Preliminary Findings

In the summer of 2009 I marked property boundaries, performed a biodiversity survey, gained a general idea of the variety and quality of forest structures, compared soil and geologic maps with ground truths in the field, and tested water quality for some surface and ground water resources.  I have had some contact with the case study sites.

Sections below:

Property Boundaries
Biodiversity survey
Forest structure survey
Geology
Soils
Ground and surface water quality
Stress and key ecological processes
Case Studies

References

Property Boundaries

Property boundaries were marked approximately every 20 feet with orange flagging tape in order to make other surveying (biological, geological, etc) and mapping an easier job with boundaries clearly marked.  Property boundaries were flagged using a Garmin GPS 12 unit (accuracy of +/- 15 feet in open terrain and +/- 30 feet under heavy tree cover).  To determine property boundary lines, the deed description was consulted, which says things like “the Northwest Quarter of the Northwest Quarter (NW 1/4), containing 40 acres, more or less, being in Section 33, Township 14 North, Range 26 West” (Warranty Deed, 1993). This is the cryptic language of the Public Land Survey System, which was set up after the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 through the vision of Thomas Jefferson.  The PLSS carved the United States up into rectangular “townships,” each 6 miles square. Each township was divided into 36 “sections,” which were further subdivided into corners to ease surveying.  At Williams Woods, several existing barbed wire fence lines were 20 to 30 feet over (inside and outside) the line given by our GPS unit. The fences seem to overestimate the property in some places, and underestimate in others.  This inconsistency might be explained by decreased accuracy of the GPS unit because of tree cover, or perhaps the barbed wire fence was erected using an older, less accurate survey technique. The Ozark Highlands Trail Association is considering a professional survey of the boundaries before selling the property. A recent quote from Ozark Mapping and Surveying put the price at $5,600 (Cagle, 2009).

The days spent marking boundaries also allowed me to become familiar with the terrain of large portions of the site.  My observations were that the property has some difficult terrain where the slope of the mountain is nearly vertical, but also boasts a variety of habitats at different elevations and locations in relation to streams and ponds.   The perimeter of the property is just over five miles.

Biodiversity survey

Forest structure survey

Geology

Geology and soils were determined by consulting geologic and soil maps of Madison County and comparing them to ground truths established in the field. Stratification was extrapolated from other geologic studies in the area. The Atoka formation (early Pennsylvanian), made up of sandstone and shale units, is characteristic of the upper strata, including peaks in the area. The Bloyd and Hale formations (early Pennsylvanian) underlie the Atoka (Harris et al, 1988). Outcrops on the property have been privy to serious weathering over thousands of years, so groundtruthing in terms of establishing basement rock layers was difficult. Still, the bedrock (Soil Horizon C) was confirmed as sandstone that sits on a bed of shale. The layers are tilted down toward the southeast and most springs and seeps are found on the southeast slope. Sandstone outcrops were observed to be finely layered rather than large, consolidated blocks of stone, which points to some sort of chemical weathering. Ironstone concretions stood out from the surrounding weathered sandstone (Brahana, 2009).

Soils

Preliminary soil data was collected by consulting the Soil Survey of Madison County. Most of the Williams Woods Nature Preserve is covered in soil formed by the weathering of sandstone, siltstone, and shale. The soils are predominantly Nella, Steprock, and Mountainburg soils, though Enders and Leesburg soils are present in some areas. Linker soils are present on the northern portion of the mountaintop.

Nella soils are deep soils found on the slopes and benches of Mack Mountain. The surface layer is dark brown stony loam and very stony loam with a subsurface layer of brown stony loam and subsoil of yellowish brown very gravelly loam. Sandstone bedrock underlies the Nella soil layers.

Steprock soils are moderately deep soils found primarily on the flat to gently sloping top of Mack Mountain. The surface layer is brown gravelly loam and stony loam with a subsurface layer of yellowish brown very stony loam and subsoil of yellowish red very gravelly loam, yellowish red very gravelly clay loam, and red, mottled very stony clay loam. Soft, thin-bedded sandstone bedrock underlies Steprock soil layers.

Mountainburg soils are shallow soils found interspersed with Nella and Steprock soils on the slopes and benches of Mack Mountain. The surface layer is dark brown very stony loam with a subsurface layer of brown stony loam and subsoil of yellowish brown very gravelly loam. Hard, level-bedded sandstone bedrock underlies Mountainburg soils.

Nella-Steprock-Mountainburg soils are not suited for agriculture due to stones on the surface, steep slopes on which they lie, and shallowness to bedrock. The soils are poorly suited for urban uses, due to the slop, and the difficulty the steepness poses for heavy equipment. These soils are well suited for use as woodland.
Enders soils are minor soils on gently sloping to steep mountainsides, as well as primary soils for a low elevation area on the eastern edge of the property. The surface layer is a very dark grayish brown stony loam with a dark brown stony loam subsurface layer and subsoil of strong brown gravelly loam; red clay; mottled red and light gray clay; and mottled yellowish brown and light gray shaly silty clay. Shale bedrock underlies Enders soils.

Leesburg soils are also minor soils on gently sloping to steep mountainsides, as well as primary soils for a low elevation area on the eastern edge of the property. The surface layer is dark brown stony loam with a subsurface layer of yellowish brown stony loam above a layer of yellowish brown gravelly loam. Leesburg soils have a great diversity of subsoil layers, including strong brown gravelly clay loam; mottled strong brown, yellowish red, and pale brown gravelly clay loam; mottled strong brown, yellowish red, and light brownish gray very gravelly silty clay; and mottled yellowish brown, yellowish red, and light gray gravelly clay.

Enders-Leesburg soils are generally not suited for agriculture because of stones on the surface, but half of all cultivated fields at Williams Woods are located in areas with these soils. Urban uses are not recommended due to the high shrink-swell potential and slow permeability in the subsoil. The soils are better suited for pasture land and best suited for use as woodland.

Ground and surface water quality

Figure 1. Location of water test sites in June of 2009.  Map courtesy of Robert Cross.

Table 1. Measurements of temperature, pH, and conductivity for four sites at Williams Woods.

Photo credit: Lori Ransom

Stress and key ecological processes

There have been neither planned nor unplanned forest fires at WWNP since the OHTA has owned the property. Because the property is unmanaged and now has extensive areas of downed trees from the January ice storm, the potential for wildfires has increased. Williams Woods is served by a volunteer fire department in Saint Paul, Arkansas, without the capability to control a large wildfire. Access to most of the property is difficult because old roads are in many places blocked by debris or washed out by erosion. Prescribed burns, or otherwise managing the fallen trees, would decrease the risk of a devastating unplanned wildfire. Burns may serve additional purposes. For example, recent cultural changes have increased the acceptability of fire management as a technique for eradicating invasive plant species and encouraging the growth of native species (Andre et al, 2005).

One of the most prevalent invasive plants found at Williams Woods is lespedeza, often planted by hunters as a feed crop for deer. In June of 2009, lespedeza covered large swaths of cedar groves and old fields on the property and grew to be waist high. The plants may have been seeded by a group of hunters that was granted access to the property in 2004. Another prevalent invasive species is johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense).

Soil erosion was observed in several locations. One of several dirt roads that cross the property has severe erosion near the peak of Mack Mountain where the roadbed crosses drainages. Exposed soil due to large, uprooted trees on south- and eastern-facing slopes may cause erosion problems in the future. The soil is generally thin and rocky, but mudslides have been documented in the Ozarks. However, even less drastic erosion issues can cause a decline in water quality.

Although grazing by domesticated animals is no longer allowed at WWNP, history shows that farmers once grazed cattle and pigs, a practice that certainly had effects on the landscape. Today's grazing problems are caused by invasive wildlife like armadillos and hogs. These animals expose soil to erosion, compete for food with native wildlife, and destroy vegetation by rooting for food,.

Based on knowledge of popular recreational practices in the area, anthropogenic stresses like the unauthorized use of all-terrain vehicles and horses may exacerbate erosion problems and destroy vegetation at Williams Woods. A county road accesses the property, and the un-gated site is open to public use. Observational data like muddy tire tracks and damaged trails on the unprotected property show that destructive human activity has occurred. However, such activity has not been consistently monitored at WWNP.

Case Studies

Basic information was gathered about the five case study sites. I conducted a site visit in August to the REACH Project in Randolph County, Arkansas. I also attended a Black Rock Forest Consortium meeting in September. I have previously visited the Buffalo National River and properties managed by The Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama on trips unrelated to this project.

Black Rock Forest is a nearly 4000-acre private property in Cornwall, New York used for research, education, and conservation. Originally owned by Harvard, the site is now operated by a consortium of schools in the region, including Barnard College and Columbia University (Black Rock Forest, 2009).

Pioneer Forest is a privately-owned forest in Salem, Missouri used for sustainable forestry, research, and recreation. The property today encompasses 160,000 acres of forest. Pioneer Forest is an oft-cited multiple-use conservation success story in the Ozarks. It is unique because it combines commercial forestry interests with conservation and research goals (L-A-D Foundation, 2009).

The Buffalo National River is a publicly-owned park in the Arkansas Ozarks run by the National Park Service. A wide variety of programs occur in the 94,293-acre area including wildlife management, cultural and history districts, education, recreation, and forest conservation (National Park Service, 2009).

The REACH Project is located in Randolph County, Arkansas. The project involves historic landscape preservation of two of the oldest homesites in Arkansas. The houses and land were donated to a public community college by that families have lived in the area for generations. The community college has developed a solid interdisciplinary curriculum engaging the REACH project sites and offers a multitude of opportunities for students. The project is also aided by enthusiastic community support (Randolph County Heritage Museum, 2009).

The Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama is a member supported, not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving open space in the face of the vast suburban sprawl of Huntsville, Alabama. The main goals for the organization are education, recreation, and conservation. The land trust has protected nearly 6,000 acres of land (The Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama, 2009).

References