FLORAL AND FAUNAL RESEARCH ON UTILITY RIGHTS-OF-WAY AT STATE GAME LANDS 33 AND GREEN LANE RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION AREAS 2015-2018 https://sites.psu.edu/transmissionlineecology/ RESEARCH TEAM MEMBERS: Carolyn Mahan, Lead Investigator, Department of Biology and Environmental Studies, Penn State Altoona, Altoona, PA (Email:
[email protected]). Brad Ross, Department of Biology and Environmental Studies, Penn State Altoona, Altoona, PA Hannah Stout, Independent Researcher, 137 Bathgate Dr., State College, PA. Dana Roberts, Department of Entomology, Penn State University, University Park, PA. Laura Russo, Biology Department, Penn State University, University Park, PA and Botany Department, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland. Cover Photographs include images of integrated vegetation management along the right-of-way at State Game Lands 33, identification and preparation of pollinators at Penn State’s Frost Entomological Museum, and examples of target floral and faunal taxa researched during the project. Photographs were taken by project members during the summers of 2016 and 2017. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION 3 A. Integrated vegetation management on rights-of-way ………………………. 3 B. Wildlife response and current research …………………………………….. 3 C. Legacy vegetation treatments ………………………………………………. 4 D. Current vegetation treatment terminology and approaches ……………….... 4 E. Outreach ……………………………………………………………………. 5 F. Figures and Tables …………………………………………………………. 6 II. VEGETATION 9 A. Methods …………………………………………………………………… 9 B. Results …………………………………………………………………….. 10 C. Discussion …………………………………………………………………. 14 D. Tables ……………………………………………………………………… 15 III. BREEDING BIRDS 22 A. Methods …………………………………………………………………… 22 B. Results …………………………………………………………………….. 23 C. Discussion ………………………………………………………………… 25 D. Tables and Figures ………………………………………………………… 29 IV. POLLINATORS 44 A. Project goals and objectives for 2017 …………………………………….. 44 B. Methods …………………………………………………………………… 44 C. Results for SGL 33 from 2017 ……………………………………………. 48 D. Results for SGL 33 - 2016 versus 2017 …………………………………… 51 E.