Restoration of a Xeric Limestone Prairie (XLP) Smoke Hole Canyon

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Restoration of a Xeric Limestone Prairie (XLP)
Smoke Hole Canyon – West Virginia
Mike Powell 7/31/2013
Xeric Limestone Prairie (XLP)
Xeric limestone prairies (XLPs) are open, nonforested areas in
which herbaceous plant communities occur on shallow, rocky
soils derived from calcareous substrates.
These grasslands are characterized by dominance of C4
perennial grasses (particularly Schizachyrium scoparium –
Little Bluestem) and are distributed in eastern United States
from Missouri and Pennsylvania south to Arkansas and
Georgia. (Lawless, Baskin and Baskin 2006)
Also Sorghastrum nutans – Indian Grass, Bouteloua curtipendula
– Side oats grama, and Andropogon gerardii – Big bluestem.
Distribution of XLP’s in Eastern US
Project Site
The Smoke Hole Canyon and the adjacent Monongahela National Forest support the
largest limestone glade and barren complex and the largest intact limestone forest in the
Central Appalachian Forest Ecoregion.
Smoke Hole in early spring
Bartgis explores Smoke Hole.
•  The discovery of the first cedar glade and
limestone barren complex from the central
Appalachians (Bartgis 1985) has been followed
by discoveries of additional cedar glades and
barren locations in West Virginia.
•  There is no general consensus regarding the
origin of XLP’s.
•  High occurrence of these habitats in Smoke
Hole Canyon create an archipelago like habitat.
Cedar Glade
•  Cedar Glades - (or limestone glades) typically occur
on limestone outcrops and are sparingly covered by
annual and perennial vegetation.
Limestone Barren
•  Limestone Barren - (or dry prairies) are wellvegetated communities dominated by mid and
tall grasses of the tallgrass prairies.
Glade Woodland
• 
Glade Woodland - often surround the cedar glade and barren openings.
Trees are well-spaced and of small stature in the woodlands, which are
typically dominated by Juniperus virginiana or Cercis canadensis.
Glade, Barren, Woodland - Bartgis
• 
In WV, sites with cedar glades, barrens, and glade
woodlands are characterized by having the various
communities in close proximity to one another.
• 
Most glades and barrens in WV have been pastured,
typically for sheep.
• 
24 of the native cedar glade and barren species are
considered rare in WV.
• 
Several species are currently known in WV only or
primarily from limestone glades, barrens, or nearby
limestone cliffs. Many of these are species with mostly
western or Great Lakes ranges.
Unique plants of XLP’s.
Prairie grasses
?
Restoration Targets
Ecoregional Targets of Restoration:
• Allegheny Woodrat
• Virginia Big-Eared Bat
• Spreading Rockcress
• Yellow Nailwort
• Large Flame Pink
• Canby’s Mountain Lover
• Smoke Hole Bergamont
• Tall Larkspur
• Ozark Milkvetch
• Western Wallflower
• Chestnut lipfern
• Prairie Flax
Neotoma magister
Corynorhinus townsendii var.
Arabis patens
Paronychia virginica var.
Silene virginica robusta
Paxistima canbyi
Monarda fistulosa brevis
Delphinium exaltum
Astragalus distortus*
Erysimum capituatum*
Cheilanthes eatonii*
Linum lewisii*
Items in bold indicate portion of largest known global population
Items with asterisk indicate portion of largest ecoregional
population.
Origin and Maintenance
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Shallow soils
Steep slopes – Usually South or West
Weathering-resistant bedrock
Moderate to steep slopes
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(typically with south to west aspects)
Erosion
Fire
Drought (Bartgis)
Grazing animals
Chainsaw
Soils dominate
Succession converts XLPs on deeper soils to
hardwood forests in periods of a century or less.
In more xeric sites, Juniperus virginiana/hardwood
forests are the likely outcome of succession over
prolonged time periods.
Smoke Hole sites tested were 1-8 inches soil
depth with pH ranging from 6.6 – 7.1
*Soil chemical properties analyzed by WVU soil testing laboratory, December 2011
Restoration Process: Trees marked with 30%
canopy goal.
TNC Staff, Interns and paid contractors.
The Mountain Institute
L.E.A.F
After
I thought this was a conference dealing with nonnative invasive species?
“Exotic invasion is likely a significant reason for the
loss of native species from limestone prairies.” –
(Uhl and Laughlin, 2003)
“Colonization and resulting competitive advantage
of non-native invasive species have likely altered
even the best examples of XLP’s in West
Virginia” – (Bartgis, personal communication)
Poa compressa
•  Observed to be major invader of glades and
barrens.
•  Combine with moss layer to form carpet of
vegetation.
•  Test plots reveal that many options exist for
control.
•  Further monitoring needed to evaluate long
term strategy.
Ongoing monitoring and management
Dendrochronology
•  Approximately 200 cookies
collected during thinning activity.
•  Samples prepared and analyzed by
Dr. Lauren Howard – Arcadia
University.
•  14 Red Cedars analyzed.
•  Earliest recruitment 1871-Dead
•  Earliest recruitment 1929-Alive
•  20 Hardwoods (includes Virginia
Pine)
•  Earliest recruitment 1886
Not enough data analyzed,
Not enough grad students!
•  Many agents can cause scars:
animals chewing, trees falling
against others, logging equipment,
frost cracks or fire.
•  Multiple trees scarred in the same
year in the same season can
indicate fire. (1946 and 1951).
•  All living cedars recruited between
1926 and 1945.
•  Cedars will survive grazing.
•  Great Depression, WWII?
•  Heavy hardwood recruitment
1950’s.
Measures of success – Site level
•  Strong vegetative response (qualitative).
•  Native vs. Non-Native response.
•  Rare plants continuing to be represented or
increasing.
• 
Dispersal and recruitment could be lengthy process.
•  Community composition is where it should be.
(Difficult to measure, USNVC needs finalized).
•  Are we successfully enhancing or expanding
archipelago?
Measures of success – Programmatic
•  Management actions are resilient to NNIS.
•  Cost of treatment is reasonable.
• 
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No expensive equipment needed – chainsaw is your
friend!
Low-tech.
•  Important activity for largest landowner
(Monongahela National Forest USFS).
•  Repeated by USFS.
Conversations with USFS.
7/25/13