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

these areas would enhance the prairie habitat. The entire “prairie corridor” along the horse trail
north of the National Cemetery could be expanded gradually by removing trees and shrubs and
allowing recovery of prairie vegetation that exists in the understory at the edge of the forest.
Recommendation 7. Buffer areas should be established where possible to insulate highquality
natural areas from future anthropogenic disturbances. Such areas also may be
restored to support natural communities and species that historically were more widespread
but which have been eliminated due to human activities.
All areas and activities at FLMR are potentially important in preserving native biodiversity. For
example, even degraded natural areas can be extremely important in conserving local biodiversity
by serving as buffer areas and connectors for high-quality sites. Lower quality sites also may
have restoration potential. Thus, even though most degraded prairies, forests, and wetlands are
not discussed herein, they are vital components of the biodiversity of FLMR, and integral
elements of plans to preserve and enhance the natural environment. There are several concerns
that might be addressed using buffer areas (e.g., slowing invasion by exotic plants and reduction
of songbird nest predators and parasites).
Recommendation 8. Fragmentation of native habitats on FLMR must be minimized.
Activities such as road construction, development of utility corridors, and other land use
changes that divide native habitats into smaller pieces, would degrade native biodiversity at
FLMR.
Habitat fragmentation occurs when landscapes and habitats are broken into smaller pieces. The
fragmentation and isolation of natural habitats are hallmark effects of expanding humandominated
landscapes. Examples of common activities causing habitat fragmentation, and loss
of native biodiversity, include road construction, utility corridors, and land use changes (e.g.,
logging, cultivation, and grazing). Patterns of human-induced fragmentation are strongly
influenced by culture, economics, politics, social conventions, and aesthetic preferences
(Nassauer 1995). In the resulting patchwork, natural areas often are surrounded by humaninfluenced
environments that may harbor invasive species, generalist predators, and ecological
processes that can degrade natural areas. Other effects of habitat fragmentation that have been
well documented include increased edge effects, disrupted species dispersal, reduced
biodiversity, and changes in natural disturbance regimes.
Major efforts should be made at FLMR to limit further fragmentation of contiguous blocks of
native habitat, mainly the upland and bottomland forests. The unique nature of the floodplain
forest on a regional scale makes management to prevent fragmentation a priority. Road
construction, timber harvest, and other activities that create artificial disturbance corridors into
natural areas should be eliminated. These corridors can act as pathways for biological invasion
by unwanted species. At the same time efforts to limit edge effects and buffer these areas with
low intensity land uses should be encouraged.
Recommendation 9. Monitor and control exotic plants that pose a threat to native biodiversity
at FLMR.
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