HABITAT MAPPING OF THE LAND AND VICINITY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT (PORTS) PIKE COUNTY, OHIO Authors: Robert Wiley, Gary Conley, Steven Porter, David Simon, Natalie Kruse, Robert Eichenberg, and Jennifer Bowman Sponsored by Ohio University’s PORTSfuture Project The PORTSfuture project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office Table of Contents List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................... v 1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Report Format ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Systematic Mapping of the Study Area .................................................................................................... 2 Study Area Description and Location ....................................................................................................... 3 Ecological Setting ..................................................................................................................................... 4 1.4.1 Climate .................................................................................................................................. 6 1.4.2 Air Quality ............................................................................................................................ 7 1.4.3 Geology ................................................................................................................................. 7 1.4.4 Soils ..................................................................................................................................... 12 1.4.5 Topography and Hydrography ............................................................................................ 13 2.0 Habitat Mapping ............................................................................................................................. 15 2.1 Existing Vegetation Habitats and Land Use Classification ........................................................ 19 2.1.1 Category 1: Surficial Geologic Features ............................................................................ 19 2.1.2 Category 2: Mature Upland Native Forest .......................................................................... 19 2.1.3 Category 3: Wetland Habitats ............................................................................................ 21 2.1.4 Category 4: Successional Upland Communities ................................................................ 22 2.1.5 Category 5: Agricultural Land Covers and Uses ............................................................... 24 2.1.6 Category 6: Maintained Vegetation ................................................................................... 24 2.1.7 Category 7: Transportation Features .................................................................................. 25 2.1.8 Anthropogenic Uses and Features ....................................................................................... 26 2.2 Mapping Process ......................................................................................................................... 27 2.2.1 Aerial Imagery and LiDAR ................................................................................................. 27 2.2.2 Canopy Height above Ground ............................................................................................. 27 2.2.3 8-Direction Aspect Map ...................................................................................................... 28 2.2.4 Slope Map ........................................................................................................................... 28 2.2.5 Drainage Network and Watershed Features ........................................................................ 28 2.2.6 Other Data Sources ............................................................................................................. 28 2.3 Field Data Collection .................................................................................................................. 29 2.3.1 Sample Point Setup and Sampling ...................................................................................... 30 2.3.1 Woody Vegetation Sampling .............................................................................................. 32 2.3.2 Herbaceous Vegetation Sampling. ...................................................................................... 33 2.3.3 Other Habitat Observations ................................................................................................. 34 Page i 2.3.4 Data Transfer and Storage and Quality Control .................................................................. 35 2.3.5 Quality Control Sampling ................................................................................................... 37 2.3.6 Quality Control of Field Forms ........................................................................................... 37 2.4 Plant Species List Development ................................................................................................. 38 2.5 Analytical Methods ..................................................................................................................... 39 2.5.1 Data Analysis Using SQL ................................................................................................... 39 2.5.2 Software Used ..................................................................................................................... 40 2.5.3 Woody Age ......................................................................................................................... 41 2.5.4 Importance Value ................................................................................................................ 41 2.5.5 Wetland Prevalence Index .................................................................................................. 43 2.5.6 Nativity, Native Status Index .............................................................................................. 44 2.5.7 Floristic Qualitative Assessment Index and the Coefficient of Conservatism. ................... 45 2.5.8 Species Diversity................................................................................................................. 46 2.5.9 Herbaceous Ground Cover Density .................................................................................... 47 2.5.10 Woody Stem Density .......................................................................................................... 47 2.5.11 Average Woody Diameter .................................................................................................. 47 2.5.12 Dominant Life Form ........................................................................................................... 48 2.5.13 Woody Vegetation Health ................................................................................................... 48 2.5.14 Reproduction ....................................................................................................................... 48 3.0 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS ....................................................................................................... 49 3.1 Plant Species Statistics ................................................................................................................ 51 3.2 Dominant Stratum ....................................................................................................................... 55 3.3 Dominant Canopy Species .......................................................................................................... 55 3.4 Age of Stand ............................................................................................................................... 57 3.5 Site Occupation: Tree Size and Biomass .................................................................................... 58 3.6 Growth Rate of Woody Vegetation ............................................................................................ 59 3.7 Dominant Shrubs and Saplings ................................................................................................... 60 3.8 Dominant Woody Vines.............................................................................................................. 61 3.9 Dominant Herbaceous Stratum ................................................................................................... 62 3.10 Measures of Diversity ................................................................................................................. 63 3.11 Wetland Index ............................................................................................................................. 64 3.12 Nativity Index ............................................................................................................................. 64 3.13 Coefficient of Conservatism Value and Floristic Qualitative Assessment