SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF BEEKMAN, DUTCHESS COUNTY, NEW YORK Photo: Nava Tabak Report to the Town of Beekman By Jamie Deppen, Nava Tabak, Gretchen Stevens, and Kristen Bell December 2009 Hudsonia Ltd. P.O. Box 66 Red Hook, NY 12571 SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF BEEKMAN CONTENTS - I - CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION Background........................................................................................................3 What is Biodiversity? ........................................................................................5 What are Ecologically Significant Habitats?.....................................................5 Study Area.........................................................................................................6 METHODS Gathering Information & Predicting Habitats .................................................10 Preliminary Habitat Mapping & Field Verification ........................................12 Defining Habitat Types ...................................................................................13 Final Mapping & Presentation of Data............................................................14 RESULTS Overview .........................................................................................................15 Habitat Descriptions: Upland Habitats Upland Forests...........................................................................................19 Red Cedar Woodland ................................................................................24 Crest/Ledge/Talus......................................................................................25 Oak-Heath Barren......................................................................................28 Upland Shrubland......................................................................................30 Upland Meadow ........................................................................................32 Orchard/Plantation.....................................................................................35 Cultural......................................................................................................35 Waste Ground............................................................................................36 Habitat Descriptions: Wetland Habitats Swamps......................................................................................................38 Intermittent Woodland Pool ......................................................................43 Marsh.........................................................................................................45 Wet Meadow .............................................................................................46 Calcareous Wet Meadow...........................................................................48 SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF BEEKMAN CONTENTS - II - Fen .............................................................................................................49 Constructed Pond.......................................................................................51 Open Water................................................................................................52 Springs & Seeps ........................................................................................54 Streams & Riparian Corridors...................................................................56 CONSERVATION PRIORITIES AND PLANNING..................................61 General Guidelines for Biodiversity Conservation .........................................62 Town-wide Biodiversity Planning...................................................................65 Priority Habitats in Beekman ....................................................................66 Large Forests ......................................................................................69 Oak-Heath Barren & other Crest/Ledge/Talus...................................74 Large Meadows ..................................................................................78 Intermittent Woodland Pools..............................................................83 Potential Blanding’s Turtle Core Habitat Wetlands...........................89 Fens & Calcareous Wet Meadows .....................................................94 Wetland Complexes............................................................................98 Streams & Riparian Corridors..........................................................101 Enhancement of Developed Areas ..........................................................106 Enhancing Habitat Characteristics ...................................................107 Minimizing Disturbance to Resident and Migratory Biota ..............109 Conservation Areas in Beekman .............................................................111 Eastern Highlands.............................................................................111 Pleasant Ridge ..................................................................................113 Clove Valley Fen Complex ..............................................................114 Fishkill Creek Valley/ Frog Hollow.................................................115 Western Hills/ Sylvan Lake..............................................................116 Reviewing Site-Specific Land Use Proposals ...............................................118 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................121 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...............................................................................123 REFERENCES CITED.....................................................................................124 SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF BEEKMAN CONTENTS - III - APPENDICES A. Mapping Conventions .............................................................................134 B. Explanation of Rarity Ranks ...................................................................138 C. Species of Conservation Concern............................................................141 D. Common and Scientific Names of Plants Mentioned in this Report.......146 FIGURES 1. Bedrock Geology .......................................................................................9 2. Ecologically Significant Habitats.............................................................17 3. Contiguous Habitats .................................................................................18 4. Contiguous Forested Patches....................................................................73 5. Crest/Ledge/Talus and Oak-Heath Barrens..............................................77 6. Contiguous Meadow Patches ...................................................................82 7. Intermittent Woodland Pools....................................................................88 8. Potential Blanding’s Turtle Core Habitat Wetlands.................................93 9. Fens and Calcareous Wet Meadows.........................................................97 10. Wetland Complexes................................................................................100 11. Streams ...................................................................................................105 12. Conservation Areas ................................................................................117 TABLES 1. Ecologically Significant Habitats Identified in Beekman .......................16 2. Priority Habitats, Species of Concern, and Conservation Zones ……… 68 SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF BEEKMAN SIGNIFICANT HABITATS IN THE TOWN OF BEEKMAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - 1 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Hudsonia biologists identified and mapped ecologically significant habitats in the Town of Beekman during the period March 2008-July 2009. Through map analysis, aerial photograph interpretation, and field observations we created a large-format map showing the locations and configurations of these habitats in 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 habitat complexes. Among our more interesting finds (including those from an earlier study conducted October 2003-October 2005; Sullivan and Stevens 2005) were 17 fens and many calcareous wet meadows; three buttonbush pools and three kettle shrub pools; 95 intermittent woodland pools; ten patches of oak-heath barren; several conifer and mixed forest swamps; many extensive wetland complexes; large areas of contiguous upland meadow including three areas greater than 150 ac (60 ha); three contiguous forest areas greater than 1,000 ac (400 ha), and four contiguous forest areas of 500 - 1,000 acres (200-400 ha) . In this report we describe each of the mapped habitat types, including 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, provide specific conservation recommendations, and delineate five areas in Beekman that may serve as suitable units for conservation planning. We also provide instructions on how to use this report and the habitat map for conservation planning and policy-making, and for site-specific environmental reviews. The habitat map and report, which contain ecological information unavailable