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

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landscape. Small, fragmented, and isolated natural community remnants are more susceptible to anthropogenic influences because of a host of size-dependent factors. Natural processes that historically influenced the larger landscape areas of which these remnants originally were a part are more easily disrupted (e.g., fire on prairies no longer sweep over large areas). A small natural area also has a greater ratio of edge to area as compared to a large natural area. Often, these edges abut disturbed land from which exotic species can invade and out-compete native species. Edges also are favored by predators (e.g., cats, raccoons, skunks) and parasites (e.g., cowbirds) of nesting songbirds and other small vertebrates.” 5.3. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the findings of this and previous studies of the biota and natural environment of FLMR, the following recommendations are offered to help maintain and enhance the biodiversity of the installation (some of these recommendations are updates of those proposed in Freeman et al. 1997). Recommendations fall into one of three general categories: land management, education/promotion, and future studies. Recommendations for land management are based on the best professional judgment of the scientific staff preparing this report and range from recommendations for immediate action to steps that can be implemented in the future. We strongly recommend efforts to enhance recreational and educational opportunities on FLMR by improving the public’s knowledge, understanding, and appreciation for the natural environment at the site. Lastly, there are gaps in our knowledge of the natural environment at FLMR, and we have identified several activities that, if completed, would provide information valuable to natural resource management, including public education and recreational opportunities. Our knowledge of the biota of FLMR is far from complete. Several data gaps were identified during the course of this study. The following recommendations are intended to allow some of these information gaps to be filled, thereby yielding a more complete picture of the ecosystems and species on FLMR and assisting us in our efforts to inform better the public and installation personnel about the significance of these natural resources. Recommendation 1. A comprehensive conservation and resource management plan should be developed for FLMR. It should identify the priorities and principal stake-holders for the maintenance and use of biodiversity on FLMR, evaluate all existing management practices, and identify new initiatives targeted to preservation and enhancement of natural resources. An essential aspect of this plan should be a comprehensive review of existing land management policies and practices on the installation. The plan should examine all major management issues that affect native and naturalized species and natural communities, including silvicultural practices, burning, road construction, infrastructure development, herbicide and pesticide use, mowing, recreational use (e.g., hiking, horse riding, hunting, bird watching, and mushroom hunting), and agricultural practices. FLMR is updating an Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan for the site (estimated completion in 2004) and that document should address these issues. Recommendation 2. The timber harvest policy on FLMR should be formalized in light of NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAVENWORTH II 112
existing natural areas information. Because of the ecological importance of the old-growth forest on FLMR, a no-harvest policy should be established for the highest quality areas of upland and floodplain forest. Old-growth forest remnants on the uplands and bottomlands on FLMR are exceptional in part because timber harvesting has been limited. This policy has helped maintain occurrences of plants, animals, and natural communities on FLMR that are declining elsewhere. Clearly, the long-term viability of many of these species depends on maintaining high-quality forest remnants on FLMR. For these reasons, a no-harvest policy in core forest areas should be adopted. Core area boundaries for upland and bottomland forests were presented Freeman et al. (1997). Currently there is a salvage only policy in place at FLMR that is used for timber resources in heavily disturbed or modified areas. Recommendation 3. Areas outside the levee on the Missouri River floodplain should be managed in such a way as to emulate historical disturbance regimes and the full array of natural communities once represented in the floodplain. Perhaps the biggest threats to floodplain natural communities along the Missouri River are hydrologic changes and continued clearing of the forest remnants. It is unrealistic to expect in the foreseeable future that the seasonality, intensity, and duration of flow in the Missouri River will be modified to approximate conditions that existed before dams and levees were built. Nevertheless, some management practices can be implemented to manage better these floodplain forests and to increase overall biological diversity in and along the river. This includes managing areas for a variety of successional stages of herbaceous and woody plant communities. Currently there is a program underway to notch wing-dikes along the Missouri River to provide greater diversity of aquatic and wetland habitats for certain species. Recommendation 4. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should be encouraged to regulate the flow of the Missouri River in such a way as to maximize benefits to native animals, plants, and natural communities on FLMR. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Natural Resources staff of Ft. Leavenworth function largely independently, but we encourage the two organizations to cooperate and coordinate in efforts to manage the Missouri River for the benefit of the region’s biodiversity. Interactions could be facilitated by holding annual meetings to discuss respective management goals and strategies and by exploring resource management opportunities that could be mutually beneficial. Management of the Missouri River is key to protection of a number of threatened and endangered species. The majority of federal-listed species in this region depend on aquatic or terrestrial habitats in or immediately along the river, including the pallid sturgeon, least tern, piping plover, and bald eagle. As mentioned in Recommendation 3, there is currently a program underway to notch wing-dikes along the Missouri River to provide greater diversity of habitat for certain species. Recommendation 5. Areas on the Missouri River floodplain, formerly in agricultural row NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAVENWORTH II 113
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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
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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 121: with other considerations, includin
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
Page 171 and 172: 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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