Cumberland Sandstone Glade Restoration at the William B. Bankhead National Forest

Sandstone glades of the Southern Cumberland Plateau are rare and unique plant communities exhibiting some of the richest endemic floras in the eastern United States. As a part of larger conservation initiative to rehabilitate and reconnect glade patches with the surrounding forest ecosystem, USFS at William B. Bankhead National Forest conduct a pilot project on a 3-acre glade. Excessive woody biomass was removed from the site to accommodate the open-condition requirements of its endemic and common plant species, and plans were made to reintroduce landscape-level fire influences to the site on a periodic basis. Outcomes from this project were expected to shape the implementation of restoration activities at the 50 other small glades under the initiative.