Unionville Serpentine Barrens Restoration and Management Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Unionville Serpentine Barrens Restoration and Management Plan Roger Latham and Mike McGeehin Cover: The highest‐priority targets for restoration and management at the Unionville Barrens are serpentine Indian‐grass – little bluestem grassland (top), serpentine gravel forb community (right center) and serpentine seep (bottom). They are globally rare communities and harbor an extraordinary diversity of species of special conservation concern. (Photos by Roger Latham.) Suggested citation for this document: Latham, R. E. and M. McGeehin. 2012. Unionville Serpentine Barrens Restoration and Management Plan. Continental Conservation, Rose Valley, Pennsylvania and Natural Lands Trust, Media, Pennsylvania. 157 pp. + 10 maps. Unionville Serpentine Barrens Restoration and Management Plan Roger Latham Continental Conservation Rose Valley, Pennsylvania and Mike McGeehin Natural Lands Trust For Natural Lands Trust Media, Pennsylvania 2012 Table of Contents Summary ....................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 1.1 Background on serpentine barrens .................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Importance of grassland conservation .............................................................................................. 9 1.3 Significance of the Unionville Barrens ............................................................................................ 11 1.4 Purpose of the restoration and management plan .................................................................... 13 2 Project Area Description .............................................................................................................................. 15 2.1 Physiographic and geological setting .............................................................................................. 15 2.2 Land‐use history ....................................................................................................................................... 16 2.3 Ecosystem components ......................................................................................................................... 20 2.3.1 Historical vegetation .................................................................................................................................... 20 2.3.2 Soils ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23 2.3.3 Present‐day ecological communities .................................................................................................... 29 2.3.4 Species surveys .............................................................................................................................................. 33 2.3.4 Vascular plant species of special conservation concern .............................................................. 37 2.3.5 Animal species of special conservation concern and their habitat needs ............................ 38 3 Desired Conditions, Indicators of Management Success, and Threats .............................. 41 3.1 Desired conditions ................................................................................................................................... 41 3.1.1 Qualitative summary of desired conditions ...................................................................................... 41 3.1.2 Species diversity and composition ........................................................................................................ 42 3.1.3 Structural, patch and habitat diversity ................................................................................................ 43 3.1.4 Ecosystem processes ................................................................................................................................... 45 3.1.5 Landscape context ........................................................................................................................................ 48 3.1.6 Metrics of ecosystem condition—the phytometer approach .................................................... 49 3.2 Threats .......................................................................................................................................................... 61 3.2.1 Critically low population numbers associated with habitat area decline ............................ 61 3.2.2 Fire exclusion and forest succession .................................................................................................... 62 3.2.3 Invasive and aggressive plant species ................................................................................................. 63 3.2.4 Artificially elevated white‐tailed deer population .......................................................................... 64 4 Management Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 67 4.1 Adaptive management ........................................................................................................................... 67 4.1.1 Selective tree removal and replacement ............................................................................................ 68 4.1.2 Prescribed burning ....................................................................................................................................... 71 4.1.3 Invasive and aggressive species control ............................................................................................. 73 4.1.4 Deer management ......................................................................................................................................... 78 4.1.5 Species reintroduction and augmentation ......................................................................................... 79 4.1.6 Maintaining esthetic and historical preservation standards ..................................................... 79 4.2 Monitoring .................................................................................................................................................. 80 4.2.1 Quadrat monitoring of vascular plant species cover ..................................................................... 80 4.2.2 Monitoring sparsely distributed plant species of special conservation concern .............. 82 4.2.3 GIS metrics ....................................................................................................................................................... 82 4.2.4 Monitoring bird populations .................................................................................................................... 82 4.2.5 Monitoring arthropod populations ....................................................................................................... 82 4.2.6 Monitoring deer effects .............................................................................................................................. 83 ii 4.2.7 Baseline surveys focusing on ecosystem components of special conservation concern .............................................................................................................................................................. 83 4.3 Stewardship task priorities and timeframe ................................................................................. 84 4.3.1 Management units ........................................................................................................................................ 84 4.3.2 Highest‐priority stewardship tasks for 2012–2013 ...................................................................... 90 References Cited .................................................................................................................................................... 92 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................................. 100 Glossary ................................................................................................................................................................... 101 Appendices Appendix A. Interpretation of rank and status codes for species of special conservation concern ................................................................................................................................. 109 Appendix B. Vascular plants of the Unionville Barrens ................................................................... 111 Appendix C. Arthropods of special conservation concern that may inhabit the Unionville Barrens ....................................................................................................................................... 145 Appendix D. Notes on design of adaptive management trials ...................................................... 149 D.1 Replication .............................................................................................................................................. 149 D.2 Randomization .....................................................................................................................................