Berks County Natural Heritage Inventory Update 2014
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Berks County Natural Heritage Inventory Update 2014 Berks County Natural Heritage Inventory Update 2014 Prepared for: Berks County Planning Commission Berks County Services Center 14th Floor 633 Court Street Reading, PA 19601 Prepared by: Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program Western Pennsylvania Conservancy 800 Waterfront Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15222 The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP)is a partnership between the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC), the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC). PNHP is a member of NatureServe, which coordinates natural heritage efforts through an international network of member programs—known as natural heritage programs or conservation data centers—operating in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. This project was funded through grants provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wild Resources Conservation Program. Additional funding was provided by the Wyomissing Foundation. This reference may be cited as: Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. 2014. Berks County Natural Heritage Inventory Update 2014. Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Pittsburgh, PA. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to acknowledge the citizens and landowners of Berks County and surrounding areas who volunteered information, time, and effort to the inventory and granted permission to access land. A big thank you goes to those who suggested areas of interest and assisted with field surveys, including Mike Slater, Susan Munch, Laurie Goodrich, Larry Lloyd, Risa Marmontello, Jim Thorne, Ken Lebo, Karl Gardner, Steve Johnson and Catherine Elwell. Additional thanks goes to Cheryl Auchenbach and Glenn Knoblauch of the Berks County Planning Commission for providing support for this project. We want to recognize the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program and NatureServe for providing the foundation for the work that we perform for these studies. Current and former PNHP staff that contributed to this report include JoAnn Albert, Tony Davis, Charlie Eichelberger, Kristen Erath, Mary Ann Furedi, Rocky Gleason, Tyson Johnston, Susan Klugman, John Kunsman, Betsy Leppo, Michael Maret, Jenni Mumper, Benjamin Plunkett, Sally Ray, Erika Schoen, Scott Schuette, Stephanie Seymour, Christopher Tracey, Jeff Wagner, Mary Walsh, Denise Watts, Joseph Wisgo, David Yeany, and Ephraim Zimmerman. The species information utilized in the inventory came from many sources as well as our own field surveys. We wish to acknowledge all of those who carried out botanical and zoological survey work over the years. Biologists, both on their own and from institutions and agencies such as the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, Albright College, Shippensburg University, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Natural Lands Trust, Berks County Conservancy, Muhlenberg Botanical Society, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission have contributed numerous plant and animal records over the years. The task of inventorying the natural heritage of the county would have been much more difficult and incomplete without this tremendous pool of information gathered by many people over many years. Finally, we especially wish to thank the landowners who granted us permission to conduct inventories on their lands. Without their support, this report would have been far less complete. This project was funded through grants provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wild Resources Conservation Program. Additional funding was provided by the Wyomissing Foundation. We encourage comments and questions. The success of the report will be measured by the use it receives and the utility it serves to those making decisions about resources and land use throughout the county. Thank you for your interest. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Berks County Natural Heritage Inventory Update 2014 – Acknowledgements / iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................1 THE PENNSYLVANIA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM ........................................2 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................3 Berks CNHI Update Changes ..........................................................................................4 Natural Heritage Area (NHA) Name Changes .................................................. 4 Changes in number of significant ecological features and shape of NHA mapping ........................................................................................................... 4 Document layout ............................................................................................. 5 Statewide Coverage ............................................................................................................6 Biodiversity in Pennsylvania ........................................................................... 7 NATURAL HISTORY OVERVIEW OF BERKS COUNTY ...........................................9 Physiography & Geology ....................................................................................................9 Valley and Ridge Province .............................................................................. 10 Piedmont Province ......................................................................................... 10 Watersheds ....................................................................................................................... 10 Natural Communities ...................................................................................................... 12 Regional Disturbances ..................................................................................................... 13 Forest Fragmentation ...................................................................................................... 13 Invasive Species ................................................................................................................. 16 Invasive Plants ............................................................................................... 16 Invasive Animal Species ................................................................................. 16 METHODS ............................................................................................................................. 19 Mapping Of Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) ............................................................ 19 Mapping and Conservation Planning for Sensitive Species ..................................... 20 Site Descriptions .............................................................................................................. 21 Site Ranking ....................................................................................................................... 23 RESULTS ................................................................................................................................. 25 Species and Communities of Concern in Berks County ........................................ 25 Natural Heritage Areas of Berks County................................................................... 27 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................... 40 Future natural resource research in the region ....................................................... 40 A Final Note on Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species................................ 40 Using the Natural Heritage Inventory in the Planning Process ............................. 40 General Recommendations ........................................................................................... 41 REFERENCES AND LITERATURE CITED ..................................................................... 44 _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Berks County Natural Heritage Inventory Update 2014 – Table of Contents / 1 THE PENNSYLVANIA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) is a partnership between the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC), the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), and the NatureServe, the natural heritage network, was Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC). Founded originally founded by The Nature Conservancy in in 1982, PNHP is part of a network of Natural Heritage the early 1970s, with the first program established in Programs that utilizes common methodology developed by South Carolina in 1974. The concept was to create a federation of programs in all 50 U.S. states, using a Heritage Programs and The Nature Conservancy, and common database and data management refined through NatureServe – the organization that methodology to document the extent of biodiversity represents the network of Natural Heritage Programs throughout the country, with an emphasis on rare (see the box at right). and threatened species and natural communities. Many programs were established