Natural Landscapes of Maine a Guide to Natural Communities and Ecosystems

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Natural Landscapes of Maine a Guide to Natural Communities and Ecosystems Natural Landscapes of Maine A Guide to Natural Communities and Ecosystems by Susan Gawler and Andrew Cutko Natural Landscapes of Maine A Guide to Natural Communities and Ecosystems by Susan Gawler and Andrew Cutko Copyright © 2010 by the Maine Natural Areas Program, Maine Department of Conservation 93 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0093 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the authors or the Maine Natural Areas Program, except for inclusion of brief quotations in a review. Illustrations and photographs are used with permission and are copyright by the contributors. Images cannot be reproduced without expressed written consent of the contributor. ISBN 0-615-34739-4 To cite this document: Gawler, S. and A. Cutko. 2010. Natural Landscapes of Maine: A Guide to Natural Communities and Ecosystems. Maine Natural Areas Program, Maine Department of Conservation, Augusta, Maine. Cover photo: Circumneutral Riverside Seep on the St. John River, Maine Printed and bound in Maine using recycled, chlorine-free paper Contents Page Acknowledgements ..................................................................................... 3 Foreword ..................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ................................................................................................ 7 Natural Community Concepts ................................................................... 8 Natural Communities and Ecosystems: What are They? ........................... 8 Ecological Variation ....................................................................... 9 Patterns of Formation.................................................................... 10 Rarity ............................................................................................. 11 Natural Communities and Climate Change ................................ 12 About This Classification .......................................................................... 14 How This Classification was Developed ....................................... 14 Relationships to Other Classifications ......................................... 14 Associated Rare and Common Plant and Wildlife Species .......... 17 Limitations .................................................................................... 18 Table of Natural Community Types .......................................................... 20 Ecosystems ................................................................................................. 23 Forested Ecosystems ...................................................................... 24 Open Upland Ecosystems ............................................................. 28 Peatland Ecosystems ...................................................................... 30 Freshwater Shoreline Ecosystems .................................................. 35 Tidal Ecosystems ............................................................................ 39 Keys to Natural Community Types ........................................................... 41 Maine Natural Areas Program Contents (continued) Page Natural Community Profiles .................................................................... 62 Wooded Uplands .......................................................................... 62 Wooded Wetlands ........................................................................ 128 Open Uplands .............................................................................. 162 Open Wetlands ............................................................................. 202 Appendices Appendix A. State and Global Rarity Ranks .......................................... 279 Appendix B. Cross-Reference to Other Classification Types.................. 281 Appendix C. Plant Common Names and Scientific Names ................... 298 Appendix D. Animal Common Names and Scientific Names ............... 321 Appendix E: Quantitative Analysis Methods .......................................... 325 Appendix F: Glossary ............................................................................. 327 References ................................................................................................. 331 Index to Natural Community Profiles ..................................................... 342 Acknowledgements This classification reflects the work of dozens of people over nearly two decades. Numerous field ecologists and naturalists offered data or advice as the classification developed, and several also reviewed draft versions. Contributors and reviewers include Dennis Anderson, Rob Bryan, Charles Cogbill, Ronald Davis, Norm Famous, Linda Gregory, Arthur Haines, Jim and Pat Hinds, Pat Ledlie, Julie Lundgren, Mark McCollough, Janet McMahon, John McPhedran, Don Mansius, Glenn Mittlehauser, Morten Moesswilde, Betsy Newcomer, Sally Rooney, Josh Royte, Nancy Sferra, Eric Sorensen, Marcia Spencer-Famous, Dan Sperduto, Lauren Stockwell, Lillie Vitelli, Jill Weber, Alan White, and Art Wilder. In addition, this work benefitted from natural community classifications at the regional and national level by Mark Anderson, Rick Enser, Jean Fike, Denny Grossman, David Hunt, Julie Lundgren, Ken Metzler, Lesley Sneddon, Eric Sorenson, Daniel Sperduto, and Pat Swain. Linkages of natural communities to animal species were drafted by Mark Ward and reviewed by Mark McCollough, Phillip deMaynadier, and Tom Hodgman. Others providing useful comments on the wildlife information include Mac Hunter, Bob Houston, Peter Vickery, and Andy Whitman. Numerous staff at the Maine Natural Areas Program have been involved with the project. Most notably, Lisa St. Hilaire took what had been a languishing project and kicked it into high gear, providing countless hours of editorial and organizational oversight to bring the project to publication. Don Cameron and Kristen Puryear provided review comments, suggested new types based on field work, and acted as sounding boards throughout the process. Chris Cabot, Brian Carlson, Emily Chase, Dan Coker, Sarah Demers, Janet Gannon, Toni Pied, and Matt Waterhouse helped with various technical and administrative components of the project. Program coordinator Molly Docherty was essential in securing the funding for this project and in overseeing its progress. Most of the photos are from current or former Maine Natural Areas Program staff. Notable exceptions are photos from Ron Butler, Phillip deMaynadier, Keith Kanoti, Ron Logan, Jonathan Mays, Erik Nielsen, Barbara Spencer, and Beth Swartz. Layout and design work were patiently provided by Cory Courtois of Pages Plus. Financial support for this project was provided by the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, Maine Forest Service, Sweet Water Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Finally, we are grateful to our teachers, our colleagues, and our families, who have supported our passion for Maine’s natural places. Maine Natural Areas Program Foreword Of fir and fen: exploring ecological patterns You may not want to read this book. Are you a person who sees trees and flowers rather than hemlocks and trilliums? Do you call all the birds you see swimming in a pond “ducks”? Do you think of those slimy plants growing in the intertidal zone as just “seaweed”? If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions you may not be a good candidate to read this book. Perhaps you are one of those people who say things like “I love nature, but I just don’t want my enjoyment of it cluttered up with a lot of names that I can’t bother to remember” or perhaps you picked up this booking thinking that it was a compilation of landscape paintings. On the other hand, if you answered “no” to those questions there is a good chance that you are a naturalist with enough sophistication, depth, and curiosity to appreciate what this book has to offer. You are probably ready to take the next step toward fully savoring the myriad species that share our planet, ready to understand a critical aspect of their ecology, the patterns by which they are organized into natural communities. These patterns are driven by the processes through which organisms interact with their physical environment (for example soil, water, and climate) and one another (for example, as predators or competitors). At a very basic level you already know these patterns--you certainly would be shocked to see a hemlock growing in a stand of cattails because you understand that a forest community is profoundly different from a marsh community. At a much higher level of complexity these patterns and processes are so complex that no one can fully understand them, not even professional ecologists who devote their lives to studying a single ecosystem. As Frank Egler wrote, “Ecosystems are not just more complicated than we think they are; they are more complicated that we can think.” We can get a feel for this complexity with a simple math exercise. Imagine a community with a typical number of species (1000 would be a rough ballpark estimate that will make the math easy). Next multiply that number times all the other species in the community with which each species interacts (999 in our example because indirect interactions count too). You also have to account for a few dozen environmental attributes by
Recommended publications
  • Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina 2016
    Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina 2016 Revised February 24, 2017 Compiled by Laura Gadd Robinson, Botanist John T. Finnegan, Information Systems Manager North Carolina Natural Heritage Program N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Raleigh, NC 27699-1651 www.ncnhp.org C ur Alleghany rit Ashe Northampton Gates C uc Surry am k Stokes P d Rockingham Caswell Person Vance Warren a e P s n Hertford e qu Chowan r Granville q ot ui a Mountains Watauga Halifax m nk an Wilkes Yadkin s Mitchell Avery Forsyth Orange Guilford Franklin Bertie Alamance Durham Nash Yancey Alexander Madison Caldwell Davie Edgecombe Washington Tyrrell Iredell Martin Dare Burke Davidson Wake McDowell Randolph Chatham Wilson Buncombe Catawba Rowan Beaufort Haywood Pitt Swain Hyde Lee Lincoln Greene Rutherford Johnston Graham Henderson Jackson Cabarrus Montgomery Harnett Cleveland Wayne Polk Gaston Stanly Cherokee Macon Transylvania Lenoir Mecklenburg Moore Clay Pamlico Hoke Union d Cumberland Jones Anson on Sampson hm Duplin ic Craven Piedmont R nd tla Onslow Carteret co S Robeson Bladen Pender Sandhills Columbus New Hanover Tidewater Coastal Plain Brunswick THE COUNTIES AND PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCES OF NORTH CAROLINA Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina 2016 Compiled by Laura Gadd Robinson, Botanist John T. Finnegan, Information Systems Manager North Carolina Natural Heritage Program N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Raleigh, NC 27699-1651 www.ncnhp.org This list is dynamic and is revised frequently as new data become available. New species are added to the list, and others are dropped from the list as appropriate.
    [Show full text]
  • "Pollinator Paradise" Garden at Chatham Mills
    "Pollinator Paradise" Garden at Chatham Mills Created by Debbie Roos, North Carolina Cooperative Extension 206 species, 85% of them native to North Carolina More info at www.carolinapollinatorgarden.org Common Name Scientific Name Origin Perennial Flowers Yarrow Achillea millefolium 'Moonshine' NC Yarrow Achillea millefolium 'Paprika' NC Mexican giant hyssop Agastache mexicana 'Acapulco Orange' Mexico Anise hyssop Agastache x 'Blue Fortune' hybrid of U.S. native Mexican hyssop Agastache x 'Grape Nectar' Mexico Hummingbird mint Agastache x 'Red Happiness' southwest U.S. Licorice hyssop Agastache rupestris southwest U.S. Nodding onion Allium cernuum NC Dwarf indigo bush Amorpha herbacea NC Arkansas bluestar Amsonia hubrichtii Arkansas, Oklahoma Bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana NC Tall anemone Anemone virginiana NC Eastern wild columbine Aquilegia canadensis NC Golden columbine Aquilegia chrysantha southwest U.S. Common leopardbane Arnica acaulis NC Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata NC Purple milkweed Asclepias purpurascens NC Common Name Scientific Name Origin Red milkweed Asclepias rubra NC Common milkweed Asclepias syriaca NC Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa NC Redring milkweed Asclepias variegata NC Whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata NC Dwarf Tartarian aster Aster tataricus 'Jin Dai' exotic Wild indigo Baptisia x 'Carolina Moonlight' NC Wild indigo Baptisia x 'Purple Smoke' NC White wild indigo Baptisia alba NC Dwarf wild indigo Baptisia minor NC Downy wood mint Blephilia ciliata NC Decurrent false aster Boltonia decurrens central U.S. Bush's poppy mallow Callirhoe bushii central U.S. Fringed poppy mallow Callirhoe digitata central U.S. Prairie poppy mallow Callirhoe involucrata central U.S. Clustered poppy mallow Callirhoe triangulata NC Pink turtlehead Chelone lyonii NC Maryland golden aster Chrysopis mariana NC Field thistle Cirsium discolor NC Curlyheads Clematis ochroleuca NC Wild ageratum/mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum NC Palmleaf thoroughwort Conoclinium greggii southwest U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts
    The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: A County Checklist • First Revision Melissa Dow Cullina, Bryan Connolly, Bruce Sorrie and Paul Somers Somers Bruce Sorrie and Paul Connolly, Bryan Cullina, Melissa Dow Revision • First A County Checklist Plants of Massachusetts: Vascular The A County Checklist First Revision Melissa Dow Cullina, Bryan Connolly, Bruce Sorrie and Paul Somers Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP), part of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, is one of the programs forming the Natural Heritage network. NHESP is responsible for the conservation and protection of hundreds of species that are not hunted, fished, trapped, or commercially harvested in the state. The Program's highest priority is protecting the 176 species of vertebrate and invertebrate animals and 259 species of native plants that are officially listed as Endangered, Threatened or of Special Concern in Massachusetts. Endangered species conservation in Massachusetts depends on you! A major source of funding for the protection of rare and endangered species comes from voluntary donations on state income tax forms. Contributions go to the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Fund, which provides a portion of the operating budget for the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. NHESP protects rare species through biological inventory,
    [Show full text]
  • Copyrighted Material
    INDEX See also Accommodations and Restaurant indexes, below. GENERAL INDEX best, 9–10 AITO (Association of Blue Hill, 186–187 Independent Tour Brunswick and Bath, Operators), 48 AA (American Automobile A 138–139 Allagash River, 271 Association), 282 Camden, 166–170 Allagash Wilderness AARP, 46 Castine, 179–180 Waterway, 271 Abacus Gallery (Portland), 121 Deer Isle, 181–183 Allen & Walker Antiques Abbe Museum (Acadia Downeast coast, 249–255 (Portland), 122 National Park), 200 Freeport, 132–134 Alternative Market (Bar Abbe Museum (Bar Harbor), Grand Manan Island, Harbor), 220 217–218 280–281 Amaryllis Clothing Co. Acadia Bike & Canoe (Bar green-friendly, 49 (Portland), 122 Harbor), 202 Harpswell Peninsula, Amato’s (Portland), 111 Acadia Drive (St. Andrews), 141–142 American Airlines 275 The Kennebunks, 98–102 Vacations, 50 Acadia Mountain, 203 Kittery and the Yorks, American Automobile Asso- Acadia Mountain Guides, 203 81–82 ciation (AAA), 282 Acadia National Park, 5, 6, Monhegan Island, 153 American Express, 282 192, 194–216 Mount Desert Island, emergency number, 285 avoiding crowds in, 197 230–231 traveler’s checks, 43 biking, 192, 201–202 New Brunswick, 255 American Lighthouse carriage roads, 195 New Harbor, 150–151 Foundation, 25 driving tour, 199–201 Ogunquit, 87–91 American Revolution, 15–16 entry points and fees, 197 Portland, 107–110 America the Beautiful Access getting around, 196–197 Portsmouth (New Hamp- Pass, 45–46 guided tours, 197 shire), 261–263 America the Beautiful Senior hiking, 202–203 Rockland, 159–160 Pass, 46–47 nature
    [Show full text]
  • Senate, Index
    MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE The following document is provided by the LAW AND LEGISLATIVE DIGITAL LIBRARY at the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library http://legislature.maine.gov/lawlib Reproduced from electronic originals (may include minor formatting differences from printed original) RECORD INDEX – MAINE SENATE 123rd LEGISLATURE - A - ABANDONED PROPERTY Management Law Enforcement Agencies LD 1085 231, 632 ABORTION Providers Mandatory Reporters Of Sex Abuse LD 61 57, 526 Services Funds To Reimburse Eligible Women LD 1309 259, 689 Vital Statistics Published Annually LD 973 225, 604 ABUSE & NEGLECT Children Failure To Ensure School Attendance LD 454 118, 854, 871-872 (RM), 898, 981 Domestic Abuse/Sexual Assault Programs Funds LD 2289 1747-1756 (RM RC) (2), 1756 (RC) Domestic Violence Shelters Addresses Confidential LD 2271 1670, 1720, 1779 Training Criminal Justice Academy LD 1039 225, 938, 976, 1066 Victims Review Of Measures To Protect LD 1990 1323, 1730, 1763, 1861 (RM RC) Economic Recovery Loan Program LD 1796 370, 407, 415-420 (RM RC), 422-423 (RM RC) Mandated Reporters Animal Control Officers LD 584 137, 581, 610, 668 Family Violence Victim Advocates LD 2243 1518, 1776, 1810 Sexual Assault Counselor LD 2243 1518, 1776, 1810 Protection From Dating Partner Stalk/Assault Victim LD 988 226, 849, 898, 981 Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Prevention School & Community-Based LD 1224 234, 1031 Suspicious Child Deaths Investigations & Reporters LD 2000 1324, 1784, 1861 ACCESS TO INFORMATION Adoptees Medical & Family History LD
    [Show full text]
  • Life History Observations on Hemaris Gracilis (Sphingidae)
    Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 33(4), 1979, 254-257 LIFE HISTORY OBSERVATIONS ON HEMARIS GRACILIS (SPHINGIDAE) BENJAMIN D. WILLIAMS The Lawrence Academy, Groton, Massachusetts 01450 ABSTRACT. The mature larva of Hemaris gracilis is described and figured from material at Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The foodplant is low bush blue­ berry, Vaccinium vacillans Torrey. According to recently published material (Hodges, 1971), the im­ mature stages of Hemaris gracilis are unknown. There is uncertainty about the identity of its foodplant. This report describes the larval stages and identifies a foodplant for this species. On 27 May 1978 in Groton, Middlesex Co., Mass., I was looking for Hemaris gracilis adults since for several years previously I had taken individuals of this species feeding at the blossoms of early low bush blueberry, Vaccinium vacillans. At approximately 1300 I observed a female hovering over the V. vacillans but obviously not feeding. As I observed her, she oviposited on the underside of new growth at the extremity of a twig. The egg was retrieved; in the process I lost sight of the adult. With the exception of its very small size the egg was typically sphingiform-pale green and slightly oblong in shape. The color perfectly matched that of the leaf on which it was placed. I returned to the same area on 30 May and captured a female of H. gracilis which I subsequently placed in a "flying" cage. On 1 June 1978 a third female was observed ovipositing on V. vacillans at 1630; I was able to retrieve four eggs before the female disappeared.
    [Show full text]
  • Land, Timber, and Recreation in Maine's Northwoods: Essays by Lloyd C
    The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Miscellaneous Publications Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station 3-1996 MP730: Land, Timber, and Recreation in Maine's Northwoods: Essays by Lloyd C. Irland Lloyd C. Irland Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscpubs Recommended Citation Irland, L.C. 1996. Land, Timber, and Recreation in Maine's Northwoods: Essays by Lloyd C. Irland. Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station Miscellaneous Publication 730. This Report is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Miscellaneous Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Land, Timber, and Recreation in Maines Northwoods: Essays by Lloyd C. Irland Lloyd C. Irland Faculty Associate College of Natural Resources, Forestry and Agriculture The Irland Group RR 2, Box 9200 Winthrop, ME 04364 Phone: (207)395-2185 Fax: (207)395-2188 FOREWORD Human experience tends to be perceived as taking place in phases. Shakespeare talked of seven ages of man. More recently Erik Erikson has thought of five separate stages in human life. All of these begin to break down, however, when we think of the end of eras. Partially because of the chronological pressure, such times come at the end of centuries. When one adds to the end of a century the concept of an end of a millennium, the sense of change, of difference, of end time can be very powerful, if not overwhelming. The termination of the nineteenth and the eighteenth centuries were much discussed as to the future.
    [Show full text]
  • National List of Vascular Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands 1996
    National List of Vascular Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands: 1996 National Summary Indicator by Region and Subregion Scientific Name/ North North Central South Inter- National Subregion Northeast Southeast Central Plains Plains Plains Southwest mountain Northwest California Alaska Caribbean Hawaii Indicator Range Abies amabilis (Dougl. ex Loud.) Dougl. ex Forbes FACU FACU UPL UPL,FACU Abies balsamea (L.) P. Mill. FAC FACW FAC,FACW Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. ex Hildebr. NI NI NI NI NI UPL UPL Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir. FACU FACU FACU Abies grandis (Dougl. ex D. Don) Lindl. FACU-* NI FACU-* Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. NI NI FACU+ FACU- FACU FAC UPL UPL,FAC Abies magnifica A. Murr. NI UPL NI FACU UPL,FACU Abildgaardia ovata (Burm. f.) Kral FACW+ FAC+ FAC+,FACW+ Abutilon theophrasti Medik. UPL FACU- FACU- UPL UPL UPL UPL UPL NI NI UPL,FACU- Acacia choriophylla Benth. FAC* FAC* Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd. FACU NI NI* NI NI FACU Acacia greggii Gray UPL UPL FACU FACU UPL,FACU Acacia macracantha Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. NI FAC FAC Acacia minuta ssp. minuta (M.E. Jones) Beauchamp FACU FACU Acaena exigua Gray OBL OBL Acalypha bisetosa Bertol. ex Spreng. FACW FACW Acalypha virginica L. FACU- FACU- FAC- FACU- FACU- FACU* FACU-,FAC- Acalypha virginica var. rhomboidea (Raf.) Cooperrider FACU- FAC- FACU FACU- FACU- FACU* FACU-,FAC- Acanthocereus tetragonus (L.) Humm. FAC* NI NI FAC* Acanthomintha ilicifolia (Gray) Gray FAC* FAC* Acanthus ebracteatus Vahl OBL OBL Acer circinatum Pursh FAC- FAC NI FAC-,FAC Acer glabrum Torr. FAC FAC FAC FACU FACU* FAC FACU FACU*,FAC Acer grandidentatum Nutt.
    [Show full text]
  • Maine SCORP 2009-2014 Contents
    Maine State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan 2009-2014 December, 2009 Maine Department of Conservation Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) Steering Committee Will Harris (Chairperson) -Director, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands John J. Daigle -University of Maine Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Program Elizabeth Hertz -Maine State Planning Office Cindy Hazelton -Maine Recreation and Park Association Regis Tremblay -Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Dan Stewart -Maine Department of Transportation George Lapointe -Maine Department of Marine Resources Phil Savignano -Maine Office of Tourism Mick Rogers - Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands Terms Expired: Scott DelVecchio -Maine State Planning Office Doug Beck -Maine Recreation and Parks Association Planning Team Rex Turner, Outdoor Recreation Planner, BPL Katherine Eickenberg, Chief of Planning, BPL Alan Stearns, Deputy Director, BPL The preparation of this report was financed in part through a planning grant from the US Department of the Interior, National Park Service, under the provisions of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. Maine SCORP 2009-2014 Contents CONTENTS Page Executive Summary Ex. Summary-1 Forward i Introduction Land and Water Conservation Fund Program (LWCF) & ii Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) ii State Requirements iii Planning Process iii SCORP’s Relationship with Other Recreation and Conservation Funds iii Chapter I: Developments and Accomplishments Introduction I-1 “Funding for Acquisition” I-1 “The ATV Issue” I-1 “Maintenance of Facilities” I-2 “Statewide Planning” I-4 “Wilderness Recreation Opportunities” I-5 “Community Recreation and Smart Growth” I-7 “Other Notable Developments” I-8 Chapter II: Major Trends and Issues Affecting Outdoor Recreation in Maine A.
    [Show full text]
  • Maine Coefficient of Conservatism
    Coefficient of Coefficient of Scientific Name Common Name Nativity Conservatism Wetness Abies balsamea balsam fir native 3 0 Abies concolor white fir non‐native 0 Abutilon theophrasti velvetleaf non‐native 0 3 Acalypha rhomboidea common threeseed mercury native 2 3 Acer ginnala Amur maple non‐native 0 Acer negundo boxelder non‐native 0 0 Acer pensylvanicum striped maple native 5 3 Acer platanoides Norway maple non‐native 0 5 Acer pseudoplatanus sycamore maple non‐native 0 Acer rubrum red maple native 2 0 Acer saccharinum silver maple native 6 ‐3 Acer saccharum sugar maple native 5 3 Acer spicatum mountain maple native 6 3 Acer x freemanii red maple x silver maple native 2 0 Achillea millefolium common yarrow non‐native 0 3 Achillea millefolium var. borealis common yarrow non‐native 0 3 Achillea millefolium var. millefolium common yarrow non‐native 0 3 Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis common yarrow non‐native 0 3 Achillea ptarmica sneezeweed non‐native 0 3 Acinos arvensis basil thyme non‐native 0 Aconitum napellus Venus' chariot non‐native 0 Acorus americanus sweetflag native 6 ‐5 Acorus calamus calamus native 6 ‐5 Actaea pachypoda white baneberry native 7 5 Actaea racemosa black baneberry non‐native 0 Actaea rubra red baneberry native 7 3 Actinidia arguta tara vine non‐native 0 Adiantum aleuticum Aleutian maidenhair native 9 3 Adiantum pedatum northern maidenhair native 8 3 Adlumia fungosa allegheny vine native 7 Aegopodium podagraria bishop's goutweed non‐native 0 0 Coefficient of Coefficient of Scientific Name Common Name Nativity
    [Show full text]
  • Serpentine Geoecology of Eastern North America: a Review
    RHODORA, Vol. 111, No. 945, pp. 21–108, 2009 E Copyright 2009 by the New England Botanical Club SERPENTINE GEOECOLOGY OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA: A REVIEW NISHANTA RAJAKARUNA College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Current Address: Department of Biological Sciences, One Washington Square, San Jose´ State University, San Jose´, CA 95192-0100 e-mail: [email protected] TANNER B. HARRIS University of Massachusetts, Fernald Hall, 270 Stockbridge Road, Amherst, MA 01003 EARL B. ALEXANDER 1714 Kasba Street, Concord, CA 94518 ABSTRACT. Serpentine outcrops are model habitats for geoecological studies. While much attention has been paid to serpentine outcrops worldwide, the literature on eastern North American serpentine and associated biota is scant. This review examines the available literature, published and unpublished, on geoecological studies conducted on serpentine in eastern North America, from Newfoundland through Que´bec and New England south to Alabama. Most serpentine outcrops in the region have been mapped, but there have been few intensive mineralogical and pedological investigations. The limited soil analyses available suggest elevated levels of heavy metals such as Ni, near-neutralpH values, and Ca:Mg ratios , 1, characteristic of serpentine soils worldwide. Botanical studies to date have largely focused on floristic surveys and the influence of fire exclusion and grazing on indigenous vegetation. To date, 751 taxa of vascular plants belonging to 92 families have been reported from serpentine outcrops in the region. Two taxa, Agalinis acuta and Schwalbea americana, are federally endangered in the United States while many others are listed as rare, endangered, or imperiled in one or more states or provinces.
    [Show full text]
  • Slender Clearwing Sphinx Moth Hemaris Gracilis
    RARE SPECIES OF MASSACHUSETTS Slender Clearwing Sphinx Moth Hemaris gracilis Massachusetts Status: Special Concern Federal Status: None DESCRIPTION The Slender Clearwing Sphinx Moth (Hemaris gracilis) is a day-flying sphingid moth with a wingspan of 40-45 mm (Covell 1984). Both the forewing and the hind wing are unscaled and transparent except for reddish-brown margins and narrow lines of the same color along the wing veins. Dorsally, the head and thorax are olive green in color when fresh, fading to yellowish-green; the abdomen is banded with green concolorous with the head and thorax, reddish-brown concolorous with the wings, black, and white. The tip of the abdomen has a brush of hair-like scales that are orange medially, flanked with black. Of the three day-flying sphinx moths (Hemaris spp.) in Massachusetts, the Slender Clearwing Sphinx Moth is most easily confused with the Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe). However, the Slender Clearwing Sphinx Moth has a lateral reddish-brown Photo by M.W. Nelson stripe on the thorax, extending from the eye to the abdomen, that is absent on the Hummingbird Clearwing. POPULATION STATUS The Slender Clearwing Sphinx Moth is threatened by habitat loss and fire suppression. Other potential threats include introduced generalist parasitoids, aerial insecticide spraying, non-target herbiciding, and off-road vehicles. RANGE Distribution in Massachusetts 1995-2020 The Slender Clearwing Sphinx Moth is found from based on records in NHESP database Labrador south to New Jersey, and west to Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Illinois; it also occurs along the Atlantic coastal Sphinx Moth is known to occur in Franklin County plain from New Jersey south to Florida (Tuttle and adjacent northern and western Worcester 2007).
    [Show full text]