Arbutus Peak

Peak barrens, a ridgetop dwarf-tree forest natural community is a relatively large oak barrens complex of 5,000 to 6,000 acres southeast of Wilkes-Barre. It is located on the ridgetops in the townships of Bear Creek, Dennison, Hanover, Fairview and Wright, and Laurel Run Borough. The site is separated into two sub areas—one northwest of Crystal Lake reservoir that includes Penobscot Mountain Barrens, and one southwest of the lake that includes Arbutus Peak and Tunnel Road Barrens. The barrens are comprised of a complex of plant communities including Scrub Oak Shrubland, Low Heath Shrubland and Little Bluestem Sedge Opening (Fike 1999).

The barrens are dominated by scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia) with a variety of , huckleberries, and sheep laurel (ericaceous shrubs) as subdominants; pitch pine (Pinus rigida) is found in scattered locations. Small rocky “balds” are dominated by bare sandstone and conglomerate rock with lichens, mosses, and scattered shrubs and grasses. Mixed oak and other hardwood trees dominate the ravines between the barrens. There are also several swamp areas, such as Jimmy Kane Swamp, that are dominated by red (Acer rubrum), some red spruce (Picea rubens), hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), and yellow birch (Betula allegheniensis), and a variety of shrubs and sedges (Carex sp.).

The open woodlands and shrub barrens require periodic disturbance. The primary driving forces creating and maintaining the barrens are fire, poor dry shallow soils, and in places, frost and wind. Fires have been both natural and manmade. Fires have killed off trees and allowed the scrub and other species to thrive. Scrub oak and the ericaceous shrubs may actually promote fire due to their highly flammable leaves and debris (Latham et al 1996). The scrub oak and many of the blueberries sprout from the roots after a fire. Grasses and sedges respond well to the nutrients that are released and to the exposure to sun. Pitch pine, where it occurs, readily resprouts after a fire (uncommon for a conifer). Unusual for these large barrens systems is the amount of wetland adjacent to the dry barrens. In Pennsylvania, only Long Pond Barrens in Monroe County appears to have more wetland associated with the barrens.

Fifteen species of concern have been documented at areas associated with the barrens and adjacent wetlands: a noctuid moth ( condita), a sallow moth ( cerata), red dart (Diarsia rubifera), pointed sallow ( apiata), Persius duskywing (Erynnis persius persius), gray ( cognataria), barrens buckmoth (Hemileuca maia), barrens itame (Itame sp. 1 nr. inextricata), footpath sallow (Metaxaglaea semitaria), a noctuid moth (Panthea sp 1), flypoison borer moth (Papaipema sp.1), pink sallow (Psectraglaea carnosa), the maroonwing (Sideridis maryx), apple sphinx (Sphinx gordius), and a noctuid moth (Syngrapha epigaea). Five of the species are Globally Rare or the subspecies is Globally Rare. Several are new to the present day fauna of PA. One species is known to utilize arctic/boreal habitats making Arbutus Peak an extreme southern location for this species. Another is considered to be a southern species usually found on the Pine Barrens. These moth species are typically dependent upon particular plant species for a portion of their lives; some use scrub oak to feed upon; others use blueberries found in wetlands or in the barrens. Some species use the pitch pine while others appear to use and other plants found in the wetlands. The flypoison borer moth is currently known to occur only in Pennsylvania, and feeds exclusively on the fly-poison plant (Amianthium muscaetoxicum). Another species feeds on wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria). Some of the species have very little life history information and require more research. Most of moth species of concern depend on plants that require plenty of sunlight found in shrubland or open woodland.

Four plant species of concern, serviceberry (Amelanchier humilis), three-toothed cinquefoil (Potentilla tridentate), and sand cherry ( pumila var. susquehanae), and an additional plant species of concern which is not named at the request of the jurisdictional agency overseeing its protection, occur with the barrens. All four are found where there are rock outcrops, little soil development and some disturbance either natural or caused by humans.

These ridgetop areas probably have changed little over recent time and should remain as rock outcrops. The Tunnel Road site may need periodic disturbance since it is close to the old railroad bed and within a pitch pinescrub oak woodland. There are only minimal threats to these species posed by trail and mountain bikes and radio and cell tower development. Some of these disturbances seem to actually benefit the plant species that occur here. Arbutus Peak is one of the top sites in the county for conservation and may be one of the richest barrens for butterfly and moth groups in the Northeast. This barrens complex should be a high priority for conservation in Pennsylvania.