In the Town of Woodstock, Ulster County, New York
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SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK, ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK Photo: Ingrid Haeckel Report to the Town of Woodstock, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program, and the Catskill Watershed Corporation by Ingrid Haeckel, Othoniel Vázquez Domínguez, and Gretchen Stevens September 2012 Hudsonia Ltd. PO Box 5000 Annandale, NY 12504 SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK CONTENTS ‐ i ‐ CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.....................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION Background........................................................................................................3 What is Biodiversity? ........................................................................................5 What are Ecologically Significant Habitats?.....................................................6 Study Area.........................................................................................................6 METHODS Gathering Information & Predicting Habitats .................................................11 Preliminary Habitat Mapping & Field Verification ........................................13 Defining Habitat Types ...................................................................................14 Final Mapping & Presentation of Data............................................................14 RESULTS Overview .........................................................................................................16 Habitat Descriptions: Upland Habitats Upland Forests...........................................................................................21 Crest/Ledge/Talus......................................................................................27 Oak-Heath Barren......................................................................................30 Upland Shrubland......................................................................................32 Upland Meadow ........................................................................................34 Orchard/Plantation.....................................................................................35 Cultural......................................................................................................36 Waste Ground............................................................................................37 Habitat Descriptions: Wetland Habitats Swamps......................................................................................................39 Intermittent Woodland Pool ......................................................................43 Circumneutral Bog Lake ...........................................................................45 Marsh.........................................................................................................47 Wet Meadow .............................................................................................49 Calcareous Wet Meadow...........................................................................50 Open Water ...............................................................................................51 Constructed Pond.......................................................................................53 Springs & Seeps ........................................................................................55 Streams & Riparian Corridors...................................................................56 SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK CONTENTS ‐ ii ‐ CONSERVATION PRIORITIES and PLANNING Planning for Biodiversity General Strategies for Conservation..................................................63 Townwide Planning...........................................................................66 Reviewing Site-Specific Proposals....................................................67 Priority Habitats in Woodstock ..................................................................69 Large Forests ....................................................................................72 Oak-Heath Barrens & other Crest/Ledge/Talus ................................76 Large Meadows .................................................................................81 Intermittent Woodland Pools.............................................................85 Circumneutral Bog Lakes..................................................................91 Wetland Complexes...........................................................................93 Streams & Riparian Corridors...........................................................97 Enhancement of Developed Areas ..........................................................102 Enhancing Habitat Characteristics ..................................................103 Minimizing Disturbance to Resident and Migratory Biota .............105 Conservation Areas in Woodstock ...........................................................107 Catskill Foothills ............................................................................107 Catskill Mountains ..........................................................................109 Catskill Valleys ..............................................................................110 Woodstock Town Center ................................................................111 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................113 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................116 REFERENCES CITED .......................................................................................118 APPENDICES A. Mapping Conventions .............................................................................128 B. Explanation of Rarity Ranks ...................................................................131 C. Species of Conservation Concern............................................................134 D. Common and Scientific Names of Plants Mentioned in this Report.......139 SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK CONTENTS ‐ iii ‐ FIGURES 1. Surficial Geology.........................................................................................9 2. Ecologically Significant Habitats.........................................................18-19 3. Contiguous Habitat Patches.......................................................................20 4. Contiguous Forests ....................................................................................75 5. Crest/Ledge/Talus, Oak-Heath Barrens, Conservation Zones ..................77 6. Contiguous Meadows ................................................................................83 7. Isolated Pools, Circumneutral Bog Lake, Conservation Zones.................87 8. Wetlands...............................................................................................94-95 9. Streams, Conservation Zones ..................................................................101 10. Conservation Areas .................................................................................109 TABLES 1. Ecologically Significant Habitats Identified in Woodstock ....................18 2. Priority Habitats, Species of Concern, and Conservation Zones.............71 SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ‐ 1 ‐ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Hudsonia biologists identified and mapped ecologically significant habitats in the Town of Woodstock during the period May 2011-July 2012. Through map analysis, aerial photograph interpretation, and field observations we created a large-format map showing the location and configuration of habitats throughout the town. Some of the habitats are rare or declining in the region or support rare species of plants or animals, while others are high quality examples of common habitats or are components of important habitat complexes. Among our interesting finds were extensive areas of unfragmented hardwood, mixed, and conifer forest, calcareous ledges, 25 oak-heath barrens, a circumneutral bog lake, extensive wetlands and wetland complexes, 75 intermittent woodland pools, three buttonbush pools, 27 isolated heath swamps, and numerous previously undocumented intermittent streams. In this report we describe each of the mapped habitat types, including some of their ecological attributes, some of the species of conservation concern they may support, and their sensitivities to human disturbance. We address conservation issues associated with these habitats and provide specific conservation recommendations. We also provide instructions on how to use the habitat information, both to review site-specific proposals and for town-wide conservation planning and decision making. The habitat map, which contains ecological information unavailable from other sources, can help the Town of Woodstock identify areas of great ecological significance, develop conservation goals, and establish conservation policies and practices that will help to protect biodiversity and water resources while serving the social, cultural, and economic needs of the human community. SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK ‐ 2 ‐ SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK INTRODUCTION ‐ 3 ‐ INTRODUCTION Background Rural landscapes in the mid-Hudson Valley are undergoing rapid change as farms, forests, and other undeveloped lands are converted to residential and commercial uses. The