United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Francis Marion National Forest Draft Forest Plan Assessment Francis Marion National Forest, Berkeley and Charleston Counties, South Carolina Section 5.1-5.3: At Risk Species December 2013 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) 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Francis Marion National Forest Draft Forest Plan Assessment Berkeley and Charleston Counties, South Carolina Lead Agency: USDA Forest Service Responsible Official: John Richard Lint, Forest Supervisor Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests For Information Contact: Mary Morrison, Forest Planner 4931 Broad River Road Columbia, SC 29212 803-561-4000 Email Comments or Questions to: [email protected] Documents are Posted at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/scnfs Sections 5.1-5.3 is still under construction and needs further revisions. 2 5.0 THREATENED, ENDANGERED, PROPOSED AND CANDIDATE SPECIES, AND POTENTIAL SPECIES OF CONSERVATION CONCERN PRESENT IN THE PLAN AREA (AT-RISK SPECIES) 5.1 SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS – AT-RISK PLANTS We are identifying lists of at-risk species and evaluating plan area ecological conditions for these species in the plan area. The set of at-risk species evaluated within this assessment includes: 1). Federally recognized threatened, endangered, proposed and candidate species; 2). Potential species of conservation concern. The planning rule requires that species of conservation concern be “known to occur in the plan area” and that the Regional Forester ultimately identify “species of conservation concern”, for which “the best available scientific information indicates substantial concern about the species’ capability to persist over the long term in the plan area”. The 1996 Revised Forest Plan addressed 38 Proposed, Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species (PETS), including 3 mammals, 8 birds, 3 amphibians, 4 reptiles, and 20 plants, and suggests that conditions would be provided for them and in some cases, that the species would be thriving. Of the 20 plants included as “PETS” in the 1996 Revised Forest Plan, all are being addressed as “at-risk” species in this 2013 assessment, with the exception of 1 plant species which is not known to occur on the forest – Carolina Least Trillium (Trillium pusillum). A list of 75 “at-risk” plants including 3 federally-listed species and 72 “Potential Species of Conservation Concern” has been identified as of 10/30//2013. The list of the 72 species of potential conservation concern are included in Appendix A, including their ranks and the number of known occurrences on the forest. These lists are based on a review of federally- listed and “at-risk” species identified by USDA and NOAA, State and Globally ranked plant species lists maintained by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources – Heritage Program, and by Natureserve, species expert opinion, rare species records for the forest, and a review of the PETS list addressed in the 1996 Forest Plan. Numbers of federally endangered American chaffseed (Schwalbea americana) plants declined by 60% between 2001 and 2008, and declines are associated with a lack of frequent, 1-3 year fire regimes, particularly in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). We have 4 populations and as many as 20 occurrences for American chaffseed on the forest in 2013 occurring primarily along roadsides, and are restoring nine populations off roadsides and into the adjacent upland longleaf pine stands. We are enhancing the genetics of some of our populations using seed from populations occurring on nearby private lands. Several new occurrences for the federally endangered pondberry (Lindera melissifolia) were discovered, but are threatened by competition with woody shrubs at depression pond ecotones, and few populations are producing fruit. We have 5 natural populations for pondberry on the forest, including at least 24 occurrences, two experimental populations. 3 Three populations have been enhanced with genetic material, one recently, and two in the late 1970’s. Information on management needs for this species has evolved from protection of colonies to careful management (Glitzenstein, 2007; Gustafson, 2012; Lockhart et.al., 2013). One confirmed occurrence for the federally endangered Canby’s dropwort (Oxypolis canbyi) was discovered from a pond cypress savanna depression pond in 2000, but no plants have been observed on the forest since 2006. This decline is in part associated with successional vegetation and lack of frequent prescribed fire in the WUI. In a species status survey in 2006 (USDI), Chick Gaddy describes the habitat in this pond as excellent. More recent monitoring describes threats from successional woody vegetation (Glitzenstein, 2012). In 2013, the Forest Service began enhancing and restoring populations for American chaffseed, pondberry, and Canby’s dropwort at known and historic sites, where management strategies alone had failed, and genetic bottlenecks were likely limiting sexual reproduction (USDI, 2013; Gustafson, 2012; Echt et.al., 2011). The 75 at-risk plant species were grouped by the primary ecosystem or species group with which they are associated in Appendix B, for the purposes of identifying ecological conditions, drivers and threats. Of 74 at-risk plant species, 26 are associated with pine woodland and savanna ecosystems, including 5 in dry to mesic upland pine woodlands, and 21 in mesic to wet pine savannas (including marl savannas); 20 are associated with pond cypress savannas and herbaceous meadows (associated with Carolina bays and depression ponds), 4 occur in non-riverine swamp and wet hardwood forests, 4 in calcareous mesic slope hardwood forests, 8 in calcareous blackwater stream and river floodplain forests, 3 in marl outcrops or in maritime shell forests, and 10 in seepage slopes, pocosins, and non-riverine swamp ecotones. Twenty-one at-risk plant species occur in pine savannas and flatwoods including wet marl savannas, making this the largest at-risk plant species group. Several species in this group are in decline, particularly those occurring in the WUI (Sporobolus curtisii, Sporobolus pinetorum, Platanthera integra, including Awendaw and Gumville savannas). 5.1.2 CHANGING CONDITIONS The 1996 Revised Forest Plan lists 38 Proposed, Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species (PETS) in the Forest Monitoring Report, including 3 mammals, 8 birds, 3 amphibians, 4 reptiles, and 20 plants, and suggests that conditions will be provided for them and in some cases, that they would be thriving. In many cases, that has not occurred. The new forest planning regulations specify a focused coarse-filter/fine-filter approach which also takes into account the species rarity on the unit and the inherent capability of the plan area. Consistent with the forest planning regulations, as part of this assessment, we are including 4 consideration of lists of “at-risk” plant, animal, and aquatic species, and are evaluating plan area ecological conditions. The set of at-risk species for assessment planning purposes include: 1). Federally -listed threatened, endangered, proposed and candidate species; and 2). Potential species of conservation concern. Ultimately, species of conservation of concern will be identified to include those species “known to occur in the plan area” and for which the regional forester has identified that “the best available scientific information indicates substantial concern about the species’ capability to persist