Virginia Natural Heritage E-News Conserving Virginia’s Biodiversity through Inventory, Protection and Stewardship Fall 2001 DEEP RUN PONDS - VIRGINIA'S 32ND limestone woodland, glade and karst complex. STATE NATURAL AREA PRESERVE The Cedars Natural Area Preserve now contains DCR purchased the 668-acre Edwards tract at 709 acres with the recent Smith tract addition. Deep Run Ponds, Rockingham County, on August 10th. This acquisition is a landmark SIGNIFICANT NATURAL COMMUNITY conservation accomplishment for DCR. The AND RARE PLANTS FOUND IN property includes eight globally rare sinkhole BOTETOURT COUNTY pond communities, three of which support the Two globally rare species, Addison’s globally rare Virginia sneezeweed (Helenium leatherflower (Clematis addisonii G2/S2) and virginicum, G2/S2/LT/LE). The Shenandoah smooth coneflower (Echinacea laevigata G2/S2) Valley sinkhole ponds comprise one of Virginia's were discovered in early May in a beautiful most unusual and conservation-worthy montane dry calcareous forest community ecosystems. Other rare species in the system dominated by such species as chinkapin oak include the Black-fruited spikerush (Eleocharis (Quercus muhlenbergii), Shumard oak (Quercus melanocarpa G4/S2), Northern St. John's-wort shumardii), and shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) (Hypericum boreale G5/S2), Buxbaum's sedge on land owned by Westvaco in Botetourt Co.. (Carex buxbaumii G5/S2), Blackfoot quillwort The habitat looked interesting in the winter, but is (Isoetes melanopoda G5/S1?), and Torrey's truly amazing now. Although the population of bullrush (Shoenoplectus torreyi G5?/S1). The Echinacea is small, the Clematis is quite origin of this natural area protection project dates abundant (700+ plants). American gromwell back more than 10 years when the first landowner (Lithospermum latifolium G4/S2) was also found contact was made and negotiations began on the property in a separate habitat. between the Edwards family and The Nature Conservancy, which assisted on this project in RARE BUTTERFLY POPULATIONS FOUND several critical stages. IN WESTERN VIRGINIA' Two new sites have been found with populations Deep Run Ponds is the 32nd state Natural Area of the rare Appalachian Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus Preserve, the preserve system now encompasses wyandot (G2S2), in Alleghany County by Natural 19,395 acres. Heritage zoologists. Between seven and nine individuals were seen on a ruffed grouse IMPORTANT ADDITION TO THE STATE management area owned by the U.S. Forest NATURAL AREA PRESERVE SYSTEM Service. Additionally, two individuals were seen On July 17, DCR added 66.72 acres to The on property owned by the Westvaco Corporation. Cedars Natural Area Preserve Prior to these observations, P. wyandot had been http://www.dcr.state.va.us/dnh/cedars.htm in Lee seen at only three other locations in Virginia in County. This addition contains a globally the last seven years. significant limestone woodland that supports nine rare species, and is a critical addition to the larger Virginia Natural Heritage E-News Spring 2001 1 CONTINUED BOTANICAL DISCOVERIES IN North Carolina. This new discovery extends that WESTERN VIRGINIA range approximately 180 miles to the north. This DNH botanists continue to uncover new delicate species could easily be overlooked in its occuurrences of rare plants on property owned by grass and sedge – dominated habitats, making the Westvaco Corporation in Botetourt county. discovery of more populations in Southeastern During the past week, approximately 450 Virginia possible. individuals of the federally endangered smooth coneflower (Echinacea laevigata - G2/S2) and New populations of Thalictrum macrostylum over 50 individuals of Virginia false-gromwell (small-leaved meadowrue – G3G4, S1) and (Onosmodium virginianum - G4/S2) were Cleistes divaricata (spreading pogonia – G4, S1) discovered in a dry calcareous woodland already were also discovered in open seepage habitats in known to contain small amounts of smooth Greensville and Southampton counties, Virginia. coneflower and a very large population of The Thalictrum population in Greensville county Addison's leatherflower (Clematis addisonii - consisted of approximately 20 flowering G2/S2). Additionally, three new populations of individuals, but only one individual of Cleistes American gromwell (Lithospermum latifolium - was located at the Southampton county site G4/S2), one new population of smooth coneflower, and three significant natural NEW POPULATION OF SHALE-BARREN communities were located elsewhere on the same ROCKCRESS LOCATED property. A small occurrence of Arabis serotina (shale- barren rockcress) was located last week in SMALL WHORLED POGONIA FOUND AT Alleghany County near Covington. This species QUANTICO is listed Endangered under both the Federal A new occurrence of the rare woodland orchid, Endangered Species Act and the Virginia small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides), was Endangered Plant and Insect Act. The species located last week at Marine Corps Base Quantico was located on land owned by Westvaco and was (Quantico) in Prince William County. This found as part of a rare species inventory for that species is listed Threatened under the Federal timber company. Endangered Species Act and Endangered under the Virginia Endangered Plant and Insect Act. FINALIZATION OF PAMUNKEY RIVER Quantico is a stronghold for the species in CLASSIFICATION & INVENTORY Virginia, and several other occurrences are A final report and GIS package titled "A plant known from the installation. The new occurrence community classification and natural heritage consists of just two individuals. One individual inventory of the Pamunkey River floodplain" was showed evidence of having flowered this year, submitted to the Environmental Protection but no fruit was produced Agency this July. The report summarized inventory work completed over three field RARE PLANTS DISCOVERED IN seasons from 1998 to 2000 and included new SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA significant natural heritage occurrences, a plant The first known population of Rhynchospora community classification of approximately 40 stenophylla (coastal bog beaksedge – G4) in community types, and coarse and fine resolution Virginia was discovered in an open, herb - vegetation maps of the Pamunkey River System. dominated seepage in Southampton county. This species has a spotty range and is naturally uncommon to rare in the deep South, with its northernmost outpost supposedly in southeastern Virginia Natural Heritage E-News Spring 2001 2 VEGETATION MAPPING AND from field notes and specimens taken during the CLASSIFICATION PROJECT ON NATIONAL course of fieldwork at MNBP prior to 2000 and PARK LANDS from fieldwork conducted by Field Botanist Allen Chris Ludwig and Dean Walton attended a Belden and Ecologist Gary Fleming in 2000 planning meeting at the Chimborazo Visitor specifically for the project. A total of 706 plant Center in Richmond with researchers from North taxa were observed, including 16 pteridophytes, 4 Carolina State and the National Park Service for a gymnosperms, 186 monocot angiosperms, and cooperative project to map and classify 500 dicot angiosperms. Six plants that are rare in vegetation on seven national parks in Virginia. Virginia are on the list.27. The parks involved include Booker T. Washington NHS, Richmond National Battlefield CAMP PENDLETON NATURAL HERITAGE Park, Appomattox Courthouse NHS, Petersburg INVENTORY REPORT COMPLETED National Battlefield Park, Fredericksburg and The final report on the reassessment of the rare Spotsylvania NMP, Colonial National species and an evaluation of the significant Monument, and George Washington's Birth Place natural communities at the Naval Amphibious NM. This multi-year project involves the Base Little Creek South Virginia Beach Annex production of digital maps based on remotely (Camp Pendleton) was completed. This one-year sensed data and a vegetation classification based inventory reassessed the status of rarities on plot data. Draft products will be refined based documented in a previous inventory by DCR- on results of an intermediate accuracy assessment DNH in 1989-90. The state rare plants bog rush and the final deliverables will be statistically (Juncus elliottii) (G4G5/S1S2), fasciculate assessed for accuracy in the field as well. beakrush (Rhynchospora fascicularis var. fascicularis) (G5T4?/S1?) and American FORT PICKETT ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY lipocarpha (Lipocarpha maculata) (G5/S1), COMPLETED found in previous surveys, were relocated. One A final report detailing two years of zoological new rare plant species, long beach seedbox surveys for rare fauna on Ft. Pickett – Maneuver (Ludwigia brevipes) (G4G5/S2), was found in the Training Center has been completed. Six Natural 2000 inventory. No rare animal species were Heritage monitored species were found including documented but survey time was limited and the federal and state endangered Roanoke weather conditions often unfavorable. In Logperch (Percina rex), the state threatened addition, the natural vegetation communities were Atlantic Pigtoe (Fusconaia masoni), and the state evaluated and vegetation plots were sampled: two rare Dwarf Waterdog (Necturus punctatus), significant Interdune Pond communities were Smokey Ruby-spot (Hetaerina titia), Blackwater identified. Management and protection Bluet (Enallagma weewa), and Southern Sprite ( recommendations were provided in the report. Nehalennia integricollis). Fifteen species on the DCR-DNH animal watchlist were also SINKHOLE POND REPORT FOR COLONIAL documented.