Sand Barrens Habitat Management: A Toolbox for Managers Lloyd Raleigh, Islands Regional Ecologist Joseph Capece, Up-island Assistant Superintendent Alison Berry, Restoration Specialist The Trustees of Reservations, Islands Regional Office P.O. Box 2106, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 Copyright 2003 The Trustees of Reservations First Edition All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording or by any storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission is granted, however, to download, reproduce, and store this document for personal use. Acknowledgements: Glenn Motzkin, Tim Simmons, Lisa Vernegaard, Joel Carlson, and Paul Goldstein for their editing help on various sections. Marilyn Jordan for her insignts on the Long Island Pine Barrens ecosystem. Jeff Boettner for his help on invertebrates. Andy Cutko and Nancy Sferra for their help explaining Maine sand barrens ecosystems. Pat Swain for her thoughts on Massachusetts vegetation communities. Austin Mason for explaining management in the Myles Standish State Forest area. Andy Windisch and Tom Warhol for discussing New Jersey Pine Barrens management and research. Karen Combs-Beatty for providing useful information about Nantucket. Chris Hawver for his insights on the Albany Pine Bush. Vin Antil for providing a map of the northeastern US. Bill Patterson for his informative tour of the Truro burn plots. Wayne Castonguay for his help in determining the appropriate grazing schemes for habitat management. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................... 5 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION................................................................. 7 SECTION 2—SAND BARRENS PLANT COMMUNITIES .................. 9 2.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 9 2.2 GRASSLANDS AND HEATHLANDS ............................................................................... 9 2.3 SCRUB OAK-HEATH SHRUBLANDS AND DWARF PINE PLAINS...................................... 9 2.4 BARRENS ................................................................................................................. 10 2.5 WOODLANDS ........................................................................................................... 11 2.6 FORESTS .................................................................................................................. 11 SECTION 3: REGIONAL CONTEXT OF NORTHEASTERN SAND BARRENS HABITATS.............................................................................. 12 3.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 12 3.2 RAPID GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT....................................................................... 12 3.3 PESTICIDE SPRAYING ............................................................................................... 13 3.4 DECLINE IN HUMAN-CAUSED DISTURBANCES ......................................................... 13 3.5 EXOTIC AND NUISANCE SPECIES.............................................................................. 14 3.6 CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................... 20 SECTION 4: PRESCRIBED FIRE........................................................... 22 4.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 22 4.2 FIRE HISTORY .......................................................................................................... 22 4.3 CURRENT USES OF PRESCRIBED FIRE....................................................................... 24 4.4 FIRE EFFECTS........................................................................................................... 24 4.4.1 Soils.................................................................................................................. 25 4.4.2 Vegetation ........................................................................................................ 25 4.4.3 Animals ............................................................................................................ 26 4.5 COSTS ...................................................................................................................... 27 4.6 THE CURRENT STATUS OF FIRE REGULATION.......................................................... 27 4.7 SMOKE MANAGEMENT............................................................................................. 28 4.8 SAFETY .................................................................................................................... 29 4.9 INSURANCE POLICY ................................................................................................. 29 4.10 PRESCRIPTIONS, ECOLOGICAL BURNING, AND WILDFIRES .................................... 30 4.11 PERSONNEL, EQUIPMENT, AND PARTNERSHIPS...................................................... 30 4.12 NOTIFICATION AND EDUCATION ............................................................................ 31 4.13 CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................ 31 SECTION 5: PRESCRIBED GRAZING................................................. 33 5.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 33 5.2 GRAZING HISTORY................................................................................................... 34 5.3 THE PRESENT USE OF LIVESTOCK GRAZING AS A HABITAT MANAGEMENT TOOL... 35 5.4 THE COSTS OF PRESCRIPTIVE LIVESTOCK GRAZING ................................................ 35 5.4.1 Fencing ............................................................................................................ 36 5.4.2 Labor................................................................................................................ 36 5.4.3 Animal Costs .................................................................................................... 36 5.5 THE BENEFITS OF PRESCRIPTIVE LIVESTOCK GRAZING ........................................... 37 5.6 SELECTION OF THE GRAZING ANIMAL ..................................................................... 37 5.6.1 Domestic Cattle................................................................................................ 38 5.6.2 Domestic Goats................................................................................................ 38 5.6.3 Domestic Sheep................................................................................................ 38 5.7 SELECTION OF A GRAZING SYSTEM AND STOCKING RATES ..................................... 39 5.7.1 Continuous Grazing......................................................................................... 39 5.7.2 Rotational Grazing........................................................................................... 39 5.7.3 Environmental Protective Grazing .................................................................. 40 5.7.4 Stocking Rates.................................................................................................. 40 5.8 CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................... 40 SECTION 6: MECHANICAL MOWING ............................................... 41 6.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 41 6.2 MOWING HISTORY ................................................................................................... 41 6.3 THE USE OF MOWING IN SUCCESSION MANAGEMENT ............................................. 42 6.4 MOWING EFFECTS.................................................................................................... 42 6.4.1 Timing and Frequency of Mowing Applications.............................................. 43 6.5 THE BENEFITS OF MECHANICAL MOWING ............................................................... 44 6.6 THE COSTS OF MECHANICAL MOWING.................................................................... 44 6.7 CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................... 45 SECTION 7: CLEARING AS A RESTORATION TOOL .................... 46 7.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 46 7.2 CLEARING HISTORY................................................................................................. 46 7.3 CLEARING OPTIONS ................................................................................................. 47 7.3.1 Contractor with Heavy Machinery .................................................................. 47 7.3.2 Manual Clearing Using Chainsaws and Chipper............................................ 52 7.3.3 Girdling............................................................................................................ 52 7.3.4 Discussion........................................................................................................ 53 7.4 CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................... 54 8.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................