CHAPTER 2 DELAWARE’S WILDLIFE HABITATS 2 - 1 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan Contents Chapter 2, Part 1: DELAWARE’S ECOLOGICAL SETTING ................................................................. 8 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 9 Delaware Habitats in a Regional Context ..................................................................................... 10 U.S. Northeast Region ............................................................................................................. 10 U.S. Southeast Region .............................................................................................................. 11 Delaware Habitats in a Watershed Context ................................................................................. 12 Delaware River Watershed .......................................................................................................13 Chesapeake Bay Watershed .....................................................................................................13 Inland Bays Watershed ............................................................................................................ 14 Geology and Soils ......................................................................................................................... 17 Soils .......................................................................................................................................... 17 EPA Ecoregions ........................................................................................................................ 17 TNC Ecoregions ....................................................................................................................... 21 US Forest Service Ecoregional Provinces ................................................................................. 21 Climate ........................................................................................................................................ 21 Historical Trends ...................................................................................................................... 22 Land Cover .................................................................................................................................. 22 Natural Disturbance Regimes in Delaware................................................................................... 23 Fire .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Inland Flooding, Wind, and Ice ................................................................................................. 23 Coastal Flooding and Coastal Storms....................................................................................... 24 Delaware’s Flora .......................................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 2, Part 2: HABITAT CLASSIFICATION ................................................................................ 26 Relationship of Habitats to Species ............................................................................................. 27 Background ............................................................................................................................. 27 Species – Habitat Associations in Delaware ............................................................................. 27 Habitat Analysis for the 2015 DEWAP Revision ........................................................................... 28 Habitat Classification ............................................................................................................... 28 2 - 2 CHAPTER 2: Delaware’s Wildlife Habitats Habitat Condition and Extent ...................................................................................................31 Mapping Habitats .................................................................................................................... 32 Priority Wildlife Habitats .......................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 2, Part 3: HABITAT DESCRIPTIONS, CONDITION, and EXTENT ........................................ 38 Natural Upland Habitats .............................................................................................................. 39 Forest ...................................................................................................................................... 39 Upland Forest Habitat Types ....................................................................................................... 46 Beach and Dune Uplands ......................................................................................................... 59 Upland Barrens ........................................................................................................................ 65 Early Successional Habitats ..................................................................................................... 66 Modified Upland Habitats ........................................................................................................... 72 Modified Forested Habitats ..................................................................................................... 72 Agricultural Habitats ................................................................................................................ 76 Roadsides and Rights-of-Way .................................................................................................. 80 Developed Habitats ................................................................................................................. 81 Wetland Habitats ........................................................................................................................ 88 Wetland Condition ................................................................................................................... 88 Natural Non-tidal Wetlands ..................................................................................................... 90 Modified Wetlands ................................................................................................................. 119 Tidal Wetlands ....................................................................................................................... 128 Riverine Aquatic Habitats ...................................................................................................... 144 Estuarine and Marine Aquatic Habitats ................................................................................... 157 Literature Cited .......................................................................................................................... 175 2 - 3 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan Figures Figure 2. 1 Delaware’s major drainage basins. .............................................................................................. 12 Figure 2. 2 Watersheds of Delaware ............................................................................................................. 16 Figure 2. 3 EPA Ecoregions of Delaware ....................................................................................................... 19 Figure 2. 4 Core areas and corridors in the Delaware Ecological Network ...................................................... 33 Figure 2. 5 DEN core area composite ecological ranks (in three groups by natural breaks). .......................... 36 Figure 2. 6 2015 DEWAP DEN modeled Priority Wildlife Habitat ................................................................... 37 Figure 2. 7 Changes in Forest Acreage in Delaware since 1907. Sources: Lister and Pugh (2014), Oswalt (2014), Delaware Forest Service (2010) ................................................................................................. 40 Figure 2. 8 Stocking classes in Delaware Forests, 1999. (Delaware Forest Service) ....................................... 42 Figure 2. 9 Forest Species Composition of Delaware Forests, 1957-2009. Source: U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis. ........................................................................................................................ 43 Figure 2. 10 Forest Stand Size Classes in Delaware, 1972-2009. Source: Delaware Forest Service (Data from U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis U.S.F.S. Resource Bulletins NE-109 & NE-151.) ....... 44 Figure 2. 11 Coastal Plain Oak-Pine Forest at Prime Hook NWR. Photo: Matthew J. Sarver.......................... 47 Figure 2. 12. Inland Xeric Sand Forest Photo: William A. McAvoy ................................................................. 49 Figure 2. 13 Successional Maritime Forest at Cape Henlopen State Park. Photo: William A. McAvoy ........... 51 Figure 2. 14 Piedmont Oak Forest. Photo: William A. McAvoy ..................................................................... 53 Figure 2. 15 Basic Mesic Forest. Photo: William A. McAvoy .......................................................................... 55 Figure 2. 16 . Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest. Photo: William A. McAvoy ...................................................... 57 Figure 2. 17 Dunes at Cape Henlopen State Park. Photo: William A. McAvoy ............................................... 60 Figure 2. 18 Unvegetated Sandy