Management Plan Benjamin Farm - for people, for wildlife... forever
Project Summary: To develop a cost-neutral model for ecologically-driven habitat management of conservation land through the promotion of local commercial animal husbandry.
Objectives: - Invasive Plant Control - Maintain New England Cottontail Habitat - Create Conditions for Profitable Farming - Develop Public Value on the Land
Plan and Design by: Alex Hoxsie Advisors: Professors Mary Myers and Joe Berg Temple University Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture
Table of Contents Forest Cover
C2
Triple Tier Cut-Back Border
C4
Meadow Cover
C6
Scrub-Shrub Wetland Cover
C8
NEC Habitat - Rotational Management
C10
Other Wildlife of Early-Successional Habitats
C11
Pasture Areas
C12
Forest Cover Restoration Overview and Goals The primary management objectives in the 32 acres of forested landscape are invasive species control and maintaining a shrubby, layered edge condition. Maintaining dense vegetation at the forest edge slows the penetration of invasives into the forest interior and creates valuable early successional habitat for a number of threatened and endangered species, including the New England Cottontail.
Management Responsibilities SLT: The Land Trust is responsible for cutting woody vegetation in accordance with the triple tier cut-back border management plan and schedule (see page C4). Debris from this activity can be reused in the construction of artificial habitat structures (see page C6). The Land Trust will also be responsible for spot treatment of invasive patches using traditional control methods. Farmer: The farmer is responsible for maintenance of the forest edge condition and invasive species control therein through controlled browsing by goats. Specific coverage
areas and scheduling of management activities will be updated regularly based upon the results of monitoring activities on-site. This adaptive management strategy increases the efficiency of land management actions and promotes communication between the leaseholder (farmer) and the owner (SLT).v
Monitoring It will be the responsibility of the land owner and its representatives to carry out monitoring activities as defined in the lease agreement. The results of this monitoring will be used to identify and prioritize management tasks for the owner and the leaseholder. Monitoring activities in the forest area shall include: Absence/presence of invasive species determined by surveying perimeter of forest area. Observing NEC population with game cameras, trapping, and tracking techniques. Cooperation with wildlife professionals is preferred and presents an opportunity for partnership with the USFWS Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. Verifying edge condition exists in accordance with triple tier cut-back border plan (See page C4) by surveying forest perimeter.
Typical Abandoned Groundhog Den used by NEC Den Cam - an opportunity for education and population monitoring
Artificial Den Installation
n 30”x30”x15” de
box
6-8’ corrugated drainage pipe
Frost Line
Page C2
Artificial Burrows For use by NEC, artificial burrows need to be in close proximity to thicket cover (≤16 feet). Artificial burrows also need to be above the water table to prevent flooding. Deeper burrows provide better thermal protection during winter.
Priority Edge Restoration While restoration of any forest edge provides the benefits described on page C4, certain areas have higher habitat value than others. Priority should be given to forest edges that abut the scrub-shrub wetland (See page C8), thus increasing the area of continuous NEC habitat on the site.
Proposed Forest Cover 0
500
1000 Feet
Promoted Forest Species List Common Names
Binomials Tree Species
Red Oak Red Maple Sugar Maple White Pine Red Spruce American Beech Paper Birch Balsam Fir
Quercus rubra Acer rubrum Acer saccharum Pinus strobus Picea rubens Fagus grandifolia Betula papyrifera Abies balsamea
Shrub Species Beaked Hazelnut Corylus cornuta Black Huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata Witch-hazel Hammamelis virginiana Lowbush Blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium Maple-leaved Viburnum Viburnum acerifolium
Herbaceous Species Big-leaved Aster Aster macrophyllus Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum Canada Mayflower Maianthemum canadense Starflower Trientalis borealis Wild Sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis Wild-oats Uvularia sessifolia Rare/Threatened Plant Species Wild Indigo Baptisia tintoria Mountain-laurel* Kalmia latifolia* Nantucket Shadbush Amelanchier nantucketensis Ram’s-head Lady’s-slipper Cypripedium arietinum Small Whorled Pogonia Isotria medeoloides Variable Sedge Carex polymorpha Rare/Threatened Wildlife Red-winged Sallow Xystopeplus rufago Whip-poor-will Caprimulgus vociferus Early Hairstreak Erora laeta
Page C3
Triple Tier Cut-Back Border 25’
25’
25’
Existing Forest
Stem Width
Stem Width
Stem Width
≤ 4”
Stem Width
Uncut
1st Tier
2nd Tier
3rd Tier
The triple tier cut-back border is a management strategy to encourage naturalistic forest edge conditions rather than the abrupt edges that are indicative of human disturbance. To create this effect, the desired border width (of existing forest cover) is divided into three zones where progressively larger plant material is left uncut.
≤ 1”
≤ 2”
Existing Canopy
Exposed Woodland Interior
Forest Edges + Wind Forest edges act as windbreaks. Where they are absent, wind dries out the forest interior and acts as a vector for the spread of invasive plants (See above). Where a gradual forest edge exists, wind is directed up into and over the canopy (See right). This concentrates invasive species concerns in a smaller, more manageable area. It also maintains interior forest habitat that is more similar to that found in undisturbed areas. Page C4
Forest Edges + Habitat Forest edges also serve as valuable habitat for species that depend on early successional vegetation, including New England Cottontails (See page X). This type of habitat is increasingly rare due to development patterns and suppression of wildfires. Rather than maintaining isolated fragments, restoration of forest edges presents an opportunity to restore large continuous tracts of early successional habitat.
Scale: 1”= 50’
Triple Tier Cut-Back Border
50’ X 100’ forest reference plot taken in the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge
Page C5
Meadow Cover Restoration Overview and Goals The primary management objectives in the 27.25 acres of meadow are invasive species control and habitat management to promote pollinators and NEC. Meadow provides a valuable food source that encourages increased biodiversity on the site and lends itself to management by grazing livestock.
early summer to limit difficulties in portable fence setup and livestock handling in tall vegetation. This will also decrease the amount of invasive plants that go to seed in the late summer and fall. Rotational grazing of meadow areas will follow a schedule similar to that of the managed NEC habitat (See page X). Goats can be incorporated into this rotational management strategy for areas where woody vegetation is starting to develop.
Management Responsibilities
Monitoring
SLT: The Land Trust is responsible for traditional land management actions in the meadows, including: mowing, herbicide application, and prescribed burning. This management will be focused around high-traffic pedestrian areas and where known patches of toxic plants (to livestock) exist. SLT stewards will also be responsible for spot removal of woody vegetation in the meadow areas that can be incorporated into artificial NEC habitat structures (See below).
It will be the responsibility of the owner to identify and prioritize management of invasive species outbreaks and to monitor success of the promoted plant assemblages in the meadow areas as habitat for pollinators and NEC. Monitoring activities in the meadow areas and the recommendations to come from them include:
Farmer: The farmer is responsible for maintenance of meadow areas to control invasive species and promote rural landscapes through controlled grazing by sheep (and goats). Grazing of meadow areas should occur in the spring and
Absence/presence of invasive species determined by field surveys; used to prioritize and divide workload of management tasks with the leaseholder. Monitoring NEC use of the meadow and habitat structures using game cameras, trapping, and tracking techniques. Tracking target plant and pollinator species composition over time to guide future planting actions required to meet habitat restoration goals and locate plants that are harmful to livestock.
NEC Habitat - Brush Piles 6 - 8’
6-10� diameter logs (or fascines)
8-12� Spacing
Page C6
Second layer of logs increases route options for evading potential predators
Intermediate Landscape Meadow areas are located spatially as an intermediate cover type, softening the transition from pasture to more naturalistic cover. Preventing woody plants from establishing maintains this open aesthetic, but at the expense of wildlife cover.
Brush Piles Brush piles provide shelter from potential predators, thus increasing access to forage for NEC in the meadow areas. Placement of brush piles needs to be within close proximity (≤16 feet) of thicket cover (See page C8).
0
500
1000 Feet
Promoted Meadow Species Lists Common Names
Binomials Shrub Species
Speckled Alder Winterberry Holly Lowbush Blueberry
Alnus incana Ilex verticillata Vaccinium angustifolium
Herbaceous Species Flat-topped White Aster Doellingeria umbellata Bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis Tall Meadow-rue Thalictrum pubescens New England Aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae New York Aster Symphyotrichum novi-belgii Rough-stemmed Goldenrod Solidago rugosa
Generally, woody species should not be allowed to establish. However, maintaining small patches of shrub cover, particularly along wetland or forest boundaries, increases NEC access to food resources in the meadow areas. Increased plant biodiversity has a direct correlation to insect and bird biodiversity. Studies show that continued grazing over time by sheep increases native herbaceous biodiversity and decreases presence of invasive species. As such, regular rotation of sheep through the meadow areas (See page C10) is a valuable tool in managing this landscape.
Rare/Threatened Plant Species Blue-leaf (bayberry) Willow Salix myricoides Rare/Threatened Wildlife Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis
Page C7
Scrub-Shrub Wetland Cover Restoration Overview and Goals The primary management objectives in the 30 acres of the scrub-shrub wetland are maintaining New England Cottontail habitat and controlling invasive species. This cover type is well suited for habitat creation because the high water table simultaneously makes it less ideal for human recreation and retards its succession into a more forested condition.
Management Responsibilities SLT: The Land Trust is responsible for removing woody vegetation as it becomes too large for goat browsing to be an effective management strategy. Manual cutting of oversized woody vegetation (≥3”) creates debris that can be used in artificial habitat construction. Girdling and herbicide can be used to create standing dead wood to diversify the habitat. Prescribed burns encourage dense basal growth, ideal for species that rely on early successional habitat.
Early successional habitat can typically be maintained with a 5-15 year rotational management schedule. By adopting a rotational management strategy with a 5 year frequency (See page C10), this proposal preserves valuable habitat in different stages of development and makes this land management duty beneficial on a working farm.
Monitoring It will be the responsibility of the land owner and its representatives to monitor the scrub-shrub wetland areas for woody stem density, plant species composition, invasive plants, and success as NEC habitat. The results of this monitoring will be used to identify and prioritize management tasks for the owner and the leaseholder. Specific monitoring activities in the wetland areas shall include:
Farmer: The farmer is responsible for maintaining high stem density and suppressing woody growth in scrub-shrub wetland areas through goat browsing. This management technique is also effective in controlling invasive species due to the efficiency of the goat digestive system at rendering seeds inviable. Another benefit of this livestock management system is that it decreases the need for human labor in a challenging landscape to access (due to hydrology and dense vegetation).
Absence/presence of invasive species determined by informal surveying of the area while carrying out other management duties. Stem density counts carried out in 10’ X 10’ plots centrally located within the different rotational management sections (See page C9) to determine if NEC habitat requirements are being met. Observing NEC population with game cameras, trapping, and tracking techniques. Cooperation with wildlife professionals is preferred.
Planting the Wetland
Spacing 5’ 8’ 10’ 12’
Page C8
Plants per Acre 1711 642 400 270
Total Plants 51330 19260 12000 8100
Stem Density Diagram 20,000 stems/acre translates to about 46 stems/100ft²
Price Range (Tubeling-Container) $53,897 - 269,483 $20,223 - 101,115 $12,600 - 63,000 $8,505 - 42,525
10’
Due to the size of the wetland area and the desired density of woody stems (20,000 per acre), planting needs to focus on thicket-forming shrubs (See page C9). To save costs, spacing can be increased and planting areas can be overseeded with an appropriate shrub/herb mixture (See page C9). Bareroot stock, whips, and tubelings/plugs are cheaper than containerized shrubs, but will have higher mortality rates. In general, smaller plant material and wider spacing increases the time required for the wetland habitat to become ideal NEC habitat.
10’
Expansion Strategies NEC habitat creation using the large wetland area on site is a major site improvement and conservation statement. However, follow-up management strategies can be implemented to make this habitat area even larger. Specifically, managing forest edges (See page C3) and the meadows (See page C7) to improve cover for NEC will diversify the habitat and support a larger population.
Artificial Habitat Structures Forest Edge Treatments
Promoted Wetland Species List Common Names
Binomials
Cattail Marsh Plant Species Common Cattail Typha latifolia Narrow-leaved Cattail Typha angustifolia Pickerelweed Pontederia cordata Small St. Johnswort Triadenum fraseri Scrub-shrub Wetland Shrub Species Bog Willow Salix pedicellaris Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis Speckled Alder Alnus incana Red-osier Dogwood Cornus sericea Sweetgale Myrica gale Winterberry Ilex verticillata Leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata Scrub-shrub Wetland Herbaceous Species Beaked Sedge Carex utriculata Black Bulrush Scirpus atrovirens Bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis Expanded Bulrush Scirpus expansus Few-seeded Sedge Carex oligosperma Marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum virginicum Royal Fern Osmunda regalis Sensitive Fern Onoclea sensibilis Three-way Sedge Dulichium arundinaceum Wool-grass Scirpus cyperinus
0
500
1000 Feet
Wetland Rare/Threatened Plant Species Comb-leaved Mermaid-weed Proserpinaca pectinata Featherfoil Hottonia inflata Hollow Joe-Pye Weed Eupatorium fistulosum Red-root Flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos Tall Beak-rush Rhynchospora macrostachya Wetland Rare/Threatened Wildlife Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax Blanding’s Turtle Emys blandingii Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis Ribbon Snake Thamnophis sauritus Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata American Coot Fulica americana Black Tern Chlidonias niger Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis
Page C9
NEC Habitat - Rotational Management
D C E
B A
Cattail Area
Stem density monitoring plots
0
375
750 Feet
Farmer
SLT
Duties - Pen goats (and sheep, depending on condition) in management areas to suppress succession through herbivory.
Duties - Remove all woody vegetation with stems ≼3�. Waste can be left on site to increase cover or used in construction of artificial habitat structures.
Schedule:
Page C10
Year 1 2 3 4 5
Schedule: Mgmt. Area A E B D C
Year 1 2 3 4 5
Mgmt. Area C A E B D
Other Wildlife of Early-Successional Habitats American Woodcock Scolopax minor Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus Black Racer Coluber constrictor Blanding’s Turtle Emys blandingii Least Bittern Ixobrychus Exilis
Maine Threatened American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla Blue-Spotted Salamander Ambystoma laterale Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora pinus Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus Prairie Warbler Dendroica discolor Ribbon Snake Thamnophis sauritus Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
Other
Maine Endangered
Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Maine Special Concern
Common Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Page C11
Pasture Areas Restoration Overview and Goals The primary management objective in the 24 acres of pasture are invasive species control and maintaining conditions capable of supporting a profitable livestock business.
Management Responsibilities SLT: The Land Trust has limited responsibility in maintaining these areas. However, as the owner it is responsible for upkeep of the farm structures and buildings. Most important among these is the drainage tile. Keeping this structure properly covered and obstruction free where it enters the wetland is important to protecting water quality on the site Farmer: The farmer is responsible for invasive species control within the pasture through grazing by sheep.
Monitoring Pasture on the site serves more of a practical purpose than the areas where more active ecological restoration occurs. As such, monitoring activities in this area are restricted to water quality assessment where the pasture drains meet the restored wetland/NEC habitat: Inspecting drainage tile outlet quarterly for obstructions. Water quality monitoring at drainage tile outlet. Photomonitoring and species inventory (percent cover) of reed filtration bed at drainage tile outlet.
Surface Drain Plug Section-Cut
Page C12
Cut-section of an earthen drainage ditch plug that rises 6� above grade. For mineral soils, it is recommended that plugs be 50’ in length. High clay content makes the plug less susceptible to being washed away before new soil accumulation occurs.
Earthen Plugs Earthen plugs are the easiest and most cost effective way to counteract the effects of existing surface drainage ditches. Installing a multiple plugs creates hydrological variation in the landscape. Water pooling behind the plugs diversifies the habitat, increasing overall site biodiversity.
Pasture Drainage Due to the lowland nature of the site, some drainage needs to occur in order to maintain permanent pasture areas. Drained water will still be naturally filtered on site before flowing further downstream. Without some amount of drainage, the site would be less suitable for raising livestock, weakening the entire model.
0
500
1000 Feet
Subsurface Pasture Drain Section-Cut 4” Diam. Secondary
Geotextile Sock & Polystyrene Fill
8” Diam Main Drain
Backfilled Trench
Rather than a traditional French drainage tile system, modern alternatives are easier to install and more cost effective. Rather than surrounding 3’-0” drainage tiles with gravel, these systems use a geotextile sleeve and polystyrene fill to achieve the same result. Inexpensive Lightweight Fewer steps - no gravel
Page C13
Plan and Design by: Alex Hoxsie Advisors: Professors Mary Myers and Joe Berg Temple University Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture