Natural Resource Inventory and Management Recommendations Whites Mill Property Salford Township, Montgomery County

The Whites Mill Tract, approximately 100 acres in size, was purchased by Salford Township in 1998 as open space. It is located in a forested landscape comprising about 10,000 acres that stretches across upper Montgomery and Bucks Counties. Because of the extensive contiguous forested area, this region is the target of several efforts to protect the natural resources and its ecological integrity (see Figure 1). The Natural Lands Trust (NLT) and the Montgomery County Conservancy have collaborated to secure conservation easements on the 1700 acre Musser Scout Reservation in the Unami Creek Valley. NLT is also working with Milford Township, Bucks County to extend protection efforts upstream along the Unami and Ridge Valley Creeks. Marlborough Township, Montgomery County recently purchased the Camp Skymount property, which is located about three-quarters mile upstream from Whites Mill pond. NLT\u27s Fulshaw-Craeg Preserve is located approximately one mile downstream. In addition NLT holds conservation easements on a number of private properties in the area

Varden Conservation Area Vegetation Inventory

A vegetation inventory of the Varden Conservation Area has revealed 338 species of vascular plants of which 17.5% (59 species) are not native to Pennsylvania. Small populations of two species of concern were discovered: Wild red currant (Ribes triste -PE) and ginseng (Panax quinquefolius - PV). The predominant natural plant community is hemlock (white pine) - northern hardwood forest at 141 acres. Conifer plantations occupy 50 acres. Wetland communities occur along Middle Creek and in swales and depressions in more upland areas. Palustrine forest types include red maple - blackgum palustrine forest and hemlock - mixed hardwood palustrine forest. Shrub dominated wetlands fall into the category of highbush blueberry - spiraea palustrine shrublands. Hayfields occupy 49 acres. Over browsing by deer is evident in forested areas throughout in the form of sparse shrub layers, herbaceous layers dominated by hay-scented fern, and sparse representation of many forest wildflower species. Recommendations include increased efforts to reduce deer density and adoption of hayfield management practices to encourage grassland birds. Targeted invasive species control and avoidance of any further fragmentation of forested areas, which are already bisected by utility rights-of-way, is also recommended. In addition, opportunities should be sought to expand the conservation area by acquiring adjacent forest and wetland areas

Field Survey and Status Clarification of PNHP Tentatively Undetermined Plant Species II

Plant status designations of the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program include a category of Tentatively Undetermined (TU) for plants believed to be in danger of population decline but which cannot presently be included within another classification due to insufficient data. Plants classified as TU do not receive protection under the Pennsylvania Wild Plant Conservation Act,nor do they trigger environmental review. Using a combination of field surveys and herbarium research we gathered data to support proposed status changes for five species currently listed as TU to Pennsylvania Endangered (PE), Pennsylvania Threatened (PT), or Pennsylvania extirpated (PX). In addition, we evaluated current and historical records for ten additional TU species for which information remains ambiguous and no clear status recommendations can be made at this time. These recommendations were reviewed by the Rare Plant Forum and the Vascular Plants Technical Committee on April 24, 2010. Recommended changes will be incorporated in the revised regulations now under development by DCNR Bureau of Forestry

Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center Vegetation Inventory

A study of the vegetation of Jacobsburg Environmental Center has documented the presence of 507 species of vascular plants of which 375 are native Pennsylvania plants and 132 (25.7%) are introduced species. Five types of native forest communities were mapped including Hemlock –(white pine) –red oak mixed hardwood forest, Red oak –mixed hardwood forest, Pitch pine –mixed hardwood forest, Bottomland palustrine hardwood forest, and Sycamore –(river birch) –box-elder floodplain forest. Successional forest types were also found to be common reflecting earlier agricultural and industrial uses of much of the area that is now the Environmental Education Center. Data collected in Henry’s Woods, which has been described as a remnant of old growth forest, documented the composition and size of trees present and raised issues of the future of the tract. Major recommendations include 1) continuation of efforts to control invasive species and 2) increased deer hunting to reduce the selective browsing that is reducing species diversity and retarding forest regeneration in Henry’s Woods and elsewhere in the Center

Surveys of TU Plants, Taxonomic Studies, Pennsylvania Flora Project Web Site, and Environmental Review

In the ongoing effort to refine and improve the scientific accuracy of the Plants of Special concern list work reported here resulted in recommendations for the reclassification of eleven plants. The revised classifications which we recommended were the result of 1) additional field data on current status; 2) new discoveries in the field, 3) adoption of taxonomic revisions reported in recent botanical literature. Our 2000 field work resulted in the documentation of 162 field occurrences at 69 sites. Inflated bladderwort (Utricularia inflata) was added to the flora of Pennsylvania as a result. In order to make information about the state flora more accessible the Pennsylvania Flora Website was redesigned and expanded. The new look was launched in January 2001 at http://www.upenn/edu/paflora. In addition several site reviews were conducted in response to PNDI hits

Vegetation Inventory of Gouldsboro State Park

A vegetation inventory of Gouldsboro State Park carried out between August 2001 and February 2006 revealed the presence of five plant species listed by the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. Gouldsboro Lake contains populations of Farwell\u27s water­milfoil, and small beggar-ticks; bog sedge and Labrador-tea were found in a bog in the southern part of the park, and forked rush was located along wetland margins in the southern part of the park. Overall plant diversity in the park, 291 species, was comparable to that found previously in Tobyhanna State Park. Non-native species comprised 17.4% of the total species present. In all fifteen different plant community types were distinguished on the vegetation map. Northern hardwood forest was the most common upland vegetation type. Several wetland vegetation types were present in poorly drained swamps and bogs. Recommendations include 1) reducing deer density to allow impoverished understory, shrub, and herbaceous layers to recover; 2) controlling populations of the invasive plant common reed, to prevent its spread into high quality wetland habitat; and 3) monitoring PHNP-listed plants including aquatic species in Gouldsboro Lake once the dam is repaired

Lackawanna State Park Vegetation Inventory

Lackawanna State Park is located at the northern Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania where it serves an important role in providing public access to fishing, boating, and other outdoor recreation for residents of the Wyoming Valley. Set in a region dominated by agricultural uses and scattered rural residences, the park consists of areas of successional old fields and young forests interlaced with stonewalls and other evidence of past uses. Mature forest patches, located primarily on steep, rocky sites along stream valleys, are of the hemlock, northern hardwood community type. Total diversity of vascular plants found in the park stands at 458 species, of which 25% (114 species) are non-native. Two plants classified by the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory, ginseng and dotted watermeal, are present. The successional nature of much of the park\u27s land has allowed several non-native shrubs, most notably common buckthorn, glossy buckthorn, multiflora rose, and several shrub honeysuckles to become very abundant

Botanical Survey of Big Elk Creek Section White Clay Creek Preserve

Big Elk Creek Section, White Clay Creek Preserve consists of 748 acres of which more than 60% is hayfields and associated open areas. The remainder is forested slopes and floodplains along Big Elk Creek and several tributary streams. The highly fragmented nature of the forest means that edge habitat predominates. As a consequence, invasive shrubs and vines are abundant. Overbrowsing by deer is also a serious problem which threatens the ability of the existing forests to regenerate due to the obliteration of native shrub and understory layers. Forest floor wildflowers have been reduced to small, widely scattered fragments. Despite the highly human-modified landscape and the intense browsing pressure, populations of six plants classified by the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program currently are present. This indicates a loss of three species since 2002 when a survey documented nine PNHP-classified plant species at the site. Another problem is created by heavy use of the site by equestrians. Trails are torn up and stream bank erosion has occurred where stream crossings have been established. One recently activated trail cuts through a population of Maryland golden aster, a Pennsylvania endangered plant. Recommendations Reduce deer density throughout Work with agricultural lease holder to identify Maryland golden aster (Chrysopsis mariana) and downy lobelia (Lobelia puberula) sites and avoid mowing them at critical times Reroute recently established horse trail that threatens a Maryland golden aster subpopulation. Establish designated stream crossings for equestrian use Conduct site specific surveys of breeding bird activity in the hayfields and consider management adjustments to enhance the breeding success of grassland bird species

Aquatic Plant Survey and Field and Herbarium Studies of Tentatively Undetermined Plant Species

We carried out aquatic plant surveys at 22 sites and documented 85 occurrences of PNDI listed vascular plants of which 63 were new records and 22 were updates of earlier reports submitted by ourselves and others. Field reports have been submitted to DCNR Bureau of Forestry and PNDI-East. Data on distribution and abundance of aquatic plants gathered during these surveys resulted in recommendations for a change in the status of 7 species. Five of these, Elatine minima, Eleocharis olivacea, Orontium aquaticum, Potamogeton robbinsii, and Sporobolis cryptandrus, will be dropped from the PNDI list following action by the Rare Plant Forum and the Vascular Plants Technical Committee, which met on March 23, 2002. One other will remain on the list but eastern populations will not be considered natural. We presented three aquatic plant identification workshops and three slide lectures to foster an appreciation of the diversity and ecological importance of aquatic plants. We also met with lake residents at many of the lakes we surveyed. We conducted additional field surveys in Delaware, Bucks, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties resulting in the discovery and documentation of 8 new occurrences of PNDI listed species. Four field visits and numerous telephone consultations were held regarding PNDI reviews