Floodplain Forests of the Susquehanna Basin
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Classification, Assessment and Protection of Non-Forested Floodplain Wetlands of the Susquehanna Drainage Report To: The United States Environmental Protection Agency and The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry Ecological Services Section Submitted By: The Nature Conservancy Pennsylvania Science Office 208 Airport Drive Middletown, Pennsylvania and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy 209 Fourth Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 31 December 2004 U.S. EPA Wetland Protection State Development Grant no. CD-98337501 DCNR Service Purchase Contract no.’s SP3810055 and SP3810056 Published by: The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................ 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 2 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4 PURPOSE....................................................................................................................................... 5 METHODS ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Site Selection .............................................................................................................................. 6 Vegetation Sampling................................................................................................................... 9 Vegetation Data Analysis ......................................................................................................... 10 Mammal Sampling.................................................................................................................... 10 Insect Sampling......................................................................................................................... 11 Pitfall trap collection ............................................................................................................ 11 Blacklight trap collection...................................................................................................... 11 Hand-Collection.................................................................................................................... 12 Insect Data Analysis ................................................................................................................. 12 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Floristics.................................................................................................................................... 13 Vegetation Community Classification...................................................................................... 18 Plant Community Descriptions................................................................................................. 24 SYCAMORE – MIXED HARDWOOD RIVERINE SHRUBLAND.................................... 24 RIVER BIRCH (SYCAMORE) – MIXED HARDWOOD RIVERINE SHRUBLAND........ 25 MIXED HARDWOOD RIVERINE SHRUBLAND............................................................ 26 BLACK WILLOW – MIXED HARDWOOD RIVERINE SHRUBLAND ........................... 27 SILVER MAPLE (RIVER BIRCH) – MIXED HARDWOOD RIVERINE SHRUBLAND.. 27 SPECKLED ALDER RIVERINE SHRUBLAND............................................................... 28 SYCAMORE (WILLOW) – MIXED HARDWOOD RIVERINE DWARF SHRUBLAND.. 29 WILLOW – INDIAN GRASS RIVERINE SHRUBLAND................................................... 30 REED CANARY GRASS RIVERINE GRASSLAND .......................................................... 31 SEDGE – SPOTTED JOE PYE WEED RIVERINE HERBACEOUS VEGETATION ...... 32 RIVERINE SCOUR VEGETATION .................................................................................. 33 WATER WILLOW EMERGENT BED............................................................................... 34 LIZARD’S TAIL EMERGENT BED.................................................................................. 35 Mammal Surveys ...................................................................................................................... 36 Insect Surveys ........................................................................................................................... 38 DISCUSSION............................................................................................................................... 40 Plant Community Classification ............................................................................................... 40 Comparision to Existing Pennsylvania Non-forested Floodplain Wetland Community Classification............................................................................................................................. 46 Comparision to Other State Non-forested Floodplain Classifications...................................... 47 Emergent and low elevation community types...................................................................... 47 Successional mid-elevation grassland community types ...................................................... 48 Successional mid-elevation shrubland community types...................................................... 49 Moderately persistent, low terrace community types ........................................................... 50 i Insect Assemblages in Non-forested Floodplain Communities................................................ 50 COLEOPTERA................................................................................................................. 50 Aquatic species.............................................................................................................. 51 Hygrophilus Species...................................................................................................... 51 Terrestrial or Dry Habitat Species ............................................................................... 52 Additional Taxa............................................................................................................. 52 DIPTERA.......................................................................................................................... 53 LEPIDOPTERA................................................................................................................ 53 Species of Special Interest .................................................................................................... 55 COLEOPTERA................................................................................................................. 56 LEPIDOPTERA................................................................................................................ 58 CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS .......................................................................................... 59 Sites of State Significance ........................................................................................................ 59 Conservation Strategies ............................................................................................................ 60 BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................................................... 63 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................. 68 Appendix I. Location of Non-Forested Floodplain Wetland Sites in the Susquehanna River Watershed ................................................................................................................................. 69 Appendix II. Conservation Rank Definitions ........................................................................ 120 Appendix III. Top Ten Most Common Lepidoptera Species Found at Six Sites in the Susquehanna River Watershed ............................................................................................... 123 ii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. The distribution of vegetation plots sampled across TNC Ecoregions and river sections wihtin the Susquehanna River watershed…………………………………………………………8 Table 2. Vascular plants identified in non-forested floodplain wetland communities in the Susquehanna River watershed …………………………………………………………..14 Table 3. Number of small mammal specimens captured at 5 sites in the Susquehanna River watershed………………………………………………………………………………...37 Table 4. Summary of bat captures at 3 sites in the Susquehanna River watershed………..……...38 Table 5. Summary by taxa of insect abundance and species diversity data from six sampling sites in the Susquehanna River watershed …………………………………..….…….………39 Table 6. Summary by site of insect abundance and species diversity data from six sampling sites in the Susquehanna River watershed ………………………………………….…………...39 Table 7. Summary descriptions for thirteen non-forested floodplain communities in the Susquehanna River Watershed…………………………………………………………..44 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Ecoregional map of Pennsylvania showing locations of 50 floodplain wetland sampling sites in the Susquehanna River watershed.…..…………………………………..……..7 Figure 2. Major drainages and selected tributaries within the Susquehanna watershed, showing the locations of 50 floodplain wetland sampling sites …………………………………….7 Figure 3.