Books & Book Chapters

SGI’s Research team frequently contribute to scholarly books by authoring chapters, and many of our researchers are co-authors of scholarly books on the flora, fauna, and ecology of the Southeastern United States.

Selected books and book chapters

• Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas. Gentry, J.L., G.P. Johnson, B.T. Baker, C.T. Witsell & J.D. Ogle, eds. 2013. University of Arkansas Herbarium, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 709 pp.

• Fire Ecology of Florida and the Southeastern Coastal Plain. Noss, R. F. (2018). University Press of Florida.

• Flora of the Southeastern United States. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, U.S.A.

• Flora of Virginia. Weakley, A.S., J.C. Ludwig, and J. F. Townsend. 2012. Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth,TX.

• Forgotten Grasslands of the South: Natural History and Conservation. Noss, R. F. (2012). Island Press.

• Guide to the Vascular Flora of Tennessee. Chester, E. W., Wofford, B. E., Shaw, J., Estes, L. D., & Webb, D. H. (Eds.). (2015). University of Tennessee Press.

• Southeastern Grasslands: Biodiversity, Ecology, & Management. Witsell, C.T., T.L. Foti, & B.T. Baker. 2018. The Native Flora of Grasslands and Associated Woodlands in the Grand Prairie Ecoregion of Eastern Arkansas (Book Chapter). University of Mississippi Press.

• Tennessee-Kentucky Plant Atlas. Shaw, J., D. Estes, B. Ruhfel, A.B. Morris, and T.R. Littlefield. 2023. [S.M. Landry and K.N. Campbell (original application development), USF Water Institute. University of South Florida]. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Austin Peay State University, University of Michigan, Furman University, and Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission.

• Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Arkansas. J.D. Ogle, T. Witsell, & J.L. Gentry. 2021. Ozark Society Foundation Press. 520 pp.

• Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast. Cotterman, L., Waitt, D., & Weakley, A. (2019). Timber Press.

Peer reviewed publications

A significant part of SGI’s mission is to further the science behind understanding the biodiversity of the grasslands of the Southeastern U.S. Research staff work closely with other SGI staff to complement our restoration, native seed, tribal, and community engagement programs. Below is a base list of scientific publications that have undergone the rigorous peer-review process by other experts in relevant fields and published in scientific journals. Check back for updates and new publications on this page.

Selected scientific journal articles

• 2025. G. LeFevre, D. Estes, E. Rehm. Better reproductive success of an invasive thistle than its native relative under pollinator exclusion. Plant Biology.

• 2024. Witsell, T. and R. Lance. Clarification of the status of Crataegus ouachitensis (Rosaceae) and a reevaluation of its var. minor. Phytoneuron 2024-55: 1–14.

• 2024. Witsell, T., V.L. McDaniel, B.T. Baker, D.M. Zollner, G.L. De Jong, S.L. Hooks. Coefficients of conservatism for the vascular flora of Arkansas. Phytoneuron 2024-46: 1–99.

• 2023. Estes, D., Tracey, C., Zimmerman, E., Knapp, W., Vanderhorst, J., Singhurst, J., & Witsell, T. Riverscour ecosystems of eastern unglaciated North America: A review. Natural Areas Journal, 43(3), 148-168.

• 2022. Ciafre, C. M., Gienger, C. M., Rehm, E. M., & Estes, L. D. Deterministic and stochastic factors jointly drive plant community composition and diversity in isolated wetlands. Wetlands, 42(7), 1–11.

• 2022. Ciafre, C. M., & Estes, L. D. Two Coastal Plain Dichanthelium (Poaceae: Paniceae) Disjunct in Tennessee Grasslands and Their Conservation. Castanea, 87(1), 121–128.

• 2022. McDaniel, V.L., B. Baker, T. Witsell, & S.L. Hooks. 2022. Significant range extension of Streptanthus squamiformis (Brassicaceae), a Ouachita Mountain endemic. Journal of Botanical Research Institute of Texas 16(2): 559–563.

• 2022. Murphy, T. H., Harris, J., & Estes, L. D. Morphometric and Molecular Evidence Delimit Six Species in Clematis reticulata s.l. (Ranunculaceae: Clematis subg. Viorna). Systematic Botany, 47(3), 667–690.

• 2021. Noss, R. F., Cartwright, J. M., Estes, D., Witsell, T., Elliott, G., Adams, D., ... & Weakley, A. Improving species status assessments under the US Endangered Species Act and implications for multispecies conservation challenges worldwide. Conservation Biology, 35(6), 1715-1724.

• 2021. Soteropoulos, D.L., C.R. De Bellis, T. Witsell. Citizen science contributions to address biodiversity loss and conservation planning in a rapidly developing region. Diversity 13 (6):255.

• 2019. Lynch, D.T., T. Witsell, B.A. Rupar, W.C. Holimon, D.W. Bowman. The devil and the deep blue lake: How natural area acquisition and stewardship helps protect the major drinking reservoir in northwestern Arkansas. Natural Areas Journal 39(1): 78-89.

• 2013. Estes, D. Penstemon kralii (Plantaginaceae), a new species from Alabama and Tennessee, with an updated key to the southeastern U.S. taxa. Journal of Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 6(1), 1-8.

• 2012. Norton-Taylor, K., Estes, L.D. The floristic and community ecology of seasonally limestone glade seeps of Tennessee and Kentucky. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 6(2), 711-724.

• 2011. Estes, L.D., Beck, J. A new species of Polymnia (Asteraceae: Tribe Polymnieae) from Tennessee. Systematic Botany, 36(2), 481-486.

• 2011. Weakley, A. S., LeBlond, R. J., Sorrie, B. A., Witsell, C. T., Estes, L. D., Gandhi, K., ... & Ebihara, A. New combinations, rank changes, and nomenclatural and taxonomic comments in the vascular flora of the southeastern United States. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 437-455.

• 2008. Estes, D., & Small, R. L. Phylogenetic relationships of the monotypic genus Amphianthus (Plantaginaceae tribe Gratioleae) inferred from chloroplast DNA sequences. Systematic Botany, 33(1), 176-182.

• 2007. Estes, L.D., Small, R.L. Two new species of Gratiola (Plantaginaceae) from eastern North America and an updated circumscription for Gratiola neglecta. Journal of Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1(1), 146-170.

Technical Reports & Ecosystem Guides

Research experts at SGI are frequently asked to contribute working groups to further nation and region-scaled efforts to make recommendations for land management based on key species and proven management practices.

Selected Ecosystem Guides

Selected Technical Reports

• The Vascular Flora of Camp Nelson National Monument: Final Report. Krakowaiak, A. 2025. Published by the National Park Service.

• The Vascular Flora of Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument: Final Report. Krakowaiak, A. 2025. Published by the National Park Service.

• USFS Rare Plant Partnerships Final Report. [Seedbanking Globally Rare Grassland Plants of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest]. Krakowiak, A. 20225.

State wildlife action plans

Arkansas Wildlife Action Plan. 2025. Witsell, Theo. Live November 2026.

Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan. 2025. Ceska, Jennifer. Live June 10, 2025.

SGI staff are actively involved in State Wildlife Action Plans in Tennessee. This report is still under review and public comment.

Graduate Researchers

SGI’s research staff serve on many student graduate research committees. Below is a list of our current and past graduate students whose scholarly work was supervised in part or whole by SGI researchers and contributed to SGI’s research work.

Current Graduate Students

• Josué Chevez-Sahona (Auburn University)

• Caroline Crews (Auburn University)

• Maya Lapp (University of Tennessee)

• Jack Looney (University of Arkansas)

• Jared Gorrell (Austin Peay State University). Project: “Flora and ecology of Shortleaf Pine-Oak Savannas of the Black Belt Ecoregion of Alabama."

Past Graduate Students

• Zach Irick (Austin Peay State University), in progress. Thesis: "Taxonomy of the Clematis viorna complex (Clematis subgenus viorna) of the southeastern United States."

• 2025. Robert Langellier (University of Vermont).

• 2024. Gabby LeFevre (Austin Peay State University).

• 2020. Thomas Murphy (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “Taxonomic Study of the Clematis reticulata Species Complex (Ranunculaceae: Subgenus Viorna)."

• 2019. Claire Ciafre (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “Deterministic and stochastic factors jointly drive plant community composition and diversity in isolated wetlands."

• 2019. Cooper Breeden (Non-Thesis).

• 2017. Mason Brock (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “Flora of riverscour communities of Tennessee's Caney Fork River."

• 2017. Angela Mummaw (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “Taxonomy of the Quercus schumardii complex in Tennessee.”

• 2016. Kelly Anderson (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “Vascular flora and community ecology of riverscour communities of the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River, Blount County, AL.”

• 2016. Judy Redden (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “A floristic ecological survey of seepage fens in the western highland rim of TN.”

• 2016. Devin Rodgers (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “Vascular flora and vegetation of the Cumberland Plateau sandstone riverscour communities in Daddy’s Creek Gorge, Cumberland and Morgan Counties, TN.”

• 2013. Dawn York (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “Invasive species survey and mapping of the Ocoee River Gorge in Polk County, TN.”

• 2012. Courtney Gorman (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “Taxonomic, Ecologic, and Biogeographic Studies of Polymnia (Asteraceae).”

• 2012. Clea Klagstad (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “Vascular flora and vegetation classification of the Cheatham Wildlife Management Area, Cheatham County, TN.”

• 2010. Kim Norton (Austin Peay State University). Thesis: “The floristic and community ecology of seasonally wet limestone glade seeps of Tennessee and Kentucky.”

Scientific Outreach

Visual science communication

The Southeastern Grasslands Institute and our affiliates frequently present posters at scientific conferences, workshops, and meetings. Our staff have developed many materials for the general public based on our research, conservation, and restoration programs Click each photo in the gallery to see posters related to our programs.

Collaborative research

Collaborative research is key to SGI’s success. Please click on our research partners at APSU and other institutions to learn more:

Independent Research Affiliates

• Dr. Cecil Frost

• David Nolin

• Dr. John barone

• Dr. Julian Campbell

Publications in popular media

SGI staff frequently publish research-related articles in popular media such as magazines, newsletters, periodicals, and blogs. Please contact SGI Communications Specialist Eleanor Lopez if you are interested in SGI contributing to your news outlet.

Selected publications in popular media by SGI Staff

• 30 Years of Conservation Networking for Georgia: Observations by an Older Threaded Spider by Jennifer Ceska for Georgia Garden, Summer 2025, pp. 4-7.

• Saving the Southern Sarangeti by Jeremy French for Backcountry Journal’s Spring Magazine 2025, pp. 7-11.

• Conserving The Globally Rare Porter's Goldenrod by Cooper Breeden for Center for Plant Conservation's Feb 2023 Newsletter. Article.

• Get the Picture by Theo Witsell for Arkansas Out of Doors Magazine. Article Column.

  • Deserts in the Forest (p. 33)

  • Grasslands by the River (p.25)

  • Remnants, Refugees, & Restorations (p. 36)