A Natural Areas Inventory of the - Kansas Natural Heritage Inventory ...

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ABSTRACT A two-year field study was initiated in 2002 on the Ft. Leavenworth Military Reservation (FLMR) as a follow-up to research conducted there by the Kansas Biological Survey in 1995 and 1996. The project had four primary objectives: 1) conduct surveys to update information about biotic assemblages, outstanding natural areas, and protected species, 2) identify the primary threats from exotic plants to native biodiversity, 3) make these data available in a geographic information system format, and 4) develop management recommendations to assist resource managers with maintenance of the installation’s biodiversity assets. Seven kinds of terrestrial natural communities were confirmed. Riverine communities were not examined or evaluated. One occurrence each of the four forest types was updated in Kansas Natural Heritage Inventory’s database. The floodplain forest on FLMR remains one of the largest old-growth stands in the lower Missouri River valley, and upland forests and associated communities are regionally important. Visual analysis of the floodplain forests suggests significant changes have occurred since 1995–1996, but analysis of data did not reveal any statistically significant differences. Threats to biodiversity include degradation, fragmentation, isolation, and destruction of natural areas both on-site and off-site. Riparian forests are especially significant to native biodiversity, providing routes for the movement of wildlife and helping to maintain water quality. Degraded prairies, forests, and wetlands may serve as buffer areas and connectors between high-quality sites, and many areas have restoration potential. Animal surveys revealed few changes from the earlier findings. One federally protected species is a regular migrant and winter resident. Four species of federally protected birds may migrate through the area, but nesting and/or foraging habitat for these species is limited or absent. No state-listed threatened or endangered species were documented, but several migratory species may make brief stops. Five Kansas Species In Need of Conservation (SINC) were documented on the installation and two species may use habitat on the installation. Four state-rare bird species also were documented. Of 428 vertebrate species potentially occurring on the installation, 292 species have been confirmed since 1995. No populations of federal-listed plant species were observed. However, nine of 11 state-rare vascular plant taxa documented earlier were confirmed persisting. Populations of two state-rare species were not relocated but may persist. Ten species were added to the list of state-rare taxa occurring on FLMR. Plant surveys yielded 267 specimens of vascular plants and bryophytes, including 55 taxa previously undocumented on FLMR. Currently, 585 species of vascular plants and 43 species of bryophytes are confirmed at the site. A number of exotic plant species appear to have increased in abundance since the initial study, and several of these represent threats to the native biodiversity of the site. Seventeen recommendations are made to help maintain and enhance the native biodiversity of the installation. The recommendations fall into one of three general categories: land management, education/promotion, and future studies. NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAVENWORTH II viii
1.1. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1. BACKGROUND Craig C. Freeman Kansas Biological Survey 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence, KS 66047-3759 ccfree@ku.edu In 1997, the Kansas Natural Heritage Inventory (KSNHI), a program of the Kansas Biological Survey (KBS) at the University of Kansas, completed a two-year field study of the terrestrial natural environment of the Ft. Leavenworth Military Reservation (FLMR) in extreme northeast Kansas (Freeman et al. 1997). That study had five objectives: 1) compile a list of protected and rare species of plants and animals potentially occurring on FLMR, 2) plan and conduct surveys for these species, 3) document and map all findings of threatened and endangered species, 4) compile a comprehensive report detailing all occurrences of protected and rare species and describing exceptional biological natural areas on FLMR, and 5) assist in the formulation of management recommendations based on the survey results. The Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Kansas State University also conducted fish surveys in the Missouri River along the north and east side of the fort in 1996 as part of the overall effort to inventory the FLMR biota. The Kansas Natural Heritage Inventory identified nine kinds of natural communities on FLMR during its study: four forest types, two herbaceous types, one sparse vegetation type, and two riverine types. One occurrence each of the four forest types was added to KSNHI’s database of outstanding natural community occurrences in Kansas. Field surveys confirmed that the floodplain forest at FLMR is globally significant and among the largest old growth stands left in the lower Missouri River valley. Upland forests and smaller natural communities associated with them were found to be regionally important, collectively providing habitat for nearly two-dozen globally rare or state-rare species and a rich assemblage of plants and animals representative of forest and grassland communities in northeast Kansas. Floristic and faunistic surveys greatly expanded the list of organisms known to use habitat on FLMR. A total of 253 species of vertebrates was confirmed on the installation, including 179 birds, 33 mammals, 28 reptiles, and 13 amphibians. Surveys for fishes in the Missouri River yielded 21 species. Five hundred thirtytwo species of vascular plants were documented, including 460 that were confirmed during the study. Seven vascular plant species were documented in Kansas for the first time. Bryophyte surveys yielded 42 species, including 15 county records and one state record. Primary threats to the biodiversity included destruction and degradation of natural areas (both on and off the installation) and establishment and spread of several species of exotic plants. Based on its findings, KBS made 15 recommendations to help maintain and enhance the biodiversity of FLMR. Among them was a recommendation to conduct periodic surveys to monitor the condition of populations and natural communities and to assess environmental trends. NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAVENWORTH II 1
Page 1 and 2: A NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF THE FT
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS List Of Figures .
Page 5 and 6: LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1.1. Locatio
Page 7 and 8: LIST OF TABLES TABLE 2.1. Summary o
Page 9: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was carri
Page 13 and 14: intentionally or accidentally from
Page 15 and 16: east toward the Missouri River. Two
Page 17 and 18: Agriculture figures (1874), there w
Page 19 and 20: examined the status and ecological
Page 21 and 22: NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAV
Page 23 and 24: CHAPTER 2. NATURAL COMMUNITIES 2.1.
Page 25 and 26: TABLE 2.1. Summary of natural commu
Page 27 and 28: TABLE 2.3. Locations of vegetation
Page 29 and 30: green ash seedlings, and silver map
Page 31 and 32: Genus Species Common Name 1995-‘9
Page 33 and 34: ounding. Genus Species Common Name
Page 43 and 44: Phryma leptostachya American lopsee
Page 45 and 46: 1 2 3 4 5 Family Scientific name Co
Page 47 and 48: 1 2 3 4 5 Family Scientific name Co
Page 49 and 50: annuals initially. Eventually, herb
Page 55 and 56: TABLE 3.1. Animal species protected
Page 57 and 58: September. On 8 September, four tra
Page 59 and 60: warbler, ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapi
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TABLE 3.4. Carrion beetles (Coleopt
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Potential for Occurrence on FLMR. B
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Recommendations. The lack of suitab
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suggests that practices that degrad
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1996, Freeman et al. 1997). Availab
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Potential for Occurrence on FLMR. R
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FLMR is the only site in northeast
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A Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypte
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Species Old-growth Mid- Early- Succ
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(68%) have been confirmed since 199
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NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAV
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4.1. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 4. PLANTS
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Date Location Time Notes 39.3611°N
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plants (including all infraspecific
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TABLE 4.3. Number and cumulative pe
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limestone derivation. After the 200
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ock outcrops; it is often found wit
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hickory Forest on FLMR. Observation
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Scientific Name Carex crus-corvi Sh
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epresenting 5 families, 13 genera,
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with other considerations, includin
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existing natural areas information.
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these areas would enhance the prair
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Other trails and paths on the insta
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FIGURE 5.1. One of the small remnan
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While FLMR supports a diverse flora
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Sorghum halepense, previously repor
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Brumwell, M. J. 1951. An ecological
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Kansas State Board of Agriculture.
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Schwartz, C. W. and E. R. Schwartz.
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APPENDIX A. Directions to vegetatio
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The GPS reading is the SE corner of
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APPENDIX B. Checklist of vertebrate
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ORDER Species Common Name Presence
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Equisetum ×ferrissii Clute (Equise
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Daucus pusillus Michx. southwestern
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Aster oolentangiensis Riddell var.
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[Solidago nemoralis Ait. var. longi
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Thlaspi arvense L. field pennycress
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Commelina communis L. Asiatic dayfl
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Carex vulpinoidea Michx. fox sedge
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Dalea candida Michx. ex Willd. var.
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56. Hydrophyllaceae, the waterleaf
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Nothoscordum bivalve (L.) Britton y
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Spiranthes lacera (Raf.) Raf. slend
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Echinochloa muricata (P. Beauv.) Fe
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misidentified specimen of Sporobolu
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91. Rhamnaceae, the buckthorn famil
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99. Scrophulariaceae, the figwort f
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Phryma leptostachya L. American lop
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Net sets 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11
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However, Anabat recordings indicate
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APPENDIX E. Report on a 2003 field
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TABLE E.1. Reptiles and amphibians
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APPENDIX F. Exotic and Invasive Pla
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TABLE F.2. Life forms (habit) of ex
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are in bloom. Fire has not been pro
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Euonymus fortunei (Celastraceae; Ch
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disperse their seeds. They are foun
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Reed canary grass can become highly
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References Information on exotic an
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