Birding on Fort Belvoir, VA - DoD Partners in Flight
Birding on Fort Belvoir, VA - DoD Partners in Flight
Birding on Fort Belvoir, VA - DoD Partners in Flight
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Apr04b 3/17/04 9:06 AM Page 2<br />
Refuge, encompass<strong>in</strong>g a large beaver p<strong>on</strong>d wetland system.<br />
(This refuge h<strong>on</strong>ors Lt. Col. Jacks<strong>on</strong> Miles Abbott, whose<br />
thirty-year study of nest<strong>in</strong>g bald eagles <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong><br />
area proved <strong>in</strong>valuable <strong>in</strong> relat<strong>in</strong>g the decl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> eagles to the<br />
use of DDT. This study played an important role <strong>in</strong> bann<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the pesticide <strong>on</strong> a nati<strong>on</strong>al level.)<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong> also ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>s a 742-acre Forest and<br />
Wildlife Corridor across the entire <strong>in</strong>stallati<strong>on</strong> to protect significant<br />
wildlife habitats and to provide regi<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>nectivity<br />
of <strong>on</strong>-post and off-post wildlife habitats. Installati<strong>on</strong> policy to<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sider wildlife movement through this area led to specially<br />
designed wildlife underpass structures <strong>on</strong> two new roads<br />
with<strong>in</strong> the Corridor. <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong> has also designated all<br />
stream valleys and steep sloped areas as “envir<strong>on</strong>mentally<br />
sensitive areas”, effectively preserv<strong>in</strong>g forested riparian c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
al<strong>on</strong>g the Potomac River shorel<strong>in</strong>e and <strong>on</strong>-post<br />
streams.<br />
Envir<strong>on</strong>mental Sett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong> sits <strong>on</strong> the transiti<strong>on</strong> between<br />
two physiographic prov<strong>in</strong>ces: the Coastal<br />
Pla<strong>in</strong> and the Piedm<strong>on</strong>t. The Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Department<br />
of C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> and Recreati<strong>on</strong>’s Divisi<strong>on</strong><br />
of Natural Heritage has documented<br />
seventeen native ecological community types<br />
<strong>on</strong> the post, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g seven ranked as uncomm<strong>on</strong><br />
to extremely rare. <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong> exemplifies<br />
mixed oak-p<strong>in</strong>e forest types at the<br />
transiti<strong>on</strong> between northern and southern p<strong>in</strong>e<br />
species. Large unbroken areas of oak/heath<br />
and wetter beech/mixed-oak forest occur <strong>in</strong><br />
the <strong>in</strong>terior. Virtually all the forested riparian<br />
corridors with<strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>stallati<strong>on</strong> are <strong>in</strong>tact, and<br />
most of the Potomac River shorel<strong>in</strong>e rema<strong>in</strong>s<br />
undeveloped and wooded. Expansive wetland<br />
areas occur <strong>in</strong> associati<strong>on</strong> with the <strong>in</strong>stallati<strong>on</strong>’s<br />
three ma<strong>in</strong> waterways (Dogue,<br />
Accot<strong>in</strong>k, and Pohick Creeks), and smaller<br />
isolated and seepage wetlands are scattered<br />
throughout. As a result of its varied habitats, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong><br />
supports a highly diverse fauna: 272 bird, 57 fish, 27 amphibian,<br />
32 reptile, and 43 mammal species. The <strong>in</strong>stallati<strong>on</strong><br />
boasts populati<strong>on</strong>s of a number of rare plant and animal<br />
species, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Stygobromus phreaticus, a groundwater<br />
amphipod thought to be endemic to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong>.<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong> participates actively <strong>in</strong> regi<strong>on</strong>al, nati<strong>on</strong>al,<br />
and <strong>in</strong>ternati<strong>on</strong>al bird<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>itiatives. <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong> hosted the<br />
<strong>Partners</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Flight</strong> Mid-Atlantic Coastal Pla<strong>in</strong> Bird C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong><br />
Workshop <strong>in</strong> 2000, br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g together over 100 land owners<br />
and c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> professi<strong>on</strong>als to discuss regi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> of birds and their habitats. The <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong><br />
Christmas Bird Count, first c<strong>on</strong>ducted <strong>in</strong> 1911, recorded 117<br />
species (75 <strong>on</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong> proper) this past year. Fairfax<br />
Audub<strong>on</strong> Society established 50 permanent po<strong>in</strong>t-count stati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
<strong>on</strong> the post <strong>in</strong> 1994 as part of the Northern Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Bird<br />
Survey. These po<strong>in</strong>ts are now part of a larger 135-po<strong>in</strong>t seas<strong>on</strong>al<br />
bird survey to assess bird populati<strong>on</strong>s and m<strong>on</strong>itor<br />
Streamside habitats at <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Belvoir</strong> are protected as envir<strong>on</strong>mentally sensitive areas. Substantial tracts of <strong>in</strong>tact riparian<br />
woodland are am<strong>on</strong>g the productive natural communities accessible to birders visit<strong>in</strong>g the fort. Photo: Gregory W. Flem<strong>in</strong>g<br />
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