MNFI-Report-2004-02.Pdf

Natural Features Inventory and Management Recommendations for Indian Springs, Lower Huron, and Willow Metroparks Prepared by: Michael A. Kost, Ryan P. O’Connor, and Helen D. Enander Michigan Natural Features Inventory P.O. Box 30444 Lansing, MI 48909-7944 For: Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority 13000 High Ridge Drive Brighton, MI 48114-9058 February 11, 2004 Report Number 2004-02 Cover photos: Alan Tepley, MNFI Ecologist, in a wet-mesic prairie at Indian Springs Metropark with grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia glauca), shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa), fringed gentian (Gentianopsis crinita) (inset left), and bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) (inset right). Table of Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................................................1 Landscape Context ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 Vegetation circa 1800........................................................................................................................................................... 2 Present Land Cover .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 Methods .................................................................................................................................................14 Natural Communities ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 Rare Plant Inventories ........................................................................................................................................................ 14 Results....................................................................................................................................................17 Natural Community Inventory Results............................................................................................................................... 17 Rare Plant Inventory Results.............................................................................................................................................. 17 Site Summaries and Management Recommendations ......................................................................21 Indian Springs Metropark................................................................................................................................................... 21 Lower Huron Metropark .................................................................................................................................................... 25 Willow Metropark.............................................................................................................................................................. 29 Discussion ..............................................................................................................................................31 Rare Plants ......................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Fire as an Ecological Process ............................................................................................................................................. 33 Invasive Species ................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Prioritizing Stewardship Efforts......................................................................................................................................... 35 High Priority Sites at Indian Springs.............................................................................................................................. 36 High Priority Sites at Lower Huron................................................................................................................................36 High Priority Sites at Willow ......................................................................................................................................... 36 Deer Densities .................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................38 Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................................39 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................................................39 List of Figures Figure 1. Ecoregions of Lower Michigan.................................................................................................................................4 Figure 2. Surface Geology of Indian Springs Metropark. ........................................................................................................ 5 Figure 3. Surface Geology of Lower Huron Metropark........................................................................................................... 6 Figure 4. Surface Geology of Willow Metropark..................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 5. Vegetation circa 1800 of Indian Springs Metropark................................................................................................. 8 Figure 6. Vegetation circa 1800 of Lower Huron Metropark. ................................................................................................. 9 Figure 7. Vegetation circa 1800 of Willow Metropark.......................................................................................................... 10 Figure 8. 1995 Land Cover of Indian Springs Metropark. ..................................................................................................... 11 Figure 9. 1995 Land Cover of Lower Huron Metropark........................................................................................................ 12 Figure 10. 1995 Land Cover of Willow Metropark................................................................................................................ 13 List of Tables Table 1. Survey site names and site codes for accompanying maps. .....................................................................................14 Table 2. Rare plants sought by associated natural communities. ...........................................................................................15 Table 3. Natural community occurrences...............................................................................................................................18 Table 4. Rare plant occurrences. ............................................................................................................................................18 Table 5. Management recommendations for high quality natural communities.....................................................................19 i List of Appendices Appendix 1. Plant species observed at Indian Springs Metropark. ........................................................................................ 42 Appendix 2. Plant species observed at Lower Huron Metropark........................................................................................... 53 Appendix 3. Plant species observed at Willow Metropark..................................................................................................... 64 ii Introduction During the summer of 2003 Michigan Natural Maumee Lake Plain Sub-subsection (VI.1.1) Features Inventory (MNFI) conducted surveys for (Albert 1995). The local landforms found within exemplary natural communities and rare plants in each metropark reflect those typical of their three Huron-Clinton Metroparks, Lower Huron, regional landscape ecosystems and respective sub- Willow, and Indian Springs. In addition, surveys subsections. were conducted to evaluate management needs on The Jackson Interlobate Sub-subsection lands considered to have good potential for contains broad expanses of glacial outwash sands supporting high quality natural communities with that surround sandy and gravelly end moraines and active land management and restoration. This report ground moraines (Albert 1995). The soils on the summarizes the findings of MNFI’s surveys and moraines are typically well drained or excessively evaluations of Lower Huron, Willow, and Indian well drained and in the 1800s supported drought- Springs Metroparks. tolerant, fire-dependent natural communities such This work is part of a larger, ongoing effort to as oak barrens, oak savanna, oak forest, and hillside identify ecologically significant areas within each prairie. The outwash soils vary from excessively Huron-Clinton metropark. In previous years, MNFI well drained sands, which once supported oak has documented numerous high quality sites and barrens, oak forests, woodland prairies, and dry rare species and suggested management sand prairies, to poorly drained organic deposits recommendations aimed at protecting and that

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