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

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vegetation cover is less than 25% and generally 1 to 10% (Lauver et al. 1999). These early successional communities are characterized by parent material that is at or near the surface, with soil thin or absent (Nelson 1985). Examples include cliffs, talus slopes, gravel washes, and sand bars. Limestone-Dolostone Midwest Moist Cliff Sparse Vegetation. Areas of the Limestone- Dolostone Midwest Moist Cliff Sparse Vegetation extend discontinuously along the steep bluffs of the Missouri River in the north part of FLMR. All are contained almost entirely within the Maple-Basswood Forest. In some areas, 5–10 m of limestone are exposed on the lower parts of the slope, and scattered limestone boulders have broken free and rolled down slope. Sugar maple and American bladdernut are characteristic woody species in this community. Characteristic herbaceous plants are walking fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum L.), northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum L.), and American columbine (Aquilegia canadensis L.). Short’s rockcress (Arabis shortii (Fernald) Gleason), southern bladder fern (Cystopteris protrusa (Weath.) Blasdell), and dwarf clearweed (Pilea pumila (L.) A. Gray) are other typical vascular plants. Mosses, liverworts, and lichens also are common. Little is known about this natural community in Kansas, and element occurrence criteria for it have not been established. Consequently, occurrence records were not processed for these small areas. Riverine Sand Flats-Bars Sparse Vegetation. Riverine Sand Flats-Bars Sparse Vegetation occurs on shifting sand and mud flats along the Missouri River. The hydrologic regime of the Missouri River has changed drastically since Euro-American settlement. Historically, the river was one of the most turbid large streams in North America and was characterized by a wide, braided channel, rapid current, heavy bedload of fine sediments, and wide fluctuation in flow volume (Pflieger 1989). The construction of dikes and revetments, and river dredging has confined flow to a single, relatively narrow (300 m wide) channel and eliminated many backwater habitats (Funk and Robinson 1974, Pflieger 1989, Water Science and Technology Board 2002). Natural stream flow also has been modified due to construction of six large reservoirs on the mainstem upstream from Kansas. These changes have greatly affected the biota of the river, especially fishes and terrestrial animals that rely on riparian habitats (Funk and Robinson 1974, Pflieger 1989). As with many other Sparse Vegetation communities in Kansas, systematic surveys for this community type have not been carried out, evaluation criteria have not been established, and occurrence records were not processed. Casual observations indicate that on FLMR representative species are annual flat-sedges (Cyperus spp.), beggar-ticks (Bidens spp.), yellow false-pimpernel (Lindernia dubia (L.) Pennell), small-flower dwarf-bulrush (Lipocarpha micrantha (Vahl) G.C. Tucker), and teal love grass (Eragrostis hypnoides (Lam.) Britton et al.). This community was not reported in Freeman et al. (1997). Successional Areas Successional areas include roadsides, ditches, forest clearings, and open sites dominated by forbs and non-native, cool-season grasses (i.e., brome, fescue, or bluegrass). They have been altered by major ecosystem disturbances, but if allowed to undergo succession, they pass through a predictable series of vegetative stages. Disturbed areas are dominated by weedy, herbaceous NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAVENWORTH II 38
annuals initially. Eventually, herbaceous biennial and perennial plants replace these. Ultimately, in the absence of further human perturbation, woody species may come to dominate. Common species in recently disturbed sites on FLMR include common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), giant ragweed (A. trifida L.), smooth brome (Bromus inermis Leyss.), Japanese brome (B. japonicus Thunb.), Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist), stink grass (Eragrostis cilianensis (All.) Vignolo ex Janch.), Carolina love grass (E. pectinacea (Michx.) Nees), white sweet-clover (Melilotus albus Medik.), yellow sweet-clover (M. officinalis (L.) Lam.), Kentucky blue grass (Poa pratensis L.), Chinese bristle grass (Setaria faberi R.A.W. Herrm.), yellow bristle grass (S. pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult.), common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg.), and common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.). Much of FLMR is vegetated by introduced grasses and forbs, but some areas contain remnant or colonizing prairie species. Common non-native species include smooth brome, meadow rye grass (Lolium pratensis Huds.), Kentucky blue grass, low hop clover (Trifolium campestre Schreb.), red clover (T. pratense L.), and white clover (T. repens L.). Common remnant or colonizing prairie species are big bluestem, showy partridgepea (Chamecrista fasciculata (Michx.) Greene), Illinois bundle-flower (Desmanthus illinoensis (Michx.) MacMill. ex Rob. & Fernald), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), black-eyed-Susan (Rudbeckia hirta L.), fringe-leaf ruellia (Ruellia humilis Nutt.), and yellow Indian grass. 2.4. SUMMARY Field studies in 2003 confirmed seven kinds of terrestrial natural communities on FLMR: four forest types (Maple-Basswood Forest, White oak-Shagbark hickory Forest, Cottonwood- Sycamore Floodplain Forest, and Pecan-Hackberry Floodplain Forest), one herbaceous type (Glaciated Tallgrass Prairie), and two sparse vegetation types (Midwest Moist Limestone- Dolostone Cliff and Riverine Sand Flats-Bars Sparse Vegetation). Riverine communities were not examined or evaluated in this study. One occurrence each of the four forest types was of sufficient size and quality to be added to KSNHI’s database of outstanding natural community occurrences in Kansas. Detailed information for other natural community occurrences was not gathered because these communities are too small, too degraded, or too poorly known in the state to permit satisfactory evaluation. The name of the Pecan-Hackberry Floodplain Forest, reported by Freeman et al. (1997) as the Pecan-Sugarberry Floodplain Forest, was changed to reflect the co-dominance of common hackberry, not sugarberry, in that community. A small, degraded remnant of Bulrush-Catttail Marsh reported in Freeman et al. (1997) was found to have been destroyed due to construction along the railroad on FLMR. Natural community surveys confirm that FLMR supports several large and globally significant forest remnants. The floodplain forest is believed to be the largest old-growth stand remaining in the lower Missouri River valley. Upland forests and smaller, associated natural communities are regionally important. Collectively, these natural communities provide habitat for globally rare or state-rare species, and they support a rich biota representative of the forest-grassland ecotone of central North America. NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAVENWORTH II 39
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 and 10: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was carri
Page 11 and 12: 1.1. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1. BACKGR
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: 1 2 3 4 5 Family Scientific name Co
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
Page 61 and 62: TABLE 3.4. Carrion beetles (Coleopt
Page 63 and 64: Potential for Occurrence on FLMR. B
Page 65 and 66: Recommendations. The lack of suitab
Page 67 and 68: 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 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
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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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NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY OF FT. LEAV
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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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