being found in limestone cedar glades of the Interior Low Plateau and Ridge and Valley ecoregions of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.
Phlox bifida, the cleft phlox or sand phlox, is native to the Midwestern United States, the Ozarks, and the cedar glades of Kentucky and Tennessee. It is found on rock outcrops, limestone glades, and in generally dry or sandy areas.
Grindelia lanceolata is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name narrowleaf gumweed.
Dalea gattingeri, commonly called purpletassles or Gattinger prairie clover, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family. It is native to the Southeastern United States, where it is restricted to limestone cedar glades of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and Arkansas. Its populations are widely dispersed and geographically small, with most populations being found in the Nashville Basin.
Clinopodium glabellum, the glade calamint, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family. It is native to the Nashville Basin of Tennessee, the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky, and two counties in Alabama. Within this range, it is found only on wet cedar glades and in seeps along limestone creekbeds. Due to its narrow range and specific habitat requirements, this species is considered vulnerable.
Lithospermum molle, the softhair marbleseed, is a species of flowering plant in the forget-me-not family. This species is a narrow endemic, native primarily to the Nashville Basin of Tennessee, where it is found in limestone prairies near cedar glades. There are disjunct populations in similar habitats in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, in northwest Alabama, in Logan and Warren County, Kentucky as well as other small areas of Tennessee. Outside of Tennessee, it is very rare and perhaps no longer exists in Alabama and Kentucky due to habitat destruction. Because of its highly restricted geographic range, this species is considered vulnerable.
Leavenworthia torulosa, the necklace gladecress, is a species of plant in the mustard family. It is native to the eastern United States where it is only found near limestone cedar glades of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. It is considered rare in all states it is found except Tennessee, where it is common in the Nashville Basin due to the abundance of available habitat.
Couchville Cedar Glade State Natural Area is a Class II Natural-Scientific state natural area located in Davidson and Wilson counties Tennessee. Its western boundary is contiguous with the eastern boundary of Long Hunter State Park. The park's name reflects its location near the now extinct inundated community of Couchville, Tennessee.
Gratiola quartermaniae, commonly known as the limestone hedge-hyssop, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family. It is native to eastern North America.
Phemeranthus calycinus, commonly called largeflower fameflower, or rock pink, is a species of flowering plant in the montia family (Montiaceae). It is native to North America, where it is found primarily in the areas of the Great Plains and Ozark and Ouachita Mountains in United States. Its natural habitat is on glades, sandy areas, or bluffs with rock outcrops, typically on acidic substrates.
