1. What is the Biological
Reserve?
The Biological Reserve, also referred to
as the Botanical Preserve or Botanical Garden, is a piece of
university property on the east side of the campus that is being
used by the FSU Department of Natural Sciences. It is being used to maintain some of the plant and animal species
native to eastern North America and some of the kinds of habitats in
which they occur. It is used as an outdoor teaching and research
laboratory. The department has used the Reserve
for more than twenty-five
years. The existence of an FSU Biological Reserve was given
formal recognition by the FSU Board of Trustees at a meeting in
April 2001. In November 2003 the Board of Trustees voted to
rescind its recognition of the existence of the Biological Reserve.
2. Are there trails in the Reserve?
Construction of trails in the Reserve
began in the 1970's and the trail system has been expanded since
then. There are trails in the part of the Reserve that is on the west side of Edgecombe
Avenue. The main trail begins behind the Rudolph Jones Student
Center and ends across from the Chestnutt Library.
3. Are there signs identifying plants in the Reserve?
Signs identifying some of the plant
species in the Reserve were put in place in 1983 and have been there
since then.
4. Is there a nature trail in the Reserve?
A self-guiding nature trail was set up in
the Reserve in 1987. A guide to the trail describes features of the
Reserve at locations indicated by numbered markers along the trail.
5. Is the Reserve open to the public?
Yes. The Reserve is open
to the public every day the university is open.
6. Is there a plan for the Reserve?
In 1982 a preliminary plan for the Reserve
was developed. It has been modified and expanded since that time.
The plan calls for the creation of some types of habitats which did
not previously exist in the Reserve and which are being developed to
resemble some of the naturally occurring ecosystems of eastern North
America. These developed or modified areas are the Hardwood Forest
Habitat, the Mountain Valley, the Sandhills Habitat, the Southern Forest, and the Savannah. The plan also calls for
maintaining most of the Reserve in its natural state. For more
information, click on "Habitats" at the top of the page.
7. What work has been done on the developed areas in the
Reserve?
Soil has been modified in parts of the
Hardwood Forest Habitat and the Sandhills Habitat. Many non-native
plants of several species such as Chinese Privet,
Ligustrum sinense, have been removed. Since 1981, native
plants belonging to 82 species have been added to the developed areas of the Reserve.
Sixty-eight of these are species that did not previously exist in the
Reserve.
8. Are there any rare or endangered
species in the Biological Reserve?
There
are seven species of plants in the Reserve that can be considered as rare in Cumberland County. Wild populations of some of these species are known to
exist at three or fewer localities in the county. No
endangered species have been found in the Reserve. For more
information, click on "Rare Plants" at the top of the
page. |
