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

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5.1. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 5. MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS W. Dean Kettle, William H. Busby, and Vaughn B. Salisbury Kansas Biological Survey 2101 Constant Avenue Lawrence, KS 66047-3759 kettle@ku.edu, wbusby@ku.edu, and salisbur@ku.edu Preservation of native biological diversity is mandated for Army installations and must be undertaken in ways consistent with military mission. The purpose of this study was to identify high-quality natural areas on FLMR and to identify management recommendations, educational opportunities, and scientific activities that would, if implemented, promote the preservation and enhancement of native biodiversity at the site. These recommendations also are intended to provide the public, FLMR personnel, and others with opportunity for greater understanding and appreciation of the natural environment of the site. Management recommendations in this report are based on this and previous studies, and on discussions with knowledgeable individuals. A number of globally and regionally significant native species and communities are found at FLMR (see relevant sections of this report); yet the majority of these elements are not afforded protection at the site. A further concern is that there is not a comprehensive plan that identifies conservation issues and management recommendations for these elements. However, the lack of such a plan is understandable given the previous paucity of information on the native environment at FLMR and the lack of resources to develop such a plan. This report, with the identification of location and character of native biological diversity at FLMR and with identification of issues relevant to their management, provides a fundamental building block from which to develop a comprehensive plan. 5.2. LANDSCAPE ISSUES AND FACTORS INFLUENCING THE BIODIVERSITY OF THE FT. LEAVENWORTH MILITARY RESERVATION Effective management and preservation of natural resources at FLMR requires a landscape context, whereby decisions are made in consideration of the regional context of the site (e.g., not treating FLMR as an isolated area independent of the larger landscape). Wiens et al. (2002) have identified three challenges to sound land-use management in general, and these may be appropriately applied to FLMR. First, lands can be managed as isolated units only as regards to ownership, administration, or politics, but not in regards to ecology. Second, land management is often carried out over a limited range of spatial and temporal scales, yet natural systems are not nearly so restricted; sound land management requires an ecological perspective cognizant of the broad range of scales. Lastly, resource management issues require the integration of ecology NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAVENWORTH II 110
with other considerations, including economics, land ownership, politics, and sociology. Freeman et al. (1997) suggested use of a landscape approach to conservation planning at FLMR, proposing that this method permits broader understanding of environmental, biological, and cultural factors influencing multiple sites in the region. They suggest that this approach has the advantage of identifying regional conservation issues and priorities, and developing conservation strategies that could benefit multiple sites. The landscape area considered here lies within the Glaciated Region of northeast Kansas. FLMR is one of four large sites along the extreme eastern edge of this area (Freeman et al. 1997). The other sites, all of which encompass floodplain and bluff habitats along the Missouri River from the Nebraska border to Kansas City, are White Cloud Bluff Forest (Doniphan County), Mosquito Bluff Forest (Doniphan County), and Wyandotte County Park Site (Wyandotte County). Historically, the Missouri River Valley was a dynamic natural system exhibiting a range of conditions. As described by Freeman et al. (1997), “…The river was characterized by a wide, braided channel, rapid current, high turbidity, and wide seasonal fluctuation in flow volume. Flooding and channel changes were frequent, creating numerous sandbars and islands and rearranging the natural communities of the floodplain. A mixture of marshes, low prairies, forests, oxbow lakes, and other natural features in the floodplain were shaped by the forces of the river, and their boundaries and successional stages constantly were shifting. Other sources of natural disturbance were fire and grazing, both of which maintained upland tallgrass prairie on the bluffs and likely affected floodplain vegetation as well.” Euro-American settlement and activity within the Missouri River Valley have disrupted natural disturbance regimes in this landscape and fragmented and destroyed most natural communities Freeman et al. (1997) explain that “natural hydrology of the Missouri River has been altered greatly through the construction of large reservoirs and levees, which channelized the river and controlled much of the seasonal flooding. Because of this, most native bottomland vegetation long ago was converted to cropland. Similarly, most upland natural communities were altered by humans during the past 150 years. These changes have fragmented many of the terrestrial communities once used by wildlife. However, stream valleys and other areas exhibiting moderate to high relief still support corridors essential to many species. Riparian forests are especially significant. In addition to providing routes for the movement of wildlife, they help maintain water quality and contribute to the aesthetics of FLMR by providing structural diversity to the landscape.” FLMR is an important contributor to regional biodiversity because it supports significant remnants of several kinds of forests. This is in stark contrast to most areas of the Missouri River valley where native communities have been greatly altered. The remnant communities at FLMR remain largely because they were not suitable for other uses during the development of the military facilities and activities. These native communities at FLMR are vulnerable to destruction from a variety of direct, disruptive activities (e.g., construction and agriculture). However, native communities also are vulnerable to degradation from a number of “indirect” forces. Freeman et al. (1997) commented on the vulnerability of natural communities at FLMR by stating that “Habitat degradation is a more insidious consequence of human alteration of the NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAVENWORTH II 111
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A NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF THE FT
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TABLE OF CONTENTS List Of Figures .
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LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1.1. Locatio
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LIST OF TABLES TABLE 2.1. Summary o
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was carri
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1.1. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1. BACKGR
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intentionally or accidentally from
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east toward the Missouri River. Two
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Agriculture figures (1874), there w
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examined the status and ecological
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NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAV
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CHAPTER 2. NATURAL COMMUNITIES 2.1.
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TABLE 2.1. Summary of natural commu
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TABLE 2.3. Locations of vegetation
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green ash seedlings, and silver map
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Genus Species Common Name 1995-‘9
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ounding. Genus Species Common Name
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Phryma leptostachya American lopsee
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1 2 3 4 5 Family Scientific name Co
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1 2 3 4 5 Family Scientific name Co
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annuals initially. Eventually, herb
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TABLE 3.1. Animal species protected
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September. On 8 September, four tra
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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
Page 69 and 70: 1996, Freeman et al. 1997). Availab
Page 71 and 72: Potential for Occurrence on FLMR. R
Page 73 and 74: FLMR is the only site in northeast
Page 75 and 76: A Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypte
Page 77 and 78: Species Old-growth Mid- Early- Succ
Page 79 and 80: (68%) have been confirmed since 199
Page 81 and 82: NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAV
Page 87 and 88: 4.1. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 4. PLANTS
Page 89 and 90: Date Location Time Notes 39.3611°N
Page 91 and 92: plants (including all infraspecific
Page 93 and 94: TABLE 4.3. Number and cumulative pe
Page 95 and 96: limestone derivation. After the 200
Page 97 and 98: ock outcrops; it is often found wit
Page 99 and 100: hickory Forest on FLMR. Observation
Page 101 and 102: Scientific Name Carex crus-corvi Sh
Page 103 and 104: epresenting 5 families, 13 genera,
Page 119: NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAV
Page 123 and 124: existing natural areas information.
Page 125 and 126: these areas would enhance the prair
Page 127 and 128: Other trails and paths on the insta
Page 129 and 130: FIGURE 5.1. One of the small remnan
Page 131 and 132: While FLMR supports a diverse flora
Page 133 and 134: Sorghum halepense, previously repor
Page 135 and 136: Brumwell, M. J. 1951. An ecological
Page 137 and 138: Kansas State Board of Agriculture.
Page 139 and 140: Schwartz, C. W. and E. R. Schwartz.
Page 141 and 142: APPENDIX A. Directions to vegetatio
Page 143 and 144: The GPS reading is the SE corner of
Page 145 and 146: APPENDIX B. Checklist of vertebrate
Page 147 and 148: ORDER Species Common Name Presence
Page 157 and 158: Equisetum ×ferrissii Clute (Equise
Page 159 and 160: Daucus pusillus Michx. southwestern
Page 161 and 162: Aster oolentangiensis Riddell var.
Page 163 and 164: [Solidago nemoralis Ait. var. longi
Page 165 and 166: Thlaspi arvense L. field pennycress
Page 167 and 168: Commelina communis L. Asiatic dayfl
Page 169 and 170: 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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