Disjunct Atlantic coastal plain species in Nova Scotia: Distribution, habitat and conservation priorities

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Nova Scotia supports some of the rarest Atlantic coastal plain plant species in Canada. Concentrations of these species are found in two regions; the Tusket and the Medway River systems. Much is known about the distribution and habitat of coastal plain plants in the Tusket system, so our objective was to document the distribution, abundance and habitat of three species from along lakeshores in the Medway system. Lachnanthes caroliana is restricted to one lake, while large populations of Lophiola aurea and Scirpus longii were found in several locations. Sites that supported either of these three species were prioritized for protection based on the population sizes of these species and the status and number of other rare plants. All three species typically co-occurred with other rare plants, isoetids, carnivorous species, and Cladium mariscoides. The species were most abundant on windward cobble and peat shorelines similar to the infertile lakeshores which support sizeable coastal plain populations in the Tusket system. Similarities in the habitat of both the Medway and the Tusket regions suggest that conserving these species will require the preservation of their habitat.