Laserfiche WebLink
14 <br />value of the Composite Invasive Species Assessment (CISA) and the low Percent Native Vegetation (%PNV). <br />While the site appears, on paper, to be of poor quality, it’s important to note that significant portions of the <br />upland wooded areas have been completely cleared of invasive woody species and are now populating with <br />a low biodiversity assemblage of native species. Thus, the park could be viewed as a sheer dichotomy <br />between where work has and has not happened. <br />Resource Threats and Habitat Goals <br />The main threats to this park’s ecosystems are invasive species pressure/ proliferation. The patchwork <br />approach to buckthorn removal has been remarkably successful in the spaces where it has been done by <br />volunteers. The remaining threat will be the buckthorn outside of where volunteers have cleared. These <br />dense stands will continue to act as a reservoir of seeds which may spread by birds and animals, reinvading <br />areas without control of at minimum the mature female plants. <br />As the invasive shrubs are removed and replaced during the subsequent years of restoration,this park’s <br />ecosystems will need to be monitored and guided towards native diversity such as seen in MHs38, southern <br />mesic oak-basswood forest. Mesic oak-basswood forests arepredominantly composed of a mix of oaks <br />(Quercus) and basswood(Tilia americana) in the canopy. The shrub and subcanopy layers contain mostly <br />gooseberries (Ribes spp),ironwood (Ostrya virginiana), and maples (Acer spp).Meanwhile,goldenrods <br />(Solidago), waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum), woodbine/ virginia creeper (Parthenocissus spp)and <br />otherwoodland-adapted forbs inhabit the ground layer (cite). As prescribed fire is not a viable management <br />technique for this park, the mid-canopy and understory layers should be filled with clonally growing species <br />including dogwoods (Cornus) and appropriate forbs and sedges (Carex spp)to inhibit reinvasion and provide <br />alternate food sources to migrating avians.(NOTE, this section may be rewritten to describe FFs59 as we <br />finalize recommendations.) <br />Restoration Objectives Overview <br />Chatham Park will need continued expansion of buckthorn clearing by mechanical removal, followed by <br />native species establishment for inhibiting reinvasion. Native species establishment should prioritize <br />introducing or expanding populations of natives which proliferate aggressively and/or provide alternative <br />food sources for avians. Prescribed fire is not recommended for this site due to its presence at a low point in <br />the landscape and near-surface watertable making for poor burning conditions.Long term maintenance of <br />the site will likely involve periodic shrub layer thinning via mechanical removal or goat browsing. Volunteers <br />and community membersmayprovide the labor needed for continued mechanical removal of invasive <br />woodies, as well as labor for seeding and planting, with contracted buckthorn removal and follow up on the <br />full site.Section 3 provides detailed recommended tasks and timeline, with recommended species lists for <br />seeding and planting in Appendices A and B.