introduction - Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program

HUSTON TOWNSHIPThe landscape of Huston Township is almost all forested, with an exceptionally high degree of contiguity:92% of the area is forested, 76% is core forest habitat, and 38% is roadless core habitat. The township isbisected by SR 255 and SR 153, which meet at Penfield. These roads bound the forest blocks that makeup four LCAs that occupy most of the township: Moshannon State Forest LCA (see pg. 34), SW Elk StateForest LCA (see pg. 31), Bennett Branch Headwaters LCA (see pg. 32), and SGL 77 LCA (see pg. 32).The township also contains several unique or high quality wetland and riparian habitats that arerecognized as BDAs. Careful stewardship can maintain or improve the ecological health of the forestecosystem and the unique habitats of the township.Anderson Creek and Whitney Run Wetlands BDADescriptionThis Biological Diversity Area is designated around a section of Anderson Creek above the DuboisReservoir, and its tributary, Whitney Run. The area includes many wetlands along the floodplains ofthe streams, and the natural landscape is relatively intact in comparison to much of the creek. Severaldifferent wetland community types are present, which each provide unique habitat value. Theecological value of the wetland communities is enhanced by the relatively intact condition of thesurrounding upland landscape, which helps to maintain water quality and wetland health, as well asproviding a large contiguous area within which native species can move and disperse.The Core Habitat Areas include the wetlands, as well as a 250 m buffer to capture critical habitat areafor amphibian species the wetland may support. The wetland areas include several naturalcommunities recognized by the PA plant community classification (Fike 1999): tussock sedge marsh,hemlock palustrine forest, and alder-sphagnum wetlands. Other types not well described by theCommunity Classification are also present. Most of the wetlands likely developed as a result of pastbeaver activity, except the hemlock palustrine forest, which is fed by groundwater seepage. Thehemlock palustrine forest community is in the Hemlock Wetland Core Habitat Area.The Supporting Natural Landscape is the watershed surrounding the wetlands. The ecological valueof the wetland communities is enhanced by the relatively intact condition of the surrounding uplandlandscape, which helps to maintain water quality and wetland health, as well as providing a largecontiguous area within which native species can move and disperse.Threats and StressesCore Habitat Area—Anderson Creek Road follows Anderson Creek closely through the length of thisBDA, and thus road runoff is likely entering the creek and the wetlands along its western bank.Several non-paved roads also run through the BDA. The primary contaminants borne in road runoffare heavy metals, aromatic hydrocarbons (petroleum compounds), sediments, and salts. Heavymetals and aromatic hydrocarbons arise from wear of automotive parts and compounds, and theamounts released increase with traffic volume. Although they are released at low concentrations,these compounds are toxic to aquatic life, very slow to degrade, and accumulate over time.Sediments arise from erosion of non-paved, exposed soil; release of sediments into water bodies isharmful to aquatic plants and animals. Dirt roads can be a major source of sediment runoff. Saltrelease results from applications of salt for road de-icing; chloride-based salts (sodium chloride,magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, etc.) can have detrimental impacts on vegetation, soilchemistry, and aquatic life (Environment Canada 2001).100